So, I went on a 20 hour binge of Xenoblade Chronicles over the past few days to finish it up in just a little over 80 hours. The playthrough consisted of quite a bit of side quests and collectible stuff, although no where close to finishing it 100%. There were plenty of things that could have kept me playing for longer if I didn't get hooked to the last 5 hours or so of play.

The game as a whole lived up to the hype. I absolutely loved the game and it's one of the better RPGs of this and the last generation (I include the last generation because I just haven't played many this generation =/). I'm kind of sad I already had imported this back in September way before the announcement was made that it would be brought over to the US.

The beginning arch and ending arch was great. I think there was about 10-15 hours in the middle that got a little repetitive or boring, but I ended up doing a lot of my side questing during that time to break up the grind. The ending hours were great. The last few bosses really were a challenge and delivered unique boss experiences in new ways. The ending was awesome as well! For the first time in quite a while, I got a good sense of accomplishment as I saw the ending and credits roll.

For those that imported this game, what were your favorite parts and did you have a set party throughout most of the game? I played the first 75% of the game with Shulk, Dunban, Sharla. The rest of the game, including the ending, I took out Dunban for Reyn since he seemed to be leaps and bounds ahead of Dunban in tanking.

For those that are waiting to buy the US version of the game, as you know by now, it's WELL deserving of a purchase. Any questions you have regarding gameplay, etc?

So, I went on a 20 hour binge of Xenoblade Chronicles over the past few days to finish it up in just a little over 80 hours. The playthrough consisted of quite a bit of side quests and collectible stuff, although no where close to finishing it 100%. There were plenty of things that could have kept me playing for longer if I didn't get hooked to the last 5 hours or so of play.

The game as a whole lived up to the hype. I absolutely loved the game and it's one of the better RPGs of this and the last generation (I include the last generation because I just haven't played many this generation =/). I'm kind of sad I already had imported this back in September way before the announcement was made that it would be brought over to the US.

The beginning arch and ending arch was great. I think there was about 10-15 hours in the middle that got a little repetitive or boring, but I ended up doing a lot of my side questing during that time to break up the grind. The ending hours were great. The last few bosses really were a challenge and delivered unique boss experiences in new ways. The ending was awesome as well! For the first time in quite a while, I got a good sense of accomplishment as I saw the ending and credits roll.

For those that imported this game, what were your favorite parts and did you have a set party throughout most of the game? I played the first 75% of the game with Shulk, Dunban, Sharla. The rest of the game, including the ending, I took out Dunban for Reyn since he seemed to be leaps and bounds ahead of Dunban in tanking.

For those that are waiting to buy the US version of the game, as you know by now, it's WELL deserving of a purchase. Any questions you have regarding gameplay, etc?

So how's the story of this? I keep hearing about how great the gameplay is and how long it goes, but does the writing hold up all the way through? What about the characters, are they memorable?

Impressive man ..... I am still only about 20 hours in and barely past the beginning I believe. It is a great game and well worth owning.

@Beforet: The story is above average. It's definitely a JRPG story with the usual quirks that come along with it (obnoxious one liners, cutesy character that only provides comedic value, etc). If you've played any JRPGs before you'll immediately know what to expect from that department. The characters are consistent and fun. There are some really great twists in the story in the latter half of the game that keep you guessing. I can remember having the feeling of wanting to know what happens next, and that's sometimes pretty rare in video games.

The only real gripe I have about the story/characters is that I think they could have added a little more story to the optional quests in the game. The only real substance the quests give you are small one-off experiences. For the most part there are no quest story arches that go over the span of multiple quests. There are questlines, but the story either doesn't really tie together or it's so generic that you won't remember it. It made the quests only worth doing for the rewards.