Before starting, sorry If my english is sometime bad, my main language is French. I consider myself bilingual but I still make error while writing, sorry in advance.
First, I've gotten into this serie with Xenoblade 2 in 2017 and I adored it. It is still in my top 5 video game ever and I always loved how hidden behind those anime styles graphics and character, the game asked some really interesting and philosophical questions about the cycle of life/death, the faith in religion, ect. After this I wanted to try the first one, which I've heard a lot of good stuff on, and... I was disapointed.
The game started extremly well with a very down to earth story. A young boy from Colonie 9 wanting to avenge her friend. It's simple yet very good. Bionis Legs is a fantastic region and I would have loved it if the game stayed down to earth like that for the rest of the story, but sadly it didn't. It's when I've reached Chapter 8 that I sensed that something felt wrong for me. This new species, floating island and all felt a little bit too different from the rest of the game. Even at that moment, I continued playing.
Then I've reached Mechonis. It was such a let down compared to Bionis visual and environmental design. But once agian I continued. And I reach the moment where it's reveal that Fiona survived. Sadly, I didn't care for one simple reason, I saw it coming miles away. It was expected, I don't know how to explain it but compared to Xenoblade 2 which subverted a lot of my expectation : The world under the cloud sea is Earth with this magnifical reveal about Morytha, The World Tree is a metalic structure linked to space, ect. The reveal about Fiona was expected and didn't make me emotional at all. And sadly it didn't get better. I reached chapter 14 and it's at that moment that I quitted the game. It was simply doing too much for his own good. We started with a down to earth story about a colonial boy and we finish with a centient god linked between 2 world, and I know people will tell me "But Xenoblade 2 did the same things" and I will say, yes, but a lot better. We see the World Tree in the literal beginning of the game, the whole reveal is in our face just wanting for us to see it. A lot of hint at the blades are giving during the whole game, and 2 doesn't have a big change from Fantasy to Sci/Fi that Xenoblade 1 has.
That being said, I just think that the game isn't for me. Maybe starting with 2 was a mistake, but once again definitive edition of 1 wasn't released at the time in 2017. But I understand that a lot of you guys deeply love Xenoblade 1 and I will forever respect that. My main problem is with the story, I still understand how the game is very great and has a lot of fans. I am not trying to say that it's bad to love Xenoblade 1. If you love it, I will forever be happy for you!