Nintendo has a slew of excellent, well-regarded and exclusive series that have been around for as long as I can remember. These strong titles are part of what makes Nintendo one of the best video gaming companies in history.
Amongst the Mario and Zelda titles, Nintendo also teamed up with Monolith Soft to create their own entries in the Xeno franchise called Xenoblade Chronicles.
After the success of the first two Xenoblade Chronicles games, Nintendo and Monolith Soft are back together again for the third entry in the Xenoblade series with Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Xenoblade Chronicles titles are science fiction JRPGs that have only been released on Nintendo consoles such as the Wii and Switch.
However, these games are part of the larger Xeno franchise which began in 1998 with Square’s Xenogears on the original PlayStation video game console.
Praised for its storylines, gameplay, graphics and soundtracks, the franchise has a legacy of fourteen titles, spanning over twenty-four years.
The games have featured a cast of numerous characters situated on various different worlds with recurring science fiction elements.
The most recent Nintendo exclusive Xenoblade Chronicles met with critical acclaim and was hailed as the best in the franchise, so it’s really great to see this series thriving on the Nintendo Switch.
All the games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series are independent of each other with their own original stories.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is set in the world of Aionios where two nations are at war with each other.
The nations of Keves and Agnus have fought constantly using engineered soldiers who have artificially limited lifespans of up to ten years. Each of these soldiers has been assigned a specific role.
The game focuses on two protagonists Noah and Mio who are both off-seers for their respective nations. Off-seers are soldiers who play special flutes to mourn the dead.
Mio and Noah who are both on separate missions with their childhood friends, end up facing off against each other in a deadly battle that ends with them being fused into a new Ouroboros form which leads to a dire situation none of them saw coming.
There are a lot more twists and turns but to keep this preview spoiler-free I can’t really reveal anything more than that.
The first few chapters of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are action-packed, with fantastic world-building and a captivating cast of characters.
It’s going to be interesting to see what twist and turns the plot will throw at the young group of heroes.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 grants players the freedom to explore Aionios but I wouldn’t say that it's an entirely open-world experience like Breath Of the Wild.
I was able to traverse the Aetia region which is a lush grassland filled with wonderful landmarks, fierce enemies and useful items.
Landmarks act as quick travel points for players to move between and players will respawn from the last landmark they reached after dying.
Exploration from the get-go can either feel wonderful or daunting for newcomers as there is so much to see.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is on to a brilliant start, and I look forward to seeing what other lands the games reveal.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will allow players to fight with a team of six characters, using real-time combat mechanics.
Players will be able to swap between all six characters at any time during exploration and combat.
Combat has several layers to it with some of the system’s core mechanics being nation-specific.
Each character will have access to a normal attack that can be mixed up with special moves called Arts and Talent Arts.
These Arts work on a cool-down system and can be reloaded in various ways.
Each character has a specific class that will determine their fighting style and the role they will play in battle.
The traditional JRPG archetypes are here from healer, swordsman, defender and more. But what's fantastic is that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will let players swap their character class with another that is compatible.
Each class has its own unique quirk so it’s great to see how each character adapted to a different style.
The overworld is filled with enemies of different levels right from the start and the game has no issue with letting players learn their limits the hard way.
Enemies have different characteristics with some being very docile while others will literally chase you for a fight.
The game has split the enemies into different types with each having its own bonuses and caveats.
It is just astonishing that players will get to encounter high-levelled behemoths from the start, if that isn’t a trial by fire I don’t know what is.
The game will also allow players to join active battles by deciding which band of soldiers to help out.
Like previous games, characters will be able to be equipped with new weapons and gear that will affect their stats.
The game locks the number of accessories that can be equipped at a specific level.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will have main story quests that can be easily navigated by using the map or following a trail.
There are also a number of different types of side quests that the players can partake in, but the game has an intuitive U.I. that makes them easy to keep track of.
The early missions really varied in what was needed to complete them from fixing broken machines to going on rescue missions.
From what I have played so far Xenoblade Chronicles 3 looks to be another stellar entry in the series.
It looks like Nintendo and Monolith Soft have taken the best parts of previous games and expanded them to elevate the overall experience.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is out on 29 July for the Nintendo Switch
