Colony 9 (Xenoblade 1)
An Appetizer For The Journey Ahead
Overview:
The world of Xenoblade Chronicles is set on the corpses of two titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis. Colony 9 serves as the opening area for the game, being the place where many important events that set the story in motion occur. This area is home to Colony 9 itself, the hometown of the main protagonist, Shulk. I won’t be talking about the colony itself, but rather the area surrounding it with the same name. Though it’ll still be mentioned, I feel putting the surrounding area and the whole colony both into one article won’t do them justice. When I write about the colony, I’ll be sure to update this article to include a link to that.
Geography:
Being located on the kneecap of the Bionis, Colony 9 has a closed in, bowl shaped structure, giving the player a taste of the game’s story, world, and gameplay. The landscapes are very rocky, with an almost mountainous feel to them. The whole region is almost like an island, being surrounded by a giant lake, mirroring how the Bionis and Mechonis itself are surrounded by a seemingly endless ocean. Beaches are scattered along the edges of land-masses, fueling an almost summer-like wonder. There is a mix of open and linear areas, as well as a mix of vertical and horizontal locations, providing glimpses of the many unique regions to be seen throughout the adventure.
Climate & Wildlife:
The way climate works in Xenoblade Chronicles is quite different from the real world. The sun is in a fixed position, making every region have one constant climate. With the sun always beating down and its location lower on the Bionis, it would make sense that Colony 9 would have heats similar to a summer in the upper United States; not quite warm, but not quite cool either.
Colony 9 introduces the player to many of the fictional species that’ll show up throughout the game, with all of the species introduced being closely inspired by real animals. This makes the introduction of more fictional species later on not feel as sudden, as even these species have some fictional aspects.
These species include:
Bunnits
Skeeters
Caterpiles
Krabbles
Flamiis
Armus
Piranhaxes
Brogs
Antols
Vangs
Music:
*Tracks included - “Colony 9” composed by Yoko Shimomura and “Colony 9 (Night)” composed by Yoko Shimomura and ACE+ (Tomori Kudo, Hiroyo "CHiCO" Yamanaka, Kenji Hiramatsu)*
The track "Colony 9" helps give off all the summer-like vibes described before, and with Yoko Shimomura composing the tracks for this area, the feelings of nostalgia many of Shimomura's compositions have is present here too. Uses of acoustic guitars, strings, and flutes help give off the feeling of summer. The sounds of melody on strings represent the sun as it beats down on you, while the flutes' melody represents the cool breeze that keep the heat bearable. All instruments used help show the Bionis' themes of nature, as contrast to the Mechonis' themes of technology. Once nighttime hits, “Colony 9 (Night)” begins. The beating sun of the strings subside, and all remains is the guitar and the woodwinds as the cool breezes takes over. The piano that was only somewhat present at daytime is now given room to breath as it takes the spotlight every now and then. Synths also join the fray, reminding the player that while this is a natural-like area, the idea of living on the body of a dead titan is still very foreign, and is futuristic within itself.
Theses tracks were also remade for Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and the overall effects of both the day and night tracks remain the same.
Conclusion & Thanks:
Colony 9 is honestly an amazing starting area. It introduces all the things it needs to start people on their journey through the incredible story of Xenoblade Chronicles.
I’d like to thank the Xenoblade Wiki team, as I used the wiki to double check my species list, and also Max Galactica for uploading the rips of the soundtrack I linked to.