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The differences in the Xenoblade games, summed up by how you get to a new area during the main campaign

Xenoblade 1: Most places are connected by land. If you just follow along the story, it eventually sees you walking into the next area. A few times you’ll get cutscened into a place.

Xenoblade 2: You almost exclusively get to a new titan via story means. Someone shows up with a boat in a cutscene to take you somewhere. At least twice you must complete a story quest where you need to negotiate getting your party onto a boat to the next area.

Xenoblade X: “Yes I did say ‘swim across the ocean to the next continent yourself’, you think this is a joke?”