Xenoblade Chronicles/Shulk FAQ [NO SPOILERS]

[Dunban]

Hiya folks.
So Shulk is in Smash, you're all excited I know.
But understandably, there will likely be many people who do not recognise or understand Shulk, or part of his character.

Please use this thread to ask any questions about Shulk, Xenoblade Chronicles and anything else related.
However. Please do NOT post any spoilers in this thread. With Xenoblade Chronicles being released for the 3DS, there will be many people looking to play the critically acclaimed game. Therefore, please do not discuss details of the plot which could be seen as spoilerific.

Thanks

FAQ:

Q: What are the songs that play during Shulk's reveal trailer?

A: The song during the CGI is a remix of Gaur Plain and the one during his gameplay trailer is You Will Know Our Names.


Q: Who was that at the end of Shulk's reveal trailer

A: That, my friends, is Metal Face.

Spoiler

He plays the role of an antagonist throughout the game and will likely appear as a stage hazard or boss in Super Smash Bros. If you have any other questions about Metal Face, please ask them here, as there are many spoilers associated with him.

 

[AuraWielder]

Very kind of you, Dunban.

 

[Ragna22]

What the hell was the music in the trailer? That was awesome.

 

[Smash_Veteran_Amtoj]

What the hell was the music in the trailer? That was awesome.

You Will Know Our Names

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4vCEHpv6Hg

 

[adom4]

What the hell was the music in the trailer? That was awesome.

Gaur plains in the CGI part, you will know out names in the gameplay part.

 

[Fistex]

What the hell was the music in the trailer? That was awesome.

You Will Know Our Names and a remix of Gaur Plains

 

[Ragna22]

You Will Know Our Names

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4vCEHpv6Hg

Damn, that's actually way more hype than the remix in the trailer I feel.

 

[wizardto1]

While watching some Xenoblade videos, I notice the characters attack on their own even without arts so in the game, do you have to press a button for them to attack normally or they attack on their own?

 

[Dunban]

What the hell was the music in the trailer? That was awesome.

Yep, the above two beat me to it.
CGI track was a remix of Gaur Plains

And during the gameplay was "You Will Know Our Names"

When cycling through the Monado modes, you could also briefly hear part of "Mechanical Rhythm".

While watching some Xenoblade videos, I notice the characters attack on their own even without arts so in the game, do you have to press a button for them to attack normally or they attack on their own?

Each character has an auto-attack, which triggers after a brief interval as long as the character is in range of the targeted enemy. This allows you to focus on positioning, which for characters such as Shulk and Riki, is very important.

 

[turtle roll]

Oh, I've got one! How does his spider sense work? Is it as shown in the video like "Oh snap, dudes ganna rush me!" Or is it more long term?

Also, do his arts work like +Attack -Speed and such in game?

He seems really interesting for sure!

 

[MasterBlu]

Who is the guy at the end talking to Shulk in the shadow?

 

[DraginHikari]

Who is the guy at the end talking to Shulk in the shadow?

Metal Face, he's a major enemy in the game.

 

[Dunban]

Oh, I've got one! How does his spider sense work? Is it as shown in the video like "Oh snap, dudes ganna rush me!" Or is it more long term?

Also, do his arts work like +Attack -Speed and such in game?

He seems really interesting for sure!

Haha, by "spider sense" I assume you mean his visions?
The visions that Shulk sees are a power of his weapon, the Monado. They play a major role in the story as well as in the gameplay, as Shulk will sometimes see a vision during a battle. The vision will play out, showing an attack on one of the members of the party. Shulk then has the ability to use a Monado art to change the future he sees. This allows for some extremely well made story-telling as his visions act as an integral link between different parts of the story.

Here's the cutscene where Shulk first experiences a vision. Don't watch any other cutscenes if you want to avoid spoilers:

In the game, each character has different skills they can use, called "Arts". Shulk, being the wielder of the Monado, has a series of Monado Arts. These include Monado Buster, Shield, Speed and a couple others which weren't included in the trailer. "Monado Jump" has similarities to another art and "Smash" is an addition.

Anyways, these all have varying effects. Monado Buster is a powerful attack which deals extra damage against Mechon, the machine like enemies you encounter throughout the game. Monado Shield and Monado Speed are used to provide their respective bonuses and are used to counter the futures that Shulk sees through the Monado.
For example, if Shulk is about to be hit by a physical attack which he can't dodge in time, using Monado Speed would allow him to avoid it.

Who is the guy at the end talking to Shulk in the shadow?

Yep, @ DraginHikari has that one.
Metal Face acts as an antagonist throughout the game. He plays a major role in the story, but that's delving into spoiler territory.

In terms of Smash, he'll likely be a stage hazard.

 

[turtle roll]

Awesome, thanks for the answers. I don't think I'll ever not be able to call his (or anyone's) visions anything other than spider-sense. Old habits die hard XD.

This definitely looks like the kind of game I would enjoy, I'll have to get it for the 3ds when I can!

 

[Dunban]

Awesome, thanks for the answers. I don't think I'll ever not be able to call his (or anyone's) visions anything other than spider-sense. Old habits die hard XD.

This definitely looks like the kind of game I would enjoy, I'll have to get it for the 3ds when I can!

No problem! And definitely pick up Xeno3D when it comes out. You won't be disappointed.
Or if you can't wait, Chuggaaconroy is currently doing a playthrough of Xenoblade. Perhaps you could watch the first few episodes to get a better sense of the game and it's story.

 

[Solfiner]

Nice work with this thread @ Dunban ! We have a lot of Xenoblade veterans here, so feel free to ask about anything.

 

[Dunban]

Nice work with this thread @ Dunban ! We have a lot of Xenoblade veterans here, so feel free to ask about anything.

Cheers!
Yep, lots of us in the Xeno community are ecstatic that we can get more people introduced to the series, so expect a whole bunch of people chipping in answers when I'm unable to.

 

[TechPowah]

What was the track playing during the part of the cgi when Shulk was fighting soloing () Link and Marth?

 

[Dunban]

What was the track playing during the part of the cgi when Shulk was fighting soloing () Link and Marth?

That would be a remix of Gaur Plains during the day:

I should probably compile all of the questions that keep popping up.

 

[TechPowah]

Oh, it's the same thing? I guess after the part with him Back Slashing Bowser played the original, I didn't really notice that it was the same with a remix during the Link/Marth part.

 

[Solfiner]

Have a map @ Dunban , since you asked for it over in the convo.

 

[Dunban]

View attachment 23460

Have a map @ Dunban , since you asked for it over in the convo.

Hahaha, cheers :D

 

[Mr.Showtime]

Anyone know exactly what happened at the end of the reveal? Is that something particular to Xenoblade?

 

[Solfiner]

Anyone know exactly what happened at the end of the reveal? Is that something particular to Xenoblade?

It's a major villain from Xenoblade called Metal face. He is most likely going to be a boss on Gaur plains.

 

[Dunban]

It's a major villain from Xenoblade called Metal face. He is most likely going to be a boss on Gaur plains.

Mr. Quick on the Buzzer here.

Lemme add that to the first post real quick

 

[Solfiner]

Mr. Quick on the Buzzer here.

Lemme add that to the first post real quick

Good idea.

 

[Mr.Showtime]

It's a major villain from Xenoblade called Metal face. He is most likely going to be a boss on Gaur plains.

For some reason, I glanced over you guys talking about him. Sorry about that and thanks for the quick response. =)

 

[LordShade67]

So I've recently became interested in the character after hearing about folks wanting him in Smash 4(congrats, btw), and I am legitimately curious. How is Shulk personality-wise?

 

[Solfiner]

For some reason, I glanced over you guys talking about him. Sorry about that and thanks for the quick response. =)

No problem! That's why we have this thread after all.

 

[Dunban]

So I've recently became interested in the character after hearing about folks wanting him in Smash 4(congrats, btw), and I am legitimately curious. How is Shulk personality-wise?

Truth be told, Shulk's a bit of a nerd
In the game, he works in a Research Lab designed to figuring out the secret of the Monado. His research often takes up a lot of his personal time and our first introduction of Shulk shows him scavenging through Mechon wreckage looking for scrap metal and other parts.
His fondness of machinery is also reflected in the gameplay, as you can "gift" collectibles found in the world to different party members. And as you'd expect, the gifts that Shulk likes the most are often machine parts.

Sorry if this is a bit brief, others will probably be able to explore Shulk's personality a bit more.

 

[~ Gheb ~]

It's a major villain from Xenoblade called Metal face. He is most likely going to be a boss on Gaur plains.

I have a feeling he's gonna be a boss in a single player mode, like Ridley or Rayquaza were in Brawl.

 

[Bosspon]

So I've recently became interested in the character after hearing about folks wanting him in Smash 4(congrats, btw), and I am legitimately curious. How is Shulk personality-wise?

He's a lot different from the standard protagonist. He's a nerd whose love for machines leads to him being one of the primary people studying the Monado before the game starts. He knows his limits and his ability to see the future gives him more time to think things through and respond accordingly. He's not a stiff character and, while he isn't silly, he does seem to have a good sense of humor and is genuinely good-natured. His FS being Chain Attack should say what he thinks of his friends, at the very least. He's also driven due to early game things that happen.

There is a specific moment you'll never see coming that, oddly enough, leads to some very interesting turns for his character. He's very interesting and pretty unique.

 

[Dunban]

He's a lot different from the standard protagonist. He's a nerd whose love for machines leads to him being one of the primary people studying the Monado before the game starts. He knows his limits and his ability to see the future gives him more time to think things through and respond accordingly. He's not a stiff character and, while he isn't silly, he does seem to have a good sense of humor and is genuinely good-natured. His FS being Chain Attack should say what he thinks of his friends, at the very least. He's also driven due to early game things that happen.

There is a specific moment you'll never see coming that, oddly enough, leads to some very interesting turns for his character. He's very interesting and pretty unique.

I might snag this for the first post later if you don't mind.
And thanks, i'm a little busy right now so I appreciate others people able to offer more comprehensive answers

 

[LordShade67]

He's a lot different from the standard protagonist. He's a nerd whose love for machines leads to him being one of the primary people studying the Monado before the game starts. He knows his limits and his ability to see the future gives him more time to think things through and respond accordingly. He's not a stiff character and, while he isn't silly, he does seem to have a good sense of humor and is genuinely good-natured. His FS being Chain Attack should say what he thinks of his friends, at the very least. He's also driven due to early game things that happen.

There is a specific moment you'll never see coming that, oddly enough, leads to some very interesting turns for his character. He's very interesting and pretty unique.

So he's not Cloud. Thank God XD. That just gets Shulk a thumbs-up from me.

 

[TechPowah]

Oh, I always wondered about this; i saw the first couple episodes of Chuggaa's Xenoblade LP, but I didn't fully understand if Shulk's future-sight was a natural power of his or if he got it by screwing with the Monado.

 

[Bosspon]

Oh, I always wondered about this; i saw the first couple episodes of Chuggaa's Xenoblade LP, but I didn't fully understand if Shulk's future-sight was a natural power of his or if he got it by screwing with the Monado.

It's one of the powers of the Monado. However, Dunban (who previously used it) didn't get it, so it's specific to Shulk.

 

[Dunban]

It's one of the powers of the Monado. However, Dunban (who previously used it) didn't get it, so it's specific to Shulk.

I sure hope people don't get confused...
Since y'know.. my name's Dunban...
Aw jeez.

 

[Gaminguy010]

Does he count as a Third Party Character (Sonic, Pac-Man, etc..) I'm not too sure.

 

[Pega-pony Princess]

Does he count as a Third Party Character (Sonic, Pac-Man, etc..) I'm not too sure.

He's first party. Monolith Soft is entirely owned by Nintendo. They've even helped out with some games, like Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword and Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

 

[Evello]

Oh, I've got one! How does his spider sense work? Is it as shown in the video like "Oh snap, dudes ganna rush me!" Or is it more long term?

Also, do his arts work like +Attack -Speed and such in game?

He seems really interesting for sure!

As other people said, it works a lot like in the trailer with Marth and Link, but a bit longer term than you saw there. In the middle of battles in Xenoblade, you'll get quick visions showing the boss using a powerful special attack, then a countdown will appear on the top of the screen and you have until that countdown ends to do something to prevent the attack, such as attracting the enemies attention away from the intended target or casting preventative spells.