I've never really got the Xenoblade bug.

I'm thinking I maybe ought to finish the first game just to make sure I don't like it.

My impression is that it feels too dumbed down, both narratively and gameplay-wise. I'm anxious about investing 20 hours in this game only to conclude that it is really silly, that I never got anything from it.

When I play an RPG I generally want some kind of food for the brain, even if it is fast food. That could be new narrative ideas that it introduces, it could be a stimulating tactical gameplay, it could be the character development and lore. Xenoblade seems fairly vacant on all these counts and I'm left with the impression that I'd be better served finding a less hyped but more nourishing game in the archives.