Time to jump back in, guys – it’s that time again. You know what I’m talking about; Xenob time! That one JRPG seems to convince even the biggest non-weeb (as they like to call it) to play. And not just this entry, but the other two games as well. As of the writing of this review, I’m still working my way through the first one on the Nintendo Switch. I originally picked it up on the 3DS, but the Switch version plays much better. However, I know the context of the second game – so I started with much confidence on the third entry. And boy did it reward me with something – let’s dive in.
XenobladeChronicless 3
Oke, so for those new to the series (which is fine! You can go ahead and play the third installment without worries), a quick recap of what Xenoblades is:
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released on July 29, 2022, it is a part of the open-world Xenoblade Chronicles franchise, itself a part of the larger Xeno metaseries. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 depicts the respective futures of the worlds featured in Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. If you want a more in-depth recap of the stories behind the series, I can recommend this one: The Story of Xenoblade Chronicles: A Full Recap | Goomba Stomp.
So, why is Xenoblades such a big deal? Well, mainly because the games are good. It’s not your typical JRPG; no, it isn’t on a Persona level either. But the combination of great storytelling, grinding and collecting, mecha-elements, and very touching personal stories, creates a great game. The first and second entries are pretty hard to get into – because you’ll spend the first few hours learning the mechanics and the ropes. And it wouldn’t be a JRPG if there weren’t many different mechanics, options, and things to tweak. But before we get ahead of ourselves.. let’s zoom in on the third installment a bit.
What’s a Xenoblade?
Like its predecessors, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an action role-playing game with a large open world to explore. However, unlike previous Xenoblade series entries, which limited the number of active party members to three, the game allows up to seven party members to participate in battles at once, including the main party of six and one of several different characters that appear throughout the story. Party members can also change their character class, granting them access to different abilities. I enjoyed this system since you become a much more versatile fighting squad this way (and you’ll learn the ropes much quicker). Another new feature is the next. Under certain conditions, specific pairs of party members—Noah and Mio; Lanz and Sena; and Eunie and Taion—can utilize the Interlink system to combine into an Ouroboros, a larger form with more powerful moves.
Story – Xeno-Cinema
Storywise you can play the games without playing the first and second entries, but it’s more wholesome. But what is it about then? After the events of Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017), Xenoblade Chronicles 3 takes place in Aionios, the mechanically proficient nation of Keves and the ether-oriented nation of Agnus are at constant war with one another. Engineered soldiers fight the wars with artificially limited lifespans of ten years (referred to as terms), all ten of which are spent on fighting. Among both forces are “off-seers,” soldiers who play unique flutes in rituals to harness the life force of soldiers who fall on the battlefield. The game features six main characters, including two protagonists: Noah, a Kevesi off-seer accompanied by his childhood friends Lanz and Eunie, and Mio, an Agnian off-seer accompanied by fellow servicemen Taion and Sena.
The story takes you through a wild ride and feels like a dopamine rush. You want to continue to find out what happens next. The story is accompanied by many flashbacks and background stories (told through quests and discussions) and offers a grand narrative that can stand toe to toe with the older entries. My main problem with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the number of sidequests. It keeps me distracted from completing the main story – and how am I going to finish the main story without finding all the stones from the traveling merchants I want to hug… Damnit Nintendo!
Battle System
Let’s talk about the battle system since it’s what Xenoblade sets apart from a few of it’s genre-competitors. Like previous games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, the battle system occurs in real-time. However, unlike past entries, players have the ability to swap between characters in the middle of combat. All of the party members automatically attack with their weapons once in range. In addition, party members use abilities called Arts. Some Arts may deal bonus damage or inflict a status ailment, depending on a character’s position in relation to the enemy. As a character continuously uses Arts, they will eventually be able to unlock a Talent Art.
Talent Arts from different classes are unique—some will grant a large chunk of bonus damage to a dazed enemy, and others will summon a circular field that gradually regenerates HP to anyone inside the field. In addition to Arts, the Break—Topple—Daze combo temporarily stuns enemies in combat. To help you with this feature, you can opt for two helpful (but a bit overwhelming options). First, every tutorial the player receives is archived under the Tips section in the options menu. The Training Drills feature allows people to redo any combat tutorial to ensure they understand a specific mechanic. I highly recommend you play through these; it will help you tackle the more challenging entries and battles you will have to fight later in-game.
Another neat feature about these arts is the Hero arts you can unlock. Xenoblade features a lot of exceptional characters that will temporarily join your team and whose classes you can master at your leisure. These Hero classes are in the same ‘range’ as the classes your team plays but differ in subtle elements and take your tactics to a new level. I loved the more saber style of one Hero, but I can’t wait to see what the DLC wave two will bring to the field. And yes – Chain Attacks are also back, but I can’t cover every little feature in this review, so shoo – find out yourself.
Video & World
I complain a lot about the worlds in the triple-A games nowadays. I still think Breath of the Wilds worth is bland and empty. So how does Xenoblade 3’s world stand against the feeling of desolation? The world is big and gorgeous, which is fantastically captured in the cinematic flair in every cutscene. Whether it’s the choice of camera angle, the delicate use of flashbacks, or the sweeping score rising behind a moment of heartbreak. Not only is the subject matter darker, but the way it’s shown is also markedly better than anything that has come before it. It brings style by the bucketload.
Some shots follow an object as it flies through the air, a gun falling out of a dead soldier’s hand, the close-up eyes of a sinister villain, or the faraway cries of a fallen comrade. The camera can spin, whirl, and loop with a sense of purpose in every cutscene. Xenoblade has always had a cinematic flair in its presentation, but this is something else entirely. Every moment is put together so carefully.
And even when walking about in the world, animals eat each other, followed by remnants of a battle from the past or a natural disaster that shaped the world. Moments later, I’m walking through a forest, climbing a mountain towards a hidden colony filled with hazards around the corner to make my journey hard. No blood moons are needed to keep things interesting. Enemies are available in large numbers and have plenty of options to keep you entertained at all levels.
Jukebox & Framerates
But the soundtrack, too, takes a step forward for the series. Not only is the heartwrenching piano and driving guitar that Yasunori Mitsuda excels at as good as ever here, but new elements are adding to a darker, more dystopian tone. From the outset, bubbling synths drive alongside fast-paced drum beats, like a hyperactive Bladerunner soundtrack, adding to this game’s overall feeling of sci-fi. Sure, Xenoblade Chronicles X has that, but the other two mainline games feel much more like fantasy lands rather than the far-flung dystopian future. (This isn’t just a tonal change, it feels deliberate for story reasons, reasons best left unsaid for now). Luckily, all this presentation is supported by solid performance. I had no issues with the framerate, and the resolution in docked mode is excellently detailed. It’s less impressive in handheld but still looks better than it has any right to, considering the vast expanses of land, numerous creatures, and distant obelisks on screen.
Conclusion
For the fans of the genre, this is a no-brainer. You have to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – but you will be either way. You probably just checked this review to ensure it’s not bashing our game purposes, aren’t you? Well, I’m not. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 once again proves that Nintendo (and Monolith) can publish great triple-A games like the other ‘big studios.’ Yes, it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but it offers excellent, paced storytelling, layered gameplay elements, and a challenging battle system that does not hold your hand all the time (it can, but you have to choose to do so). Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a genre in itself, and proud of it. It is what it is without a hint of doubt. It’s the perfect example of how to make the third installment in a series that has a love/hate relationship with so many., It takes the series by the hand and turns it up louder, down darker. It does what it wants and rocks it. I can’t wait to dive into even more profound. Thanks for standing by my rambling – see you on the other side.
