Skip to main content

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is surprisingly newcomer-friendly

Xenoblade Chronicles is a popular name in my network. My fellow JRPG fans rave about it, but I’ve never actually dipped into it myself. Xenoblade leaks, Nintendo Direct drama, word of mouth — all of that stuck the name inside my head before I even had the chance to pick up the controller.

Now, after going hands-on with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I can see why it’s worth it. The latest game has one of the best opening chapters I’ve played. I’d be shocked to learn it didn’t live up to the strong start. That’s saying something, since I’m not sold on the systems-heavy gameplay. The complex combat and class systems take some getting used to, and I don’t even like the exploration that much so far. But I’m already immersed enough that I need to know what happens next.

Recommended Videos

A promising story

At the start, the game’s first six characters are forced to flee from their colonies after gaining the mysterious power of Ouroboros. Noah is the first character the player gets to know. In a very JRPG protagonist fashion, he’s the one with a sword and the most reasonable mix of justice and diplomacy. Mio, the other lead from the opposing country of Agnus, is equally fierce and empathetic. She’s on her 10th term, the last few months of her life, and wants to live it to the fullest. Her comrades, Sena and Taion, join her and the Keves refugees on a quest to find out why they were entrusted with Ouroboros and find a way to safely return home.

Lanz smiling
Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the things I always keep in mind regarding stories is whether or not the intro makes my blood rush. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 already passes the test. It’s impressively cinematic, from the masterfully cut footage to the emotional soundtrack. All of it seems intentionally angled to make the player feel something. The beginning is full of cutscenes, but it isn’t as maddening as you would expect because of how well-produced they are.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 blends together the past and its impact on the present without ever feeling forced. It made me feel like I wouldn’t mind watching it if it were a movie. The opening chapter successfully characterizes Noah, Eunie, and Lanz and grounds the player in a world they know nothing about. Mio’s team comes after, but even their debut was enough to give me a feel for the characters’ general personalities and team dynamics in a brief span of time. That’s not something many games can pull off with such a wide cast, but the pacing here is key.

Compelling but confusing combat

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s combat doesn’t really feel like that of any other title. It’s a bit intimidating at first because of all the skills, classes, and effects you need to keep in mind. If you’re not familiar with terms like “aggro,” you might be confused as to what certain moves do or how you should play around them.

The game tries its best to ease you into battles without any pressure. For the most part, you can start battles at your discretion. You can approach enemies when you feel like fighting, or run away when you don’t. Enemies can also start battles with you if you get too close, but you can exit. Thankfully, you don’t lose anything if you get wiped out — just exploration progress.

Auto-attack particularly stands out to me as a newcomer, and it might throw off others who have only played turn-based or action RPGs where you strictly control when and how you attack. I’m used to mashing A to slash at enemies, but you can’t do the same here. There’s a different level of control, where you can align a “break” attack from the side or stab the enemy from the back. Later on, you can freely switch between characters during the battle instead of waiting outside of the menu. During the first chapter, I briefly controlled Eunie instead of Noah to get a feel for fighting as another character and adapting to their playstyle.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Party members run on AI that I can control with tactics, which changes the programming depending on how I want my teammates to behave. In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, you can even do it in the middle of a battle. It’s somewhat similar to mechanics in Tales of Arise or Scarlet Nexus, where other party members are AI-controlled while you lead the charge as one playable character.

Combos aren’t as streamlined as those in, say, Persona. However, aligning statuses like Break, Topple, or Daze in the optimal order can devastate an enemy and plunge their health into the red quicker than not doing so. It’s a lot to memorize at first, considering you start with three characters who already have multiple skills you can switch between. You should ease into it after spending hours with the cast, though.

As for nitpicks, jumping is a slight annoyance so far. It’s not always clear where you can jump, and sometimes there’s a weird stutter effect that creates a need for multiple jumps to get on top of platforms and uphill sections. You can’t jump during fights either, which is annoying for enemies that somehow get stuck on ledges. It makes sense, considering the jump button you would typically use is replaced with commands for battle moves, but it’s still a slight pain point.

The water’s fine

Overall, I’m impressed with the RPG so far. I hadn’t played Xenoblade Chronicles before, but I didn’t need to in order to enjoy this one. It’s a series I thought I’d enjoy based on the vibes, but I’m blown away by how well the story is executed.

Of course, there are some perks to having played past titles. Xenoblade fans have pointed out references to old games, like a giant sword related to the first Xenoblade title. These worlds seem to build on each other despite their separate stories. The background knowledge seems like it’d mostly come in handy for theory crafters, too. I’m only a few hours in, but the knowledge could also come in handy for predicting twists or connecting how the titles are related to each other.

But, if you’re a newbie like me, I’d say it’s worth it if you get the chance. There’s a rich, beautiful world waiting, with characters that want their story told.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches for the Nintendo Switch on July 29.

Jess Reyes
Jessica Reyes is a freelance writer who specializes in anime-centric and trending topics. Her work can be found in Looper…
Nintendo’s mysterious ‘horror’ game is actually a surprise revival
Key art of The Smiling Man in Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club.

Nintendo freaked everyone out earlier this month when it released a mysterious teaser referring to "The Smiling Man." We've now learned that this isn't quite a horror game. It's actually called Emio -- The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, and it's the first new entry in the Famicom Detective Club series in 30 years.

The Famicom Detective Club series started on the Famicom Disk System in 1988 and received a sequel just one year later. It remained dormant until those two games were remade on Nintendo Switch in 2021. Now, Nintendo is bringing the series back with an entirely new game. Emio -- The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is not a full-on horror game from Nintendo, as some were speculating due to how creepy the teaser trailer was. Instead, Nintendo describes it as a "dark, twisted thriller" in its adventure game series.

Read more
This surprising new Metal Slug game is $10 well spent
Key art for Metal Slug Attack Reloaded.

The latest Nintendo Direct didn't have many surprise releases, but the one game that did come out immediately after the presentation caught my eye. Metal Slug Attack Reloaded from SNK recontextualizes the classic side-scrolling shooter series with gameplay more reminiscent of tower defense auto-battle games. Its roots go back to a 2016 mobile game called Metal Slug Attack; while that revelation might make you want to click off the page, you shouldn't because this game is surprisingly entertaining. Metal Slug Attack Reloaded is a textbook case of how you can take the core ideas and aesthetic of a classic, reinterpret it with a new style of gameplay, and still feel faithful to the franchise at large.

Metal Slug games are typically side-scrollers where players control soldiers blasting their way through stages with a variety of bombastic weapons. It's explosive, fairly fast-paced, and still quite fun today. I still have the Xbox 360 re-release of Metal Slug 3 downloaded on my Xbox Series X and boot it up whenever I'm in the mood for it. In comparison, Metal Slug Attack Reloaded is a slower-paced game that plays quite differently. The core conceit of every level is that players want to protect their own base while destroying their opponent's base. These bases are both attacked and defended by Units, which players customize decks of before a battle in order to determine what will be at their disposal.

Read more
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD gives a 3DS classic the treatment it deserves
Luigi, scared, closes a door in Luigi's Mansion 2 HD.

I got into Nintendo games during an era that's considered to be the company's weakest. In retrospect, the 3DS and Wii U era was poor for Nintendo, serving as a low point between the successes of the Wii and Switch. Despite that, this is when I went all-in on playing almost every new Nintendo game after getting both a 3DS and Wii U. And looking back, Nintendo was still putting out some great games during this era. One such title was Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, a sequel to a GameCube launch title that took the series to portables and added 3D. It was the flagship game in the now infamous "Year of Luigi" and positioned the series for success with Luigi's Mansion 3.

Ahead of an end-of-generation blowout for Switch, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is getting rereleased as Luigi's Mansion 2 HD. I've been replaying the game on Switch over the past couple of weeks and comparing it to my time with the 3DS version. It's less robust of a refurbishment than the one Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door received last month, but if you skipped out on the 3DS era of Nintendo and never checked Dark Moon out, then Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is worth your attention -- especially now that it's no longer possible to easily get the original.
Bite-sized ghosts
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD follows Luigi as he recovers pieces of the Dark Moon that gave the 3DS game its namesake. The McGuffin kept ghosts calm, but that peace ended when King Boo shattered it. Professor E. Gadd recruits Luigi (somewhat against his will) to explore the mansion, capture ghosts with an upgraded Poltergust 5000, and recover pieces of the Dark Moon. While the original Luigi's Mansion was all set in one mansion, this sequel was designed for a handheld platform, so its structure is a lot more segmented.

Read more