X8 has my favorite X story. I think X games as a whole have really weak stories. And x8 still fails as a story due to being the only X game with a sequel bait. Because why do it in the first 7 games? Clearly the 8th game is the PERFECT time to sequel-bait!
That aside, X8 incorporates a cultural aspect of Japanese storytelling I truly admire. The west have their hero’s journey and three ace strtcture, those are fine, but I really like Japan’s non linear template a bit more. I should note however a format isn’t inherently good, execution matters and I believe X8 incorporates it fairly well.
X8’s mavericks dialogues are the best due to being so dynamic. Now one silly bit of narrative here is how x8 is trying to sound mature by saying it’s the first game where mavericks go rogue of their own volition, which is later proven to be both wrong and completely meaningless since X games’ concept of free will is already finnicky (let’s not forget that there’s not only an afterlife, but reviving reploids is illegal. Robot murder and robot boobs are a very serious thing here. These games are dumb).
But what’s cool is how dynamic these scenes are. They change based on your progression and how early or late you fight the mavericks.
If you fight them early, they make oblivious remarks and are obviously lying.
But if you fight them late, they fess up and admit everything. But here’s the kicker, they don’t admit it in an “aha! Liar liar pants on fire!” There’s no feeling of victory. Because the way they admit it is incredibly creepy. Almost like they’re part of a cult.
/j