Cheers to Xenoblade fans. Nintendo just dropped a new release date trailer for the upcoming Xenoblade 3. Best of all? It’s apparently coming way earlier than expected. In this latest trailer, Monolift Soft showcases new gameplay and hints about the focus of the plot. That’s a big deal since Xenoblade 3 is the installment meant to “connect the futures of both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.”
Xenoblade 3 stars two protagonists- Noah and Mio who live in a world at war. They and their allies come from one of two warring nations, Keves or Agnus, but they fight for a similar unnamed goal. A mysterious being (or power) called Ouroboros threatens the villains but supposedly helps our heroes. Fortunately, Noah, Mio, and their allies seem to have the power of Ouroboros on their side. Will they be able to use it to save their world?
This latest trailer pushes us closer to the truth. Here are some key details you might have missed in the Xenoblade 3 release date trailer.
Blades reforged
Xenoblade 2 heavily revolved around beings called “Blades,” who take on weaponized forms when paired with weapon-wielders called Drivers. Its Blade system works with one person as the Blade and the other as the Driver. For example, Rex is the Driver for Pyra and her other half, Mythra.
However, in Xenoblade 3, partners seem to fuse into one being. Noah and Mio go through what seems like a transformation sequence in the trailer and come out looking like a mech. It almost seems like the premise of Digimon Frontier, where trainers fuse into one ultimate form.
Xenoblade 3 heavily references sharing a common destiny with partners able to feel each other’s thoughts and feelings. As Noah describes in the trailer, “I felt her thoughts, there were so many...and then they were a part of me.”
Casualties of war
Xenoblade 3 gives off a Tales of Arise vibe where each character has their own unique backstory and connection to the plot. After all, the trailer spends time cutting to each of their different reactions during the tense parts of the footage. However, there seems to be an overarching theme of retribution in the background — perhaps related to fallen comrades or the casualties of war.
Taoin in particular mentions enacting revenge to grant someone else’s dying wish. Meanwhile, Mio mentions finding a path where everyone lives. Presumably, “everyone” refers to everyone in the main party for the majority of the plot. Noah and Mio can be seen with teams of five or more characters on the left side of the screen. However, it’s worth noting that the first Xenoblade 3 trailer made it seem like Noah and Mio might clash at some point in the plot.
Xenoblade 3 launches on July 29, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch. For now, we can only guesstimate what twists Monolift Soft has in store with the final game of the Xenoblade trilogy.
