I’ve been looking forward to the next Monolith Soft game since the last one finished in 2017, but not without its fair share of caveats. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 It was a zigzag JRPG with a mix of systems and very asymmetric storytelling. As much as I love the series, I was concerned Xenoblade Chronicles 3 It will be the same. So far it’s not like that. It’s a hit first-party Nintendo Switch game that can hang with the rest of the library.
After five hours, it feels like the most enjoyable and balanced game ever in the series. The surroundings are spacious yet busy. There are a lot of levels to try to combat, but none of them seem over the top or arrogant. Your party menu is full of classic styles that don’t hit a cliché. And the music, which is responsible for getting through the long, scary stretches of a game like this, is great as always.
Because of the discussion Xenoblade 3Huge run time And how instructive it is in 10 hoursMy first concern was speed. However, the game hardly wastes time moving forward. You play as Noah, a member of the Kevis tribe who is embroiled in an existential struggle with his comrades against the rival nation of Agnas. Both sides are connected by “flame clocks” within vast mechanical bases called Pheronis, which store life energy from the fallen in battle. Humans are born as babies and only live 10 years or less if they don’t live long enough to run out the clock. It’s something like that battle royale Philip K. by Han.
Things start off with a big fight before quickly devolving into otherworldly intrigue. Noah and his crew encounter rival warriors from an enemy nation on a recovery mission, only to be told by a mysterious old man that they are all pawns in a larger conspiracy, throwing both sides into chaos. Next, the cyborgs fight, the characters merge with each other, and you’re handed a deep party of six characters to fight your way down. Xenoblade 3Confidentiality.
All this happens in the first two hours. I spent most of the time before and after the fight across fields, rivers and mountain passes. Despite its strong foundation and talk group, the heart Xenoblade 3The classic JRPG grind gameplay remains. Most of this can be done on autopilot. Harder fights against non-bosses are called out with special lines above enemies’ heads that indicate their extra power, better rewards, or both. and in unlike Xenoblade 2Once again, the landscape is full of collectable resources that you can simply walk across. Stop every five seconds to press a target button to discover additional pieces of wood or mushrooms.
In terms of combat, I still unlock some basic features, but customizing special attacks (called “arts”) in combat and changing character classes are soon unlocked. It’s easy to see how this interconnected system, which involves some degree of mixing and matching of active and passive abilities, can lead to a lot of satisfying absurdity in tentacle boss fights. And while I was initially concerned that having six team members on-screen at once would cause chaotic fights for no reason, the ability to switch between them adds a welcome layer of micromanagement. Xenoblade 3 Something I missed in previous games (the UI remains a nightmare).
My only gripe is that the hard text is sometimes too descriptive and skippable. Do I need the game to equip a new armor piece step by step? Likewise, characters don’t have to talk about different game systems to make them feel vaguely part of the sci-fi world-building. Humans join corpses and become cyborgs. Witch costume changes and young guys with giant swords are the least of my worries.
Fortunately, none of this gets in the way too much. I’ve really had it the last two days Xenoblade 3 It was time to play and constantly think about it when I was not. This rarely happens to me these days. Especially when it comes to JRPGs. but now, Xenoblade 3 I managed to combine some of my favorite elements from previous Monolith games (MIX, CABLEAnd Free-flowing combat) which has worked well for others. A group of student fighters praise, interrogate and berate each other as they seek to overthrow the ruling and established powers. Keep distractions to a minimum. i have worked Person 5And Fire Symbols: Three HousesAnd right now it’s really working for me Xenoblade 3. I have dozens of hours before I know if the rest of the game will run.
