Dozens of hours later, I came back from Aionios to announce that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 might be one of the biggest Nintendo Switch games, not only because of its story and size, but because it’s by far the most impressive game on Nintendo’s hybrid platform technology to date one. Indeed, I said a few weeks ago that the gameplay was a bit bland. Well, I have to admit that I’m only talking about a small part of the game, not related to the fundamentals of the system. But for your peace of mind, I can already assure you:You’re going to love Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
To wrap up the preview (which I recommend reading for every detail), Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is set in Aionios, a world where two nations (Keves and Agnus) are at war. Residents rarely serve 10 years, as they are usually killed in battle.exploring unknown sources of energyNoah, Lanz and Yuni(from Caves) must joinMio, Taion sum Sena(from Agnus) to face a new threat: Moebius. These monsters feed on the life energy of humans, which they draw from the flaming bells protected by each nation. During the battle, Noah and Mio came together and turned into a giant robot called Uroboros, controlled by two brains. After merging, they set out to find answers, and eventually found Fendespada (no one else, exactly the Sword of Mekonis in the first Xenoblade Chronicles), where they hoped to find a way to end the endless battle between the two nations. That’s the story I’m going to dive into.
I won’t focus on the story itself in this review for two main reasons. First, since it’s the gist of the game, I don’t want to spoil anything. Second, because at times it can be confusing (expect some typical elements of the Japanese teenage genre and those iconic plot twists).The characters, and their stories and relationships, are a bit traditional, butThey have enough depth and progression that everyone is a protagonist at some point in the storylinealthough the main burden falls on Noah and Mio.
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In addition to this storyline, each of the six regular characters (we also have a pair of Pang assistants, Riku and Manana, who are in charge of weapons and food) haveown categoryweapons, art and personal clothing…Others can also influence. Each member of the group can learn and swap classes with their peers, and even control them. An important aspect to consider when looking at an exchange type is that it opens up the possibility of delivering special hits or dominating the main class “borrowed” art. This adds a new level to real-time combat that already seems difficult to overcome. It’s also very similar to the last DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country.
Accessories, gems can enhance attributes and work with your partnerCombine to become Uroboros. If we add in being able to combine in the same kind of art (special attacks), the whole thing pretty much pushes the development of abilities and customization to the brink of uncontrollable. That’s why I don’t think there’s any quick way to skip a fight (though even as an option in the main menu I sincerely think it should exist). In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, where we can switch from team member to team member at the touch of a button, being able to use moves at the most precise moments is critical in the most important battles.They also solve by adding combos and modifierschain attack, strung together thousands of dots that could be the difference between victory or defeat. It certainly doesn’t sound flat at all.
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The world of Aionios isBoth beautiful and huge. Waterfalls, valleys, mountains, lakes, winding roads ending in distant mountain tops…if not for the fast travel introduced when saving points or entering large areas (after defeating some unique enemies, They leave travel marks, which are great for traversing the world), and it will take hours to move from one location to another. Not only is it huge, but it is also densely populated. We find different monsters, materials and items to collect in each location. You can forget about the time before moving on to the active missions (even if the secondary missions are still an important point in the series to improve), just walk around each area and use this time to collect what might be very good for your team’s battles Useful materials, as well as changing gear, upgrading, and saving games. Don’t forget, all of this is on the Switch, which goes a step further with terrain and background textures.In handheld mode, you may notice sacrifices are made in certain areas, or enemies at a distanceappeared suddenlybut as far as the world is concerned, I think this isThis is a new technical ceilingć
Everyone is interconnected. But you won’t gain skills (like climbing or sliding down the thick cables of fallen giants) to follow certain paths until late in the game. As you survey each area, you may waste some time reaching containers full of special loot or giving soldiers a break. My best advice is to enjoy the adventure. This game is a traditional JRPG where you need hours to complete the story and twice as long to reveal all its secrets. At first, combat may seem boring and easy, but soon the difficulty increases, and in conflict (especially if against a group of enemies) you will have to think fast to strategize, waiting for some sort of attack to charge or your Allies use their healing abilities. The soundtrack by Mitsuda Yasunori is fantastic: more flute elements are introduced into the melody, such as those carried by Noah and Mio, to give you a sense of the soul of the series. However, repeating the same dialogue at the end of a fight can end up being exhausting. A little variety will be welcome.
I thought my previous lack of knowledge about Xenoblade would be a dangerous burden to play with XC3, but the truth is I didn’t feel lost at all. Technically, this is the best of the series, and if anyone is willing to take a step into this vast, complex and titanic world, I think it’s a great opportunity. Its combat system doesn’t have anything real or new, penetrating enough to provide a sense of strength when ending a major confrontation with a victory. Aionios is a world every RPG and adventure lover should visit. Monolith Soft has really perfected their formula and I love being on this journey.
