Good luck!

Might not get time for it until tomorrow, which is the anniversary of the day I saw Voldemort defeated for the first time, which I waited 10 years for. Wouldn't it be something if I beat the game that day? Though if I get time tonight I'm going for it.

Can I beat Zanza fairly easily at Level 88? It IS six levels above him and Lorithia was only really a challenge because of the acid (or is it ether? Ether is Bionis's blood and we're inside his heart), and I've heard he is beatable at Level 77 five levels below him. I have also heard he is easy at Level 90.

Also, any last-minute tips for who I should be? I'm guessing Shulk at least. Fiora might be handy for her Final Cross as well. Should my third player be Reyn or Dunban? Reyn's got twice as much HP but I've heard Dunban is more useful there.

Dragon still gave me some grief when the Aura Seal wore off but I beat him, and Dickson and Zanza weren't much trouble. Confirmed beating Zanza at Level 88 is easy, especially his first and third phases. I used Shulk, Fiora, and Dunban, maybe next time I'll try my usual team of Fiora, Riki, and Reyn for the first two phases (of course want to use Shulk for the third). But since the point of no return is just BEFORE Dickson, which I had no idea of until I got there, I'll have to fight Dickson again. At least I saved after that akursid dragon.

Question: When it asks you if you want to create a new game with cleared data, what does it mean? What will it do? Will it start over from the beginning again, pick up in "Endless play mode" in the new world where you can no longer fight Zanza, or what?

New Game + (XC1) : basically starts a new save file but you're at your high level.

So wait. You're saying I can play through the whole game again but starting at Level 88 and thus dominate the whole game without having to take up 75% of the time level grinding? For a while I'd wished you could do that, and this'll make replays seem less repetitive. And if I ever want to play the regular way again, I can always set a separate save file.

I'll probably set an extra save file for fighting Zanza whenever I want to before I restart this, but I'll probably restart it right away after fighting Zanza a few more times.

Edit: Done (owned Dickson and Zanza again to get there of course), and at Gaur Plain already. This is really handy for playing for the story, right now all non-unique enemies just get one-shotted, I see Metal Face just became immune to damage of course. While it was kinda fun to fight enemies for experience, it's also fun to race through the story. I can't wait to get to Ether Mine again, I really miss that big area that reminded me of the final confrontation with Natla in Tomb Raider Underworld. And Mechonis, I kinda forgot what Central Factory is like.

Super easy of course, but I earned it after all the work going into beating the game once. Also from landmarks I got Fiora up to Level 15. (Mumkhar killed her at Level 14)

Probably won't be giving many more updates now coz I already beat the game once and I doubt I'll have any trouble at all with my second playthrough except against the dragon (just beat Xord in under 30 seconds), but this has to be said:

It was wonderful to get into the Central Pit of Ether Mine again. I missed that area so much after Xord's death explosion destroyed it. And it'll be nice to go to Mechonis Field again. (Currently about to look for the Radiants, I'd have probably beaten Xord last night were I not held up by a thunderstorm, even though power hasn't gone out from thunderstorms in years I wanted to play it safe)

At Central Factory, I remembered the big room with the Fortress enemy, the room with the Faced Mechon, and blowing up the entrance to the building with a bomb. Also, Riki and Reyn are Level 89 now after all that.

Edit: About to head for Mechonis Core, and after that surprise quest at Central Factory Fiora is Level 89. Still almost died to Gadolt but I beat him much easier than last time.

Edit 2: Shulk leveled to 89 off Yumea. I'll beat Lorithia, Dickson, and Zanza tomorrow.

And just like that, I'm at the latest possible save point in the story before the Point of No Return again. Riki's Level 90 from Prison Island landmarks but I still almost lost to the dragon coz it took a while for Shulk's Monado Gauge to fill up.

Edit: Beat Zanza again, and didn't even have to use Shulk, owned him with Fiora, Riki, and Reyn in all three forms. Fiora and Reyn were Level 89, Riki Level 90.

And with that, my Xenoblade playthroughs are at an end, until the time comes that I want to play through it again (and it will), at which point I'll decide whether to do the "New Game +" or start from scratch and level grind again, it depends on whehter I'm in the mood for story or gameplay.

Might fight Zanza again on one of my playthroughs occasionally just for fun.

I'm glad you've enjoyed the game :)

This is probably the most I enjoyed something new (to me) this year that isn't part of a series I already knew, even more so than Hellboy and Dragonheart. It's been at least a year since I added something to my "top favorite" list. (Hellboy and Dragonheart got "Above average")

I remember complaining that this one anime I saw two years ago had a pretty solid story to it but so much unnecessary "fanservice" it could've EASILY done without and nearly put me off from finishing it, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more otherwise. Well, THIS game is what that anime should have been. A similar story to it but with almost no inappropriate content. (I think the worst it gets is the ability to unequip Fiora, Sharla, and Melia's tops and skirt/shorts, which is optional and non-productive as it would lower stats, and only someone who wants to would) The only thing it was missing was... well, there was a dragon but I found him harder than Tyrea, Gadolt, and Lorithia put together so even though he looks cool I don't like him ONE BIT.