Xenoblade Chronicles X details map size, unions, more

Famitsu this week has new details on Xenoblade Chronicles X. Specifically, the magazine details the eight unions players will be able to join, the size of the world, and more.

Get the details below.

Start of the Game

At the beginning of the story, the goal is to survive the uncivilized planet of Mira. After meeting up with private military organization Blade, you’ll choose from one of eight affiliated unions, each with their own overarching objective to fill, and embark on quests. It’s possible to join a different union later. Unlike the linear progression of the original Xenoblade Chronicles, the successor’s story will unfold in various directions.

Unions

The eight unions are:

• Pathfinder – In charge of data probe installation.
• Interceptor – In charge of exterminating protists.
• Avalanche – In charge of hunting down dangerous life forms.
• Testament – In charge of the search and recovery of debris scattered by the ship, as well as the recovery of items lost on the battlefield.
• Corepedian – In charge of visiting areas and investigation/collecting materials.
• Land Bank – In charge of securing resources and collecting minerals.
• Arms – Assists the Arms Company in charge of the development of Dolls and their inner weaponry.
• Companion – A Jack of all trades, from the mediation of petty fights to the search of stray cats.

Other Tidbits

• The concept of the game’s online mode is to be “‘loosely connected’ with other players”—to have a sense of solidarity without feeling constantly aware of other players’ presence.
• The size of the field is five times the previous game (400 square kilometers) and fully seamless. However, there is loading during event scenes.
• The map is visible on the Wii U GamePad. Each area is indicated by a hex. Touching them can perform things such as quick travel or check events.
• The sense of speed from the previous game’s battles has been elevated, and players can attack freely while switching between short and long ranges.
• No character explicitly serves as a healer, meaning it’s important to gauge one’s capabilities relative to those of an enemy before picking fights.
• “Soul Voice” is a system that can be triggered in reaction to party members that are able to string their attacks well. With well-timed button presses, HP can be healed, making it possible to continuously heal while attacking.
• Parties consist of four people: the player character and three AI companions.
• Dolls are exceptionally powerful, but in exchange for that, their movement can’t be finely controlled, meaning they can’t take out enemy body parts. Being able to do so is important, as it can weaken them and yield items, among other things. As a result, players will have to disembark at times and fight enemies themselves.
• A number of new “Unique Monsters” have been added compared to the previous game, some powerful enough to cross swords with the Doll robots.
• Playtime in the game has been recorded to exceed 300 hours while doing final checks, with some elements potentially continuing endlessly.
• There are over 90 songs featured in the game, all of which were worked on by Hiroyuki Sawano.

Thanks, Games Talk.