WALKING WITH YOU - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 34 - Ending 

This game shattered my expectations in every way possible. It was an absolute joy to experience, and truly proves that you can't judge every story by its cover.

When you consider it, the true final conflict is defeating Malos before Shulk Defeats Zanza, and since you can have Reyn in your party during the Zanza Fight, the true final conflict was Reyn Time.

Hearing Shulk say “Today we use our power to fell a god…” made me bust a Xenonut.

Imagine finding an old and withered book titled "The Salvager's Code" written by Rex with a page dedicated to each of the hundreds of rules, and the rule 5 page is ripped so all you can read is "Always be ..."

"Poppi made promise" God, even all these years later this line still makes me tear up...

I love how you can tell from Malos' voice work when he mentions sounding like Akhos that he's really sad that all his allies are gone. His VA did an incredible job.

From the beginning of the game till the ending Malos never once called Rex by his name

The final version of the Now Back To joke had me tear up a little. Nico really has come full circle with Rex and his pants, and it's so beautiful

Due to Malos' final conversation with Rex, it actually became a semi-popular fandom thing to draw Rex and Malos as Driver and Blade together - sometimes post XB2, sometimes as an AU where Malos and Mythra swap roles, complete with Rex wielding Malos' Monado and having a purple X on his chest instead of an emerald one. (I think Japanese fans even called this kinda fanart "Metsublade", with "Metsu" being Malos' Japanese name) One *could* argue this misses the point of what Malos said, cause as tragic as it is, Malos with any other Driver wouldn't have been "himself", but... It's still a really cute/fun fanart concept

I really love that line of Malos', and how he basically "sticks up" for Jin, and how Lora's last words caused him to become the way he was. Living for the sole purpose of remembering incredibly painful memories would be such an empty life. What do you even do with a life like that? It's no surprise Malos would think Jin would want to die. Dying is the one and only thing he couldn't do after all, because to do so would betray her final wish. And yet, what Jin really wanted was some kind of connection/goal, which is why he came to understand Malos. I really love Jin and Malos' relationship, and how their promise mirrors Rex and Pyra's. I also really love Malos' reasoning that even if his personality and motivations are not "his", he's still responsible for them, and will follow them anyway, because they are what they are, and they're all he's got. Even if his nature is not meant to be naturally destructive, he still sees himself as a "hideous monster far beyond saving" TBH, in some ways, Malos' reasoning reminds me of the conclusion of Danganronpa V3, and how that game's cast came to a similar conclusion regarding their "Selves".

The "XC1 is happening at the same time as XC2" twist might be the best twist i've seen in a game in recent memory This LP was a joy and i can't wait for Torna!

"I thought a man with two wives would be happy." "No, you're thinking of a man with two knives." Rex: "I gotta tell ya, this is pretty terrific."

Malos' character is much more tragic and complex than you'd initially think when we first met him in ch 1. In Alrest, blades carrying out duties for their drivers is a given, but what if this relationship gets twisted a bit like in the case of Amalthus and Malos? Malos carried out the "role" he thinks he got assigned to him from his driver, Amalthus. The "role" to become the Endbringer. Even if Amalthus didn't directly assign this role to Malos, it is what Amalthus felt and believed deep down. I guess you can say that, Amalthus' affinity with Malos was so strong, Malos can sense Amalthus' inner desire. But when Malos met Jin and the rest of Torna, he became quite fond of them. Rather than only feeling the need to destroy, Malos started to form bonds of friendship. With this he started to doubt his "role" and by extension his own "will" and seeks an answer from his creator, the Architect. When Malos asked the Architect "Is that choice really mine?", the answer he received was "It was a choice you made together". This indicates that while Amalthus wanted Malos to fulfill the "role", Malos was the one who went through with it. Malos thought he carried out his duty as a blade, but now hears that he could have disobeyed his driver, thus twisting the earlier preconception of the relationship between blades and drivers. Malos now realizes that he was responsible for the some of the grief that his friends felt. This is where Malos' usual demeanor changes. Hanging shoulders, downwards gazes, the emotional voice acting, but most of all, how Malos called himself "a hideous monster, far beyond saving". Malos' self-hatred was evident during the final confrontation with Rex. Rex saw through Malos' pain and wanted to save him. When Malos shouted to Rex "And how many people died because of it? You'd forgive him(Jin) just like that?", Malos was also referring to himself, asking Rex if he himself can also be forgiven. Unfortunately Rex's answer came in too late, Malos' mind was made up for a while now. He didn't think he deserves to be saved. At the edge of the world's end, for his driver's desire, his friends' grief and for his own punishment, Malos has decided that he will follow through with his "role" as the Endbringer. Thus, he waited for Rex in the Aion hangar, in the hopes that Rex would destroy him, in the hopes that Rex will show him "why he is here in this world". And for those saying that Malos shouldn't have killed to begin with if he's going to regret it later, remember that the Aegises are a part of Klaus' Trinity Processor, which are tasked to collect data. When awakened, Malos was basically a phone on factory settings, waiting for its user to fill it up with apps and other data. Unlike Mythra, who had Adamm as her driver before Rex, Malos' only source of outside input before bonding with Torna, was Amalthus' desires.

So fun fact, if you beat the game again on New Game Plus, the final title screen with Rex and Pythra changes one last time. It's pretty much the same, them standing and staring up at the World Tree. But there are now one of two new animations before it defaults back to them looking up to the Tree. Either Nia will come in and playfully push Rex out of the way and instead eagerly hold hands with Pyra and Mythra. Or Rex and Pythra will notice someone behind them and wave them over to join them, where Nia will then walk in and hold hands along with the 3 of them, between Rex and Pyra specifically. Its extremely cute. I honestly love how they tackled Nia's romance with Rex. She was completely fine with him going after Pythra, which was extremely big of her and really showed her growth through the main story. But there's just enough evidence, like the New Game Plus final title screen and Rex and Blade Nia's unique after battle dialoge, to at least imply that either Nia became a part of Rex's wholesome harem or ended on great friendly terms with him off screen. The choice is really up to viewers and I love that. She wasn't shafted or reduced to "love me Rex" like they could have gone, she just simply maturally dealt with his unreciprocated (with a question mark?) romantic feelings. Just one final reason why Nia is and always will be best girl of the game and series. On top of all her amazing writing, I think they handled her and Rex's romance very naturally and mature.

One nice detail that I found out only VERY recently is I love how Pyra and Mythra return right where Rex's house was at the beginning of the game, showing that they are where his home is.

Holy shit that ending was brutal, pneuma destroyed the world tree and with it... ....1000 years of Adinine's research material.

I would very much argue that Egil was not an asspull. Metal Face was NEVER the main villain. He was never presented as such, and you always knew there was someone behind the Mechon.

Just FYI, T-Elos is NOT the final blade you thought you were missing in the blade album. To get that blade, you have to do the "Otherwordly Challenger" mission in the challenge arena DLC.

I like how this episode shows the conclusion to both Rex and Malos's character arcs. For Malos, he started as a simple one note villain desiring to destroy the world but eventually started to question why he wanted that or why he even did the things he did. He started to realize that his desires weren't truly his but rather Amalthus's. However, meeting Jin changed that: to him Jin's bond with Lora kept him bound to the world that he hated. He realized that Jin wanted to die but couldn't because he couldn't break his bond to Lora. Thus, unlike Amalthus, Malos came to understand that bonds and meaning do exist in this world as evidenced by Jin and Lora's relationship. However, since it brought Jin nothing but pain he came to the conclusion that such bond and meaning could only bring pain and was thus worthless and needed to be destroyed. He, like his creator, began to hate the Architect for creating such a cruel world and thus, made his desire for destruction his own. What was originally borrowed from Amalthus became Malos's true desire as he independently came to the conclusion that the world was worthy of destruction. In the end however, he, like Jin realizes that while the bonds people form bring them pain, they are ultimately necessary to continue forward into the future and dies as Morag says, finally having found his "purpose". For Rex, he started with the view of the world as rather black and white. While he was always an idealist he still views the world in terms of "good" and "bad" and simply thinks that all the "bad" things in the world can turn "good". Thus he views himself as separate from war due to consciously avoiding it. However, Vandham is able to point out how even if he tries to avoid it, war is inevitably something he has to get involved in and that the people who go to war are not "good" or "bad" but can have understandable motives and reasons for being. Throughout the game this black and white mentality is continuously challenged until he realizes just how Pyra and Mythra really feel changing him forever. Now he understands why people like Jin, Amalthus and Malos do the things they do and comes to be willing to see things from their point of view while still maintaining his optimism and strong sense of morality. At the very end, he is able to understand Malos and laments how inevitable it was that things had to end this way and how he wishes it didn't have to end like that. While he doesn't forgive Malos, he still understands him and as such, completes his own understanding of the world.

Malos: You losers can’t stop me! Rex: Oh really? Kasandra, you’re up! Malos: Ha! You think that girl can sto- *Meteorite hits Malos*

Pneuma (lit. breath, soul; emotion): "Don't you feel anything?" Logos (lit. logic, rationale): "Why should I! That's not my role in this world!"

1:11:10 Can I just say, that this is the only time in the game where Rex’s grappling hook fails? I don’t know why it was that of all this made really made me think “wow, I guess there really isn’t anything we can do.”

Since we all love Malos and he's gotten 17 essays, I figure I'd give a little shoutout to Poppi. For a character who could easily be considered just sorta a side blade like the other main cast blades, she really stands out. The fact that she's the first one to run towards the girls is such a cute little character moment that I think adds a lot. Even with how much of a doofus Tora can be, their relationship is really sweet, and she's easily my favorite of the main blades.

Rex is in my opinion the perfect protag for this story and cast of characters. While he has his many faults, both narratively and in a meta sense, it’s really endearing to see how his earnest drive overcame much of this cruel world’s trials so by the end, you can see that hope is now rekindled with the maturity needed to make his aspirations become realised, as proven by how he’s effected the world around him and of course the people he’s tied with. Nia found her acceptance with no need to hide herself, Morag found her motivation to act on her own wants, Tora found his inspiration to grow and Zeke found his hope for the future reborn. Then you look at the villains, Jin found peace with his suffering laid to rest & his legacy living on past him, Amalthus unknowingly found the person who would spark real change in the world and Malos was able to pass on feeling like his life did matter beyond the corruption of Amalthus or being a piece of the Architect's creation. And then of course we have Pyra and Mythra, who saw themselves as nothing but a threat to the world they wanted to find a place in, now choosing to live on with the love and support of someone who is unafraid to shoulder their burdens with them so they can truly feel alive. Rex was able to effect so many lives and truly make this bleak world seem brighter, even to the point it helped save himself from his own misery and I truly admire him for that. It’s very easy to groan with the pure-hearted unwavering type of protagonist because most times it doesn’t feel genuine or it grows stale, but by the end of this game I genuinely believed in his nature after seeing Rex face so much strife to come out the other side victorious. thanks to all the lives he’s touched and it’s just one of many reasons why I will forever love this cast, story, world and game..

You can say a LOT of things about Malos and most of them might stick. However… I think it really says something about his character, that an apathetic Destroyer archetype could grow to accept and embrace his “role” not for his own sake, but for the sake of one of the few people he ever grew to care about. When he says “There was only ever one Driver for me”… He’s not talking about Amalthus.

Fun fact, the final words of Mythra are “I’m home”, which suggested that they retained their memories unlike how normal Blade lose their memories after returning to their core. According to her English VA though, she says “I love you Rex.”

malos' VA went absolutely insane on that final cutscene

So if you were wondering what that moment where you chose what name to call Pneuma was for, the final ending cutscene is the main difference that choice makes. There are some minor dialogue changes as well, mainly during the climb up the World Tree. But something interesting about the final cutscene is there is an unused Good Ending and Bad Ending, with flags relating to it scattered throughout the game's code. In the Good Ending, Pyra/Mythra would have said "Hello, Rex", and in the Bad Ending, they would have said "Hello, I'm Pyra/Mythra", implying that the ending would determine if the Aegis Sisters would retain their memories or not upon reawakening.

This really is a "don't judge a book by its cover" story all the way till the very end, huh. The narrative, the characters, the meta-perception of the entire game from an outsider's perspective... It is genuinely great, and I wish I was such a big fan of the game sooner than I was. It has so much I consider flaws but I can't help but love it. The cutscene halfway through the final boss fight is my favourite between both games. It shows Rex and Malos at their very best, delivering such a compelling performance of two excellent characters. It means a lot to me, and I feel the need to mention that originally at the start of the game, I thought Malos was incredibly doofy, and now he's one of my favourite characters ever. He's almost like a character study of a generic villain right hand man. I thought he was dumb and crude, and was shocked to see Jin or Amalthus weren't the final boss, it was "peak jobber" instead. But that's almost the point, he was forced to be a caricature of a man's evil desires, someone that "just wanted to destroy the world" and he was forced to ponder this miserable existence of his till the very end. Him and Rex talking about the meaning of their lives, having the will to change the world for the better, and how different things could have been if Malos had bonded with Rex. That being said, Rex breaking down as everyone has to convince him to leave Pnuema behind was extremely emotional for me too. I love Rex, he can come across so poorly to people who glance at the game, but he's so freaking good. He has so much heart and SOUL. What a game. Safe to say, this was a VERY wild ride, and I'm currently enjoying a third one.

Despite ALL of the shortcomings this game has with the baffling design choices, the actual story is second to none

Looking forward to Nico's Rex cosplay later this year

i’ve never seen anyone talk about this but i love how the first credits theme begins with the inn jingle. it’s like a sign of comfort that everyone can rest now that there is more land.

So fun fact, back when you chose what to call them when Pyra/Mythra were in their ascended form, that actually determines who speaks to Rex during that final cutscene. I find that cute personally, as it did ask which of them do you prefer. While it isnt exactly known what is said at that point, it was assumed to be: 'I love you'. The ultimate touch to an already amazing story. Live long Rex and Co, always continue to fight for what you believe in, as well as Rex's amazing pants.

So that song that played when fighting Don Dondon actually played twice in the story when you fought Bana piloting Giga Rosa. Quite fitting the same song plays when fighting both Father and Son. Also I find it hilarious that Malos an Aegis, piloting Aion the ultimate artiface created to destroy the world. Is the same level as a Nopon mafia boss.

And so Rex learned the power of Polygamy.

Klaus: Before I fade away, I have one final gift for you Rex in addition to the new continent. *Brings back Pyra and Mythra in two separate bodies* Rex: Thank you Klaus!

1:16:18 An interesting detail that only appears for a split second is that when the countdown screen first boots up, it has 3 Aegis cores at the center of Aion (representing the three Trinity Processor cores). The notable part is that TWO light up, recognizing Pneuma and another core, most likely Malos somehow still lingering (explaining his voice occurring despite his death).

Man, as sick as Xenoblade 1 is, this game while not only it's amazing on it's own, it enhances what the first game did, it fleshed out Zanza/Klaus even more which I don't think I can think of a series doing that, alongside the facts that these characters are so fleshed out by not only the heroes as well as the villains, plus that final scene where Pyra/Mythra returned, dang that made me cry out of pure happiness, I'm so glad this is becoming a series and I await to what Xenoblade 3 and beyond will be like, cause this is a special kind of franchise

Yeah, his VA really nailed it. And I once told him on Twitter how many goosebumps that scene gave me. The finale of this game made me cry so hard. Only the Torna DLC could top it.

Wow, Nico's going straight into Torna - The Golden Country immediately. I thought he'd take a small break but all right then! He's definitely going to take a 2-3 year break before playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 though. 😂

My favorite thing about Jin and Malos too is that it's clearly a genuine but toxic friendship. It's two guys who don't want to acknowledge how lonely they are and how they just really want to have a friend to go through life with. Same with all of Torna. What's great is that both Malos and Jin, earlier in the story claim that the reason they do what they do is their promise to the other. But by the end of the game, it's clear that neither really wants to go along with this suicide/omnicide mission. They were just using it as an excuse to hang out and spend the centuries together.

This was the first game to ever make me cry. I'm glad I experienced this game during the pandemic last year because it really makes you think of what it means to live and have desires and dreams. Even with Poppi in this final scene, even the robot is tearing up and it really shows the emotional connection these characters have to each other. Also the things that Pyra/Mythra say in the final scene are coded for them to say "Hello, I am Pyra" and "Hello, I am Mythra". It is theorized that this game was going to have a neutral and best ending based on text on the game that supposedly indicates them saying "Hello, Rex" where they remember Rex. This is also supported by the fact that when they say "Hello I am" Rex looks slightly down.

And another another thing: the somber note that Malos' defeat comes with feels like it's clearly because Rex's goal was to save him. His lessons about how to take on the baggage of others and help them find a way to live doesn't work, the power of friendship fails and they fail to help one of the people who needed it the most. They save the world but don't fully succeed

Congrats on beating Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Nico! Since this is the final episode and we likely won't be seeing any further side quests and blades, I feel now is an appropriate time to look back on every Rare Blade obtained throughout this wonderful journey and chronicle when each of these blades were pulled and who their drivers are. E3: Pyra, Dromarch E5: Adenine, Poppi a E6: Electra E7: Gorg, C.L.A.B (Common Lightning Axe Blade) E9: Crossette E10: Mythra E11: Perun, Roc E12: Wulfric E14: Sheba, Poppi QT, Brighid E15: Corvin, Kassandra, Azami, Dagas, Boreas, Adenine (Overdrived), C.L.A.B (Overdrived) E16: Poppibuster E18: Pandoria, Perceval, KOS-MOS E19: Vess E20: Shulk (LoC), Fiora (LoC), Aegaeon E21: Godfrey E23: Praxis E24: Nia E25: Pneuma E27: Poppi QT Pi E28: Ursula, Agate, Floren E29: Dahlia, Vale, Theory E30: Herald, Zenobia, Finch, Kora, Nim, Newt E34: T-elos Rex: Pyra, -Adenine,- Mythra, Perun, Roc, Wulfric, Sheba, C.L.A.B, Godfrey, Nia, Pneuma Nia: Dromarch, Electra, Gorg, -C.L.A.B,- Crossette, Azami, Dagas, Adenine, Kora, Nim Tora: Poppi a, Poppi QT, Poppi QT Pi Morag: Brighid, Corvin, Kassandra, Boreas, Aegaeon, Theory, Herald, Finch Zeke: Pandoria, Perceval, KOS-MOS, Vess, Praxis, Ursula, Agate, Floren, Dahlia, Vale, Zenobia, Newt, T-elos All: Poppibuster, Shulk, Fiora Again, congrats on finishing this game and I hope you enjoy Torna as well!

Does anyone else crack up when after that intense final boss, Malos just... smacks full force into the ground face-first with 'fall sound effect #1'?

Ahh, the beautiful irony that Elysium, the true Elysium that they'd chase after for so long was never above. It was below the Cloud Sea. Fitting then that a Salvager would be the leading one to open the door to it.

I want to highlight two songs today for the finals: the final boss theme & the credits theme. 46:14 The final boss theme is “After Despair and Hope” by Kenji Hiramatsu. Unlike most final boss themes that go for a “I’m a kickass god” feeling, this theme uses the opening motif from “Counterattack” (also by Kenji Hiramatsu), so it goes for a more emotional tone. To be honest, this was a theme that took time to grow on me. My initial impression for a while was that it wasn’t as cool as “Zanza the Divine” from the first game, but now, I love them both about the same since XC2’s boss fight is more about putting Malos out of his misery rather than defeating some arrogant god. 1:25:35 The credits theme is “One Last You” by Yasunori Mitsuda and sung by Jen Bird. Jen Bird is the one who sang “Drifting Soul,” and she knocks it out of the park with one of my favorite credits themes in any video game (with the Torna credits theme being my favorite). After such a lengthy journey with Rex and Pyra, it pulls on your heartstrings as you say goodbye to Pyra & Mythra. Seeing as the song is made by Mitsuda, it brings back numerous motifs from the main theme, which puts a nice bow on this wonderful game and OST. As much as I love the XC1 OST, one critique I had about it was that it didn’t really use many motifs, especially with the main theme. The iconic main theme of XC1 was made by Yoko Shimomura, but other than the song “Shulk and Fiora” (also by Shimomura), you don’t ever hear the main melody elsewhere in the soundtrack-probably because Shimomura only had a minor part in the OST. While Mitsuda didn’t directly compose a majority of XC2’s OST, he had a hand in the overall music direction, so that’s why the soundtrack has so much cohesion despite the various musical genres and composers present. With the final boss and ending sequence, we get to hear “Walking with You,” “After Despair and Hope,” “Drifting Soul,” “Desolation” (the piano version of “Walking with You”), “The Tomorrow with You,” and “One Last You.” What a fucking emotional lineup! P.S. The song from the Don Dondon fight was not unique. It’s the “Song of Giga Rosa” by Kenji Hiramatsu, which played in the Giga Rosa battle with Bana and Muimui. Also, Zadazan is a reference to Zazadan (spelled differently) in XC1, who was the Nopon in Satorl Marsh for all those Nopon mafia quests.

Just think it this way: If Amalthus touched Mythra's Core Crystal instead of Malos's, then Mythra would have been Xenoblade 2's Antagonist

*Rex loses the Master Driver Armor* Nico: No! Come back stupid sexy pants! Oh well, guess we are f**ked now.

Remember the EEEEEEYYYAAAAA from Rex at the start of the game? His delivery also got an arc, that final stretch of cutscene his scream was really good

36:45 The auto captions said "There's obama in every universe" I simply wanted to share this

The fact this game wrapped up on the same day XC3 is released is amazing. And I truly loved this game. It was such a journey that'll stick with me for a a good while and I truly want people to experince this gem of a JRPG.

You actually have heard Don Dondon's battle theme before. It's the theme of Giga Rosa, it plays for both Bana fights prior.

I legit thought this would’ve been a 40 episode series , his journey was great ride

Correct me if I’m wrong, but closely reading Mythra’s lip movements at the end, she likely says “I love you, Rex.” That’s only in the English version though. In the Japanese version, she says the phrase for “I’m home”. Make of that what you will. Also, HAPPY XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 3 RELEASE DAY! 🥳

*New music and composers in this episode:* Yasunori Mitsuda: - "Our Hope" - "Escape - Going Through Clouds -" [Arrangement: Mariam Abounnasr] - "White All Around Us" [Arrangement: Mariam Abounnasr] - "One Last You" [Vocals: Jen Bird] Mariam Abounnasr: - "Parting" - "Elysium" Kenji Hiramatsu: - "After Despair and Hope" (final boss theme) And we're done! Excluding the jingles and piano arrangements done by Ivan Linn, I have now listed every single track on the Xenoblade2 Original Soundtrack as well as their composers across every episode of NicoB's LP! There shouldn't be any new music to post about until Nico tackles Torna now. "After Despair and Hope" is the title of final boss theme, and features the melody from Counterattack! The title feels like the perfect way to encapsulate the dichotomy between Malos and Rex's respective life views, as well as some of the major narrative themes in the game. Malos succumbing to his despair, while Rex remains ever the optimist and hopeful, despite the world frankly just going to shit all around him. What comes after the clash of those two world views...? The ending suite of tracks in this game is absolutely beautiful. I'd like to bring particular attention to White All Around Us, which starts off with the jingle that plays when you sleep at an inn. You've reached the end of your journey, have a nice long rest. One Last You might just be my favourite ending theme in any Xeno game. It's such a beautiful track, with Jen Bird's vocal performance being phenomenal. The song references the main theme of the game in the bridge as well, although it's kind of subtle. I always tear up while listening to this track.

Xenoblade 2 is one of my favourite games and seeing you enjoy the game has been a pleasure to sit through.

And thus we have reached the end of this incredible story. I am very glad that they decided let Rex awaken pyra/mythra's core crystal at the end. I genuinely love this cast of character and they all deserve a happy end after all they've been through. Also, though some people were quick to dismiss it, this game is truly a diamond in the rough. It was a joy seeing you play what is my fav game on the switch (for now). Thanks for the lets play and I cant wait to see you play the Thorna DLC and eventually Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Finale of XC2 on the day that XC3 releases is very good timing. I am very happy that you ended up falling in love with this game, it’s truly one of my favorites in a long time.

Gonna take the time to say, "Thank you, Sai!" You're hecking great, my guy!

I’m watching this after playing a lot of Xenoblade 3 and I get to cry once more at this ending.

It's funny you ask about the name Brionac because it actually has a very interesting etymology. Brionac is supposedly the name of the spear of Lugh, an Irish god said to be the father of the legendary hero Cu Chulainn. However, in reality, the mythological spear is never actually given an exact name, instead it is simply always referred to "Lugh's spear". The name "Brionac" is never seen in any Irish or Welsh texts. Despite this, the name Brionac has caught on with many Japanese video games as the true name of the spear. It's speculated that it was invented in a 1990 book by Japanese game writer and designer Takerube Nobuaki who is not an expert on the subject but it's true origin is a bit of a mystery. It's also notably the name of an extremely powerful Yugioh card.

I would like to take a moment to appreciate on the amazing job Monolith did on making the Gotcha system make so much sense in the worlds lore. Most games with a system to random chance to gain a rare item or unique character are only in there to either pad out the games run time or to tempt the players into spending money. Thanks to the plans of Amalthus, resetting the data in core crystals, there are so few Rare Blades. Giving us a realistic reason why they look so unique compared to common ones and why there are an abundance of said common blades. Thanks to the nations needing as many blades as they can they willing send them to Almathus for cleansing. This allows for a higher resonance chance but leaves them at their base, common, state. This is also a good reason to why we gain so many Rare Blades through either quests (Vess, Praxis, Kassandra, etc) or passed through lineages (Pandoria, Sheba, etc.) because of this our party was always in the right place to take the fallen core crystal before they would have been sent of to Indol. Also there is the possibility that by having our 4 party members joining with dozens of common blades each, they will all gain data through their mercenary experiences and will become Rare Blades one day.

Definitely avoid xenoblade 3 spoilers, there’s one image from the end that’s been in a ton of thumbnails and I’ve already been spoiled on it unfortunately

Taking a break from Xenoblade 3 to watch this… I can’t wait to see you see the ending! This game is truly a wild ride

I remember the initial reveal of this game didn't do much for me, but after seeing more about it in trailers (how the story was set up, how the gameplay was set up, and the variety of character designs for the main party), I had such an itch to play it that I had not felt for a new videogame in a long time. The Blade system brought me back to those childhood days of watching Digimon, and the world and the music just looked and sounded absolutely gorgeous. Surprisingly enough, I did not feel the same way about Xenoblade 3 until the very last trailer they revealed in the recent direct. The way their story is set up looks like it can have an incredible payoff and I can't wait to get my hands on it. I really wish I could call this a jRPG masterpiece but the final product has some absolutely baffling decisions that prevent me from doing so (and I apologize, but the voice acting is one of them!). All in all, though, absolutely fantastic game. I did end up spending almost 300 hours on my file to 100% it but I couldn't do the land of challenges or superbosses, hehe. I hope you enjoy the expansion! It's a much shorter, but, I'd say, equally sweet experience.

I can't wait to see his reaction to Torna's standard battle theme. If he thought Roaming the Wastes was the biggest bop in XC2, oooooohohoho boy... He's in for a treat. :D

i stayed up refreshing the subscriptions tab for every episode of this series, it was amazing to see how much the game grew on you !! excited for torna :)

You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment. This game still ranks high in terms of endings, fir the post credits scene alone. The song lyrics are great, and tie in well to reuniting with Pyra/Mythra. But there's one detail that will always stand out and ultimately makes this scene so damn poignant: Poppi. She's the first one to greet them, but why is that significant? Because not long ago, she was also told not to assist Pneuma, and the way she had to take that task, it was clear she wanted to help, since she looks up to the Aegis. So to go from that, and then seeing them again? Yes, she should be the first one to greet them, and give them a huge hug. Not bad for an artificial blade, eh? And yes, while Pneuma is gone, since she was effectively a container for both Pyra and Mythra, it makes sense that they would form as 2 separate entities now. Also, this marks Rex properly bonding to them, since before, he was basically on life support from them. Finally, many people seem set on the fact that they lost their memories, because all other blades do, but they're Aegis's, which wouldn't make sense. They're supposed to collect data from other cores, and if they simply functioned the same way, then that's kind of a moot point to their being. Side note: I will always get a kick from those that realize the significance of hearing Shulk during the final battle, a nice way of saying, "these games are taking place parallel to one another". Also, finally, NG+ has a variation on the final title screen, it's even cuter.

Nia: Well… Two of my best friends just died, but at least Rex is available, right? *Rex gets not one, but two of his loves back* Nia: DAMN YOU KLAUS! Side note, it’s very punctual that Xenoblade 3 came out the day this episode hit.

Wow, what exquisite and unbelievable timing! With this LP coming to an end just as Xenoblade 3 comes out, everything is all lined up for Nico to play the sequel by, say, 2027 if we really rush for it. I'm not complaining, though. If it takes that long, it means we'll be eatin' real good till then, if ya know what I mean!

I really dig Aegaeon, reminds me a lot of samurai retainers of old stories with how he goes along with his duty and views his honor to the majesty

Felt even more emotional watching Nico play through this game a few months after finishing it myself, really enjoyed this LP. That is partially because I've also played through Torna. You'll be glad to know that a surprising amount of those Gameplay/UI problems are just miraculously fixed in Torna so props to Monolith for that.

ill always say malos's voice actor is the best in the game and arguably one of the best roles I've personally heard in many games this past decade

Honestly what I enjoyed the most about this game was the world building, while the blade quest got draggy at times, specially with the requirements, but the world felt really lived in and not just generic relationships all around the land.

Well since I know it's going to be said anyways, congratulations Nico on beating the game and posting the video on the EXACT day Xenoblade Chronicles 3 came out! Godspeed your bullshit, sir.

Final boss just helping to prove that Malos has by far the best voice actor.

Nico coming full circle on this game from meh to amazing just like Rex's pants was very amazing to experience, just like the game itself. Thanks for playing!

Rex: Mythra, what are you doing?!?! Mythra: Rex.........I’M GONNA JOIN SMASH REX!!!

Rex: Pyra, Mythra, you're back! Pyra: Yes. And now separated into our own separate bodies. Now we can all b- Mythra: Wait, where did my good clothes go to? Rex: ...wha? Pyra: Huh? Mythra: 'Wha' 'huh' what?! I'm half-naked again! Dammit! Ugh, come on Pyra. Pyra: W-wait! Rex: What? But you just got back! Where are you two going?! Mythra: Where else? I'm going to join Smash to get my pants back!

Last thing, when Malos asks Rex if he would "forgive [Jin] Just like that?!", there's a clearly implicit question of whether Malos himself could be forgiven, since he sees most of Jin's sins as his own for directing him down the same path of destruction that he himself (Malos) was on. It's a bit of subtlety that I actually really like, that Malos can't even come to straight out ask for forgiveness and uses this question as a proxy

Mythra's (or Pyra's, for those who chose her) final words have 3 major interpretations. These aren't just head canons, but unused ingame subtitles that were datamined. They are: "Hello, Rex" and "Hello, I'm Mythra/Pyra" It is up to the people to decide which one they really said, some believed "Hello, Rex" is an alternate ending for a 100% completion. But nothing is truly set instone, other than those 2 lines existing in the code. What's the 3rd? It's "THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME!"

1:13:37 Can I just talk about this scene here? I really really like this particular scene here of Nia and Rex. Everyone else had their speaking role in comforting Rex or acknowledging the current predicament. But Nia just shares a glance. A "Silent Conversation" with Rex. It's like they already understand one another so much, that no words need to be said between them. And it's that what helped him get back on his feet. It's as if their relationship is so much more than on the surface. Romance? Friendship? Camaraderie? Who knows? But their level is just something indescribable. No words were spoken but everything was understood.

The real Elysium is the friends we made along the way

As someone currently playing Xenoblade 3 and absolutely in love with what I've seen so far....I'm so glad you're sticking on to do Torna! It's kind of literally 2 but better in a lot of ways.

finale still hits every single note perfectly. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is just excellent and i love it forever

And so we reach the end of this epic journey at last. Rex and his friends managed to save Alrest and defeat Malos, even managing to allow him to go out with a smile, showing that even he wasn't completely beyond hope, despite being driven by Amalthus' dark feelings. It was pretty heartbreaking to see Pyra and Mythra sacrifice themselves, especially the effect it had on poor Rex, and Poppi forced to keep her promise, but at least Rex doesn't have to worry about sharing part of a Core Crystal anymore, and Pyra and Mythra did manage to save Alrest. It was also incredible seeing the new world the Architect decided to grant as a last gift, creating a brand new Elysium made of all of the remaining Titans coming together. And, of course, one final surprise for Rex, as Pyra and Mythra come back as their own individual selves. A perfect ending for Rex and his band of heroic friends. =) This game truly is something else. Great characters, deep story, beautiful environments, fantastic music...All of it blends together into an unbelievable experience. I may not have ever played these games before, but they're incredible to watch. You may not have planned it that way, but this still turned out quite well, Nico, to have the final part of the main story come out the day Xenoblade Chronicles 3 comes out. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing you tackle the Torna story as well. =)

Did anyone else realize that nico, by instinct and his love for the original bana quest, continued to call Zadazan as Zazadan.

One of the things I love about the ending is that even this had multiple interpretations that I didn't know in my own playthrough, such as the possibility of Mythra and Pyra losing their memories (as Blades usually do after returning to their core crystals) and even the implications of Rex's reactions. Chuggaa shed some light on this and I find it so cool.

You know I never really thought Xenoblade Chronicles 2 would grab my attention, even after going through the first couple chapters. But BOY am I glad I stuck with it because this character development was definitely a LARGE improvement than in Xenoblade Chronicles 1. Every character has their unique moments and in the best moments as well and they're carefully developed, ESPECIALLY THEIR VILLAINS, which I appreciate so much. I am glad I gave this LP a chance thanks to you Nico :)

I am glad you came around with Xenoblade 2, I won't lie, I love this game, and agree with you in that I personally rank it higher than even the first one. It came in a dark time of my life yet how many of the things in it have things that helped me get through them. The characters, the foreshadowing, and the interaction and world building where top tier and I will never miss the chance to give it praise. I have been here through your full journey and enjoyed it more and more with every episode, thank you for sharing such journey and I hope you enjoy Torna just as much. I like Torna, yet ironically have not played it nearly as much or as in depth as Xeno 2, it never got to hook me as much as this one yet it's a worthy of all praise and love it get's.

And thus, boy met girl. This game is a lot better than the first game in my opinion, at least in terms of story and characters. While the first game was a story mainly about revenge and then just Shulk, this game was about a boy meeting a girl and traveling the world in order to help her complete her quest. And it all comes full circle with them meeting again at the end. Thank you for playing this amazing game all the way to the end and I’m excited to see you check out Torna and XC3!

So glad you could play this game Nico.

Yeah this game is a big stepup in many aspects from the first. The glaring issues aside like u said. The story is masterful

I haven’t finished the video yet, but.. thanks for getting me back into Xenoblade as a series. I used to be very 50/50 on these games after drifting apart from a friend who was super into these games, and honestly? XB2 may have its flaws,but i’m so happy you played it, and that this was such a fun LP to watch, especially during a period of my life right now where i’ve been a lot more stressed than normal. Your humor and Rex’s big stupid pants have been more than enough to cheer me up, so thanks, Nico. I know you might not even read this or if you’re looking into new stuff to play, but if you are, i think you’d enjoy some of the Tales games (especially Symphonia, Graces, or Berseria) or Fire Emblem Warriors: 3 Hopes!

My favorite line in the game is malos's "come at me kid Come my partner... SHOW ME WHY YOU'RE HERE IN THIS WORLD."

37:17 We hear this theme when Bana and Muimui emerge in Rosa in chapter 4.

Wow. Absolutely amazing series. I played the game myself earlier this year and absolutely loved it, but when I went online it seemed the vast majority of people hated it or said it was bad. I just couldn’t understand what the dissonance was; I thought I just was crazy or something. So watching this series from start to finish and seeing a person so fall in love with the game as well, seeing a fan base that was so supportive and knowledgeable and excited to experience the journey again with you, was such a joy. All that being said, thanks everyone, and I’m looking forward to visiting Torna and anywhere else right here on this channel.

I recently played through the first Xenosaga game and something I never see mentioned is how the events where they escape the world tree/space station, the falling of the gears, Mythra/kos-mos staying behind and then returning is extremely similar to each other. It honestly blew my mind how this ending is an homage to XS1 ending, check it out.

Once you start Torna, I hope you'll be pleased to find there is *no gacha system!* all the blades you get for the drivers that join you are set, and you don't need to worry about having to draw from core crystals!