Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the third main game in the Xenoblade series. The story is completely self-contained and does not require any knowledge of the previous games. However, there are plenty of callbacks and references to previous titles. Not only is the story of the game accessible to newcomers, but it will reward veterans for their knowledge of the lore.
What’s more, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has one of the most emotional and highly touching RPG stories this year. There are also many side quests to sink your time into, which add to the large world building of the game. The combat is exhilarating as well, which makes the game an even more worthwhile experience. Read on for the full Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review: Specifications
a program: Nintendo Switch
price: $60
Release date: 29 July 2022
Type: RPG
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review: Story and Characters
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 takes place in a world called Aionios. The game follows two nations, Keves and Agnus, as they fight a never-ending war. Noah, Lanz, and Oni of Kevis meet, along with Mio, Taeyeon, and Cena of Agnus during a chance encounter on the battlefield. Forced to work together to defeat a new threat, the warriors discover that both Keves and Agnus have turned against them.
From there, they travel to a new city called Swordmarch – aptly named, as it has a huge sword that pierces right through its center. There, the party hopes to find salvation and learn more about their new enemy.
The game’s story has many anti-war themes, including the use of child soldiers and how to deal with prisoners of war. Additionally, the narrative touches on ideas of forgiveness and regret, as it explores how certain characters might emerge if they chose different paths. The game delves into these themes in both its main narrative and side quests.
While Xenoblade Chronicles 3 does not have any relationship or sim elements, which you might see in a series like Persona, the game develops its main cast of characters throughout the entire story. Players can also learn more about the backstory of each character by completing side quests. Even if you don’t complete the side quests, though, the core cast is fully developed by the time the story ends. Additional missions are just the icing on the cake.
The game has a lot of twists and turns, and my eyes are glued to the screen wondering what will happen next. While some story developments are predictable, those that aren’t badly damaged, provide plenty of emotional payoff. It is a great adventure from start to finish, and one full of surprises.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review: Gameplay and Battle System
Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s battle system plays similar to the online multiplayer RPG, with the characters auto-attack. Players also have the freedom to move around and choose skills to activate during battle. There is a chapter system in play, similar to Final Fantasy. Characters can be switched between different classes such as Swordfighter, War Medic, and Defender to learn a variety of different skills. Since some skills are transferred between classes, mixing and matching different skills can be fun.
There is more customization when it comes to gear. You can equip different types of gems and accessories to enhance your stats and abilities. For example, you can give a character an additional 20% attack power, or increase your aggression meter, which will draw the enemy’s attention away from your teammate and onto yourself. As your characters level up, you’ll unlock additional slots to equip more items. Progress here feels good and steady.
The main problem with the game’s combat is that it can be difficult to know where your characters are in the midst of all the chaos of battle. Battles can become a visual mess due to the cluttering of the game’s user interface. You have to track the health of your characters, cooldown of your skills, chain attack meter and your Interlink meter. All this sometimes.
Despite this, the real-time nature of the combat makes the game exhilarating, especially considering that you can supervise six main characters simultaneously. Surprisingly, I didn’t have any performance issues during battles, even with all the attacks flying off the screen.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Worldbuilding Review
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 features a large, open world filled with creatures and robots. The landscape is vast, and there are many attractions to discover and biomes to explore. You have luscious grasslands, beautiful snowfields and smoldering deserts. One of the best features in the game is the search road sign. It is a red line that shows you the path to your next goal, and even shows you the terrain. Never get lost again.
The game also does an incredible job with worldbuilding through side quests. Each task has a degree of storytelling and reflection on it. Even simple fetch missions have background stories, so completing them is well worth it.
The most important side missions in the game are the hero missions. These include important side characters who, although not an integral part of the main plot, play some sort of important role in the main character’s back story. Completing the Hero mission not only allows a side character to join as a member of the seventh party in battle, but also unlocks a new class for the main cast.
Veteran composer Yasunori Mitsuda returns to the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 series. The franchise’s music has always been excellent, and this entry is no exception. The flute plays an important role in the game’s story, with Noah and Mio as moderators, playing tunes on the instrument to drive out the fallen soldiers in battle.
One of the battle theme includes the flute, which is a nice touch. Small details like these help elevate the entire game experience. Exciting guitars from previous games return as well, providing your ears with some exciting and heart-pounding music.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Judgment Review
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the best JRPG of 2022, at least so far, and one of the best games of the year. It’s a buffet, with the main story easily lasting about 40 hours. Add the side content, and you’ll likely sink over 100 hours into this game.
It’s hard to imagine any other game this year topping the massive scope of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The world of Aionios is vast, rich, and beautiful. The amazing story alone makes Xenoblade Chronicles 3 a worthwhile purchase, but the enjoyable gameplay and lovable characters make the game an unforgettable experience.
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