How Monolith Soft Changed Nintendo | Game Studio Spotlight

[@TheCanipaEffect]

Thanks again to AtlasVPN for sponsoring this video! Grab AtlasVPN Special deal for 82% OFF get.atlasvpn.com/CanipaEffect ! #ad

[@simsim4910]

For users in the EU it should be stated that using a VPN to get around Geoblocking is illegal since 2017, so you're using a VPN can have legal consequences. It's kinda bad that VPNs are advertising it but at least Atlas didn't want the security and annonimity crab in the ad that most VPN companies spout about and is honest about what it's service is getting used for, so compared to most VPN ads this one was actually better

[@TheCanipaEffect]

Ouch. Yeah, not aware of that. I write the ads based on sponsors' notes and usually focus on the geoblocking stuff, since (imo), that's the most practical use for a VPN. Next time I do an ad, I'll make sure to add something about checking local laws.

[@simsim4910]

@@TheCanipaEffect No problem, I don't expect you or most who make these ads to know about it. You're neither IT specialists nor lawyers (or maybe you are idk^^). It rather the fault of the company not informing their hired creators about such things. After all that might discourage people from buying their product. There are probably no repercussions for most users, as it is difficult to track those offences but if people that these risks they should at least know what they're doing imho.

[@annedrieck7316]

@@simsim4910 sim burn!

[@Luxin_Xeno]

It's always great to see more people giving the studio that's been supporting Nintendo for over a decade and being in no small part responsible for the Switch's success the respect it deserves. Excellent work!

[@metroidcypher]

It's a blessing in a sea of blindness hate for the franchise

[@dipshitsiclethemighty3054]

Hi Luxin

[@Polarcon]

Oh look its the Xeno-youtuber-man.

[@dantelawrence4676]

@@metroidcypher Yeah, a ton of people just hate Xenoblade for no reason...

[@hartfantom]

@@dantelawrence4676 it’s mostly people who hate the fans, granted they are pretty fucking annoying. Because of the fans sometimes, people inadvertently don’t wanna bother with the franchise. People say ignore the community but that 1 interaction can just be the reason why someone decides they don’t wanna bother with a franchise. It is what it is. I play Xenoblade fortunately without any touch with the community. However when I did find the community, I just looked at my switch then looked back at my phone, then quietly turned my phone and kept playing the first game. Lol I personally don’t hate the community but I gotta be honest. It’s just one of those fan bases where you can’t but help say out loud. “Weirdos”

[@sonickhable]

Monolith is the best studio Nintendo bought. Even outside of xenoblade, the work they do for other Nintendo games is something to take note of

[@Mario123007]

It's funny, but also interesting that Nintendo, a company rarely makes company acquisitions, turns out to utilized their acquired studios wayyyyy better than other companies... Especially one that recently bought tons of major vg studios....

[@ArcadianLegend]

I would be inclined to say Retro Studios but they've shown a fat load of nothing since 2014.

[@paperluigi6132]

@@ArcadianLegend They’re now working on Metroid Prime 4, and supposedly have another unnamed project in the works.

[@TheTriforceDragon]

@@paperluigi6132 Yeah. If I were to guess they were working on the unnamed project until the problems with Metroid Prime 4 started, at which point they were moved to MP4 to salvage the project, which is likely why we haven't heard anything from them for a while.

[@theonesithtorulethemall]

@@paperluigi6132 oh no there working on metroid?? Thats more of nothing then working on botw 1

[@mads_in_zero]

The Xenoblade 3 announcement is so funny man. Noah: Living to die... and dying just to live... Fans: Some kind of anime game? Noah, in a british accent: That's the nature of our world... Fans: _Xenoblade_ the anime game?!

[@NaouakNawak]

Except it's Living to Fight and fighting just to live which makes sense.

[@cleenash]

@@NaouakNawak ''living to die and dying to live'' XD i was like i don't recall it being that gruesome

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

Well considering the games of thier past these words seem fair enough

[@16xthedetail76]

I just beat the game, it is VERY anime. Literally about friendship and youth which is every shounen ever. Very disappointing considering their roots.

[@mads_in_zero]

@@16xthedetail76 Xenoblade 1 is also a shounen. I'm not sure what else you were expecting.

[@daze3x87]

Xenoblade games are beautiful. Just goes to show what great art direction can do for a game. The graphics aren't PS5 level, but they are good enough that they can make the worlds they create look beautiful. They are pretty much unrivaled in the industry in this regard, and I can't wait to see what they do with Xenoblade Chronicles 3

[@metroidcypher]

if you run xenoblade 2 on an emulator using a mod to take off the AA they put, it looks like a native ps4 game

[@drowningin]

Idk I was playing Torna recently and the world looked better than any modern game I played on PC with RTX 3000 series

[@Sympyismoon]

Xenoblade 3 is going to be The highest rated JRPG of the decade. You heard it here first

[@metroidcypher]

@@Sympyismoon that already went to elden ring

[@longdo5910]

@@metroidcypher You have unleashed the Pandora Box of Video Game debates.

[@VaviVove]

One day Nintendo will acquire the rights for Xenogears...one day the world will realise how powerful this game is

[@inari3217]

So glad to see some love for Monolith, it's crazy the amount of high quality work they've done and it has largely gone unnoticed/unappreciated. It's nice to see hard working developers finally get wide success and recognition, Intelligent Systems, like Monolith, spent decade(s) doing "backstage work" for nintendo, and only recently got mainstream financial success in their flagship series

[@ZephyrK_]

God do they deserve it. The success for Fire Emblem in 3DS era and Xenoblade with the Switch has been a long time coming. I pray that both franchises become 5 million sellers someday soon.

[@LoomDoom]

I knew Monolith helped on games like BotW, but I didn’t know they helped on so many other games like Splatoon and Animal Crossing. They are truly one of Nintendo’s greatest assets.

[@BraviaGames]

Games spotlights are such a natrual addition to your channel, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Nevertheless, this will be VERY enjoyable!

[@kristol569]

He made a video about Game freak 10 months ago tho

[@ninjoe4889]

Monolith has truly become a part of Nintendo. They share DNA.

[@Player-jh4ko]

Is it really a stretch to say that they carried the company? 🤔

[@Kabullo76]

@@Player-jh4ko yes, i love xenoblade, but its really a stretch😀

[@Player-jh4ko]

@@Kabullo76 I know I was kidding. 😂

[@bgc1081]

@@Kabullo76 It's not a stretch, do you know that BoTW, Splatoon 2 and AC NH were co-developed by Monolithsoft? Do you know how much these games have sold, both alone and combined? How many people have bought a Nintendo Switch just to play these games?

[@crushermach3263]

Y'know, I've often thought the sign of a great developer is one who understands not just what a console is supposed to do, but what you can get away with. 'Course you can only really understand what kind of hacky workarounds a dev did long after the game is out, but it's neat to see when they've done stuff that clearly wasn't intentional or something was utilized in a non-standard way for a desired effect.

[@djcpi2951]

Fantastic video! Monolith Soft remains my top favorite dev studio right now, feels like every game they touch is golden

[@adithya260]

The fact that a studio can help make Botw Splatoon 2 and animal crossing 3 totally different games in terms of gameplay and artstyle while making their own masterpieces is insane. Nintendo really have a knack for acquiring studios who have great potential not just a big ip or name just look at Retro Studios and Next Level Games.

[@KaiAfterKai]

Absolutely adore these games. The worlds they create are nothing like any other, and I cannot wait to see the visuals they're cooking up with Xenoblade 3.

[@MagentaNimbat]

Monolith Soft is a studio that is getting more recognized and it is amazing to see it get the spotlight it deserves. I'd also love to see a Game Studio Spotlight on HAL Laboratory

[@mrmeatball1478]

I love seeing appreciation for not only how great the Xenoblade games are, but also all the other great things Monolith Soft has helped with. Great video!

[@AdamTheGameBoy]

As far as I'm concerned, Monolithsoft is the only AAA developer. You know you are getting quality when they have had their hands in a game.

[@slobertooth1358]

Them and RGG studio

[@maziio646]

Its always good to see some Monolith love

[@AWanderingSwordsman]

They have easily become my favorite JRPGs and it's not even close. Can't wait for 3.

[@user-li8sr9zo9l]

I have no words to describe Monolith and their impact on switch games and the impact their own games have had. I can only say that it's magical.

[@jasomega2446]

7:38 Wow, this looks incredible!

[@xenorayy]

They don't get the recognition they deserve. I rarely see people give them credit for other games they've worked on other than Xenoblade and it's a shame. After the amazing job they did with its predecessors, I'm sure X3 will be just as incredible.

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

Asia has far to many under loved teams Looking at things from Japan an China alike they live stubbernly in the face of irrelevance

[@BeowulfCav]

Great video, I'm a huge fan of Monolithsoft and I'm eagerly anticipating Xeno3. I can't wait

[@loaftreos3825]

Thank you for making this video. Monolith Soft have made some of my favourite games, and the development team's visions are inspirational and deserves to be shared and realized. They truly are one of Nintendo's most viable assets, and I hope this reaches more people

[@ZephyrK_]

Monolith Soft and FromSoftware are my current two favourite gaming developers. For over decade neither one have missed with their titles instead, they only pushed themselves further.

[@ZephyrK_]

Getting both Elden Ring and Xenoblade 3 in the same year is crazy blessing I'm thankful for.

[@TheCanipaEffect]

2022 is a blessing for RPG fans (cool profile pic btw)

[@metroidcypher]

@@ZephyrK_ every one calling this 2017 part 2 but to me this is 2015 part 2 with bloodborne and xenoblade x releasing the same year

[@thisissam3835]

Excellent video that highlights just how much the Monolith Soft team has contributed to Nintendo! I hope the series gets more and more love so the fanbase grows bigger!

[@ShallBePurified]

Monolith Soft's design philosophy is like the complete opposite of Nintendo. Nintendo comes up with a game concept, a gimmick, and then they make gameplay based on their concept. For example, Mario Odyssey had the hat possession gimmick. BotW had the physics and chemistry engine concept that they remade the first Zelda game with this engine to see if it would work well. Nintendo is always gameplay first, and then they build a world that suits the gameplay, and the story goes in to fit the world they made. Monolith Soft designs the world first. They create the setting of the world, like the 2 Titans of Xenoblade 1, and then they create the characters and the story surrounding that world. And finally, they make the gameplay based on the story so that it makes sense to how the characters would fight. Xenoblade 2 and Torna are perfect examples of the gameplay being directly tied to the story. This completely opposite design philosophy is precisely why Monolith Soft is Nintendo's most valuable development studio.

[@drowningin]

Well their games aren't exactly known for their spectacular gameplay. It is basically MMO with AI mechanics and click a button to gather

[@ShallBePurified]

@@drowningin You've never played a Xenoblade game before have you.

[@drowningin]

@@ShallBePurified yeah, have you? I literally just described the mechanics verbatim. Don't cry, I'm a engineer I speak pragmatically

[@ShallBePurified]

@@drowningin That's like saying Elden Ring is an action game where you dodge and attack. It's barely the surface level and doesn't actually explain how the gameplay is. The combat system of Xenoblade is very well designed. It's not a combat system for everyone, but there are layers to it that all play together and makes learning it very rewarding.

[@ShallBePurified]

@@drowningin Also, being an engineer has no relevance to this.

[@Varindran]

Another understated thing about monolith is how well the treat their emplyees. Freedom to create pretty much whatever they want. with no crunch time and vacations as well as tons of diversity in who they hire. It's a place people want to work at and the results speak for themselves.

[@BeowulfCav]

They're like the Kyoani of games studios

[@Samuel-bp3oh]

They don't have completely freedom to make whatever they want. Takahashi has said that they've put forward a dozen projects to Nintendo but the only one's that get the go ahead is Xenoblade.

[@premonitiative]

It's even more impressive considering how terrible corporate Japan is for workers. Just take a look at some of the things Konami was accused for.

[@drowningin]

"Diversity in who they hire" That means something different in an ethnostate like Japan. While in the west it means hiring people for their race and sex, and not the quality of their work. The results speak for themselves as people now hate western media

[@jase276]

@@premonitiative I would say Konami is the exception, not the norm. Even then, Nintendo is just built different in general

[@AlbertScoot]

Monolith has been overlooked for most of its history. It's slowly getting the respect it deserves with how much of the Switch's success was due to Monolith Soft.

[@amelta2008]

i remember when i played xenoblade on the wii and knew it was ahead of its time. i have loved seeing its success influence new games since... you saying it clearly at 12:08 actually gave me chills. love the studio and everything theyve made! Now to hope they remaster xenosaga/gears for the switch and make a sequel for xeno x...

[@s0ul216]

15:02 Correction, Xenoblade series is deemed success by Nintendo's judgement, hence they keep allowing Monolithsoft to continue developing the series. Nintendo seem also want Xenoblade to be their own DQ and FF, since who knows when Squeenix will stop supporting their console. Keep in mind that it takes only 3 instalments for Xenoblade series to sell ~3 million copies in one game (XC2), while Persona 5 needs more than 5 instalments to reach 5 million copies in P5.

[@jerryborjon]

Correction: Xenoblade 2 barely sold 2 Million copies by most recent estimates. And even then it took 3 years to do. Xenoblade 1 was the one that sold ~3 Million copies, but only if you combine all of the game’s releases.

[@AshXXMayftw]

What's funny is the story for the upcoming Xenoblade 3 was thought up before Xenoblade 2 began production, meaning they probably had both sequels planned out shortly after the original game launched in 2010.

[@KingMe-qz2hr]

Honestly I would love to see a Pokémon game that works with Monolith, with their magic they could make something truly special for that series

[@AshXXMayftw]

Well, you're in luck. Monolith assisted with Legends Arceus.

[@nightwing2032]

⁠@@AshXXMayftwit was never confirmed that monolith helped with legends arceus. Gamefreak were the only ones that made legends arceus along with scarlet and violet. People just ran with that without proof for whatever reason.

[@OneStepToDeath420]

I love Monolith Soft so much. Didn't expect a Canipa spotlight for them, nice! I love all of their games, but Chronicles X will always be something super special to me. That Sawano soundtrack, the incredible and unique open world, the sense of wonder, the playable and customizable skells/mechas etc. It seriously needs another chance and new port! And a sequel, obviously.

[@ramonety1154]

Heavily agree with this here, Xenoblade Chronicles X was my first step into the Xenoblade series, and being able to wander such a vast world while fighting to survive with my own different character and many others was just…WOW. I really am hoping for a sequel too, or a remaster perhaps with maybe even more emphasis on a bit more co-op activities or exploring too!

[@beauoddball1435]

Thanks for the video. I got Xenoblade cause my grandpa gave me a Nintendo switch lite before he passed from Covid, and I really enjoyed it ended up finding about Xenogears over the course of the last few months and I'm Probably going to play Xenogears on the PS3 on my birthday next month and get an Ultraman Tiga DVD from my Stepdad. Also I'm excited for Xenoblade 3 and I'm going Play Xenoblade 2 and Torna for my birthday.

[@metroidcypher]

If you really are going to play Xenogears i would highly recommend you watch the series by resonant arc on Xenogears. the series is like a book club but for gaming and helps you follow the story since its very dense and filled with translation errors it also come with explanations on the themes and philosophies in the game

[@beauoddball1435]

@@metroidcypher Thank you for This Information

[@jessejkulchacunningham5062]

The story off both monolith is as epic as the stories they tell and that’s the amazing thing

[@Raszero]

Great overview - I'm very pleased to hear Monolith doesn't do overtime! Thanks!

[@alexanderkenway]

Ya know I never thought of the influence Monolith had on some of the other Nintendo games but the more I think about it the more it makes sense

[@asxius]

I was a fan Xenoblade 1 long before switch even existed, but Xenoblade 2 singlehandedly sold me the switch, I didn't care for Zelda or Mario, it was XC2 that got me excited to play games again and it became my all time favorite game. I'm happy to see this spotlight about a studio that had me captivated in their worlds.

[@conorb.1901]

Even back in the very first Nintendo Switch presentation, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (which not to toot my own horn, but I accurately guessed what game it was a few seconds into the reveal) was the game that made me want to get a switch, and as such was the first game I picked up when I purchased one over a year later. After playing for a few hours, I bought the expansion pass. Xenoblade 2 is absolutely my favorite game, period. I sincerely urge Monolith to make Xenoblade Chronicles 3 even better, since 2 is already a masterpiece and to surpass it would be absolutely amazing.

[@maroXUprising]

@@conorb.1901 there’s no doubt that Xenoblade 3 will surpass Xenoblade 2. I myself appreciate what each Xenoblade game has done so far, even though I’ve not experienced X. Gotta give credit where credit is due. Monolith is one of those developers that always outdoes themselves with each new game release.

[@mads_in_zero]

Xenoblade Chronicles is pure lighting in a bottle. A genius game.

[@icetrey8662]

They caught lightning in a bottle twice. Hoping for 3 times. I'm joking, they've were doing it before Xenoblade. 3 is gonna be amazing.

[@mads_in_zero]

@@icetrey8662 Wow, sick burn towards either Xenoblade Chronicles X or Xenoblade Chronicles 2

[@icetrey8662]

Not a burn towards either. I'm just saying they were making classics before and after Xenoblade.

[@ShurikanBlade]

Monolith is a crazy studio it's kinda amazing and inspiring and I love the voice over work it really like allows me to audibly understand how amazing monolith is

[@justinhaley6926]

Xenoblade Chronicles is one of the best games I have ever played. I'm so excited for xc3!

[@necca8123]

This was the first video of yours I found and I'm feeling more inspired and passionate about the things I love than I have in a long time. The Xenoblade series is one very dear to me, so thank you for reminding me why I love it and Monolith Soft so much. Please keep up the great work!

[@emodateplus]

This explains so much about why Xenoblade 2 felt so much like BOTW. You’ve officially got me invested into this company!

[@Diapolo10]

I had to watch this immediately when I saw it. I love Monolith Soft for everything they do.

[@MooMoo-sl2th]

I know Nintendo always had games that were a bit darker like Twilight Princess or Fire Emblem but I genuinely think Xenoblade Chronicles 1 was the first time they had a mature game with it's writing,themes and storytelling there really is nothing like it in their library.

[@shadowofdimentio4618]

Mother tho. A game about cultists, drugs and loss all from the perspective of a young boy. I love xenoblade, but Mother needs recognition for just how impactful it was and how dark and mature nintendo could get.

[@wintersong2266]

@@shadowofdimentio4618 Unfortunately that same maturity is why they're unwilling to port Mother 3 outside of Japan.

[@solomeoparedes8162]

I call Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade and Metroid the "shonen" game series of Nintendo

[@lubbo5261]

Fire Emblem is only Nintendo exclusiv but not an Nintendo game if i remember correctly.

[@wintersong2266]

@@lubbo5261 Intelligent Systems is owned by Nintendo, like Monolith Soft and Hal Labotary. So I'm pretty sure Fire Emblem count as a Nintendo series.

[@SoShiBias]

Monolith Soft is definitely off of my radar due to accessibility of their games. But seems like they are doing well and their IPs have a lot of staying power. It is refreshing to see a video covering such a studio.

[@adithya260]

(11:35) Yes that is so Monolith soft i always felt like being able to see the giant Divine Beasts from every where and feel their their imposing laser pointer once you free them was awesome it was something they definitely had a hand in.

[@SAI-Max_D]

Gotta love whenever this wonderfully talented studio gets further recognition for all of the blood, sweat and tears (crystallised and then some) that they've put into crafting some of the most captivating settings and narratives in video game history Also, forgive me for being a tad intrusive, but which state/territory or game store in Australia did you see offer the Wii version of Xenoblade 1 for a whopping AU$120? (prior to the new3DS port, I never saw the classic exceed the launch value of AU$100 up here in North Queensland)

[@TheCanipaEffect]

Adelaide. It was a bit of a weird one in that EB Games didn't have it in stock, but a different store had a copy that just never seemed to drop in price.

[@treebush]

ahh the old days of operation rainfall it was crazy back then i preordered so many copies of the 3 games

[@micheladax]

I'm still waiting for the full xenogears rework, i still have hope

[@nikkoa.3639]

I am forever at awe at how they managed to squeeze out such a large world on the Wii and now the Switch, which feels alive imo. There are some things here and there that I have problems with but I can't deny the effort they put into their works.

[@BigBossCQCLegend]

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is a MasterPiece and it’s in my Top 5 Games of All Time

[@ironzombi]

Monolithsoft blow my mind, they are an incredibly talented studio.

[@goldmemberpb]

Xenoblade 3 honestly looks way too good to be on a vanilla Switch. They really are technical wizards.

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

My fav part is that they did want I wanted that is having their first three titles have a steamy night of love to make a world worth lusting over

[@GalvanisedRed]

X was actually a technical marvel tbf, have you watched digital foundry do an analysis on it? They were incredibly impressed; granted it took the Wii U entire lifespan but it definitely looks better than 2 does.

[@ltb1345]

The Wii U is honestly more powerful than the Switch, but no one wants to admit it.

[@jaguar4120]

@@ltb1345 Yes the Wiiu is more powerful because the Switch runs on a mobile chip.

[@Player-jh4ko]

@@ltb1345 Yes. Because the Switch is half handheld.

[@metroidcypher]

@@ltb1345 the switch is more powerful and efficient that the wii u. XC2 has more technically impressive effects running.

[@GalvanisedRed]

@Marxrit oh definitely. I should have been more clear. I think the general environment looks better in x and frame rate felt better (from what I remember). Think 2 suffers from lots of detail that looks bad because of all the aliasing, also looks kinda blurry? Oh and not to mention inferior hardware for X

[@TainoMoya]

Monolithsoft is a gift. I gotta play Xenoblade X i always start it but never get too far into it

[@lazydroidproductions1087]

They may make very non-Nintendo games, but they have the Nintendo philosophy, they make fun games because they want to make those games fun!

[@TheAlmightyMoist]

MonolithSoft fr the best game studio of ALL TIME

[@SemekiIzuio]

What's amazing is how Nintendo embraced Monoloth new ideas and creativity and not try to hammering them down to the standard of what they have or was current

[@Dash123456789Brawl]

‘And it was on the Wii U…. Just like the anime I liked!’ As predictable as that punchline was from the setup, it REALLY got me. Well played!

[@stevenseufert2520]

I thought it was clever, too.

[@cubes7356]

Gears is such a hellish story of development, and Square at the time were complete assholes. They were literally only going to consider extra gears content if it made at least 1mil sales and it reached almost 900k which wasn't enough. So all ideas and proposals were completely dismissed.

[@aidanhayes3571]

They still are

[@orangeslash1667]

@@aidanhayes3571 Hironobu Sakaguchi said the reason why he left Square is because he kinda hates Yoichi Wada, who was in charge at the time.

[@linnedarinne]

Never thought I'd see you cover Xenoblade. So happy you are though!

[@superpan218]

Nintendo buying Monolith Soft is a huge W for the company. I wish they did the same to Rare.

[@fernandadp94]

As a lifelong ps player and then steam I've never known a thing about the games, but now I want to play them dude. I never knew these things

[@MatildatheMoonwolf]

When you realize that "the best Zelda game" is arguably not even made by Nintendo themselves. Monolith Soft truly deserve more credit for all the hard work they have made for all these years.

[@mrdoggo3569]

Thats unfair tbh. Botw couldnt be done by monolith even if the world design is monolith

[@theLikou1]

That's not true. Monolith is a first party, so it was done by Nintendo. And even so, Monolith helped with some of the design, not the entire game.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

People never understand the term "collaborative effort", huh?

[@ltb1345]

It's no wonder BOTW is one of the only Zelda games I enjoy, TBH.

[@Player-jh4ko]

I wouldn't call Botw the best Zelda game, but yes, It's interesting to think that without monolith, Botw's world wouldn't look as good.

[@pridefulmaster1390]

15:10 Okay but I would buy either of those games in a heartbeat if Monolith were making them 😂

[@orcuswells649]

I’m honestly so impressed with what this company is able to do with the hardware they work on. Xenoblade 1 is the only one I’ve played, but I’d say it had the best storytelling of any game I’ve played.

[@icetrey8662]

As memorable and amazing as the story in 1 is, 2 is easily just as good. It's even better if you've played the first. Even though you don't need to.

[@MultiUniverseVideo]

i'm fan since Xenoblade 3 and now, I'M FEELING IT !!! THAMKS TO YOU TRULY ^^ IT'S TIME TO CREATE A FRENCH VERSION OF YOUR VIDEOS

[@DBTGAMER]

Good video. The 3DS Port of Xenoblade Chronicles was impressive. This is the version I played through back in day. I have played the extra story on Switch.🤔😎🎮

[@famillesabot5719]

This serie is a master piece.

[@scaryhobbit211]

We truly are blessed to have Monolith Soft. And with how much the jrpg genre struggled during the PS360 generation - a period where I feel even Square Enix has never been able to fully recover from, the whole industry has got to be thankful that Xenoblade was able to break the ice.

[@slobertooth1358]

It's a godsend Monolithsoft and Tetsyua Takahashi are allowed so much creative freedom and do what they wanna do. If they were under Microsoft or expecally Sony you know damn well they wouldn't have either of these things and censorship up the ass. They would have ended up how they did with Xenosaga and gears or worse.This is on top of them contributing big time to other first party Nintendo titles, if they were not at Nintendo who knows how those games would have turned out. In short there an incredible company who's a major asset too Nintendo and deserve all the love and support they receive and I love seeing them as a company grow. Shnji Hatino made a goated call to buy them.

[@eligamerman]

Really well made video dude, Monolith Soft are definitely GOATS for all they've been doing!

[@AzariahWolf]

And to pile on your Ponspector point, Xenoblade 3 has six active party members at all times that you can swap between in real time, and a seventh AI companion.

[@horseonabeachball5996]

This vid inspired me to try to get back into Xenoblade Chronicles. Let’s hope I can get past the Metal Face fight in the ice cave.

[@hansbrown8055]

Having not seen the trailer, I really wish Monolith made their games multiplayer in a similar style to the Tales games. I know it'd be difficult to get even more UI on the screen without clutter, but Xenoblade X's 'respond to your allies requests' system absolutely screamed "cooperate with other people", and I still desperately crave an MMO or honestly a regular RPG that used this system to its fullest. 2 also had the elemental combo system that hinged on your teammates using blades that synergized elements with your own and stacking a variety of finisher types.

[@PoPo-qp8zq]

This video aged like fine wine

[@TheAbsol7448]

I audibly went "WHAT!?" in complete disbelief when you said that Monolith Soft wanted you to have _multiple planets_ to explore in XCX.

[@TheCanipaEffect]

Pretty much all of their initial plans end up being way bigger than the game we end up playing. But the games are still massive anyway!

[@TheAbsol7448]

@@TheCanipaEffect I did see their concept art that showed an entire planet, but I had no idea about that. If XCX2 ever gets made, I hope they'll be able to manage something like that.

[@TriforceZard]

Monolithsoft has changed my life for the better. Xenoblade 2 is my favorite of all time and I’m so excited for 3. I love this company.

[@laynerowland1497]

For real, these games go beyond masterpiece level. truly amazing experiences I'm glad I've had

[@jerryborjon]

I really wish I loved XC2 as much as you did. If only it didn’t have a ton of plotholes…

[@slobertooth1358]

@@jerryborjon It dosen't have any plothole's tho?

[@jerryborjon]

@@slobertooth1358 - …well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Here are some of the ones I remember: -Tora helps the party for no reason while they were getting arrested by the military despite not knowing anything about Rex or the party. He didn’t know who they were, what they were being arrested for, or even if they were innocent. Not only that, but he _invites them to his house_ without ever even thinking about asking any relevant questions. The best answer we got is that he thinks they’re “big meanies,” which doesn’t address any of the questions. Oh, and how could I forget the infamous “bUt ToRa WaNtS tO bE a DrIvEr!” -Rex quickly dismisses the fact that Pyra killed TWO Titans, which is about _1/3rd of their world’s land._ He doesn’t even ask her why she did it or anything. He just immediately dismisses that revelation as if this wasn’t worse than anything any of the villains ever manage to actually do in the entire game. Not only is this dismissal completely unreasonable to do even for the worst-written Shonen protagonists to do, but it directly goes against Rex’s own personal goals. *Rex is trying to reach Elysium because he’s worried the Titans are dying and doesn’t want humanity to go extinct.* I’ve heard people defend this by saying that “hE’s JuSt ToO tRuStInG,” but there’s a difference between a character being unreasonable and too trusting, and a character just being badly written. And yes, I know that there’s a reason why she did it. The point is that Rex doesn’t, and still doesn’t care. -After Malos erases Pyra’s memories, she just wakes up as if nothing ever happened. She just randomly starts telepathically communicating with Rex fully knowing who he is and even talking about her own past. There’s this terrible fan theory that states that Rex’s half of the core crystal restored her memories, but not only is that fan theory itself full of holes, it also doesn’t matter because it’s still a plothole. The game itself never explains it, not even right before/after it happens which is something the game loves to do. The writers just didn’t care to give us a reason for her to regain her memories. The writers just didn’t put any explanation. -After Pyra recovers her memories for no given reason, Rex promises to start paying attention to her. This statement is apparently good enough to make Pneuma appear. This already weak promise is made even worse by the fact that _he never even actually does it._ The game had brought up her depression multiple times by this point, even right before Rex made his little speech. But after this scene? It just stops being a factor. He never talks to her about it in the story or anything. So much for him paying attention to her… -That cheesy moment where Rex acts as if he gives up doesn’t make any sense. He’s putting Pyra’s life at risk (and his own) by not going to save her, and for what reason? Because Jin told him that he “doesn’t pay attention to her.” Because apparently you’re not allowed to save people you don’t know…? I can try to remember some others if you want.

[@slobertooth1358]

@@jerryborjon Those are not plot holes my guy. All of these are either explained in game or easy to piece together

[@championziggy5837]

Just beat XB2 yesterday! Great Video!

[@TheCanipaEffect]

Nice! The final chapter of that game blew my mind

[@The_Blazelighter]

X still has my favorite open world ever, and I highly recommend it to anyone with a Wii U. Each Continent feels intricately designed, with each one having a distinct identity that is entirely alien to anything you've ever seen before. Then, once you unlock the skell (giant mech), you can explore even further and in new ways. And then to top it all off, you are granted the flight module which removes all barriers and allows you to explore wherever you please, so long as you can survive. It is truly a unique and marvelous experience, one that is worth your time.

[@InevitableVitare]

15:10 I never knew I wanted a Monolith Waluigi game. But now I do, thanks. I mean, it would work right? Waluigi's such a memetic oddball that you could mix in whatever philosophy or existential discussions you want and it would make sense.

[@Decubitus]

16:53 wrong, it's obviously Malos. But other than that little blemish right at the end, wonderful video!

[@TheCanipaEffect]

Teeeechnically my favourite is the one that's a spoiler, but obviously couldn't throw that in a video that's meant to be spoiler-free.

[@KevDu67]

@@TheCanipaEffect Did its name start with A or P?

[@CornishCreamtea07]

I played Xenoblade Chronicles back at college, I brought it on release that summer and finished it the following year. Going through the story bit by bit and in-between exploring the world and doing side content. By the time I finished I felt like I had gone on a journey like I have never done before or since in a video game. X was a title I want to love just as much, but it never clicked with me. And I haven't a Switch so I have no experience of 3.

[@conorb.1901]

If you ever do pick up a switch, I urge you to get Xenoblade Chronicles 2. In my opinion, it is far and away the best rpg on the switch. Hell, I'd go as far as saying it's the best rpg from the 2010s.

[@Polarcon]

Good video, you even got the Operation Rainfall thing right. Many videos on Xenoblade/Monolith Soft claim that it was the reason the game got localised (which is wrong), like you said it only was to bring the the game to North America. The only thing I disagree with is the sentiment that Monolith Soft is (or was) not "like Nintendo". I think Takahashi and his team always had very similar design philosophies to Nintendo. Now it's hard to say what even is "Nintendo" to begin with, because they made so many different games over the years. The more or less unique thing about Nintendo in my eyes is the over all polish in their games, so everything feels very good to control, the gameplay is FUN and the focus of the game. In my opinion Monoliths games are the same except story and gameplay are more equally important to them (you know... at the end of the day they make JRPGs) and like Nintendo they make the best looking games on the platform they are working on. Also you mentioned the workplace ethics which also appear to be similar to Nintendo.

[@solomeoparedes8162]

I agree with you, Monolith has proven they have that "Nintendo DNA" In fact that nintendo Dna may be more common than people think it is. It sure dosen't mean a studio that can make bing bing wahoo mario. There are many studios that share the same mindset than Nintendo, many of the colaborate with Nintendo(Koei tecmo,Platinum, Bandai Namco, mercury stream, etc)

[@Polarcon]

@@solomeoparedes8162 Vinny (Vinesauce) fan? At least that's where I heard the phrase "bing bing wahoo" first (might not be from there).

[@solomeoparedes8162]

@@Polarcon i think its onoxious sony fanboy lingo, I use it for when nintendo fans fail to see Mario's design past a surface level, or any Nintendo game for that matter.

[@valrend7374]

Monolithsoft will always be my favorite developer, and I can’t WAIT for Xenoblade 3 in September. Edit: Make that JUNE BABYYYY!

[@Random_dud31]

Oh. The Character designer was from Expelled From Paradise? That explains a lot

[@ghettofridge]

The timing of this video's release is intriguing since I've heard more than once people suggest Nintendo do the same thing with Platinum Games as they did with Monolith Soft. Perhaps fated to be just a pipe dream, but if not this video illustrates how such a relationship could work in a similar manner. I am definitely thankful that Monolith Soft has been allowed to continue and, more importantly, maintain creative freedom.

[@RexZShadow]

What I was thinking too coz ironically Nintendo is the one to let them make what they want lol.

[@solomeoparedes8162]

Right now Platinum seems to be in a dice situation, I hope everything turns ok and Bayonetta 3 is great and has huge success. Since there were talks about a buyout, but Platinum stated that they enjoy their independence and Nintendo respects that, so they stayed as work for hire

[@RexZShadow]

@@solomeoparedes8162 Why is Platinum in a dicy situation? I don't keep up with these news so curious what's going on with them. I feel like their games have all been selling well now? I mean even astral chain sold decent and they are the ones who made Nier too right?

[@maroXUprising]

@@RexZShadowwith the recent release of “Babylons fall” being completely unsuccessful at launch and reviews alike. It being an online multiplayer focused game doesn’t helps it case on top of releasing in the same month as Elden ring. There’s also PG’s latest arcade space shooter “Sol cresta” which came out not too long ago and barely anyone has covered it that much. It doesn’t help that it’s a $40 shoot em up game with no widespread physical release. (There is a physical release for the game through Limited Run Games but not everyone is willing to buy let alone import a physical copy over on that website when the game could take up to 3-4 months after its release to finally ship out to the customer….Yeah, Limited run games is meh at times because of that..) There’s also definitely some weird decisions going on at PG. Between the flop of babylons fall & Sol cresta. There’s also the whole Apple Arcade deal that PG did to develop “World of demons” which is a arena action game that is again stuck on the Apple Arcade as an exclusive game with no sight of a console release for the time being let alone coming to any other mobile platform like android. And we have to bring up the elephant in the room. If you’ve seen Bayonetta 3’s gameplay trailer. You can tell that the art direction is MUCH different from that of Bayonetta 2’s art direction. That’s because the Art director for Bayo 2 left PG’s back in 2019, which is likely why it’s been taking so long for us to finally see any gameplay of Bayo 3 ever since it’s tease in GOTY awards 2017. Oh and let’s bring up the fact that they took out a loan from Tencent which is how PG was able to establish a new branch that is essentially geared towards online game development & mobile gaming experiences going forward. Oh, another strange and worrisome situation with PG’s is the recent talk about open to being acquired by a company so long as they are given “freedom.” Seems like they are pushing for Microsoft to purchase them no less since they were bringing up the activision acquisition. Btw, did you know PG wants to be an independent game developer & publisher….well, this whole acquisition talk definitely doesn’t fit with their idea of a so called independent publisher/developer. But what do I know anyways, lol…could be fear mongering for nothing. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that i wasn’t worried about the future of PG going forward…

[@RexZShadow]

@@maroXUprising ooof ya that does make me worry about the future of pg big time.

[@xevious21]

I need to get into the Xenoblade series. Especially since Xenogears is one of my favorite games of all time.

[@byronbarrientos8471]

real shit they shouldve let monolith work on pokemon. they clearly have good world building, and can handle monsters roaming around, plus pokemon battle mechanics isnt complex so monolith could easily have made pokemon arceus one of the best pokemon games ever made ( to bad it wasnt)

[@TheCanipaEffect]

I think Game Freak's operating separately as usual. I think if Monolith offered, they'd take it, but I think Monolith's busy enough these days.

[@yarc9]

Pokemon arceus it a pokemon game where you can actually die in it

[@DietrichZapdos]

I was not a fan of Xenoblade, but thanks to the suggestion of a friend who recommended Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I bought it and boy did I get a surprise, I loved that videogame, the music, the graphics considering that it ran on a Nintendo Switch its beautiful open world, I am fascinated enough to start dreaming and become a follower of the saga, if it is true that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is questioned a little by that "anime" style, so to speak, but I like it and thanks to my experience with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Torna the Golden Country I finished falling in love with the franchise, the time I spent traveling through the región of Alrest, it felt like it was a beautiful dream, which gave me strength in times when I needed it, in moments when I needed to dream. I recently finished playing Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition and I also loved it, it has a more serious look without losing its anime touch but they ended up captivating me too, I still need to play the DLC of Futures Connected but I had to interrupt it because I wanted to play Elden Ring on my Xbox Series X day one and I´m still on it XD. In fact getting lost in the Lands Between reminds me a lot of when I was exploring the Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, it makes me want to go explore and discover more. Sometimes I feel that I would like to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on my Xbox Series X but then I remember that it is a Nintendo exclusive, if the next Nintendo console has backward compatibility, with 4K (upscaled) Resolution and 60 fps, I would really want to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 again on that console. I hope to finish Elden Ring and Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak to be ready for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and I'm sorry I don't know if you'll agree with me in saying this, but considering that lately the Final Fantasy saga doesn't go through its best moments, sometimes I end up seeing Xenoblade Chronicles as the "Final Fantasy of Nintendo", the franchise that after losing it to Playstation took many years for Nintendo to have back in its console a JRPG of such relevance. Thank you, awesome video.

[@LordKai1102]

Thanks to livin in the EU I encountered this game pretty easily, but I'm happy it kinda could reach the worldwide release. Spread the love guys.

[@kumomeme7852]

even among japanese developers, Monolith might be the best japanese open world developers. by the time most of japanese developers still struggled with HD development during PS360, they already launched open world game, far ahead of others big studio at japan. not to mention their first Xenoblade Chronicles running merely on Wii. while other big company like Square Enix struggled to embrace modern HD development not to mention, making open world game, a genre that dominant with western developers seems like a distant dream toward them, Monolith Soft already soar higher with their Xenoblade titles. their experties also play important role of Nintendo's first open world Zelda game that even end up become one of golden standard of open world genre. this is what other japanese company didnt have. Nintendo lucky to have Monolith Soft on their side.

[@cceider]

Xenoblade Chronicles X is my favorite game of all time. I want it on Switch so badly

[@XDarkEcho]

It's funny you say Monolith Soft changed Nintendo, but I'd have to say they've changed gaming, especially open world gaming, drastically. There's no denying BotW innovated how we can play and operate in open world games, compared to how the mainstream has always dealt with that genre(Ubisoft games for one). Xenoblade Chronicles definitely shaped how RPGs can be in an open world as well, I'll never forget the hours I spent traversing the world of Mira in XCX, sometimes forgetting to progress the overall main story. Nintendo acquiring Monolith Soft has been the best and biggest thing they've done in recent years. While Sony and Microsoft are buying out other big developers, for games that may or may not even be made solely for their systems; Nintendo knows when to step back and let their developers do what they do best(in some cases, I've got my eye on you Miyamoto). I will say, it's a shame we still haven't gotten a XCX remaster yet, but I pray that it's on the horizon, or at least a proper sequel to it, after XC3 is launched and done with(just an announcement after XC3 would be great to hear).

[@3abdooogamer734]

Pure Facts

[@CurrieG16]

Nice video this was an interesting analysis if the monolith soft} Also that ending where u said mythra best aegis is based

[@goodbutter9763]

I feel like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of their best games especially with story and how dark it gets later on.

[@Skallva]

Hard disagree. It's probably the least focused out of all Monolith projects and strict deadlines didn't make matters any better. It has a lot of ideas but it feels as though the game is constantly fighting with itself in terms of what they are and how to present them. Everything about it feels at least somewhat off, it's such a weirdly flawed experience.

[@conorb.1901]

@@Skallva and I am going to hard disagree with that. Xenoblade 1 honestly feels like it was the first game. The areas are surprisingly barren, combat is simplistic, and to me XC1 has similar story problems to Xenogears in that several party members are introduced and then shoved off to the side and rendered irrelevant. This isn't too discount the impact it had, there was no other game like it back when it released, but at the end of the day I'm going to go back and play 2, X, Saga (with the possible exception of Episode 2), and Gears before I replay XC1. It just doesn't feel like it fits in with the above group, as it wasn't made as a "Xeno" game and to me it really shows.

[@Skallva]

@@conorb.1901 For me, your last sentence is why Xenoblade 1 manages to stand up so well after all these years. Personally, I'm pretty fed up with everything attempting a huge interconnected universe and I value works that are first and foremost a strong self-contained experience - and I feel 1 is great at that. And then X followed suit, trying out something different and carving its own unique identity. Even Saga's failure, I consider a bit of a hidden blessing because it also cause us to end up wth its own unique experience that stands on its own, without the need of Gears by its side. But Xenoblade 2? That game feels as though it's trying to be so many things at once, not once refining one of these aspects and ending up pretty shallow as a result. Sometimes, it tries to be another big Xeno game, other times it tries to be Xenoblade 1, some other times, it wants to be itself. It wants to have a dark and philosophical story but it also has a bunch of low-brow and pandery elements, at times back-to-back. It wants to have a huge cast of different characters but has no idea how to properly balance between all of them, or what these characters even are (I still cannot decide what Rex's character arc was supposed to be, even though I am sure he had one). It wants to have a huge world with tons of political intrigue but doesn't know how to tie the world to the story, often going on long tangents that feel pretty pointless in the grand scheme of things. It wants to have its own combat system but it also wants to be a spin on the one from 1 or X, one that wants to be simpler than those games but also more complex, without ever telling the player its stance. All of it ends up with a very confusing experience and one that I seldom want to revisit. And it's also why Torna is a huge improvement on all fronts because the small scale and larger focus lead to a much less confusing experience overall.

[@conorb.1901]

@@Skallva that's the thing, the "Xeno" metaseries is just games with similar themes and was made by the same people. The reason I like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is explicitly because it ticks all my boxes. Combat is fun and complex, exploration is rewarding, the characters are great, the setting is interesting (in my opinion, Alrest is a strictly better setting than what XC1 has), and the story is what I'm looking for in a "Xeno" game, and the presence of the Zohar ties things together. Personally, I just can't bring myself to enjoy Xenoblade 1. Not when there's better examples of what it tries to do within Monolith's own library. It's pretty obvious that Rex's character arc is about growing up. The kid's 15, barely making a living (and most of what little he makes is being sent home), and just became a driver of one of the most powerful blades in the world. He makes dumb decisions because he's young, he doesn't know how to be a driver because he wasn't one until a few days ago, and by the end of the game after he's come into his own, it's still obvious that he has some more growing up to do. The last scene in the World Tree illustrates that really well. He's one of the most compelling protagonists in any game I've played because he's relatable. If I was in his shoes at his age, I would have made many of the same dumb decisions. Everyone at some point is young and stupid, and also everyone needs to eventually grow up. I'm not trying to start an argument (trust me, I would much rather have a civil discussion, but it's difficult to find one of those on the internet), nor am I trying to change your opinion. All I am doing is disagreeing with you and giving my viewpoint as to why I think the way I do.

[@Skallva]

@@conorb.1901 You're cool, no worries. See, it's the exact opposite for me with 2. That game ticks none of the boxes for me. The combat feels like an overbaked slog, the areas are for me a weaker version of what 1 offered, with a disjointed collection of continents that feel weirdly claustrophobic, the cast, besides Malos, is bloated and underdeveloped, the setting ends up being overexplained and uninteresting and the story only rarely comes close to what I'd expect from a Xeno game and it leaves me very unimpressed overall, with large chunks of it not even really mattering in the longrun (chapters 2-6 feel like padding to the Elysium quest). It's exactly how you feel about 1 - there are so many better examples of the things being done in the same series, why should I care about this one game that's suffering from a huge identity crisis? His arc may be about growing up but my problem is... he doesn't really grow up? I'm not even sure what the concrete examples of his growth are because at the beginning, I already got a sense he's a fairly independent and resourseful kid (he definitely doesn't seem troubled with his life as a salvager and his sending money to his family), with scenes like the orphans sidequest in chapter 4 reinforcing this, only for the story to start punishing him for suddenly not being that and then going through weird moments of self-reflection that do not feel cohesive to his arc at all. And then once he does seem to be getting some growth, it's all completely taken away from him in the final chapter, where he commits the same exact mistakes he was ostracised for commiting in the previous chapters but this time, for some reason, he gets rewarded for it. He technically goes through the motions of a standard hero's journey but there's just no consistent flow to his arc (or really a solid foundation for it) and he comes out weirdly static by the end. I don't even think he's necesarily bad as a character but as a protagonist, he's one of the strangest flubs in my book. I do believe it's in part because of how little he's given to work with in the story. To quickly compare him to Shulk, I think Shulk comes across as a more solid character in large part because the plot is consistently pushing his motives and objectives forward and that allows him to naturally grow alongside the story. But since 2's story is so weirdly minimal and disjointed, Rex doesn't really get enough for me to get a strong grasp on his character arc other than some sort of a frankensteined coming-of-age story.

[@mara434]

For me Monolith Soft filled the giant void left by Squresofts fall from grace. Nihon Falcom helped Too

[@MrGutzs]

Nintendo really struck gold when they acquired Monolith Soft. They're without a doubt my favorite video game development studio of all time.