REVIEW | Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country

Written by Michael Richardson

Published 22 October 2018

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All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Opinions expressed in this review are of the reviewer alone.

Game Copyright 2017 Nintendo / Monolith Soft, Inc. 

NS Exclusive

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Golden

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Japanese developer Monolith Soft has quickly become one of Nintendo’s most prominent first party developers. From helping out on massive releases such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and even The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, they have devised a million seller rpg series that has begun to rival the industry’s finest - Xenoblade Chronicles. The Xenoblade franchise has quickly become one of my favorite series, with each iteration elegantly sewing together an enthralling narrative, strategic combat, and unmatched presentation. The series is comprised of truly special games, and I own all of them. After submerging into my first one-hundred hour gaming adventure with Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U, I immediately purchased the original Xenoblade Chronicles and was ecstatic upon the announcement of a sequel. I rewarded Xenoblade Chronicles 2 a B, praising its riveting combat system, masterful soundtrack, and great story, but criticized the poor performance and tedious implementation of core crystals.

 

Given that Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country is Monolith’s first foray into downloadable content, I was concerned they would not alleviate issues and its prequel story would be too predictable. After completing the main story and side quests in Torna, my concerns were unwarranted. Torna ~ The Golden Country is a triumphant return to the world of Arrest and improves upon most of the problems I had with its predecessor, making it an essential addition to any role playing game fan’s library.

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Don't Forget Me

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country takes place during the Aegis War, five hundred years prior to Rex’s journey in the original game. As a result, numerous minor characters from XC2 receive development that players will not feel initially attached too unless they complete the original game. Therefore, while Torna ~ The Golden Country is a full game, I think of it as a supplement to completing XC2. And a worthy supplement it is. Despite pouring 95 hours into Xenoblade Chronicles 2, despite being enamored by its locations and politics, despite just walking around and listening to the music for minutes on end, despite knowing the conclusion to Torna through its prequel nature, the ending left me absolutely slack jawed.

 

Similar to Bayonetta 2, after finishing Torna, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 gains an altered story context without diminishing the plot of the original game or making Torna feel like a cash grab. Numerous story revelations left me shaking, and I enjoyed hearing about backstories that were mostly unexplored in the original game, and was ultimately rewarded with an insightful ending. Moreover, the plot bolsters itself through the incredibly memorable characters and their development. Jin and Lora are fantastic deuteragonists that I kept rooting to succeed. I especially enjoyed Jin, because while he initially feels degrading, learning about his backstory and motivations emotionally attached me in a way few other characters provide.

 

A majority of the cast succeed as well. By focusing on only nine playable characters, Monolith Soft allocated time for most characters to receive development, creating investments that shine through dark Tornan interiors. I adore how characters compliment each other, with Hugo’s strong sense of maturity pinning others into place, Addams charismatic wit motivating the party, and Lora making Mythra feel humane. There was only one character I did not enjoy, due to lack of context for his inclusion. However, I want to highlight the main antagonist, Malos. For a character who bursts with dark symbolism and his name translates in latin to evil, this guy delightfully shocks with his personality and history, to the point where I was always intrigued whenever he appeared. Furthermore, Torna’s characters are anything but linear by linking together in a profoundly cohesive web, with emotions that stretch far beyond the silk. Above all, the diverse cast of Torna ~ The Golden Country believably succeeds in exemplifying the game's main theme of survival, because in times of war, even the most unlikely individuals must cooperate. I love these characters, and hope that more developers add the same amount of depth into their worlds.

 

While Torna is significantly shorter than Monolith’s previous work, clocking in at roughly sixteen hours for the main story, it only slightly suffers from pacing. Similar to the affinity charts from Xenoblade Chronicles and X, Torna has a community system where the more townsfolk you aid, the bigger your influence grows. For completing a certain number of side quests, your community level will raise, allowing you to perform more side quests. I really like this change, because it makes each townsperson feel significant and connected to each other. Thankfully, a majority of Torna’s side quests succeed by providing fun and unique objectives alongside memorable characters and locals. Also, the Xenoblade series staple of having the geography of the world alter by completing quests, even if minimally, made me feel like I was making a difference. I particularly loved how the last side quest felt like a culmination of my efforts, which made me glee with joy and feel connected to the world.

 

However, the mandatory nature of the side quests diminished their appeal. To elaborate, at two very close plot revelations, the main story takes a step back in favor of completing forty side quests to advance the story. I understand the point of these distractions are to attach the player to the world and its inhabitants, but the number the game prerequisites dumbfounds, making Torna’s pacing suffer. Side quests should be mostly supplemental to a game’s story - an aside to the main adventure - and not required. While the pacing only slightly hindered my enjoyment because I liked the side quests, even going as far as to play for an additional ten hours after the end credits rolled, I envision how players will leave Alrest frustrated by the pacing. If Torna only required a few side quests to be completed, pacing problems would have been alleviated. Despite those complaints, the world of Alrest remains the most dense, believable, and beautiful world I have ever visited. Across the span of two games, almost everything has a purpose, conclusion, and deeper meaning that left me both impressed and delighted.

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Stellar Vanguard 

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While the story immersed me in Alrest, the gameplay of Torna ~ The Golden Country addicted me to its biomes. The worst aspects of the original game are absent; the randomly generated core crystals and mercenary missions. These changes enormously benefit the gameplay experience, such as through the new accessibility of unlockable field skills. Field skills, which reward collectables through fulfillment of affinity conditions, seldom frustrate since each character harnesses unique traits. Pouring through useless common blades just to find that one field skill you need is now a relic of the past, which was among my largest qualms about XC2. Even more conveniences are permeated throughout Torna, such as collection points that mark materials and rarity, easily switchable characters, and an autosave function. Above all, tutorials can finally be viewed after initially learning them! While Torna ~ The Golden Country improves upon a plethora of gameplay aspects, it makes the inconvenience of having to migrate back to an affinity chart each time a blade learns a skill stand out all the more grotesque. I understand Monolith wants the player to feel a sense of progression, but having to spend upwards of thirty seconds unlocking a skill accumulates over the journey to feel like a chore, and they should have been unlocked immediately upon fulfilling requirements.

 

Circling back to the lack of core crystals, their absence in Torna elevates the battle system over the lofty heights set by the original game. The best combat aspects remain in Torna, such as gratifying combos and satisfying auto attack timings, that over time rewards one of the most in-depth battle systems I have encountered in a role playing game. Starting with the basics, there are now three teams of three and every single character can be controlled, regardless if they are a driver. Every character has unique attacks, demonstrated through vanguard and rearguard arts. Vanguard arts are fast-charging skills available to the forefront attacker, whereas background allies use rearguard arts that charge over a long period of time.

 

Every art can be charged by successfully auto attacking. However, each weapon incorporates a different rhythm and timing into auto attacks, with larger damage the higher into the auto attack chain you are, allowing each weapon to feel unique. Once an art is charged up, pressing the corresponding button unleashes offensives ranging from gradual health regeneration, high powered slashes, and area of effect damage. While simply using an art does a moderate amount of damage, timing it at the same time as an auto attack yields the most wrath. This method is referred to as cancelling, which opens up a great risk versus reward mechanic into the game. Should I use an art at the beginning of a chain and potentially hamper the enemy, or wait until my weapon deals the highest possible damage? Cancelling encouraged me to stay on my toes in the heat of battle, and proves essential as the game progresses.

 

Cancelling also facilities the special gauge, enabling elemental combos, also known as blade combos. By activating an elemental combo once your special gauge is filled up to at least one, an orb of the driver's corresponding element will surround the enemy, which come into play during chain attacks. Torna once again improves upon the original game because elemental orbs do not require a level three special to active, which greatly improves combat pacing. However, easier to obtain orbs does not come at the expense of difficulty. Torna boasts a consistent challenge that had me strategizing for every battle, since each of the varied overworld enemies exhibit different attack patterns. Elemental combos work like a karate class. To be a yellow belt, an athlete must first obtain a white belt, and to be a green belt, one must obtain all the colors before it - white, yellow, orange, purple, then blue. Similarly, activating a level one special requires training in the form of using arts, and a level two special requires a level one special. At stages three and four a large barracide will devastate the enemy, and the latter is a cinematic brawl that can only be achieved through max affinity between attackers. Players increase battle affinity by attacking close to a teammate, and once your characters reach max affinity, indicated by a yellow glow, the attackers’ strengthen increases.

 

Additionally, the limited cast of characters make chain attacks more satisfying to pull of. Chain attacks require all three blue bars of the party gauge in the upper left corner to reach capacity during battle, whereas one bar allows a character to be resurrected. The party gauge fills over the course of the battle, but using combos increases the charge rate. Chain attacks completely stop the flow of battle similar to the Wii’s Xenoblade Chronicles, but revolve around hitting inflicted elemental orbs with opposite materials. For instance, if you use a water element with Aegeon and a fire orb has been put onto the enemy, successfully timing his special will reduce ⅔ of the orbs’ health, whereas other materials will likely yield ⅓ damage. Destroying an elemental orb results in a massively increased damage ratio, and once five elements have been destroyed a full burst is unleashed, critically wounding the opponent. By the end of the game, I was doing over one and a half million damage per chain attack, and I was grinning with joy.

 

I absolutely love Torna’s battle system. Not only is it deeply rewarding, but more satisfying, intricate, and accessible to those willing to take their time it. Strategizing during battle as to how I would unleash a full burst included some of the best moments with Torna, and the curveballs some enemies threw made their eventual demise all the more incredible. And this is to say nothing of the returning driver combos, fusion combos, and talents arts, which add a titan of strategy to an already excellent system. However, the new switch arts were my favorite addition to Torna. Switch arts allow characters to be switched into rearguard or vanguard positions at any moment during combat, and result in a subsequent driver combo attack - break, topple, launch, or smash. By switching out characters, any depleted health inside the red line of a team’s health bar will restore, which greatly encourages experimentation. Additionally, because arts and blades are locked to a certain button, not having to scroll through them with the d-pad proved much more intuitive and fun. Furthermore, Torna’s battle system triumphs over Xenoblade Chronicles 2, with its brilliant pacing and character switching improvements that culminate in memorably chaotic and strategic fights.

 

Whew! That’s a lot of combat talk, but I couldn't help myself. I really do adore battling in Torna. In terms of exploration, platforming is still encouraged and remains as fun, if stiff, as ever. Aux cords and accessories can be equipped to enhance a blade’s or a main character's traits, respectively. Better yet, characters can switch the element of their weapon, so if fire is not suiting you on Lora, if you have collected a lightning whip, try it! Additionally, pouches grant timed augments, with up to two pouches able to be equipped per character through hidden pouch expansion kits. Pouch items are crafted using resources gathered throughout Alrest, which can only be synthesized at a handful of camps throughout the world. Not only does this grant a rewarding and substantial feeling to resources that the original game lacked, but highlights the utility of the campsites. Campsites are essentially heart-to-hearts, inns, and crafting all bundled together. Each character crafts unique recipes using resources, including non-pouch items that permanently buff character traits, such as running speed and item collection distance. Therefore, I happily found myself pillaging through areas to find the one material needed for a new recipe. While the campsites effectively eliminate the town leveling system, I never missed the feature. Torna employs a stable economy that constantly facilitates well priced purchases, even during the end game.

 

Additionally, the inn system remains genius. As you complete side quests, experience will not be immediately obtained. Instead, you can travel to campsites and level up once you acquire a certain amount of exp, which allows Torna to be tailored to your challenge level. Want to make the game harder? Don’t use inns, and vice versa by increasing character levels ten at a time. The game is more than well balanced for any scenario, so much so that I never felt the the need to grind. Therefore, the inns stand out as a wonderful inclusion by catering to the player, making it so balancing issues are almost completely alleviated. Also, while heart-to-hearts are no longer obtained through exploration, their similar implementation in campsite conversations proves just as viable and boasts thoughtful and entertaining dialogue. Furthermore, I hope more rpgs include a similar feature to the Tornan campsite in the future, because it would quell balance issues through optional leveling, have characters conveniently converse, and reward resource gathering.

 

Although Torna mostly maintains pacing throughout, having only two titans to explore was a bit of a disappointment. While Torna and Gormott are dense with secrets to discover, hearing townsfolk talk about the other titans without being able to explore them made the world feel separated. Especially given Hugo is from Mor Ardain, not having his titan to explore bewildered me. As one who played the original game, I foresee how numerous important references will pass over Xenoblade Chronicles 2 newcomers, which is truly a shame. However, not having another area to explore was a minor quibble in an otherwise immersive narrative. Despite missed exploration potential, Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s main gameplay systems consistently engage.

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Jazzy Artistry

 

I seldom devote entire sections of a review on presentation, but Torna deserves a special mention. Barring technical hiccups, Monolith Soft remain the kings of immersion. Unfortunately, Torna looks downright terrible in handheld mode, and froze on me at one point while docked. Torna always looks far too pixelated, which impairs the otherwise stunning art direction. Afterall, Torna’s locals bursts with a vibrancy unlike most games, so a higher resolution would have greatly benefited the experience. However, if impossible for the Switch to handle, I wish they incorporated a dynamic resolution that kept the frame rate consistent throughout the adventure, because there were a few dips. However, I often climbed onto vistas and whimsically started out at the large landscape before me, breathing in the music and the wildlife around me knowing how much of the land I traversed by spotting my starting area far in the distance, which created a sense of cohesion and accomplishment that the Xenoblade series frequently nails. Additionally, I enjoy the anime inspired art style. Characters exhibit a level of personality and expression unparallel to other Xenoblade games, especially during pre-rendered cutscenes, and stick out against dull colors.

 

However, the beauty of the art does not translate to the cutscenes. Cutscene direction proved inconsistent because characters stiffly move, camera angles remain positioned too long, a weird shade surrounds individuals, and Addam has a terrible smile. Oh my pandy, Addams smile. Get. That. Stupid. Dumb. Angled. Grin. Off. Your. Face. Seriously! Get your stuff together, man!

 

While their facial animations leave much to be desired, the english voice acting terrifically embodies the diverse cast. Particular highlights include Anna Koval as Lora, John Schwab as Jin, Skye Bennett as Mythra, and David Menkin as Malos. Every character exudes personality and reverence for the source material, alongside a humorous, funny, evocative, thoughtful, analytical, and emotional script that most of the actors nail. While the english script remains engaging, a Japanese voice pack is free to download from the eShop, which is a welcome addition.

 

Given my relatively critical stance on Torna’s presentation so far, you might be wondering why I believe Monolith Soft to be the kings of immersion. Simply put, the music. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has my favorite soundtrack ever, and the composition team of Yasunori Mitsuda, ACE, Kenji Hiramatsu, and Manami Kiyota have provided killer remixes and new arrangements in Torna that perfectly weave into the story, and even take on a different meaning if you dive deep into the game’s lore. I resonated with every song, which range from the catchy upbeat jazz of Gormott and the battle theme, to the adventurous yet daunting Kingdom of Torna theme, to the bombastic orchestral elegance of counterattack. I listen to the soundtrack daily and even recommend the game solely for its musical bravado. I cannot praise the soundtrack enough; the composers are seriously geniuses. No joke, sometimes I hear counterattack, and I ‘full burst’ into a sprint of energy. While Torna does not include many of the best tracks from the original game, the selection on display is still remarkable and a gold standard for all creations. Alongside a breathtaking, if underutilized, art direction, sublime voice performance, and masterful compositions, Torna continues in Xenoblade series tradition with a presentation that utterly mesmerized me.

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Verdict

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~The Golden Country reaffirms why Monolith Soft is one of Nintendo’s most prominent developers. Not only did Monolith shatter my fears of an unwelcome downloadable content pack, they obliterated them. Alongside a mostly well paced emotional thrill of a narrative, fantastic combat system, dense environments, convenience improvements, and compositions that have become some my favorites in gaming history, Torna necessitates every rpg fans’ attention. Even an unoptimized resolution and minor pacing issues hardly bring this gem down. Furthermore, Torna ~ The Golden Country is a reminder of how good things come in small packages, and of Nintendo’s continued support for their library. I will miss the world of Alrest, but I certainly will not forget it. The masters of immersion have created one of the greatest games of 2018 and reminded gamers of what makes the Xenoblade series so beautiful.

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