Playing it in Reverse.
is a Xenoblade Chronicles 1 fanfiction by MachineryField. It is a what if fic where Egil got the help he needed before it was too late, stopping him from creating the Faces as he did in canon, as well as a few other things. It follows Egil and his journey to defeat Zanza, along with other secondary characters in the game.
Expect unmarked spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles.
This fanfic contains examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: Most of the secondary characters in the party get this upgrade, save Tyrea and Egil who were bosses in the original game.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: The Machina and Mechonis's way of life appear from the very start of the story, rather than appearing late game.
- Adapted Out: No Faces, no war with the Bionis, and no Hidden Village on the Fallen Arm.
- Adaptational Wimp: Most of the canon party go through this, save Shulk. Hits Fiora the hardest, as instead of becoming the vessel of Meyneth in a mechanical body, she is comatose the duration of the story.
- Ascended Extra: The entire party, besides arguably Egil who already played a major role in the game.
- Author Appeal: This fic exists because the author thinks the Machina are neat.
- Body Surf: Meyneth inhabits Egil in this story, giving him a Monado.
- Cast Full of Gay: There is not a single straight person in the party. Not even Oka!
- Everyone Can See It: Multiple characters will tease or point out the budding relationship between Egil and Alvis.
- Foil: As in canon, Egil and Shulk are foils.
- Freak Out: Shulk has one these when the party catches up to him in Colony 9.
- In Spite of a Nail:
- Despite all the changes to the story,Sorean still dies, but at the hands of Shulk.
- Zanza is still the Big Bad.
- Interspecies Romance: A Machina and supercomputer is the main pairing of the fic.
- Role Swap AU: Rather than Shulk going on a journey to defeat the Mechon, it's the other way around, with Egil trying to defend his home from the Homs.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Egil being the protagonist doesn't die, Gadolt never becomes a Face or dies, and Kallian simply becomes half-Telethia, instead of fully losing himself to the transformation.
