Torna: The Golden Country Review!

Let's show 'em a thing or three!

It's here, my review of the story expansion for Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, the Golden Country. I've been wanting to do this for a while. I was originally gonna make this review as an update of my old Xenoblade Chronicles 2 review from when Google Plus was still around, but this game is different enough from the main game that it warrants its own review.

HISTORY
Since this is my first true look at a Xenoblade game, I'll briefly talk about it my history with it. I first heard of Xenoblade when I heard people discussing Shulk being in Smash 4. When Shulk was confirmed for Smash 4, that was when I got interested into Xenoblade. I attempted to buy it at GameStop, only to find out it was till full-priced over half-a-decade later after its release, which was bullshit. I heard about Xenoblade Chronicles X, waited patiently for its release and got it. I remember liking some things about it, but disliking the insane difficulty. I beat it eventually, and my fill of it came to a halt until Nintendo announced Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. I played that for a bit until I hit a roadblock. I sadly never finished the game. Eventually, Nintendo announced Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and I was really digging its more anime aesthetic. I bought the game on Christmas the year it was released and I liked it a helluva lot better than the first 2. I also got the Expansion Pass, which was a sweet deal since it gave out way more stuff than you paid your money for. Months later, Torna: The Golden Country was announced to be the new story expansion, and it released in September of last year. Though I played the heck out of it, I didn't finish it until last month, since a giant wall halting progression hit me, and I lost all motivation to play it until then. So now, that brings me here to the review. How do I think Torna holds up to the base game? We'll find out here.

STORY AND CHARACTERS
I'll sum up the story as best as I can. However, if you don't care for the story and would like to hear my opinions about the story, just find my spoiler end warning to skip this summary entirely.

WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT FOR THE STORY. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Torna: the Golden Country is a prequel story expansion set 500 years before the events of the main game, during the destructive "Aegis War" between Mythra and Malos. While the game has some events on the Gormott Province, it mostly takes place on an entirely new Titan: Torna. The game begins with the Indol Praetorium and Mor Ardain empire felling the Coecian Titan, when in reality Malos used his Siren to kill the titan, leaving the survivors to flee to Gormott. Jin and his Driver Lora then fend off a pack of wolves before finding a younger Mikhail at a burned-down village. After taking him under their protection, they plan to meet Haze, another one of Lora's Blades who was looking for Lora's mother, at the next village, only to find it destroyed by Malos' power. A Gargoyle, one of Malos' Artifice's attacks the,, but is almost immediately destroyed by a razing light beam. Enter: Addam and his Blade Mythra, who is the other Aegis. Addam recognizes Jin as the Paragon of Torna, and debates on weather or not to bring in Lora for stealing. Neither Jin or Lora are having that, so they fight Addam and Mytha. Despite Addam and Myhtra's overwhelming power, Jin and Lora manage to hold their own until Addam halts the battle completely, amazed by their synergy in combat. Jin recognizes Addam as the Lord of Aletta, and the 4th in line of the Tornan Throne. Milton and Haze then arrive, with the former explaining to Addam that she saved him from some monsters. After realizing everyone around them are indeed allies, they set up camp. Addam promises not to turn in Lora and asks for her help in his and Mythra's quest to defeat Malos once and for all, and they agree to help. The following morning, Haze reveals she's found her mother in Torigoth at Gormott. Unfortunately, upon arriving there, they find the village burned down by humans. They then come upon a grave site, one of the many people being Lora's mother. After mourning her mother for a while, Lora and the others head back through the village, only to be confronted by Ardainian Soldiers that mistook them for burning down Torigoth. After fending them off a bit, Brighid appears and engages in battle with Mythra. When Brighid taunts Mythra's fighting style, she uses Siren against her, despite Addams' wishes against it. Before the battle can get too crazy, however, Haze uses her power to restrain Mythra and Brighid before Hugo, the Emperor of Mor Ardain and Brighids' Driver, and his other blade Aegaeon arrive along with the then Special Inquisitor and put an end to the battle. Turns out Hugo too wants to stop Malos, and in his absence, his brother is taking care of things. They then board the Ardainian Battleship to discuss their plans moving forward. There, they find out that rogue Coecian forces burned down Torigoth, and also receive reports of a group of mercs around Torigoth. Sensing danger, Jin heads there and the rest follow. Lora and Haze are then ambushed by the group of mercenaries and Gort, Lora's father, who wants revenge on Lora for taking Jin from him and Jin himself for cutting off his arm. Jin then arrives and cuts off Gorts' prosthetic arm and other arm, forcing him to flee until the Indoline Praetorium captures him. Addam then gets word that his militia has come under the control of the Kingdom of Uraya, much to his displeasure. After arriving to the Aletta region of Torna, Mikhail, Milton and Jin prepare dinner while Lora and Addam spar against each other until Jin announces that dinner is ready. After dinner, a soldier informs Addam of Malos' next target: the Tornan capital, Auresco. Malos told of his plan to Amalthus, who then relayed his message to Addam, so they head out to the capital. On the way there, a monster native to Leftheria attacks before reinforcement arrives in the form of Minoth, Amalthus' Blade and also a Flesh Eater (a Blade fused with Human cells). Minoth joins the party after explaining that he'd been avoiding Amalthus for 2 years due to their conflicting views on the world.

To hurry up this summary, after Minoth joins the party, the rest of the story can be described as this: the group heads to Auresco, meets up with the Tornan King, then the capital is attacked by Malos and his Gargoyles. After the gang fends them off and confronts Malos himself, he takes the device that controls the Tornan Titan, hoping to use it's awesome power that Torna once abused to aid in his quest to raze the world. Before he does that, however, he decides to goof off to parts unknown, giving the gang time to help the citizens in the aftermath of the attack and prepare for the final battle against Malos. Before the gang heads off to confront Malos, they tell Milton and Mikhail to stay behind, despite Milton wanting otherwise. Malos awakens the titan, the gang fights him, he then intentionally reveals more of Mythra's power by destroying a part of Auresco. Fearing Milton, may have been killed, she taps into her latent power out of anguish and summons the Third Aegis Sword. After that, they fight in their Sirens, Mythra launches a devastaing attack on Malos that seemingly killed him for good and sending him into the Cloud Sea, but ends up destroying significant parts of Torna herself, also destroying the Titans' Core Crystal. Hugo shields Addam from the Crystals' explosion, but dies, reverting Aegaeon and Brighid to their Core Crystal state an Ardainian battleship arrives to save as many as they can, and from there, the surviving members of the group watch in shock as Torna sinks below the Cloud Sea. Mythra notices Mikhail carrying a dead Milton, and out of anguish, she turns into Pyra.

Addam and Minoth part ways with Lora, Jin and Haze, and Addam seals the Third Aegis Sword in Spirit Crucible Elpys, but not before telling them to hed to Spessia to meet up with surviving members of his militia. One night, they're attacked by a mysterious beast, revealed to be a mutated Gort, who was turned into a Blade Eater by Indol and complete with a giant robot arm. Gort attempts to exact his revenge, but the group manages to put him down for good. They finally reach Spessia and regroup with the militia. Addam is then seen watching as the Ancient Ship Pyra is located on sinks to the depths of the Cloud Sea. Meanwhile in Indol, Amalthus gets rid of anybody in his way to become the Praetor by use of assassination and poisoning. He then ascends to Praetor and sends an army to attack Spessia.

Though its not shown like it is in the main game, Spessia comes under attack from Indol, and Lora is fatally wounded in the attack. Jin, not wanting to forget about Lora, eats her heart to become a Flesh Eater. Then, presumably 500 years later, he comes to the house he once lived in during a previous life, which survived the destruction of the Tornan Titan, and burns it down before departing on the Monoceros. The game then ends with Rex discovering Pyra on the Ancient Ship, kick-starting the events of the main game.

SPOILER WARNING ENDS HERE

I think the story does a pretty good job of explaining the events that take place before the main game. The story is fine in it's own right, tying up some loose ends that the main game didn't quite fully solve, but  there are some questions I do have. For instance, there's a cutscene in the main game somewhat detailing Malos' supposed death that doesn't line up to how it seemed like he died in Torna at all. How did Addam set up Spirit Crucible Elpys? How did he become a Spirit (No, not Smash Ultimate)? Where did Malos go off to after his defeat? Why did Jin keep Lora's body?

At the very least, we got some more characterization of characters that never properly got it in the main game. It was fun seeing Lora in a slightly more positive light, and seeing her relationship with everyone grow throughout the course of the game is fine to see. We get to know what kind of person Jin was before he becomes a fallen hero, and it was surprising to see Addams' rather open personality. Brighid and Aegaeon are still the same as before, though Aegeaon does get a slight bit more development in that he's somehow good with ladies. The only real new characters here is Hugo and Milton, though besides his exercising his own authority as an emperor, we don't really get to see the kind of guy Hugo is. Milton is a great character, and it's fun seeing him butt heads with Mythra from time to time.

Speaking of which, out of all the the characters in this game, Mythra is the one who receives the most development. Originally, she kept her relationship between her an Addam as strictly Human and Blade. Moreover, besides her Driver, she didn't really care about humans or even other Blades much. As the game progresses, however, she does come to care more about the world, it's people, and those close to her, as well as how to better control her power since for the most part she uses it with reckless abandon. One thing worth mentioning is that throughout the game, some of the characters-particularly Milton, Jin and Brighid-make complaints about her lesser-praised attributes, like being a terrible cook, having a "brutish" fighting style, or lacking in compassion. Give the poor girl a break!


MUSIC AND VOICE ACTING

HOT DAMN, THAT MUSIC IS BANGIN'! I swear, the music of this game slaps harder than Mythra. Seriously, if I were to make a Top 10 list of game OSTs, you could bet money that Torna's music would rank very high. From wandering the lands of the Aletta region, to a new remix of the Gormott Plains (which, in my opinion, is actually better than the original composition), and especially the musical ecstasy that is the standard battle theme, this music is just a joy to listen to. Keen ears may notice that the overall composition takes a more jazzy direction as opposed to the more rock-centered music of the main game. It's overall very good on the ears, and something I would listen to on repeat all day.

The voice acting, on the other hand, is very hit-or-miss. I played only the English version, so this section is based on that. While generally the line delivery of characters is okay, there are some times where the actors deliver their lines very awkwardly, sound too monotone at times, or just don't stick. For example, Aegaeon and occasionally Hugo almost always sound at the same tone of voice while talking, in or out of battle, and if I were to have a complaint about Mythra, it's that her voice actress, Sky Bennett, sometimes sounds like shes not putting enough energy into her lines, kinda giving her a "whatever" aura. Don't get me wrong, that almost perfectly captures Mythra's attitude in Torna, but even in both this and the main game, I feel like if she up a tad bit more energy into her lines, I would have fewer complaints. The rest of the characters are fine in their own rights. Personally, I enjoyed Brighid's, Malos', Addam's and occasionally Jin's voice acting the most. Although like most RPG's, the lip-syncing can range from okay to outright terrible.

I need to mention one thing, however: when it comes to battle, the sound mixing is atrocious! Good luck trying to hear everyone's individual lines in battle, because there's a lot of them, and everyone talks over each other almost all the time. This applies to enemies too, mainly human enemies, like the Ardanian Soldiers you have to fight. Think you can take them? Though they're pipsqueaks, after you hear them constantly shouting at you, you certainly won't forget them.

PRESENTATION
Generally speaking, the environments are gorgeous and varied. From dusty deserts and dark caves, to vibrant woods and shining lakes, there's something to behold at almost every corner. Gormott is fine in its own right, but looks super bleak compared to the entirety of Torna. Plus, it's almost literally a reused Gormott with only the most important locales having been changed, especially Torigoth. While even up close the environments look great, really look into things and you'll find that this is the best looking PS2-era game. No seriously, sometimes it really does look like a PS2 game. Blocky, easy to notice polygons, some visual effects looking a bit off, and even when fast-traveling to an area, the game doesn't always load textures immediately.

Besides the generic character models for citizens and NPC's, all of the main characters look fine, and stick out in their own right with distinct designs. During cutscenes, they usually use a lot of multi-use animations, but when suddenly they switch to more hands-on animation, they look REALLY good. The fight scenes in cutscenes are also really well done, and I would love to watch them over and over again.

GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is where Torna starts to set itself off from the main game. You have your standard options like Side Quests, talking to NPC's to catch up on whats happening, buying items, and resting at an Inn to increase your level. You can also organize your party and equip Blades with Augment Crystals and Core Chips to increase their strength and level up their Affinity Charts to increase their effectiveness in the game. They all come with field skills that can be used to interact with the world in various ways, like opening a path, revealing hidden objects or jumping up platforms. Drivers can also be equipped with weapons and have their Affinity Charts filled out to better preform in battle, and can be given Pouch Items to give themselves extra Passive abilities for a limited time.

however, that is where the game stops with the similarities to the main game.

Firstly, lets talk about the Community System. Basically, there are some NPC's that you can talk to to gain as a potential member of your community. If you do certain Side Quests, you'll possibly add these NPC's to your community. The bigger your Community, the higher level it will gain. It also adds in small bonuses like having lower prices at the shops. However, you also need to raise the level to progress through the story. More info on that regard later.

Next are Camps. Camps are sort of like upgraded Inns. At Camps, you can rest to increase your level with Bonus Exp gained during battle. You can also craft Pouch Items using every party members' skills and talents. For example, Mythra specializes in... whatever the hell she calls food, Jin and Aegaeon specialize in actual food, Brighid makes perfumes, Hugo is a mechanic, Lora makes talismans, and so on. You can also have the party chat with each other to gain each others' perspective of the events unfolding during the story.

The real meat of the game comes in the revamped gameplay. While it is similar to the main games' combat system, this version has been tweaked in a few significant ways. Lets get the familiar stuff out the way first. As usual, you can Auto Attack the enemy by standing still close enough to them, which charges your Battle Art gauges. When full, press the corresponding button to the Art to unleash it. Battle Arts have a variety of effects, like knocking back enemies, reducing Aggro, causing debuffs, etc. The Break, Topple, Launch, and Smash system is also back exactly the way it is in the main game. Each Art used fills your Special Attack Meter, and once full, you can unleash a Special Attack. You can increase the level of it by preforming more Battle Arts, up to Stage 4 when your Blade Affinity is maxed out. Blade Affinity basically increases your overall effectiveness in battle. Also, the Party Gauge is back, and you can sue a piece of the gauge to revive a fallen teammate, or use it completely to unleash a Chain Attack.

However, this is where things become different. For one, this game puts you in direct control of Blades, and you can switch between active Blades and the Driver during battle. Depending on who is out, the Driver or Blade will be the Vanguard that you take control of, with one or the other being the Rear Guard that provides support to the Vanguard. Switch correctly, however, as there is a cooldown. Switching also preforms a Switch Art, which can have varying effects similar to Battle Arts. During battle, the health bar may be accompanied by a red bar too, which is recoverable health. If you switch out between Blade and Driver, you recover all that health. Every party member also have Talent Arts, like in the first Xenoblade Chronicles, which can be used under certain conditions. For instance, Lora's Talent Art fully charges her Arts, but reduces her current HP by half. Brighid's summons a flame vortex below enemies that damages enemies and buffs her allies, but it can only be used when her HP is at 30% or lower. Also, the Elemental Combo system works differently. Instead of needing to preform a full combo to gain an Orb, you only need to hit the enemy with a Special Attack once. There is a greater freedom in doing elemental combos, as you can now mix and match them however you like. If you use a combo like from the main game, however, it's much stronger. The game doesn't tell you which combo paths there are, however. Fortunately, your allies will never use Special Attacks without your input, and if their Special Attack name in the Elemental Combo has a description other than generic names like Volt II or Gravity III, that's the path you need to follow. As usual, when doing the Chain Attack, you can break the Orbs via attacking with an opposing element to preform a Full Burst attack to do massive damage. You need at least 4 Orbs to do this, so don't get too hasty.

Overall, I really like this combat system. Dare I say, it's better than the main game. It's familiar enough to where you're not alienated by it, but its new and engaging enough so that you're not bored with it immediately. Plus, once you work out the flow of battles, you'll be accustomed to it in no time. I halfway wish we could use this battle system in the main game, but it's fine where it is.

ISSUES
I love Monolith Soft for bringing us this game, I really do. That being said, there are some things holding this game back from perfection. Firstly are the enemies. Like all previous Xenoblade games, this game loves to throw large groups of enemies at you and expects you to handle them just fine. When they're at lower levels, its fine, if not a little annoying. When those enemies are around the same or at an even higher level than you, however, is when it becomes not okay. Not to mention that Xenoblade games LOVE having you at low levels and then suddenly coming across some random level 70 or 90 monster roaming around and then attacking you on sight. The final stretch of the game before the Final Boss can be brutal, since you have to go through waves of enemies 3 separate times. The first 2 aren't so bad, but it's the third one that will have you praying you make it through, since the enemies are more than likely your own level, if not higher. As if that wasn't bad enough, on your way to the 3rd wave, there's a Unique Monster you're more than likely to run into, and these guys always attack you on sight. Since Unique Monsters are far stronger than normal, you're more than likely to get your ass kicked.

There are also many situations where you're forced to fight on high areas where you can easily fall off. Since fall damage is 100% in this game, if you get knocked back and off the platform, certain death will follow. Fortunately, you can possibly do the same to enemies, especially flying ones. If you're high up, and manage to do the Break, Topple, Launch, Smash combo, expect whatever HP they have to drop to 0 when they hit the ground.

My biggest complaint comes in the form of the Community System. I told you I would get back to this. Now I know what the Community System is for. It's purpose is to ultimately flesh out the citizens of Torna more before it, well... ya know. So this forces you to get to know the community. The problem is, its' also a gigantic wall to halt progression. This system is why it took me months to finally finish the game. To finish the story, you need to bring the Community Level up to 4. That doesn't sound bad, but here's the thing: You need 64 members to get to level 4, which means, at maximum, you need to do 64 goddamn Side Quests to finish the game! Who on Earth thought this was a good idea!? Earlier I mentioned that doing Side Quests will earn you community members. Well, not only do some Side Quests not give you any members, but you have no idea how many you'll get when the quest is said and done. Some quests do earn you more than one member, which is nice. Some people can also be added to your community simply by talking to them, which is also nice. However, that doesn't excuse the fact that they're forcing you to learn more about Torna to progress with the real meat of the game. Some people don't care about that kind of stuff. Plus, why should you be doing tons of "Side" Quests to get on with the "Main" Quest? It's such a stupid idea. I genuinely dislike this system. If I wanted to get to know the people of Torna, I would rather do it on my own time rather than being forced to do it because I have no other choice.

THE VERDICT
Overall, I really like this game. In some ways, I like it better than the main game. The new light on characters hardly given any spotlight really gives this expansion a refreshing feel, and I love the moments they really shine, especially Mythra. I also like how we got to see what kind of country Torna was before its fall. I like the battle system even more than the Main Games', and though the enemy placement and levels can get a bit ridiculous, and the Community System can burn in hell, I still really liked the game overall.

I give this game a 7.7/10. While the story, characters and revamped battle system really help the game, the Community System really brings some of it down.

Anyways, if you've read this far, I thank you for reading my review. Also, forgive me for being late! Had some things IRL going on! Also, due to all the DLC released in the past, I might revist the main game of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in the future.