Gaining notoriety due to the Operation Rainfall campaign, Xenoblade Chronicles was not only one of the best games on the Nintendo Wii but one of the best JRPGs of its generation. Quickly flourishing into a juggernaut Nintendo/Monolith Soft franchise, Xenoblade gave rise to an action RPG franchise. That series is finally continuing on the Nintendo Switch with the latest entry, Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Returning to bring the title to life are many of the same people who have made the series so far such a fantastic set of JRPGs, ensuring that what might be the conclusion to the Nintendo and Monolith Soft trilogy maintains the series' standard of excellence. Most excitingly, though, is that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be releasing very, very soon.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Trailer
Xenoblade Chronicles 3's first trailer debuted during the February Nintendo Direct, giving a glimpse at the long-awaited sequel. This trailer was story-oriented instead of gameplay-oriented, showcasing the characters and their feud with each other. Even still, many questions about the plot and who these new cast members are remains to be explained. However, the setting and imagery are all highly reminiscent of Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2, with the final scene of the cutscene being evocative of the covers from those titles. The setting of certain scenes also resembles Gaur Plains from the first, suggesting that things will come full circle. This is only bolstered by the broken sword of Mechonis and the body of the Urayan Titan.
The game's second trailer provides a better look at both the story and especially the gameplay. Most notable is the tag-team mechanic, which allows certain party members to unite into a mecha-form called an Ourobouros. Seven characters can also fight on screen at once, allowing your party to slash and battle away at enemies together. Each of the characters also has their own class, which affects their gameplay and attacks during battles.
Nintendo then held a Xenoblade Direct that showcased more of the story and gameplay elements, namely the town and city mechanics. These are areas where the player can buy items, as well as engage in sub-story side quests. More info on the Ouroboros was given, with different character combinations yielding different stat and power results.
The six character classes were revealed, as was the fact that the seventh party member slot is taken up by a summoned character. These extra characters will have their own classes, allowing them to spice up the gameplay and battle mechanics. Still a part of the company’s games are Nintendo's amiibo, with the Shulk amiibo in particular granting players a similar in-game costume.
What Is Xenoblade Chronicles 3 About?
Much of the plot for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is still unknown, though it is set after the events of both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The exact setting is the world of Aionios, which is split between two nations: the more technological Keves and the ether and magic-oriented Agnus. The protagonists are Noah and Mio, who, along with their group of friends, represent each nation.
The other party members are Eunie, Lanz, Taion and Sena, who, along with Noah and Mio, start out as fugitives. These young warriors are just a few of their kind, all of whom die soon into their lives to fight in a war for their respective nation. Guiding the group is a mysterious man who hints at something much larger going on behind the scenes.
It's worth noting that the world of Aionios sounds very reminiscent of Aion, a powerful Artifice from Xenoblade Chronicles. This means that the world is likely directly tied to the events of the last game in some way, especially given how the design of the machines looks like those from the first game. Like with Xenoblade 1 and 2, however, there doesn't seem to be any connection to the Wii U title Xenoblade Chronicles X.
When Will Xenoblade Chronicle's 3 Release?
Early planning for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 began in the late 2010s, just after Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was released. This followed a game pitch idea by series creator Tetsuya Takahashi, whose work with the series began with the title Xenogears for the Sony PlayStation. He's joined by many of the previous games' staff members, such as the same composing team and art designers Masatsugu Saito and Koichi Mugitani. Speaking of music, the flute theme heard in the game's trailer is apparently a key part of the story, so listening to its melody is an in-road into the narrative.
Originally announced for a September 2022 release, Nintendo surprised fans by moving up Xenoblade Chronicles 3's release date by two months. The game is set to release on July 29 for Nintendo Switch. On top of this earlier release date, Nintendo also announced a Special Edition available through the My Nintendo store. This will contain loads of artwork, some of which is by Masatsugu Saito himself, as well as a steelbook case. More information will be released on this special version closer to the game's release date, but until then, gamers can revisit the series so far on the Switch through Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Nintendo has also announced DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in the form of an Expansion Pass that costs $29.99. The first wave consists of cosmetic additions and some items. The next round two waves will each add a new Hero, outfits, and a challenge battle and release by the end of 2022 and by the end of April 2023. Finally, those who purchase the DLC will get a brand-new story scenario set to release by the end of 2023.