Monolith Soft tweaked a Xenoblade Chronicles scene during development to make it less creepy
A touching moment, if you will
Everyone is talking about Xenoblade Chronicles 3 right now, but we wouldn’t have been able to get to this installment with out the blockbuster release of the original Xenoblade Chronicles. That game was a major moment for both Monolith Soft and Nintendo, and it gave birth to an important franchise for both companies.
The gang at Did You Know Gaming has taken the launch of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as the perfect opportunity to look back on the game that started it all, and they’ve uncovered an interesting gem about the Wii RPG. It turns out Monolith Soft tweaked a particular cutscene during development, as the original direction led to a moment that came off a tad creepy.
The scene in question comes up early in the adventure, and it involves both Shulk and Fiora. During one story section, we see Shulk walk up to a sleeping Fiora to touch her hand, signifying his feelings for her. That’s not how the scene originally went though, and Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi revealed the original plan in an interview snippet.
“One issue pointed out by scenario writer Yurie Hattori that I can clearly remember concerns the girl named Fiora, the childhood friend of Shulk. There’s a scene where’s she’s fast asleep and you touch her hand. This was initially a scene where Shulk touched her cheek to communicate his feelings for her. But Hattori-san pointed out that suddenly touching a woman’s cheek while she’s asleep could be construed as being a little creepy.”
It’s amazing how one tiny change can make a huge difference. Thinking about Shulk touching Fiora’s face while she’s sleeping does seem like a step too far, but brushing her hand makes the moment that much more palatable. This one element once again shows just how much care and effort the entire team at Monolith Soft put into crafting their games.
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