Xenoblade Chronicles 3 improves a lot over its 2017 predecessor. It seems like just yesterday when the Switch launched along with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 at the end of that year. Five years is a long time between sequels, and the big question fans might be wondering is how different things have gotten.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 looks a lot like the second, but a load of quality-of-life improvements should make the experience easier. It’s not exactly like the Wii original, but this third iteration is getting closer to what fans loved about it. Still, several things need to be added or fixed through patches in this game as well.
8 Fix The Mech Audio
Players have the option of turning subtitles on or off in the options, but there is no way to switch in the middle of a cutscene. Normally, this crisis wouldn’t enter into a video game as players either prefer subtitles or they don't.
There are certain characters in the game that speak through mechs, and their audio is hard to understand, thus making subtitles necessary. Either the ability to switch subtitles while watching cutscenes has to be added to the game, or the audio needs to be cleaned up.
7 Add Fast-Forward To Autobattle
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is set up like an MMO wherein characters automatically start attacking enemies as long as the player initiates combat. Players do get some interactivity as they can move and choose skills to perform, or if things get hectic, they can run. There is also a full autobattle mode which has everything taken care of for the player.
This is a great feature for any RPG, but there is one thing that would make this deal sweeter. The team should add a fast-forward button so that battles can go by even faster. The remaster of Final Fantasy 12 had this option, which also had MMO-like combat.
6 Add Multiplayer
This series has experimented with multiplayer in a big way once. The now forgotten Xenoblade Chronicles X allowed players to customize their blank slate of a character who could then go into the worlds of other players, or others could join their game. Adding in co-op was an interesting concept for a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles.
The downside was that the Wii U was a niche system, and the game was not huge either, meaning the support wasn’t there. The team could try a multiplayer mode in a future patch for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, or perhaps they can try it with the first expansion. Either way, multiplayer should feel better on the Switch’s more capable infrastructure.
5 Add A Photo Mode
The graphics are not one of the strongest things about this game. The anime-like character designs do shine even though they’re not as detailed as they could be, like with the hair. Still, there are some impressive environments that fans would assuredly love to capture without a HUD system in the way.
The team should add a photo mode to Xenoblade Chronicles 3, which has been a standard feature in most AAA games for at least the past five years. The Switch’s native screenshot button is nice, but a dedicated mode in the game would be better.
4 Add More Save Files
One of the best features of the game is the ability to save anywhere, anytime. Players can’t save in the middle of a battle, but that is understandable. The downside to this is that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 only has three manual save slots. There is an autosave file along with a quick save file, but those don’t count to the overall total.
A giant RPG like this needs more save slots for various reasons. For example, fans can save their favorite moments in the game without having to worry about replaying hours just to get to that certain spot again.
3 Pausing In Battle
If the team doesn’t want to add a photo mode in the game, then there is a similar feature that fans may appreciate more. Players cannot pause in the middle of a battle, which is a bit ridiculous. Some boss battles can take forever depending on the difficulty setting.
There is a trick players can use to suspend the game by exiting out to the Home Screen menu of the Switch. That’s a pro tip that works in a pinch, but it would be better if there was an in-game pause button for combat too.
2 Skip Tutorials
There are two types of tutorials in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. When new systems are introduced, a window will pop open explaining things in a quick blurb. The game will also tell players that they can review tutorials in the options menu. The more obtrusive set of tutorials walk players through the menus. There is no way to skip these guided tours, but there should be.
RPG veterans know how the equipment works or what a combat class is. That latter example is the most egregious one in the game as it guides players for far too long like some kind of bad joke.
1 Add Ways To Group Enemies Easier
This problem has plagued the series since the first iteration on the Wii. Players cannot group enemies easily, but they should be able to.
The team could add a feature similar to an RTS that allows players to highlight a radius of enemies to attack. Surely there must be a way to add a command like that to Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Going from one enemy to another, and putting away gear in-between, is tedious for any RPG battle system, which is why this grouping feature would be appreciated.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was released on July 29, 2022, and is available on Switch.