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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is one of the biggest JRPGs and open-world experiences available on the Nintendo Switch. There are lots of places, characters, and secrets to find. Thanks to the explorative nature of the game, the party encounter foes far too powerful without leveling up.
Thankfully, there is a variety of ways that players can gain experience points/EXP quickly in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The game is a slow burn but an enjoyable one, and the scope is massive, so there is no need to rush through only to find that Noah and his team are under-leveled and outmatched. Xenoblade 3 offers the player several ways to level up quickly and make sure that the party is ready for any challenge the main story campaign throws at them.
Explore The Map
The world in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is designed to be explored by its players. The game rewards the adventurous type that can't leave any stones unturned with EXP. Some rewards are bigger than others, but it's worth trying to find everything as each area usually has secrets and other valuables to find. The party will gain more EXP for every new location that is discovered on the map.
It is also advisable to explore every room and floor in the colonies too, as this counts as a new location discovery for even more EXP. The experience points gained from exploring inside a colony are smaller than on the open map but still worthwhile.
Interact With NPCs
The NPCs in Xenoblade 3 play an important role in giving the party new quests and errands to participate in. The NPCs that can be conversed with have a yellow speech bubble with a star to indicate that they have something new to say. Some NPCs and their quests will only be available at certain times of the day, and one will need to use the Time Skip mechanic in Xenoblade 3.
Even without a quest, talking to some NPCs will grant the party a small amount of EXP. In addition to regular NPCs, trading with NPCs for the first time in a colony will also reward the party with some EXP. It's worth noting that the party can also listen in on a conversation between NPCs to unlock new quests.
Eat EXP Boosting Meals
Before setting out for the grind it's a good idea to rest at a camp and have a meal that will boost the amount of EXP the party gets on the field. As the story progresses, players will find more meals to play around with, but it's generally a good idea to go for the ones that reward the party with a boost to EXP.
The first meal available in the game will boost the party's EXP accumulation by 5%. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up given how many battles one can have just traversing the map.
Fight Slightly Higher Leveled Monsters
While out in the field exploring, players will encounter a huge variety of monsters and beasts to fight. Some of the stronger monsters will actively prey on the party and give chase. Not all monsters are instantly aggressive, however, and the party will need to actively engage the creatures to initiate a fight.
It's better to fight monsters that are at a similar level or no more than two levels above the party. This will gift the party with more EXP as well as gain more ranks to learn a new class. Players should also look out for Elite monsters represented by two blue wing symbols. These fights are more difficult, but the party will gain more EXP and gold.
Keep Farming The Unique Monsters
In addition to the strong Elite Monsters on the field, there are Unique Monsters. These Unique Monsters are even stronger than the Elites, but they also grant more EXP, gold, and Nopon Coins in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Unlike the Elites, when a Unique Monster has been killed in battle, a Named Grave will mark where they fell. This grave site can be interacted with as many times as the player wants to fight them. This is one of the best ways to farm experience points and gain more Nopon Coins.
Use Chain Attack Overkills On Unique Monsters
The Chain Attacks in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are special attacks where the player chooses three characters to initiate an attack with varying effects. Some attacks are focused on high damage, while other attacks can heal, raise the party's defenses, or add attack buffs.
Using the Chain Attack on an enemy that has very little health will accumulate Bonus EXP until the chain runs out as this builds up Overkill Points. Using the Chain Attack Overkill mechanics on weakened Unique Monsters is the best way to farm EXP, and other rewards, as these fights offer bigger bonuses than regular fights. Players can fight these monsters as many times as they want.
Cash In Bonus EXP At Rest Points
A new way to gain more EXP in Xenoblade Chronicles is the Bonus EXP system. This can be accessed via the rest points/campsites in the game and selecting Level Up with the dumbbell icon above it. From here, if the party has accumulated enough Bonus EXP, they can level up individually or all at once by pressing the + button.
Bonus EXP can be accumulated in a variety of ways in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Here are some of the best ways to gain Bonus EXP to level up as fast as possible:
- Overkill Chain Attacks - As mentioned above, using Chain Attacks on enemies with low health will accumulate more Bonus EXP.
- Skirmishes - taking part in small battles between monsters and picking a side can sometimes reward the party with extra Bonus EXP.
- Discovering New Locations - EXP will be earned from exploring the map and colonies.
- Discuss Topics - discussing Topics at campsites will accumulate Bonus Points for the party. Topics up for discussion can be discovered in Colonies and listening in to conversations between NPCs represented by a yellow symbol above their head.
There are lots of ways to accumulate EXP points in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and keep the party strong enough to fight some very powerful bosses and monsters in the game.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is available now for the Nintendo Switch