Nintendo streamed a new Nintendo Direct today, this one dedicated to the highly anticipated upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles X from Monolith Soft (and the second Nintendo Direct dedicated entirely to that one game). In this broadcast, Nintendo discussed how the combat in the highly anticipated Wii U game would work, and it all sounds pretty damn awesome.
It is basically the same system as the original Xenoblade Chronicles X, albeit featuring several modifications to allow for a faster flow and pace of combat. One such modification includes a quick switching from melee to ranged weapons.
There will be several kinds of ‘Arts’ (similar to Monado Arts), each color coded and specializing in a different aspect of combat, with the stronger ones having extensive cooldown periods, and the weaker ones requiring little to none.
Combat itself is largely automatic once you target an enemy- that said, you can also link together several attacks, not just your own, but also of your NPC party members, to unleash devastating combos. Apart from that, players will have a superpowered state, called Overclock (think of it as this game’s take on Final Fantasy X’s Overdrive), and they will also be able to revive downed players.
All in all, it sounds like combat will be fast and strategic, requiring some quick thinking from then player, and with enough depth and nuance to keep players engaged.
I can’t wait to see how it turns out.