Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3
"The roads...they go on without end. So look up, face toward your chosen horizon, and just...walk on." — Noah
Protagonist(s): Noah (Kevesi) Mio (Agnian) Matthew Vandham (Future Redeemed) Genre(s): Action role-playing Platform(s): Nintendo Switch Release Date: July 29, 2022 Developer(s): Monolith Soft Publisher(s): Nintendo Country: Japan Series: Xenoblade Predecessor: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Successor: Xenoblade Chronicles X (chronologically)

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was originally slated for a September 2022 release, but was pushed back to July 29, 2022, and concludes the narrative set by the first game.

A prequel story, Future Redeemed, was released on April 26, 2023, and serves as a bridge for all three Xenoblade Chronicles games. The story takes place centuries before the base game, and features the Founders, Shulk, Rex, and a mysterious entity known as A fighting off against Ontos (who has dubbed himself Alpha).

Why We Think It's the MVP

1. This game's story explores the futures of the denizens of the Bionis and Alrest, whose worlds have been artificially fused into Aionios by Z (the main antagonist; pronounced "zed") and are forced to constantly be at war with each other by order of the Möebius (known as the "Eternal Now").
2. Amazingly beautiful graphics that are a step up from the previous two games, with many rich environments that resemble combinations of locations from the previous two games.
3. The gameplay, particularly the combat system, has been improved over the previous two games, acting as a combination of its predecessors while modifying the dated aspects from the first game and the controversial ones from the second game.
   • Whenever you encounter a group of enemies, you will automatically lock onto the nearest target without the need to press any buttons.
   • Unlike previous games, you can swap between any of the six main characters (who are all active on the field at once).
   • Just like in XC2, Arts are activated by pressing one of the face buttons, and more can be unlocked as you gain CP and level your Class up. Moreover, the two different types of Arts have different recharge rates: Kevesi Arts recharge over time, while Agnian Arts recharge when you Auto-Attack.
     • In addition to the Break-Topple-Launch-Smash system from XC2, the Break-Topple-Daze system from XC1 becomes the Break-Topple-Daze-Burst system so that it's up to par with its Agnian counterpart.
   • The game replaces the Blade Resonance system from XC2 with a Class System when you obtain Heroes, and you can level them up to learn new Arts and Skills with the CP you gain after battles. Blade Skills are also replaced with Field Skills, which are learned through story/side quest progression rather than leveling up Blades.
   • The way Chain Attacks are executed in this game is quite unique: when executed, you issue Orders to the seven characters that have various effects (such as returning Orders back to the grid, doubling the TP (Tactical Points) you gain via attacking, and capping your completion bonus to 99% so you can get a higher percentage and possibly a reactivation of up to three Orders).
     • Once you activate the Orders of a specific pair of Ouroboros characters, you can execute an Ouroboros Art that will deal heavy damage and often finish the Chain Attack.
4. As usual, the game features many well-written and likable characters, including:
   • Noah and Mio, the game's protagonists, are a tragic duo of characters whose lives span many Terms (life cycles) and are actually the current forms of their Moebius selves (Consuls N and M, respectively).
   • Lanz is a hilarious comic relief character (similarly to Reyn) who dishes out many funny one-liners throughou the game, but also can't look away when his team is in danger.
   • Eunie is the most uncouth member of the group who is quick to
   • Taion is the brains of the group who is initially untrusting of Noah's team, but becomes more trusting and friendly as the series progresses. His interactions with Isurd and Nimue
   • Sena is the youngest and least mature of the group, but starts to be more serious as the game progresses, especially during her Hero Quest with No.7/Segiri.
   • Riku and Manana are a Nopon duo who serve as the basis for the Yumsmith class and act as guides for the group. The former is also the seventh Noponsmith and one of the seven Founders of the City.
   • Many of the Heroes, particularly Isurd, Teach, Ethel, Grey, etc., have tragic backstories and are often used in order to destroy the Flame Clocks in their Colonies. Their Classes are also fun to use and level up.
   • Z is a cool yet intimidating main antagonist, being the one responsible for the Eternal Now seen throughout the game and the forced fusion of Aionios.
   • The Founders (Matthew Vandham, Na'el Doyle, Nikol Ortiz, Glimmer Rhodes, Panacea Reid, and Linka Cassini) are inspiring historical figures who fight hard to create the City and protect against Alpha. Nikol and Glimmer also have touching child-father moments with Shulk and Rex, respectively.
   • Melia and Nia return as the Queens of Keves and Agnus in the base game, while Shulk, Rex and Alvis/Ontos (now dubbing himself Alpha) make their return in Future Redeemed, and they are still their usual likable selves.
5. The voice acting in both English and Japanese is impressive, with the former being an improvement over that of the previous game. Some standout actors include Harry McIntire (Noah), Aimee Ffion-Edwards (Mio), Jack Bardoe (Lanz), Kitty Archer (Eunie), Tarinn Callendar (Riku), Harry Lloyd (Z), Rory Alexander (Matthew), and Rosie Day (A).
   • Adam Howden, Blake Ritson, Jena Coleman, and Catrin-Mai Huw return to voice Shulk, Ontos/Alpha, Melia, and Nia, respectively, while Fergus O'Donnell does a great job playing Rex and is a worthy successor to Al Weaver.
6. Excellent soundtrack composed Yasunori Mitsuda, Manami Kioyta, ACE, and Kenji Hiramitsu, that fits in well with the dark tone of the game.
7. Tight, responsive controls, just like every other game in the series.
8. The game's primary mechanic, Interlink, is not only a unique concept in and of itself, but can also be the key to victory in any battle.
   • By using Fusion Arts, you can raise your Interlink level, which then give you stronger Ouroboros Arts when you use the Interlink function. Additionally, there are six Interlink forms in all, two for each pair of characters (those being Noah+Mio, Eunie+Taion, and Lanz+Sena) that can be swapped out at any time during battles where the feature is used.
   • When you use a Chain Attack during an Lv.3 Interlink, you'll automatically gain a number of Ouroboros Orders to finish enemies off.
9. For those who missed the Collectopaedia and Affinities from XC1, they return in this game, the latter in a more simplified form.
10. There are hundreds of side quests to complete, as is to be expected of the series.
11. The Archsage Challenges are difficult but rewarding matches against groups of enemies that often unlock new costumes for your characters (including swimsuits and legacy outfits).
12. Future Redeemed, just like Torna, the Golden Country before it, is an excellent prequel story that explains why the events of the base game are the way they are now and also makes several changes/improvements to the gameplay.
    • We find out more about who the Founders are and what they did before the City was built.
    • In addition to the Collectopaedia, you also have an Enemypaedia that shows you information about the enemies you have defeated.
    • The Interlink system has been replaced by Unity Combos, which see paired characters using special duo attacks that often Smash or Burst enemies.
    • Stat progression is determined by Affinity Growth rather than Class Ranks, which can be upgraded via the Community system, collecting information in the Enemypaedia, viewing Affinity Scenes, etc.

Bad Qualities

1. While the graphics are good, there are occasional resolution and frame rate hiccups here and there as expected for most Switch games.
2. Some quests are tedious to complete, as many of the areas required to complete them can take a while to reach even with the fast-travel feature.
   • On that topic, some side quests have cryptic activation triggers and often require the player to clear a set of quests before they can access them.
3. Long loading times that can last up to a minute, especially in the late-game areas.
4. Some unlikable characters, such as Shania/Consul S, Dirk/Consul D, Ghondor Vandham (before she improves herself during Sena's Story and her own Ascension Quest), etc.
5. While it is nice to have alternate costumes, they are limited to normal outfits, loungewear, swimsuits, and outfits resembling those of past characters.
   • As if that wasn't bad enough, most of them are locked behind the DLC and Amiibo, which makes buying the full experience very expensive.

Reception

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 received generally favorable reviews from both critics and users (scoring 89/100 and 8.5/10, respectively, on Metacritic) while Future Redeemed was critically acclaimed (scoring 92/100 and 9/10). Praise was directed at the story, world-building, soundtrack, and improved gameplay, while criticsm was directed at the inconsistent frame rate and resolution.

Trivia

• Each member of the Ouroboros' traits are derived from different species from the Bionis or Alrest: Noah is Homs, Mio is a Gormotti/Flesh Eater hybrid, Eunie is High Entia, Taion is a Blade Eater, Lanz is Machina, and Sena is a Blade.

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