[SPOILERS?] Xenoblade - Exploring the Beta map (Bionis' Left Shoulder)

[TheXoneo]

High Entia? 8:17

[Helsionium]

@TheXoneo Correct. This video was released before the European version and 'Hienter Graveyard' was the then common English name of what is now officially 'High Entia Tomb'. I don't know, but there might be more of these issues.

[SteelSlasher]

This makes no sense, why on earth would you make the biggest functional map in the game and then not actually use it, i mean if they just spent another year finishing it up it could have easily been an extra are for the NG+,

out of interest, would the removal of the map have made a significant difference in the filesize for the pal version

also, if they put this in the game i imagine it would have linked to colonies 1-5 and 7-8 and also the lost civilisation of the giants and the high entia

[Helsionium]

@SteelSlasher Maybe they couldn't use the area because they couldn't come up with an appropriate story. After all, the game's story is virtually complete, even without this area.

The map is only ~ 12 MB in size. It would have been considerably larger if it had spoken dialogue and cutscenes. This might be another reason why the map was not finished: The Japanese disc was already as full as a single-layer disc can be. It wouldn't have been an issue for the European version, though.

[SteelSlasher]

@Helsionium actually, could this not have been the area you are sent to after clearing mechonis core as the caves could have lead to the inner bionis???

also, i just found the brres file for the shoulder in the obj.pkb and it is quite but i cant seem to find any of the other maps are they stored elsewhere?

i was trying to see what else was left behind and in the obj.pkb file they left random sketches of characters and scenes

[Helsionium]

@SteelSlasher All maps are stored in map.pkb - each map is composed of several files, the .map files contains the actual map models, the .lod file contains additional textures, and several other files contain the object table and other data. The file you found in obj.pkb is probably the one used in the Egil/Arglas cutscene.

[SteelSlasher]

@Helsionium when i expanded the map.pkb i only found lod and dap files

[Helsionium]

@SteelSlasher The .dap files are archive files, I extracted the other files from them. I no longer have the .dap files, but I think they were (possibly LZSS compressed) U8 archives, the most common archive format on Wii.

[SteelSlasher]

@Helsionium thanks, but i figured it out after a while and found all the models, just out of interest did you just replace an in game map with the beta map, is there any work needed to set warp point etc.

[Helsionium]

@SteelSlasher Yes, I switched two maps in the map table, but I could only do it in the Japanese version. The PAL version has another format. I could only reproduce the title screen hack on the PAL version, which enables you to change which maps are randomly shown on the title screen. Search for ma0101 in main.dol and you'll find a list of maps. Replace all ma---- and demo01 with ma0801 and the beta map will always be shown on the title screen. You can do this with other maps, too.

[DedicatedSpecialist]

This is some of the most filled out beta I've ever seen. It's all there in the disc, they should have just left it in even if it had no plot or side quest importance. Just throw in loads of level 80 and 9- monsters and it's a awesome training area. I mean its all there already. Leaving it in would have made the already massive game that bit bigger.

[RaikRhythm]

Out of interest, was there any music playing at all while you were in the map?

[Helsionium]

@RaikRhythm Whatever music was already playing when I entered the map continued to play, and it would no longer change at dawn/nightfall.

[Yoshi17th]

you're saying this entire place was pretty much unused? that's a pity :( o well

thanks for making the video!

[TheUniverseExists]

this area looks amazing, should have added it to the game.

[Magoiichi]

GOD DAMN APRIL CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH! >.<

[Flash11I19]

I guess they thought this area was just too big to be left in the final game. Look at it, it looks like it stetches out ever further than Eryth Sea does, expect that its no sea, its all land with a lot of detail to it. It makes the Bionis leg look like poo. Speaking of... I wonder if they actually programmed Bionis left leg and arm....

[JCaesar007]

Incredible, thanks for doing this!

[stufaman]

I would have loved to wonder round this place. Though my fave place is still the swamps at night.

Now what we need is a similar game for WiiU or any console for that matter. A similar game where we meet up online in such a surreal world. Yeah I know Elder Scrolls and so on. But this is one of the most imaginative games I've ever seen.

[wolfhound142]

Dear GOD, and i though bionis leg killed my heart seeing how much walking i had to do but this takes the cake for sure. would of loved to see this map put into the game, shame though it never made it if only wii u was out already. last thing is i wish i could access this map and enjoy the effort they put into making it

[CornishCreamtea07]

I would love to know what purpose this map would of had in the story, I can't see it being purely for 2 cutscenes, if that had been the case I doubt you would be able to walk on the map, plus things like tunnels and cities would of been included.

[TimeBreaker1987]

*_*

This map looks so beautiful, I was already stunned after seeing the Bionis field the first time.

[EragonFiresword]

Why on earth didn't they put this in the game? It couldn't have been very difficult to add it in as a bonus, maybe, new-game-plus-only area... HEre's hoping for a Xenoblade 2 where they include the area!

[ragnarcheung]

It's more wonderful than Bionis' leg. What a pity that it can't be entered!

By the way, how can I enter this area if I use Wii?

[sonicfreak94]

This is quite awesome. I remember seeing it and realized that despite being almost done with the game, I hadn't seen it anywhere. Thanks for showing it off in-game. It's quite the interesting environment.

[DemonAshley]

Very ncie area, really shame it didnt make it , it looks so finished and great!

I gues there wasnt enough space or a plan to place it in the game.

[spoiler alert!]

When arglas and Egil are talking in the flashback somwheer i have the feeling it was somwhere here. i noticed that when i use the wii home button and it darkens out you cans ee certain things better then they normaly would and a similair area of this was shown in the BG. It could be arglas and egil talked from the shoudler.

[Helsionium]

@DemonAshley Yes, the Arglas & Egil scene also takes place here. I forgot about that scene by the time I made this video so I only knew about the one in the ending, where it can be seen more clearly.

[Chosenoneknuckles]

Wow, I never would've guessed this was hidden away!

It reminded me of the fact that we only see and hear about two Homs colonies throughout [what happened to the others?]. And those small and large houses strike me as fits for the Hode family of enemies for some reason. xD

[RupeeClock]

If I had to guess, this area was intended to be a civilization for giants, and was meant to be an end-game map like before entering Bionis interior for the second time. (Instead of being taken directly into the wound)

It's a shame that this wasn't finished!

[NovemberCrystal]

Monolith must make a some sort of DLC with this map. Add some NPC and enemies and i will happily give atleast 25-30 bucks.

Screw the leg, the shoulder is waaay better :)

[massoluk]

wow... huge map, and to think something this big can be cut out.

Understandable though, the game is already huge as it is.

[delsol01]

havent played the game yet, as i dont wisj to hack my original wii, though i do own a physical copy. To me, this beta map might have been used as a prelude to a possible sequel. Ive played a game before that has done something like that, but the title eludes me.

[godslayer137]

if they make a xenoblade 2, they better add some more titans to explore and be able to fly. that would be to much lol

[Atayin]

Some games have timeless appeal. No matter how dated the graphics become for Xenoblade, the map-design and artistic direction that was taken will keep people coming back to it. There are times while playing the game where I feel like I'm looking at concept art.

[belgurdo]

Looks like it was cut because it looks almost entirely like Bionis' Leg. They might have thought it was redundant to have two identical locations.

[mimamo]

Would have been SO awesome to have this map with new monsters and a new Town in the game. I know, the game is already HUUUUGE as it is, but I just can't get enough of it. :3

[jimmyholdswrth]

I also noticed how your party members follow directly behind you and not at your side.

[DakkoX]

This game is so huge as it is, its hard to belive that there is such a big map still on the disk that we cant even run through normally, how the hell did monolith do all this? geez! this whole game is amazing, even the stuff we dont see

[Yuanrek]

Goddammit, why they didn't include this map? It's beautiful!!!

[HolowkoM]

u sure it's beta map? I would say it looks more like alpha map.

[moreuse]

any chance to load the map from debug or cheat code?

i suspect, if "loaded properly" the map will also load the assets like peoples, enemies. Assuming the assets also still left on the game disc.

Mafia 2 is similar to this case

[Helsionium]

@moreuse No cheat code or debug menu is currently known. Various ways of loading the map have been tried, and the map data itself was analyzed. The conclusion was reached that there are no more assets in the map than those shown here. This is not surprising, considering the map is only used in a cutscene, and that parts of the map are unfinished.

[GenSeirinKokoro]

A very beautiful map, I would have enjoyed to walk all around just to enjoy the scenery and background of the place, it's sad it didn't make its way to the final version of the game. I think it's fine to have some freely explorable places that don't really serve a purpose, or offer additionnal content to the adventurous players (like FFXII's whole region of Nabudis). There's a lot of different settings, from vast cliffs to small woods, rivers and caves, and even towns. Impressive.

[Zentai88]

I see so much effort in this game, it looks beautifull, but looks are not everything of course... I feel sorry they didn't made such huge game on PS3 with the possible capacity of bluray discs... This makes me willing to buy wii... Reminds me FF12 which I loved so much... Such game can be born only in Japan and it sure have soul, not much games have that... :3

[cordia96]

03:05 "Daaaaancingqueeeeen"

[norfair2]

LOL

[TheUniverseExists]

This is a whole game map in itself. What percentage of the Xenoblade's world would this map be if it was included in the game?

[Helsionium]

@TheUniverseExists About 5-10%. There are about 20 maps in total, but not all are this large. This map is one of the largest in the game. There are 4-5 maps that I believe are slightly larger, though.

[reservoirdog1]

This game looks amazing!

[ronnon100]

is there a soundtrack in this part of the map?

[Helsionium]

@ronnon100 No, any music already playing will countinue to play indefinitely in this map. It won't change at daybreak or nightfall either.

[syntaxerrorization]

The amount of explorable areas in this game must be HUGE, it would take forever to run through every area on normal speed.

[laaakokaracha]

nice work! im sure u will get 10k hits on this video ones it gets released...the game offers soo much , I believe youtube will be full with walkthroughs etc. soon

[KujaNiv100]

Helsionium, maybe you should try to use a high moonjump or a fly cheat to take a look to unattainable places ;)

[GDorofu]

This, 15 minute video exploring a map at an accelerated pace, was CUT from the game? Holy crap! How much is actually IN the game?

[weijay21]

Might have spoilers below

I'm guessing the town is somehow related to the giant's tribe...since there was a cutscene of Egiru and Agares(I played the Japanese version, so I don't know what's their western name) having a chat on Kyoshin's shoulder

Too bad they didn't include this part in the final version, I recalled that in the developer's interview, they liked this part, and they even have an artwork of it...(which was one of the cadidates for the european cover)

[Helsionium]

This video is not the place for console wars / graphics discussions. The Wii is vastly inferior to PS3 and 360 in terms of graphics capabilities. Everyone knows and accepts that. This game is, however, beautiful in terms of art direction and, for the Wii, also technically rather impressive. For me, art direction is more important than pure resolution or polygon count. And I'm sure that's what highlander5523 also meant.

[highlander5523]

@TheMadDogClan

1st off i hate 1st person anything, i think it's stupid and unnecessary, unless u cant move and do and attack, 2nd uncharted is OVERRATED (in my opinion), i got it with my ps3, it wasnt bad but it wasn't amazing because to me it was boring, the entire game was the same thing over and over again and it dragged on, the MP was ok though, but 3 is worse because they didn't even try to make it different, and idc for mgs because that don't shut up

but wiiu looks amazing

[highlander5523]

it looks better then most 360 and ps3 games ive played

[AltairEgo1]

@highlander5523

I have to agree with you on that. Monolith Soft is a wizard. That's the only explanation for this.

[PrincessAsh1ey]

Beautiful map, thanks for sharing that :) This games maps are really really big... I can't wait to explore them for my selff :D

[SorikuXIII]

Too bad this didn't make it in the game. They should've at least polished it up and made it as a secret field.

[chadboban]

I know that there could be many reasons why this isn't in the game, but they should at least give us the option to explore it for ourselves without the need for patches. Damn it's so beautiful!!!