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With just a few more weeks to go until the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, we’ve been busy getting our hands on the latest entry in Monolith Soft’s epic action-RPG series, and you might be relieved to hear that it’s more than life according to the tall our expectations so far.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 introduces us to Aionios, a war-torn world where warriors from two factions, Keves and Agnus, battle each other in an endless cycle of total destruction. These warriors are fully committed to their roles in life, unwavering in their belief that they were born to the Queen of Ionios and destined to serve her, fighting continuously throughout the ten years—or “—that make up their short and brutal existence in which point, they will return to her embrace through a ceremony known as “Homecoming” if they are lucky enough to make it that far.
It’s a bleak existence, and the game’s opening chapter does a fantastic job of setting the scene, first introducing us to Noah, Lantz, and Yuni, three Keves soldiers dutifully fighting each other through battle-blasted landscapes where huge mechs of waste lie for countless enemies on both sides.
As they fight and destroy their enemies, they draw the very life energy from the sheaths that remain, each fighter’s soul flame being sucked up into their enemy’s fire clocks, huge machines that keep track of how many casualties their side has taken in battle. Every fighter on the battlefield is connected to these flame watches via an Iris device and they must, as Noah says, “fight to live, live to fight” to make sure their watch ticking
Images: Nintendo
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 wastes no time throwing you right into the mix, boots on the ground, and straight into battle as it methodically explains its various combat mechanics. Fans of the series will already know what to expect early on here, and early on we’re introduced to the returning auto-attack concept, which functions just like it did in the game’s predecessors. Get into the opponent’s range and charge into combat and your character will take timed swings to deal damage, you’ll need to get used to the timing and rhythm of these attacks so you can then use your Arts assigned to Buttons ” X’, ‘Y’ and ‘B’. Arts recharge over time, and you’ll need to deploy them in rhythm with your auto-attacks to perform them properly.
in the first few hours, not much seems to have changed in terms of the combat here, but of course there are many, many layers to add
You’ll also need to take your position into consideration here, back attacks should be done from behind, side attacks from the side, etc. if you want to take full advantage of their damage, pull Break/Topple/Daze /Launch combos, that open your enemies up for maximum damage, and charge a character-specific talent art that really lets out the big guns.
You’ll also need to take stock of the battle lines emitted by enemies that indicate whether or not you’ve drawn the enemy’s aggro or not, as indicated by a red line indicating that you have the full and undivided attention of the soldier or beast you’re currently dealing with you struggle So far Xenoblade Chronicles and in the first few hours, not much seems to have changed in terms of the combat here, but of course there are many, many layers to be added as the adventure progresses.
Images: Nintendo
Just as you’re getting to grips with the main flow of combat in the opening hour or two, Noah, June, and Lantz are sent on another routine mission from Colony 9, but this time it’s one that takes a completely unexpected turn, one that puts under question everything these characters believe in and stand for. Faced with strange automatons controlled by a mysterious man who doesn’t seem to be fighting for either Keves or Agnus, our three heroes find themselves – after much arguing – joining forces with Mio, Senna and Tyon, Agnian soldiers who have been sent on the same mission. Here we get our first look at a new enemy, Moebius, with our six-member team of heroes facing off against a formidable foe while dealing with all-new powers given to them by a glowing Ouroboros Stone.
The interlocking mechanic instantly transforms the action, giving you screen-shaking attacks to perform
We won’t go into too much detail here, it’s really best to enjoy this roller coaster ride unsullied, but if you’ve been keeping up with the game’s official preview content drops, you’ll have already caught a glimpse of the fantasy game new Interlink system. The power of the Ouroboros Stone allows Noah and Mio to become one being, see their entire pasts, read each other’s minds, and more importantly, transform into a massive new form that is fit to take on the largest and the worst Mobius can throw at them. The Interconnection mechanic immediately transforms the action here, giving you screen-shaking attacks to perform and tasking you with building up your Interconnection level, a gauge on the left of the screen that can be activated over three stages of readiness.
Images: Nintendo
Once in Ouroboros form, the basic flow of attacks and how you deploy them remains pretty much the same, with your auto-attack rhythm, skill, and positioning being extremely important. However, you now also have to watch your Interlink meter while fighting, because you’ll need to exit Interlink mode before you overheat or suffer a penalty that locks the ability for an extended period of time. Yes, every time you take the form of Ouroboros here, you are on a timer and need to think ahead and plan your strategy in terms of when to transform to maximize its benefits.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s ‘Blades’ system is here replaced by unlockable characters. Each character represents a brand new class with new skills and abilities, all of which can then be freely switched between
Of course, Ouroboros’ transformations aren’t the only new mechanic here — not ultimately — and not only can you now directly order your squad to attack a specific enemy, follow suit, or have a preference for a certain type of combo, as you battle, you are also now free to switch characters at any time during level progression and, more importantly, during battles. This opens up many strategies based on the game’s three main class types; healer, fighter and protector.
And there’s more. By earning XP during combat, you’ll slowly unlock the ability to use other characters’ classes, meaning people like Noah, who starts out as a fighter, can switch to a healer or defensive subclass, and the game actively encourages you to switch off and level up level up in each unlockable class with all your characters to maximize your capabilities in battle.
On top of all that, Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s ‘Blades’ system has been replaced here with many unlockable characters that you will meet and discover during your adventures. Each character represents a brand new class with entirely new skills and abilities, each of which can then be freely switched between your party members as you unlock the right to do so. This creates an extremely flexible, fun, and deep combat system that even in the early stages of the game gives you plenty of options to play with as you engage in combat. Instantly switching between players to draw aggro, heal your party or attack your enemies directly, use special character skills, level up classes and link up to strike down huge boss enemies is extremely addictive, brilliant and fast-paced stuff, and unlike some aspects of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, everything here feels wonderfully simplistic so far, even as it piles on more and more layers.
Images: Nintendo
Indeed, there are even detailed VR training missions hidden within the game’s menus, where you can learn all about the ins and outs of combat or brush up on some particular mechanic that has you stumped. On top of that – and although we can’t talk about any of it in this preview – there’s so much more great stuff added to the combat mix down the line as you and your comrades take the fight to a world that, thanks to Moebius now sees all of you as enemy number one. There really is a lot to be excited about here.
Away from the delightful new combat system, the game’s first chapter also introduces us to the Aionios Colonies, the settlements where Keves and Agnus warriors live under the watchful eye of their Flamewatch and Consul. These areas are where you’ll take on side missions, gather information, level up, and work to increase your colony’s affinities in exchange for rewards. We’re also introduced to the Collectopedia Card system, a simplified version of fetch quests that automatically adds NPC cards to your in-game menu, then you head out into the field and collect the many collectibles you’ll find around and go to your menu to settle all the maps you’ve completed instead of having to go back to each NPC every time you’re done.
Images: Nintendo
Overall, from what we’ve seen so far, this is shaping up to be an epic Xenoblade adventure that surpasses its predecessors in every way, with a deep and satisfying combat system that’s more clearly explained, crisp visuals, jaw-dropping cutscenes, amazing views and tons of variety in its locations and enemies. It’s been a smooth and stutter-free experience for us so far, even when the battles get super heated — which they often do. It’s also great to see the regional British accents back in this latest entry, and the banter between your teammates really is all the better for it. There are some absolutely excellent profanities thrown in here and some of the lighter moments are really, really funny as a result.
We can’t give away much more in this review, unfortunately, but what we can tell you is that…
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