An Obstacle in Our Path

An Obstacle in Our Path is Disc 3, Track 11 on the Xenoblade Original Soundtrack. It is the usual boss battle theme, playing in the following scripted fights (often including the cutscenes immediately prior):


 * The Mechon in the prologue, during the Battle of Sword Valley.
 * The in front of Dunban's House.
 * The Mechon in the Central Plaza after Dunban joins the party.
 * in Colony 9. (The track plays for the entirety of phase 1; in phase 2, it plays after Engage the Enemy finishes playing.)
 * The in Tephra Cave.
 * The on the Bionis' Leg.
 * The in Spiral Valley (both phases).
 * Mysterious Face in Spiral Valley.
 * The Mechon in the Storage Depot of the Ether Mine when the party assists Otharon.
 * Xord in the Ether Mine's Central Pit.
 * Xord on the Ether Mine's Freight Elevator.
 * The Mechon outside the Ether Mine when Dunban rejoins the party. (The track plays after Unfinished Business finishes playing.)
 * The Satorl Guardian in Satorl Marsh.
 * The Puera Telethia in Makna Forest.
 * The in Makna Forest. (The track plays for the entirety of phase 1; in phase 2, it plays after Engage the Enemy finishes playing.)
 * The Bionite Order assassins in Whitewing Palace.
 * The and  in the High Entia Tomb.
 * and the Solidum Telethia in the High Entia Tomb.
 * The Skyray on Central Seal Island.
 * on Valak Mountain.
 * in Sword Valley.
 * and the accompanying Mechon in the Face Maintenance Bay.
 * Gold Face in Galahad Fortress.
 * The M54 Slayer Units and M83 Predator Unit on the Fallen Arm.
 * The and  on the Fallen Arm.
 * at the top of Mechonis Field.
 * in Agniratha (for the first phase of the battle).
 * in Agniratha (for the first phase of the battle).
 * The in the Central Factory.
 * in Mechonis Core (until the Story Quest Save Bionis is completed, after which Visions of the Future plays).
 * The on Junks.
 * The Inja Telethia and Sero Telethia outside Colony 6.
 * The Sani Telethia outside Colony 6.
 * Disciple Lorithia in the Bionis' Interior.
 * The Obelis Obart, Demon Pavlovsk, and the Master Obart in.
 * Dragon King Alcar in.
 * on (for the first phase of the battle).
 * The Mysterious Telethia in Makna Forest during the sidequest Melancholy Tyrea.

It also plays in the following cutscenes:
 * The appears in the High Entia Tomb.
 * The Mechonis starts to move and Kallian orders the retreat from Sword Valley. (Curiously, in the Definitive Edition, the original version of this track plays in this cutscene even if the option to play the rearranged tracks is selected.)

In Super Smash Bros.
An Obstacle in our Path is one of the music tracks in both and, available on the  and (in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) the  stages.

An Obstacle in Our Path (Definitive Edition)
An Obstacle in Our Path is Track 5 on the Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Sound Selection. It is a rerecording of the original with altered balance, mixing, and orchestration. The entire piece is also played a semitone above the original. Unlike the original's ending fadeout, this version has a clear ending (only heard on the Sound Selection).

It mostly plays in the same situations as the original, with the exception of the cutscene where the Mechonis starts to move. In addition, it also plays in the boss fight against the in the High Entia Tomb (for which Time to Fight! played in the original); the music continues from the cutscene prior, possibly indicating that the fight was originally intended to use this music.