Recently I wrote out a Dream Smasher article for the two stars of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Rex & Pyra. While the possibility of a new Xenoblade character is up in the air, a new stage is almost a guarantee, unless Shulk gets cut for some reason. Depending on when development on the next Smash started, this could be from Xenoblade Chronicles X or 2, but if we assume Rex & Pyra will be the fighters chosen, it makes sense the stage also comes from their game as well. Having played through the game and taking into account the design of the previous Xenoblade Chronicles stage, Guar Plains, I have decided that the most likely locale for representation is the capital city of Gormott: Torigoth.
Torigoth
Guar Plains is one of the most well-known locations of the first Xenoblade Chronicles game and many fans accurately predicted it would be chosen for Super Smash Bros. for. The big, open and expansive world of the Xenoblade series is perfectly captured in that area, and the province of Gormott is the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 equivalent. One issue many fans had when thinking of how Guar Plains would be translated into Smash is how opponents could be knocked off the arena. Smash For addressed this issue by making the Guar Plains stage based on the cliffs and overhead paths found in the field. Gormott has some areas that could fit that same idea with the large tree roots and waterfall, but the city of Torigoth actually has a perfect area in its center for Smash.
The poorer residential area of Torigoth is in a horseshoe shape with houses on either side, ports at the bottom and is overlooked by the house of the town’s mayor. There are bridges that connect both sides and in the center below is the cloud sea. This area works for Smash due to the bottomless pit in the center and the protruding docks on either sides that acts as platforms. The arena itself will take place on the bridges towards the front of this district, with the two large towers and big water wheels on either side.
| Game | Xenoblade Chronicles 2 |
| Series | Xenoblade Chronicles |
| Home to | Rex & Pyra |
| Stage Size | Large |
| Blast Zones | Comparable to Isle Delfino. |
Torigoth is made up of four layers that players can fight on, each one slightly varying in layout. Starting from the top we have a long and flat bridge. This has two little rooms on either side that players can walk through or jump on top of and a drop on the furthest sides. There’s a little platform below on both sides so that opponents who fall down have a little bit of a chance to survive but it is small.
The next layer is made up of two platforms that come out of either side but don’t meet in the middle. These can act as platforms to help jumping up from the bottom layer to the top layer and help players survive this levels main hazard.
The third layer is another long and flat bridge, but with a twist: after a certain amount of time the blade Brighid will walk in from one of the sides and perform a long range flame attack. The attack will send a long string of blue fire across the bridge that will damage players and eventually cause the bridge itself to break. Eventually the bridge will be replaced by Poppi. She will fly in with a new bridge using her boosters and drop it in place. Both of these happen in intervals of 40 seconds in order to keep the stage shifting and so the changes will come into play at least once in an average two minute match.
Below the bridge we have the cloud sea layer. The cloud sea in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 just acts like regular water, and that is the case here as well: players can swim in it and will drown after a while. Above the water there are two boats that are floating and occasionally sway from left to right. One function of the cloud sea in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is that it can change height and the same thing happens here. Every 30 seconds the cloud sea will change height. When it’s up it can be swam in but when it goes down it acts like a bottomless pit and will KO anyone who falls into it. When the cloud sea is down the two ship platforms disappear along with it. Combine this with the possibility that the bridge above could be on fire or gone, and you can imagine a scramble to get on the top platform.
The day cycles through a day and night system like with Guar Plain, which changes every minute. You can also see some Gormotti and Nopon walking in the background, and maybe even a cameo from Morag instead of Brighid (or maybe even both at once?).
The omega version of this stage is just the top bridge with the two little huts removed and loss of the ability to fall through the main platform, indicated by making it thicker. It’s not a floating Omega stage but an island one (think Mario Circuit Brawl).
And that is it for this stage. Its large but simple design could allow for a lot of tactics thanks to the changing sea and potential bridge. There are not hazards that can cause instant death or high damage, though the fire that destroys the bridge does hurt. Players will need to decide if they risk standing at the top where they can be knocked off the sides and top easily or if they go down below where they can take lots of damage but need to be aware of the stages hazards.
Let me know what you think of this stage and if you have any other ideas for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 arenas then let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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