It has been a while since the last game came out in this series, although fans might not think it. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was released in 2017, along with the Switch. There was a DLC expansion released after the fact, along with a remaster of the first game. So, fans of this franchise have not been devoid of content for five years before Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Still, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a big deal as a numbered sequel. Was the five-year wait worth it, or did this project need to spend more time in development? Based on reviews, opinions are high, but there are some issues with this newest RPG that is worth discussing.
8 Best: Easier To Understand Combat
There are two great things about the combat over the last game. One, it is much easier to understand now that the elemental angle was thrown out of the equation. The battle system can still get complex, but it feels like it is getting back to the basics of the first game on Wii.
The other great thing about combat is that all six main characters will fight in battle. Going on quests and exploring the world can feel like players are commanding a squadron in an MMO or an RTS, which is great for an RPG. Also, the difficulty settings are more than welcome.
7 Worst: Can’t Skip Tutorials
The tutorials keep coming in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and they don’t stop long into the journey. The pop-up windows explaining new things are perfectly fine, but the walkthrough tutorials are a pain in the butt. They are tediously slow, walking players through easy-to-understand concepts like equipping accessories to boost stats.
The most egregious tutorial that may result in hair loss comes when character classes unlock, and there is no way to skip it. Most RPG fans know what a character class is. The game goes through every character, which felt like a bit, but the joke wasn’t funny.
6 Best: Opens Up Right Away
The pacing in the game is fairly balanced. Players will have an ample amount of time to explore before watching cutscenes, sometimes as if an anime show were turned on. They aren’t as prevalent as Xenosaga, which sometimes had cutscenes that could last almost an hour. It was a bit much as cool as those games were.
In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, players can start exploring about fifteen minutes in with a huge world at their fingertips. Granted, it does take about three more hours before the true game begins, but again, the pacing feels right.
5 Worst: The World And Quests
As great as an open-world can be in an RPG, this series has struggled with filler content. The worlds have been getting bigger and bigger since the first game on Wii. If these areas were populated with tons of content, it would be one thing. However, while there are secret items, powerful monsters, and quests to tackle, none of them feel unique.
It’s a problem that The Witcher 3 solved as it too had a huge world, but the quests were all meaningful. It would be nice to see the next game create a smaller world with better-defined content, as bigger is not always better.
4 Best: Great Story, Better Characters
This might be the best story in the series so far, or it at least gets close to the first game. The overall story is about two warring nations and the struggles that a band of deserters is dealing with as they realize this war is not everything as it seems. It will make players head straight for the main objectives just so they can see the next cutscene. That goes against the idea of exploring an open-world RPG, but the story truly is that compelling.
What truly brings the whole thing together are the six main characters, who are all voiced and written expertly well. The action choreography also deserves some recognition as it rivals even the best anime.
3 Worst: The Graphics
The Switch launched in 2017 with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 close behind. The game looked great on the system back then, but five years later, the Switch is showing its age with this sequel. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is trying to do too much by pushing the boundaries. It makes the game look like it has a blurry filter over it.
The character designs are great, but some flaws make them stand out poorly, like the hair. There are texture pop-ins in the world, and monsters sometimes have frame rates that dip into the single digits. It is odd, to say the least, but at least it runs well without any major glitches popping up.
2 Best: Mechs Are Back!
Xenoblade Chronicles started as a series in 2010. Before that, Monolith Soft made Xenosaga, and before that, there was Xenogears. Mechs have always been a big part of the team’s vision, but very few of them have allowed players to directly pilot mechs like in Xenogears and Xenosaga.
Mechs make a return in this game, but not in the exact way fans may want. Characters can fuse into each other during the battles and form what look like mechs straight out of Xenosaga mixed with some mech anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion. It is an odd combo, but it works well for combat.
1 Best: Saving Anywhere
One of the best features a player can ask for in an RPG is the ability to save anywhere. While it is not great that the game only allows three saves, the ability to save whenever and wherever should get praise. It is the perfect system for a portable RPG like this. Players can pick up their game, slay a few monsters, save, and then put the Switch back down. Sessions can last anywhere from five minutes to five hours which is typical for a giant RPG like this.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was released on July 29, 2022, and is available on Switch.