Here it is: My essay on Pyra/Mythra. Enjoy!
Before Pythra’s reveal, I hadn’t touched a single Xenoblade game. My biggest connection to the games outside of Smash was me watching a Twitch streamer play the first couple chapters of Xenoblade 1, which was a long time ago. So I had an idea of what the series was about but it just never interested me as I was never big on RPGs, at least until recently. So I never bothered to play a single title from this series.
But that changed in February. Fun fact, I knew so little about Xenoblade that I didn’t even know that Pyra and Mythra can fight on their own without Rex, so you can imagine my shock when Pyra was announced….without Rex. I was flabbergasted, but other than that I didn’t feel much towards the characters or the trailer itself as again, I knew jack nothing about Xenoblade. But with me, whenever a new Smash character gets revealed I get curious and try out their game. This started with me with Joker and it happened again with Hero, Min Min, and Sephiroth. And so, in order to understand why so many people were bouncing up and down at the Aegis’ inclusion and because I wanted to join in on the hype, I got Xenoblade 2 the day after the duo’s reveal.
Now, looking back, that was kind of risky but I have had a habit of blind buying games and for the most part that rarely has backfired on me. So I had no idea what was in store for me. I had no idea that I was about to play one of my absolute favorite games of all time and the game that emotionally impacted me the most out of anything in any entertainment medium.
Note that I will be omitting any details to avoid spoilers. Anyway I started playing the game and it had a promising start. Kind of slow, but that didn’t bother me, plus the ending of Chapter 1 had some fantastic moments. Then I went through the motions exploring Gormott which was jaw dropping with that music (And encountering the big funny monkey for the first time). Chapter 3 was great and the ending was absolutely amazing. Then Chapter 4 hit and kind of slowed things down for a bit but then Chapter 5 arrives and things start to get really interesting. Then with Chapter 6 **** escalate even more and it ends in a way that is equivalent to a gut punch. I was hooked on it at that point. Now with Chapter 7, oh man that is filled with some of the best moments in the whole game and the cutscene that introduces Coffee With Milk is my favorite cutscene of all time. It’s so emotional and made my jaw drop. That was the moment when I fell in love with this game. And it just got better with the next 3 chapters which ramps up in intensity.
Then the ending, omg the ending. It left me an emotional wreck for hours. I beat the game at midnight but couldn’t fall asleep until 3 AM. It’s one of my favorite endings of all time and to put it into perspective, I beat the game all the way back in April and to this day I still ponder about the ending from time to time. And in general I think about Xenoblade 2 just about everyday. I’m utterly obsessed with the game. I ended up getting the art book, physical soundtrack, and a poster. And I’ll be picking up the Pyra/Mythra Amiibos whenever they become available.
I just love everything about this game man. If you told me that this game will contain one of my favorite casts of characters ever, I probably would not have believed you, judging from the early hours of the game. But by the end I ended up getting emotionally attached to almost all the main characters. This game also has one of my top favorite soundtracks, easily top 3 at least. The battle themes are so good you can jam out to them, the area themes are awe-inspiring and some are even bangers (Looking at you Mor Ardain and Tantal), and some songs make me want to cry my eyes out.
And that brings me to Smash. I’m so happy that Xenoblade 2 got the content that it deserves. I will say that there are some things that bother me like the fact that we got zero Xenoblade DLC costumes. Also, there were some weird choices with the music. Counterattack got a remix which was completely unnecessary and while I like it, it’s inferior to the original so why even bother? Tantal got included with the medley but I wish you could listen to it on its own since it’s a banger. And while the music choices are great overall, there are still some glaring omissions like Monster Surprised You, Power of Jin, and After Despair and Hope. I also want to point out how they got lazy and put in a color to represent Pyra’s disguise outfit instead of actually putting in the costume which looks adorable on her. Finally, it’s a shame that the driver and blade system couldn’t be implemented. But considering the fact that Smash often follows the rule of including the most recent protagonist, this was a now or never opportunity for Xenoblade 2.
But overall, I’m happy with the content we did get. I have my gripes but I still think they did a good job on the pack overall. And I’m eternally grateful to Smash Ultimate for introducing me to a game I cherish so much. To think that I wouldn’t have gotten into Xenoblade at all if it wasn’t for Smash. It’s funny how things work out huh?
So yeah, Pythra are my favorite DLC characters alongside Steve. It’s difficult to say which one tops which for me since I do have more of a history with Minecraft but it doesn’t change the fact that I care a lot about Xenoblade 2.
If you want to learn more about my thoughts on XC2 and Torna, check out my essay attached below.