Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Preview – Third Time’s A Charm

Aionios lives in perpetual war. The entire world is engulfed by flames and covered in corpses. Both Agnus and Keves love each other and the consequences are devastating for both sides. These are just a few of the many problems. It seems soMass-produced soldiers have a 10-year life expectancy. The ultimate goal is to serve in front-line duty and then be immortalized at the Homecoming ceremony. This honorable tribute will go to Aionios’ most resilient survivors. 

I met Noah, Eunie and Lanz in the final stage of their lives (or terms). These three men have seen their share of Agnusians die and many loved comrades lose their lives. It feels like all the cards are on the table when the leading trio joins forces with Agnus agents Mio, Sena and Taion in Chapter 1. In a time when one “lives to fight and fights to live,” the six leads seek out a more meaningful, fulfilling destiny. 

Narratively, I’m immediately reminded of Tales of Arise – two races are pitted against one another, blinded by trauma and rage, unable to question the hateful rhetoric at the crux of their bloody conflict. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 tells a sad story. While its opening hours suffer from a few jarring momentum shifts and unconvincing plot beats, I’ve generally enjoyed learning more about Aionios and its youthful cast of characters.

But I have enjoyed the JRPGs many quality-of life features more. The menu interfaces were too complicated and intricate for past games. Third entry has been designed to appeal to a contemporary audience. In-game GPS route options, button mapping and pause menus with more detail, as well as icons that indicate player orientation for combat-based arts, such as position-based, character-based, or in-game, positions. These might be minor inclusions for the Xenoblade uninitiated, but this newfound level of accessibility is a welcome change that makes exploration and battles less intensive.

Only Chapter 1 was my first chapter. I traversed through an area that had been bombed, explored clear waters and traded with someone in a military camp below a tall robot. Then, I engaged in platforming on a rocky hillside, navigated through misty forests, and trudged through the desert. Biomes are overflowing with terrestrial and aerial beasts. I collected various items from the game, performed fetch quests for NPCs, “sent off” fallen soldiers through a ritual flute tune.

Most of my time was spent against automatons and creatures to earn experience points and drop drops. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 combat is rhythmic and methodical. With role-specific arts such as Noah’s sword strikes or Eunie’s group healing powers, auto-attacks can be “canceled”, (or chained). When used effectively, these abilities increase the “talent arts’ or specials gauges. Some cross-character combinations can cause enemies to fall or rocket by stumbling. 

And then there’s the interlink system: Two party members – Noah and Mio, Eunie and Taion, Lanz and Sena – fuse into a humanoid mech, otherwise known as Ouroboros, with devastating moves. While I only have experience as an Ouroboros boss in one fight so far, the power trip of using its fire-shattering and destructive attacks was quite enjoyable. With six party members to control on the fly and role-swaps that give even basic encounters an amusingly chaotic quality, I’m eager to see what new mechanics await beyond Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s extensive tutorial Chapter.

I’m eleven hours into the story, and with the main cast on the run from their respective factions, I’m looking forward to meeting the famed “heroes” that help spice up the action, interacting with my various companions at makeshift camps, and learning who the “true enemy” is. Although there will be many more vast environments and legendary monsters to battle, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 looks solid. 

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches on Switch July 29.