Is it really? Is there a comparison out there somewhere? I know its big but eveything I've seen is that its around the same size as all of the other big ones.
The verticality and
feel, I guess, really sets it apart from others. It's not just sheer size, but also the height and scale of it that makes it so impressive. In between dodging through impossible, unimagineable enemies, scaling bizarre terrain, and enduring odd weather, players will come across beautiful vistas and hidden treasures (which are sometimes one in the same), info, items, or enemies that will help them later on, or checkpoints, landmarks, or just perspectives that help them to progress. Mira (the landmass) is a world that isn't just big, but
grand in its design; elaborate, intricate, and labyrinthine in it's complexity, a far cry from the giant, featureless worlds of contemporary open world games.
Like, the Witcher 3 did some best-in-class things to weave together story, quest, and consequences its world seamlessly, but it's Xenoblade Chronicles X that is making the best case for having an open world to begin with. From levelling-up (everything), to equipment progression, to story/world progression, to wealth (both in resources and straight-up money)--even the way players and characters move and the way enemies appear--everything ties back into XBCX's open world. This, coupled with how the world itself is designed (mentioned above), makes progressing in the game more than just ticking a box, but an
adventure in and of itself.
It's just breathtakingly well done.
