Xenoblade Chronicles X Looks Like Nothing Else on Nintendo’s Wii U

Want to see what a video game the Wii U hypothetically shouldn’t be able to visually render looks like? Check out this quick romp through some of the game’s epic initial areas, including what happens when you perturb a creature as big as a brontosaurus.

In my review of the game, I write: It’s further evidence of a design restlessness that’s marked most of Japan-based director Tetsuya Takahasi’s oeuvre, best realized in 2012’s superb Xenoblade Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii. Xenoblade Chronicles X isn’t a direct sequel to that game, but echoes its core ideas: realtime battles where you trigger abilities (“arts”) and shoot for combat bonuses by complementing whatever your teammates are up to, and collection-driven exploration that fuels a completist mentality. (For the rest, click here.)