Xenoblade Chronicles first released on Wii and was later ported to the New Nintendo 3DS family. Years later, the game arrives on Nintendo Switch in its Definitive Edition. Needless to say, the fanbase of Xenoblade Chronicles is huge and we don’t blame them. It’s one of the biggest and most thrilling JRPGs out there and now we can finally enjoy it in the best way possible. Not only does it look better, this Definitive Edition also adds a completely new story to the tremendous amount of content already there.
What is Xenoblade Chronicles?
Xenoblade Chronicles is developed by Monolith Soft, the team that brought us Xenogears (PlayStation), Xenosaga (PlayStation 2), and Baiten Kaitos (Gamecube). They know what they are talking about when it comes to the JRPG genre and really understand the combination of an emotional story with open-world exploration and innovating combat. Xenoblade Chronicles was supposed to be a masterpiece in the genre and it really reached that level. When you first play Xenoblade Chronicles you’ll see that the design philosophy is pretty old-school, resembling games from the PlayStation/GameCube era. It really feels like an old-school JRPG if you take a look at the characters, the environments, narrative, and the pursuit to innovate the genre.
The innovation comes in the form of the battle system, it’s truly unlike anything else out there. If you see it in screenshots or gameplay videos, it’s hard to understand what’s going on. Unlike traditional RPGs where you attack in turn, you attack in realtime, with a twist. If you engage the enemy by locking on to it, you’ll enter the combat mechanic. In here you’ll have to select a so-called art, which is the game’s special attack. While selecting these, you can move freely in combat and that’s crucial to master. The effectiveness of your attacks often depends on where you and the enemy are positioned; for example, some attacks are better when performed from behind. Thanks to this interactive battle mechanic, it never gets boring and it’s something completely different from what you’re used to. But don’t be mistaken, although the combat might seem fast and rather straightforward, it goes pretty deep. The longest a battle might take is around five to seven minutes for unique monsters or bosses, and it really includes a lot of different attacks and mechanics to master. Xenoblade Chronicles is a game you’ll spend hours in before you’re actually good at it and this didn’t change at all in this new Nintendo Switch version.
An emotional adventure
Of course, a good JRPG is more than just its mechanics, the story is pretty crucial for success as well. The original story and setting of the game are truly unique. This adventure takes place on a lifeless body of a titan god called the Bionis; who died in combat against its enemy, the Mechonis. This really makes up for one of the most unique worlds out there since you’re literally walking on a dead ancient god. At almost any time, you can see the Mechonis staring at you as you travel to several places on top of the titan. While the game is technically linear the environment is absolutely ginormous. Everything you see in the world can be reached, although it might take some time to actually reach the place. The original story and scale aren’t changed in this Definitive Edition and that’s nothing to be sad about. Without spoiling it too much for the newcomers, this is one of the better, if not best, modern JRPG stories set in one of the most breathtaking virtual worlds you’ll ever encounter.
The Nintendo Switch version
Since this is the Nintendo Switch version of the game, it’s important to see how well it runs on the system. For the preview, I focussed on performance in handheld mode and I must say, I’m really impressed. It’s not the first time this game is playable in the palm of your hands but it does look a lot better than the New Nintendo 3DS version. The biggest change is the character models which are a lot more anime/cartoony compared to their realistic visuals in the original. It’s a style that fits the atmosphere a lot better in my opinion since the characters showcase a lot more emotion than ever before. Besides this improvement, the game just looks stunning in handheld mode, as this video will demonstrate:
As you can see, there aren’t any noticeable performance issues and everything runs extremely smoothly. From exploring the environment to battling your enemies, it all looks stellar in handheld mode. The only little downside in this mode is the soft blur over the characters while running around in the world. This disappears in docked mode but the more you play in handheld mode, the more you’ll get used to it. That being said, it’s pretty amazing to see how well a game of this scale runs in handheld mode, especially when you can easily compare it to the New Nintendo 3DS version, this one is far superior for sure.
So what’s new?
Of course, improved visuals and redesigned characters wouldn’t justify a full price tag of a Definitive Edition. This version also comes with a lot of new things, which we’ll discuss more deeply in the final review. For the sake of this preview article, I did spend a couple of hours in the extra story ‘Future Connected’ and I’m pretty excited about what I played. Future Connected is an epilogue that’s set one year after the main story and it’s playable from the start for those who already finished the original story before.
In Future Connected, the world is finally at peace, with races working together and the restoration of the world well underway. You’ll follow the adventure of Shulk who’s suggesting Melia to reach the capital of her people, the imperial city of Alcamoth. You take control over Melia in this adventure that’s set on the Bionis shoulder, located near Alcamoth. During this rather lengthy new adventure, you’ll meet new interesting characters and you’ll have to master new techniques in order to survive. I won’t spoil it for you but this really feels like an entirely new entry in the franchise rather than ‘just’ an epilogue. It’s fanservice pur sang and I’m pretty sure a lot of fans will adore this extra story right from the start. On top of the extra story, there are still plenty of additions I didn’t discuss, that’s information for the full review later on.
Early conclusion:
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a massive game offering hours of gameplay to keep you entertained. As far as I can tell right now, this certainly is the Definitive Edition, making everything better and even including a brand-new story to discover. It runs extremely smoothly on the Nintendo Switch and I can’t wait to jump back in to discover all its secrets. If you’re into RPGs, this is one you’ll definitely have to add to your list, it’s by far the biggest and most thrilling in its genre.
