Some more thoughts and feelings on Xenoblade Chronicles 3

It has now been just over a week since the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and I have been quite addicted to this game, I must say!

As of writing this piece, I have put about 70 hours into the game and I have just arrived at chapter 6 of the story. I think it’s fair to say that I’m really enjoying the game so far, given how much of my free time it has devoured. I would like to dive into exactly what it is I’m liking about the game so much — and I’m going to throw in some comparisons here and there to the game’s predecessors. Let’s get started!

Thoughts and Feelings on Xenoblade Chronicles 3

The Characters of Xenoblade Chronicles 3

My history with the Xeno series only goes back to Xenoblade Chronciles 1; I’ve never touched Chronicles X nor any of the older Xenosaga games, so just keep that in mind. I am also a massive fan of Xenoblade Chronicles 2; it’s without a doubt one of my favourite RPGs and despite some of its flaws, I think it’s a genuinely excellent game.

With all that being said I think that the characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 have definitely become some of my new favourites, and I want to talk about a few in particular that I really love. 

Noah is a really interesting character, as from the very start of the game his ability to view the world is much broader than those around him. He understands that there are important things that he must do in order to survive; however, he also knows that there is something more to all of this.

Rex from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was a good protagonist, but he had some really frustrating moments, whereas Noah is more similar to Shulk from Xenoblade Chronicles. He thinks things through, tries to understand the situation thoroughly and then formulates a plan. When the times come that Noah displays emotions such as anger and sadness, they really hit home, as he is usually so calm and collected. 

Next up is Taion. Now at first, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Taion, simply because I’m not a big fan of the anime character trope of the strategist that pushes up his glasses and says things like “Naturally” when complimented. However, his backstory is loaded with character development that builds him up, and he has so many fantastic character moments.

In a big fight I had recently, something happened that made it feel unbeatable — but it was Taion who figured something out and helped us overcome it. I also love that Taion and Noah have a great relationship between the pair of them as level-headed thinkers — Noah will generally come up with a plan, and Taion will make it work.

Now onto Eunie, who is definitely one of my favourite characters in the game, almost entirely because of her attitude and fearlessness to say what she is thinking. I’m playing the game with the Japanese voices — It’s how I’ve always played JRPGs, plus I have a thing for Japanese seiyuu — but I have actually gone back and listened to some of her lines in English, and good lord she is hilarious regardless of language. When it comes to her personality, she isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind, and she does NOT put up with any bullshit, which is oh so refreshing. She is basically the game’s girlboss character. 

Finally a shoutout to my girl Ethel, she is a baddie.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Gameplay in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

I’m personally a big fan of Xenoblade Chronicles’ combat; it’s a combat system that I can’t quite think of a good name for, but it feels like a blend of MMO and traditional RPG, and results in something I have a ton of fun with. If you’ve never played a Xenoblade game before, the standard attack is done automatically as you move the character around the battlefield. You can then cancel attacks into arts, talent arts, fusion arts, and so on. 

In Xenoblade Chronicles 1, you commanded the leading character in a party of 3 and while you could indeed switch which character you were in control of, this had to be done in the menu rather than mid-battle. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2 you again had a party of three, but each character could equip up to three blades, which mixed up the way the character played. Here in Xenoblade 3, we are getting the best of both worlds and even more!

While Noah is the default player character, you can actively switch which character you are in control of at any time in-game, either during combat or free-roaming. Each character has their own unique class, and shortly after starting the game you unlock the ability to switch every character and every class so that you can create whatever party you want. It incentivises you to gain a load of unique skills and arts in the process.

This new class-switching system is a really fun and exciting new addition to the combat of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and it gives plenty of reason to switch up who you are playing as you move through each of the classes the game has to offer. This only gets even bigger and better as you discover the Heroes in the game which, after completing their Hero Quest, unlock another new class for you to play as. 

Finally, I want to talk about interlinking, which is another new mechanic that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 brings to the table. Interlinking allows two characters to combine and turn into powerful Ouroboros which have unique arts, and skills, and essentially serve as a whole new class. These forms allow for some incredibly powerful attacks, such as their level 3 interlink arts, which guarantee certain status effects on any enemy. With the ability to customise all six Ouroboros forms with their own set of arts and skills — wow, there is some serious depth to the combat in this game. 

I truly think that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 combines the best features of its predecessors and gives us something that goes beyond both of them, certainly as far as gameplay is concerned. As I mentioned earlier on in this piece, I am currently at chapter 6 and while I don’t want to jump the gun, it’s looking to be the best of the three numbered entries so far!

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Conor Evans
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