Xenoblade 3 didn't need redemption, but it has it all the same

When Xenoblade Chronicles 3 really hit the meat and potatoes of the story and went into spoilerific territory, it kicked into high gear. For Xenoblade fans it was both a blessing and a curse; we all knew it would be h??ard to unring that bell, and by the time the credits hit, not everything was explained.

Future Redeemed attempts to not only tie up a few loose ends from that adventure; but from the series as a whole. Thankfully it comes with some really r?ad qua??lity of life bonuses that help showcase where it could go next: not just from a narrative standpoint, but design-wise, too.

[caption id="attachment_375791" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: April 25, 2023
MSRP: $29.99 (part of the four-wave Expansion Pass)

As a bit of background, Future Redeemed is a completely separate story that even has its own main menu and save file. We're whisked away to another battlefield, and follow in the footsteps of Matthew: a hard-headed fisticuffs brawler that gives me strong Fei from Xenogears vibes. Although you can technically start it right away, a lot of it assumes you've already finished the core game, and various spoilers of the main quest and mechanical assumptions will potentially haunt you if you haven't cleared the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 campaign.

Things start off small with a fighter (Matthew) and healer-based (A) party, then escalate quickly. Every 30 minutes or so you'll meet a new party member until you have everyone: which also includes Shulk and Rex, the protagonists from the first two Xenoblade games. While his fighting style is reminiscent of a certain Xenogears character Matthew is decidedly not Fei: and is both intentionally and unintentionally hilarious. Without ruining it, there's massive dad energy all around in this party too, which is a ??nice dynamic that's?? fun to watch throughout.

Speaking of d??ad energy, character swapping returns to the DLC, which is great news for folks who wanted to play as Shulk and Rex again. Both of those lovable lunks are all grown up now, and their pe?rformances and movesets reflect that in an interesting way. The DLC, to a degree, is inherently fanservice-oriented, but there's a lot more there than I expected when it comes to motivations and the gravitas of their actions. It keeps you on your toes in multiple ways, which feels appropriate for a high-profile DLC.

The frantic combat and Holy Trinity (heal, damage, tank) full party composition man??agement is back, albeit with a little less customization this time. Ouroboros (read: the mech-like powers) p?arty morphing is not in (mostly for story-related reasons), but it's actually a great thing as it further divides itself from the main game and lets the DLC walk its own path.

[caption id="attachment_375792" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

"Affinity goals" are now a thin?g, and they're effectively a challenge system that tasks you with completing meta-quests for bonus skill enhancement. Think of stuff like exploration, unique monster kills, sidequest completion, party chats, and collectibles.?? All of those collectively grant affinity points for party members, which are shared and can be distributed as you see fit.

I'm not sure it would work for the main game, but for a DLC, it's a nearly perfect way to encourage people to actually engage with Future Redeemed's smaller world. ??Things are less expansive, sure, but they don't necessarily feel ??that way if you're doing actionable objectives that also happen to boost up your party. It also allows for several different playstyles, like rush on easy mode, or completing delving into everything the DLC has to offer on hard. The bosses nearly all feel like heavy hitters, which is another bonus of a more linear story.

It is weird in a way, because (like Torna) it shows how pointed Xenoblade could be, for those of you who don't dig playing through a massive, and sometimes meandering, full-on RPG. But by that same token, the t??eam expects you to have already finished said massive game to fully appreciate what's going on. It's an interesting dichotomy Monolith Soft has created here, as it's a "for the fans" story, but one that happens to have a lot of really cool alterations that could have made it into the core game.

[caption id="attachment_375793" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

About that "for the fans" comment: the ending (which I won't discuss here) is a bit too mysterious and withholding for my tastes and still leaves some lingering questions. I expected that out of this series, but don't come in assuming you'll get a fully conclusive crescendo. Length-wise, it's about the same level of time sink as Torna: The Golden Country from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (so 15-20 hours for the story, and a little more if y??ou're going for everything). That's fairly significant for a DLC that's already part of a season pass.

I had a fun time popping back into the world of Xenoblade with Future Redeemed. There's so much there that I didn't expect in terms of little mechanical tweaks, and it reminded me of when Nintendo would occasionally give other designers (sometimes up-and-coming talent) a go just to see what they could do. If you finished Xenoblade Chronicles 3 an??d even remotely wanted more, it's an easy?? recommendation.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the DLC purchased by the reviewer.]}

The post Review: Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed appeared first on Destructoid.

More greatness for one of the best RPGs ever

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has cemented itself as one of the greatest RPGs ever created. With its outstanding score, excellent battle system, memorable characters, and impactful story, it honestly feels like the summation of everything Monolith Soft has been working toward with this series. If you enjoyed the game, you probably picked up the Expansion Pass DLC already. Arriving way ahead of schedule for that DLC is Wave 4, the final wave of new content for the game. As promised, Wave 4 includes a new story scenario dubbed Future Redeemed.

If you've been waiting a while for this DLC to arrive, you won't have to wait much longer to play it because Nintendo is dropping Future Redeemed next week.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFlf_S5Woug

That's not the only bit of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 news Nintendo announced tonight. It confirmed the Pyra and Mytha Super Smash Bros. amiibo double-pack will launch on July 21, 2023. If you use these amiibo with XC3, you'll unlock two unique Aegis Sw?ord weapon s??kins for the Swordfighter class.

//twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/16484?98494133641217

If you choose not to pick up the amiibo, Nintendo confirmed the Aegis Sword skins will be unlockable within the game following a future patch. If you are still an amiibo fan, know that two more Xenoblade Chronicle 3 amiibo figures are on the way for Noah and Mio.

//twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/sta?tus/1648500990788915200

More information about the Noah and Mio amiibo figures will be released at a future date. In the meantime, you can enjoy a new chapter in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 when Future Redeemed releases on April 25, 2023. Future Redeemed is part of the XC3 Expansion Pass, which is available for $29.99.

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Get more party members in the mix

The next addition to the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass adds more party to the mix. Mechanical hero Ino leads the additions to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in the Wave 2 DLC on October 13.

Alongside Ino, there are also some challenge missions and a special cosmetic set of swimwear for ??the crew.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHicDEKC9K0

Here's the trailer info:

Expand your Aionios journey with wave 2 of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC Expansion Pass! This new hero looks…mechanical? Complete?? her quest & she’ll join your party. Plus, earn special rewards & new outfits in tough Challenge Battles!

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One of the best acquisitions in company history

While Monolith Soft toils away at their beefy core RPGs they're known for, they're also helping Nintendo with various first-party titles. Every so often we get a glimpse of what games they actually help work on, like the Zelda series. As spotted by Nintendo Life, it seems like Monolith Sof??t added a new game to their repertoire on their company game?? list: Splatoon 3.

As the lengthy list points out, Monolith Soft has been assisting on many first-party Nintendo games, including prior entries in the Splatoon series. This is not unlike the relationship that a lot of other studios have with larger publishers, like High Moon Studios and Vicarious Visions assisting Activision with franchises like Destiny. This particular info drop that they worked on Splatoon 3 is fascinating though, given that it and the massive undertaking that is Xenoblade Chronicles 3 were released at basically the same time.

While the company started in 1999, it was taken over by Nintendo in 2007, and has been a staple studio at the publisher ever since. They've grown year after year, goin?g fro?m 150 employees in 2017 to roughly double that recently. As I've said numerous times, I hope they con?tinue?? their run indefinitely. They're an asset to Nintendo and aren't celebrated enough.

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Don't let maps and bars get in the way of your perfect shot

I've been slowly whiling away the hours over the last few weeks with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a fun and incredibly scenic RPG. And this week, I picked up a little trick that I wish I had known about from the get-go: a shortcut for easy, HUD-less Xenoblade screenshots.

In most games, I tend to be a screenshot fiend. Part of that is, well, part of the job; if I know I'm going to want to write about something later, having a bevy of good screenshots is useful. But I also like to catalogue my journey, remembering specific moments, lines, and vistas from throughout my time ther?e.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has some good camera options, including one that lets you essentially go full-on first-person mode. But Nintendo of Europe tweeted out this handy tip that changed my Xenoblade screenshot life for the better. If you press the L and R buttons simultaneou?sly, you can easily snap a screenshot without the heads-up display.

//twitte??r.com/NintendoEurope/status/1559132800028233729

After se?eing this, I went directly into my game and started trying it. And indeed, it's basically a macro. The game dips out the HUD, snaps a screenshot, and re-ups the display. It's startling how well this works in real-time; I was a little worried I'd have to give it a bit of lead time, but no, it happens pretty darn fast.

A photo album of adventure

Now I've been revisiting all the places I blew through in my early hours of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to get new screenshots. Capturing some of the massive landscapes, beautiful views, and colossal sigh??ts makes for a fun diversion from the main plot.

It helps that Xenoblade Chronicles 3, on top of being quite a good game, is also a very scenic game. It feels like Monolith Soft ekes incre??dible views out of the Nintendo Switch, and now, I've got a great tool for preserving them without too much fuss.

The post PSA: Xenoblade Chr??onicles 3 has a handy shortcut for HUD-free screenshots appeared first on Destructoid.

The end of the Xenoblade series is not nigh!

Recently, there have been staff comments alluding to the potential end of the Xenoblade series, but that's not exactly correct. Instead, the team is mostly referring to the end of the "trilogy," as a new email from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 director Tetsuya Takahashi (obtained by Nintendo Everything) sheds some more light on where the series is go?ing from here.

Note that ??there is one spoilery element, which I have removed with the bold emphasis below??:

Greetings to everyone who purchased Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This is Takahashi from Monolith Soft. Thanks to your support, we’ve released the third Xenoblade title, twelve years after the original Xenoblade was released for the Wii in 2010. Xenoblade 3 has been called the culmination of the whole series up until now, and it truly is the culmination. We at Monolith have put everything we have cultivated over the past twelve years into it. It is also a stopping point to me. This title depicts the conclusion of the Xenoblade story that began [X]. While it is a conclusion, that does not mean it is the end of the Xenoblade series. It is just a stopping point in my mind. I think that everyone who played this title and the additional stories in the Expansion Pass can imagine what lies in the future for Xenoblade. I have one recommendation for how to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Some things are marked by a ? on the game map. Even if you are in the middle of progressing the main story after finding the ? marks, try taking a detour. There are many encounters waiting there. Thank you for your continued support of Xenoblade Chronicles 3!

So, how about that t??easer for the expansion pass? With everything due by the end of 2023 (which culminates with another campaign), it sounds like it's going to be really spicy stuff, especially if it helps folks "imagine what ??lies in the future" for the series.

I mean, it makes total sense. As a whole this series is a nice little gravy train for Monolith Soft, with a baked in audience that seems to grow with every iteration. The only thing on my wishlist: more respect for Xenoblade Chronicles X. It's barely mentioned in any of the recent in??terviews!

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"The total walkable area"

Just how big is the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 wor??ld compared to the second game? A whopping five times as large, according to the developers.

This raw figure was disclosed via part three of an official developer interview series, featuring Tetsuya Takahashi (senior director and chief creative officer at Monolith Soft), Koh Kojima (producer and director at Monoli??th Soft), and?? Genki Yokota (producer and director at Nintendo).

After being asked about the scope of the game, and how big it was intended to be as the third entry in a major series, Kojima laughed, and really let loose just how big the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 world really is:

"Com?e to think of it, we were just talk??ing about this yesterday in the office. That the world would be crazy big for this title. So I actually did the math, and it turns out that the total walkable area in this game is over five times larger than in the second title. It was like... "Yikes!"

Kojima elaborates, citing the hindsight of accumulated k?nowledge from prior games to really allow this map to sing. This allowed the team to get more "creative" instead of just re-using variations of the same landscape? concepts, and cites the danger of over-designing things like "wall pattern" aesthetics, which can cut into development time needed to implement more gameplay. Draw distance was apparently a priority though, and I think that was a good call �despite the limitations of the Switch hardware, the game managed to really surprise me at times with some amazing-looking vistas.

If you're interested in diving deeper into the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, you can find all t?hree interviews from the serie?s below!

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 interview series links:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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Change up the look of your physical copy

One of the perks of physical game ownership is being able to display your shiny new box on a shelf amongst your game collection. And if the base box art of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 isn't fitting in??, or you'd just like some options, a?? new MyNintendo reward has you covered.

Over on the MyNintendo page, a collection of three alternative box arts for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is available now. The collection will run you 30 Platinum Points. It's ?available? now through February 1, 2023, so you've got time to consider them.

Once you've redeemed the reward, getting your new art is pr??etty straightforward. Just download the files and print them on a color printer at actual size, on 8.5 x 11" (letter-sized) paper. Nintendo recommends using Gloss Text-type papers.

As for what's on the box? Well, the first is a pretty stylized mash-up of the game's d?ual protagonists, Noah and Mio. The other features one of the Ouroboros robots they can fuse into, from the looks of it.

Personally, I'm pretty partial to the one that has cut-ins of all six party members. It's got a fun "everybody's here" vibe to it, and shows off the whole lineup of characters you'll be venturing with in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwG04ZdXCOo

What's on cart

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launched last Friday, and for those who picked up a physical copy, this is a nice little add-on. I always enjoy when Nintendo adds these for the MyNintendo rewards. Reversible box a?rt is one thing, but having a wide variety of covers to slot into your Switch case adds a little bit more flair and personality.

Chris seemed to overall enjoy his time with the new Xenoblade, so it's worth keeping your eye on, for sure. My copy, meanwhile, is still on the way. But maybe when it gets here, I'll print out some new art for it. In the meantime, we've got plenty of helpful guides to get you prepped for what's in store in this beefy, 100+ ho??ur RPG.

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These are near the endgame

Three Xenoblade Chronicles 3 classes are tou?gher to find than all the othe??rs. Here's a quick rundown of how to pick them all up.

[Note that there will be no specific story spoilers below, but locations will be named, as will names of quests and classes (without proper character names).]

How to find the Machine Assassin in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

So this is by far the hardest class to find in the game, as it requires multiple quest chains. Note that you likely shouldn't attempt this until you're at least level 50, so you can just go back and eventually close this one out?: or do some of the required quests along the way. Your choice.

Once you reach the Fornis Region you'll have the opportunity to do quests for Colony 4 (pictured here). Complete all the quests you can inside of the confines of the colony, and eventually, you'll be able to get "Severed Connection" outside of the colony's ??gates with a question mark icon (?) appearing to denote it can be picked? up. Complete that (simply head to the quest marker and finish one fight).

Later in the game, through listening to a rumor in The City, you'll get this quest from the same location called Writer's Block. That's the next step of the questline. Complete that quest (all you need to?? do is have it as a focus, and go to the locations it tells you to).

After that, head here to the Upper Aetia Region. Once Writer's Block and Severed Connection are complete, a question mark icon (?) w??ill appear right her?e. That will lead you directly to the Machine Assassin questline.

How to find the Royal Summoner in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

After finishing the game, head here with a clear file. The "questline"?? is essentially a conversation and you'll? unlock the Royal Summoner.

It's that? simple! I'm keeping things as vague as po?ssible.

How to find the Lifesage in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

After finishing the game, head here with a clear file. The "ques??tline" is another conversation?? and you'll unlock the Lifesage.

It's t?hat simple! I'm ?keeping things as vague as possible.

The post A spoiler-free guide on h??ow to get the three toughest to find Xenoblade Chronicles 3 classes appeared first on Destructoid.

And what's next

The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 season pass (referred to as an "expansion pass") was revealed during a recent Nintendo Direct presentation, but now that it's actually here, we have some info on what it actually comes with. Right now you're buying into the "Advent?ure Support Pack," as well as the promise of two smaller DLCs, and? one bigger expansion

[gallery link="file" ids="337243,337240,337242"]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 season pass Adventure Support Pack contents

The eShop description says that it contains "a collection of helpful items, as well as color variations for ex??isting outfits," but we can do a bit better than that thanks to snooping the expansion pass menu in the actual game:

• Nopon Coin (Silver) x 30
• Nopon Coin (Gold) x10
• Iron Temple Guard
• Circlet of Wisdom
• Silver Belt
• Auto-Balancer
• Glass Memory
• Nopon Strap
• Noah - Color 02 (outfit)
• Mio - Color 02
• Eunie - Color 02
• Taion - Color 02
• Lanz - Color 02
• Sena - Color 02

As you?? can probably glean, none of it is essential.

Nopon Coins are helpful in Xenoblade Chronicles 3(they can speed? up gem creation, as well as class leveling and cooking), but you can easily get by without them or find more out in the world through exploration and quest completion (when choosing a side for world event clashes, try and err on the side of coins: you can always get XP later). All of the other items might be helpful early on as quick upgrades (especially when you don't have much to go around), but you need to unlock equipment slots anyway gradually by leveling up, and you can find plenty of good equipment through vendors and quests.

As it stands, you might want to wait for the second pack ??to come out before p?ulling the trigger, unless you really want alternate costume colors.

So what's next for the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 season pass?

On the immediate horizon, "pack 2" is called "New Hero & Intense Enemy Battles." Ba?sed on the? official in-game description, it includes:

• A Challenge Battle mode against difficult enemies
• A new hero character and accompanying quests
• New character outfits (this part is not directly advertised in-game, but is listed on the eShop description)

Expect it to operate like a lot of 2010s-style "arena bout" DLC, and you'll likely get a new hero to mess with (and thus, a new class) at the end of it. Nintendo says the release date for the pack will be "by 12/31/2022," so by the end of the year.

As for pack 3, it'll contain the exact same con??tents as pack 2, and will be released by "4/30/2023."

Pack 4 is the main event, and involves a "new original story scenario," and wi??ll arrive by "12/31/2023?," so by the end of next year.

The post All of the day one b??onuses in the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 season pass appeared first on Destructoid.

As spoiler-free as possible

Want some Xenoblade Chronicles 3 tips? Well??, play the game first, and come here if you get stuck or are ??starting to feel frustrated!

If that's the case, we have you covered.

Head to every canteen you can

This is something you should start making a habit of early on. When you visit a canteen anywhere (mostly in colonies, which are like small outposts/towns so to speak), buy the one meal available. It'll "unlock" it for use at regular campsites as your team cook (Manana) can now wield the recipe. Canteens can be identified on the map with a handshake symbol (which is al??so shared by campsites): ?but it'll say the words "canteen" on the screen.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of canteens and the food system in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Go to every map spot with a question mark, and find the Hulk structures

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 uses question mark symbols on the map to denote important locations. This can be anything from a point of interest to a whole new optional party member. It's important to stop by and at least check them out when you're walking around, but if you miss some, you can come back later instantly with the fast travel? system.

There's also the "Hulk" structures to account for, which are littered about the map, and are kind of like micro-factories that can generate items. Y??ou'll come across one story-required Hulk around five hours in, and the rest are up to you to find. The thing is, they're marked on the map when you get close to them!

While the question mark symbol (?) is straightforward, the Hu??lk symb?ol isn't. That's why I included it above!

Your amiibo won't add much, but you can scan three per day

Like most ??first-party games in the last several years, amiibo support is a rear-view feature, which is sure to delight a lot of people who don't feel like tracking them down.

The good news is that unless you care about the Shulk figure unlocking the Monado, the rest of them don't really matter. Scanning up to three amiibo per day provides rewards in the form of reagents (like cooking or craf?ting materials) �minor stuff in the grand scheme of things.

You can read more about the amiibo feature here.

Swap classes constantly

Whenever you find a new "hero" party member (read: a seventh guest spot you can cycle in and out), they'll come with their own unique class. These are typically alterations of the core three roles (ta??nk, attacker, support [healer]), but all of them have nuances and extra ?abilities that you can mix and match, and help you get an edge in tougher fights.

There's a catch: when you unlock them, only one party member resonates with their class. But if you use that party member and the hero, you can slowly raise the class points of each person to unlock the class for everyone else. Some heroes will unlock classes faster than others, so when they are "done" learning them, you can swap their class, swap the hero, and repeat the process to unlock everything?? you have at that current moment. It helps to be proactive before you're swimming in extra classes.

You can find the full breakdown of how c?lasses w??ork in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 here.

Use chain attacks right as you hit the enrage portion of a boss health meter

So this is kind of a ?tricky one to visualize because I don't want to post a spoilery boss image this close to launch, but I got you.

Bosses have a health bar at the top of the screen like everyone else, but they also wield an "enrage" symbol toward the middle: it looks like a burning flame. Once they reach that their entire health bar glows with fire, and they get a little stronger. As a result, it behooves you to save big attacks (like chain attacks) if a boss is just about to enrage, as you c?an potentially push them over the line and finish them off just as they're unlocking their f?ull potential.

Keeping Ouroboros cooldowns ready, on top of your ch??ain attack combo (used with the + button after your meter charges), and even your special party member moves (which are linked to t??he A button) can slash through the amount of time you'll spend fighting an enraged boss.

Later on you'll also have the a??bility to remove the rage status in some cases. Try and change the tactics of the squa?d (hold ZL) to "burst" to attempt this (left option after holding ZL).

The post ?Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Five Quick tips for? getting started appeared first on Destructoid.

As soon as you unlock a class, use it

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 classes are highly customizable, as you can mix and match abilities from other classes into one syner??gized player-crafted build. That said, you need to unlock the ability to use a class with everyone in your party. Here's how to make ?sense of the system.

[No major story spoilers will be discussed in this article.]

After meeting a new party member, you'll inherently unlock a new class

So this is actually important to understand. Typically, party members join up as part of the main storyline, or through optional quests. To find every possible party member (and thus, unlock all the classes), you'll want to head toward ? icons on the map, which gen?er??ally denote points of interest like new quests: something meatier than a pickup or item stash.

After finishing their questline (which, for the most part, have yellow quest markers in your quest menu to? show that they are charact??er related), they'll join the party as a "hero," and you can swap them in as the 7th member of your group. Here's where it gets interesting.

New classes can generally only be used by one party member at first

Once you unlock a new class, swap that specific core party member (one of the "main six" that can't be changed out) to that class right ?away. What you're doing here is beginning the process of "unlocking" the class for the rest of the party.

Sometimes this will bring you out of your comfort zone. In other words, a "career healer" might drastically shift over to a damage-dealer. This is OK! You only nee?d to keep them in that role until you unlock that class for at least one other person, then they can swap back to their prior role or adjust to something else.

The more class points [experience] you earn from using that class,?? the faster the class will unlock for? everyone else. At some point, you'll earn enough for everyone on the team to use it, which opens up your options of cross-synergy abilities and more build options.

To level up classes beyond the standard limit of 10, you'll need to finish a questline

These quests generally come later in the gam??e, sometimes all the way in the back half. You'll come across many of them naturally, and they'll be labeled as character/hero quests (with the same yellow quest marker in your quest menu). You've seen them before in the JRPG arena: they deal with character-specific storylines and can close out some arcs for guest heroes.

You'll even do a few of them as required by the main story! Just finish them an??d you can level up classes to 20, and unlock more abilities.

The post In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, always make sure you’re swapping classes appeared first on Destructoid.

This is as spoiler-free as you can get!

A Xenoblade Chronicles 3 canteen is useful for multiple reasons. It serves as a rest stop, which you can use to do all sorts of rest-stoppy things like add bonus XP and talk things over with your party for a chance at extra XP and more questlines. But the real thing that sets canteens apart from camps is the ability to learn new recipes for party member Manana. So make sure you make a poin?t to h??it every canteen you can!

Here's a very early game (like firs??t-few-hours-early) example!

Canteens are typically found in colonies

Colonies are by and large the "cities/towns" of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. H??ere you'll find opportunities to gather up new quests, as well as some hidden caches (barrels?? full of useful items and equipment), and...canteens.

One of the first things you'll want to do every time you locate a new colony is go to the canteen. If you a??ren't sure if something is a canteen or not (if you're judging whether or not to waste precious fast travel load time), you can simply highlight it on the map and it'll appear on the screen with the full rundown. These can share the same "handshake" icon as camps, but it'll say "canteen" in the rest spot description.

Just order whatever food is available

Once you're at a canteen, buy the food available for a nominal gold fee. It's OK if you're overwriting a current effect (like the one shown?? here), you're going to be learning the recipe?? to use forevermore in any camp.

By ordering new food, Manana (the party cook) will be able to replicate it on their own. You'll want to gather as many recipes as possible so that you can use the one that suits your needs (like if you need an XP boost, or a class point [CP] boost to re?ach a certain milestone to clear a boss/optional encounter).

If you just caught this tip and haven't ordered anything at a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 canteen, don't worry! Just open up the world map and go to every canteen you've located, and order the food. Even if you've ordered it befo??re, it's OK: the cost is generally minimal and you could end up acqui?ring a new recipe you missed.

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"Fixed some issues"

Nintendo and Monolith Soft just pushed out the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 day one patch (sin?ce J??apan is getting the game now) and it's pretty small!

For starters, the bulk of the update seems to be enabling the season pass. The studio also added the ability to open up the main menu (X) in-game and obtain delivery-based bonus items from the season pass. It also "fixes some issues," w??hich are likely last-minute development fixes. But in my experience throughout the entire game, I didn't really see many technical problems outside of some framerate?? drops in massive areas.

With that in mind, the physical edition is fairly well preserved already (so far, at least), as all you're getting is "minor fixes" and the ability to add in (mostly future) season pass content, which?? required an online connection anyway.

You can find the full notes here.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 day one patch notes - Ver. 1.1.0:

• • Added the ability to receive items delivered in the Expansion Pass.
    After downloading the Expansion Pass, the "Expansion Pass" item will be added to the main menu and you will be able to receive delivery items.
  • The main menu can be opened by pressing the X button during play.

• Fixed some issues to make the game more comfortable to play.

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Creating a whole new sound for Xenoblade

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 arrives this Friday, with a grand new world to explore backed by music from Yasunori Mitsuda and company. And in a new developer interview, the team details how it created the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 soundtrack with the help of some brand-ne??w flutes.

Protagonists Noah and Mio each carry a flute, playing them at various points throughout the game. These are, according to a new Ask the Developer interview with the Xenoblade team, based on real-life shinobue flutes;?? a Japanese musical instrument made by drilling holes in shinotake bamboo.

Mitsuda, who has composed music for games like Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, suggested the flute to the team. Xenoblade creator Tetsuya Takahashi says that ??after listening to the sound of the instrument, he thought it would be a good choice and would incorporate a "distinctive Japanese taste."

At this point, we've locked in the flutes. Excellent. I haven't played the game yet myself, but our reviewer Chris Carter tells me they're used in-game for p?retty somber ??moments.

Only, to make those somber moments together, the team didn't just add in flutes. No, they made flutes.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwG04ZdXCOo

If you build it

Director Koh Kojima recalls Mitsuda telling him, "let's make flutes." At first, Kojima wondered why the team would make the flutes. But Mitsuda said that ??by "making the flutes from scratch, you can create a sound that hasn't been heard before."

The plan was for? two melodies, Noah and Mio's, to eventually ?flow into each other in a single piece. And Kojima says that Mitsuda thought creating the flutes from scratch would enable him to freely control the scale and expression.

The team at Monolith Soft designed them with the intention of a?ctually using them. Then, they sent the designs to a shinobue flute craftsman to make them. And they had a Japanese urushi lacquer craftsman decorate them.

In the end, two flutes were made and then used to record the music for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. So that's the story of how an RPG studio made two real-life flu??tes for ?its soundtrack.

It's not like Monolith Soft is any stranger to real-life models. As chronicled in Iwata Asks, Takahashi worked with Yasoyuki Honne to make an actual 3D model of the world for the original Xenoblade Chronicles pitch.

Cheers to Monolith Soft for always finding wild ways to step up their RPGs. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is out this Friday, July 29, for Nintendo Switch.

_{[Images via Nintendo's Ask a Developer interview.]}

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It's being published to celebrate Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but has tidbits on prior games

Nintendo just published an official Xenoblade interview that talks to key development team members, and it touches on prior games in the series, not just Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

[Note that the interview contains vague spoilers for the third game.]

The roundtable consists of Tetsuya Takahashi (senior director and chief creative officer at Monolith Soft), Koh Kojima (producer and director at Monolith Soft), and Genki Yokota (producer and director at Nintendo). The team kicks things off by saying this new entry is the "culmination of the trilogy," which is more like a broad statement in terms of depicting themes (confirmed immediately after in the same interviews), but also touches on a story ??justification for it.

However, Takahashi insists that each game is a standalone story (having finished Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I feel like this is apt): "No, the stories of one, two, and three all stand alone. Although some elements and designs from one and two will appear in this third entry here and there, there is no need to have played the first and second games to understand the story or how to play. However, since this is a series of works, the underlying theme is consistent, and in each case, the story unfolds based on 'the relationship between foreign things.' Also, I used the word 'culmination' earlier, but this title brings together all the themes that have been developed over the past 15 years since 2007, when development of the first title in the Xenoblade Chronicles series began, as well as the gameplay systems that?? have ??been developed throughout the series."

Takahashi also talks about the core thesis of the game (what would people do if they only lived for 10 years), and how the formative years of his life influenced that concept. Yokota agreed that it would be the best way forward, stating: "We had a great deal of discussion in the beginning about why to have a 10-year life span. Although the seriousness was in full swing from the beginning, I remember hearing the thoughts Takahashi-san just mentioned, and I was in complete agreement. Doing so would surely bring out that sense of Xenoblade-ness, an??d I thought that I wanted to stay the course with this storyline."

If you're a hardcore Xenoblade fan, it's definitely worth reading in full (though sadly there is no respect for Xenoblade Chronicles X). Two more interviews are arriving today and tomorrow (July 27 and July 28), billed as "Chapter 2 and Chapter 3."

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You have to Xeno-start somewhere

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is out this Friday, and already it's quite a swell behind it. Monolith Soft's latest is obviously of high interest to RPG fans, but we're curious to?? see who else might finally try the series.

This third Xenoblade Chronicles game is the latest Switch game for Monolith, a company that both crafts Xeno- games and supports other projects at Nintendo. The first Xenoblade Chronicles was a big hit for the studio, bringing a massive open-world RPG to the Nintendo Wii. Its follow-up, though, proved a little more divisive. And spin-off entry Xenoblade Chronicles X is still landlocked on the Wii U.

The review embargo lifted for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 today, and the critical consensus seems keen on it. The new entry got an Essential badge over at Eurogamer, high marks at many score-giving sites, and a 9.5 here at Destructoid.

It's reasonable to gue?ss that some might be c?onsidering trying the series, possibly for the first time. And hello, I'm among them.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwG04ZdXCOo

What's in a Xeno-name?

I never got around to Xenogears, the first Xeno-prefix game made under Squaresoft. My hop-on point was later, with Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht on the PlayStation 2.

Xenosaga's weaving of sci-fi, religion, and bonkers robots hit the bullseye in my heart. It was a staple of my PS2 collect??ion, and I still own a copy to this day.

So years later, when Monolith Soft and Nintendo announced a new Xeno game fo?r the Wii, why didn't I jump in? Well, for one, I didn't have a Nintendo Wii. (My family did, but I didn't get to s??teal that away to college.)

And once I could actually play it, the MMO-ness of it intimidated me. I'd heard stories about how it handled like an MMORPG, and after not clicking with games like World of Warcraft, I was ready to write it off.

Thrice upon a time

So what changed? Well, I got really into Final Fantasy XIV, for one thing. And I've also long-held the opinion that if something is incredibly popular, it's probably popular for a reason. And Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was popular enough to cause the Nintendo Store some problems with its collector's edition.

The story also seems right up my alley, as a war conflict tale in a vast fantasy world. My biggest concern was whether familiarity with the series was necessary for jumping in. Our own Chris Carter allayed my fears with this section of his review:

"Because of the way everything funnels back into the emotional core, this isn’t a bad “first dip into the pool�if you’ve never played a Xenoblade game before. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 didn’t need to do a whole lot to k??eep me invested, as I was all-in very early on. The cast, the weight of the story, and the freedom o?f party composition are the power trio that won me over."

But my question, readers, is simply this: Are you also dipping your toe in the Xeno-water for the first time with Xenoblade Chronicles 3? Are you a longtime Xeno-ficionado with some helpful hints and tricks? Are there still things that? concern you? Let us kn?ow below!

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Playthroughs will vary wildly, but here's some numbers to work with

Now that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 reviews are out in the wild, I've seen all sorts of playthrough lengths flying around. So exactly how long is Xenoblade Chronicles 3? Let's dig in!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwG04ZdXCOo

The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 core story (and nothing else) is roughly 60 hours

Note: that's a rough estimate, and read the below? provisos!

JRPG game length is a hot-button issue, and I came prepared. So for this review, I actually used a timer to keep track of when I deviated from the main storyline. My first clear took around 85 hours or so, and taking away side content and some exploration, I ended up with a 60-hour estimate if you just go for the main story (this is when the credits rolled for me).

Difficulty levels will also mess with this number a bit,?? as will failures in combat/boss battles. Some rare encounters can go on for upwards of 1??5-20 minutes, so multiple failures can add an hour or so to any given storyline-driven section.

I've seen a few figures saying that there is "over 100 hours of just main story content" and that could be a misnomer, because many people will be able to cl??ear the story in about half that time, especially those of you who will aim for easy mod?e just to see the credits.

An average Xenoblade Chronicles 3 playthrough will likely take 80-100 hours

So taking into account all of the above, and adding back in side content and mid/heavy amounts of exploration, most people are going to be looking at more than 60 hours.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 contains many engaging sidequests that have lengthy storylines, so the urge to finish at least a portion of them, even if you're looking to speed through the game, will be strong. It's also going to be hard to repel the siren's song of equipment right there on the horizon when wander??ing around �you can safely tack on at least 20 hours to account for that, at minimum.

If you do everything, you can muster more time out of it

"Over 100 hours" is accurate if you're looking to clear every quest, and attempt to find every co??????????????????????????llectible/hidden cache/supply d??rop in the game.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3's length is variable, as you can see! "60-120 hours" is going to be the norm once the game gets in everyone's hands �but the latter is not a hard ??figure if all you want to do is see things through until the end, so don't let it scare you off!

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You have until September 15 to enter

Nintendo has a new Xenoblade Chronicles 3 prize pack up for grabs, and you just need to head to this page a?nd click a few buttons. After that Nintendo will pick some winners on September 1??5 at 2AM ET, and send them out.

Here's what the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 prize pack from Nintendo includes:

• An HD metal sublimation print (wall art of the core cast members)
• A sidekick sling bag (a bag that can hold a tablet and includes the game logo)
• Two water bottles (vacuum insulated with art featuring Riku and Manana)
• Postcards (six cards with one from each main character)

To enter it's technically part of the My Nintendo system, so you'll need 10 Platinum Points per entry, up to a max of three entries. I just...want to buy all this stuff on its own!

As a reminder, if you want physical rewards, you can find our full Platinum Point guide here, which has been updated with details on weekly missions: bookmark it for when you need quick points for a reward. A handful of points is incredibly easy to get, as that’s basically just 15 minutes with Super Mario Run, or a quick sign-on to the 3DS or Wii U 3Shop. Also remember that any shipments are bundled together, so you c??an pay a flat rate for multiple items instead of paying it each time. Just know that items go out of stock on My Nintendo frequently, and some are never restocked.

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I GOT SOMETHIN' FOR YA

After getting a glimpse of the first image for the original Xenoblade Chronicles so many years ago, I never in my wildest dreams assumed we'd be welcoming multiple sequels. Xenoblade Chronicles 3, arguably the most accessible entry so far, is yet another example of why I'm glad that Monolith Sof??t is sticking with it.

_{[This review is relatively spoiler-free, and will only be discussing specific story elements through chapter 2.]}

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: July 29, 2022
MSRP: $59.99

With a relatable and easy-to-understand premise, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has a much faster startup time than a lot of other JRPGs. Time and what you choose to do with it is a huge theme, and it's the emotional crux of the narrative. Our core six party members have a limited? life span (with units calle??d "terms"), all in service of one of two warring kingdoms (three people on each side). As a result of a twist of fate, they end up meeting under auspicious circumstances.

There's a lot of flashbacks interspersed into the story as time goes on (with some of them showing up really late), which both inform the macro-narrative and help flesh out the main characters. You get real wizard sch?ool vibes, as teams of kids with powers compete with one another and make choices that impact their relationships in the current day. There's a push and pull here that reverberates throughout the game.

The constant conflict of this world is what makes things interesting. We get to see plenty of examples of provincial life, as well so??me silly downtime, all juxtaposed to the horrific realities of the battlefield. Since dead soldiers' souls fuel the machines of war on either side, things can get heavy. Allowing the heart of the party (Noah and Mio) to s?erve as off-seers (trained officers who are meant to usher souls into the afterlife after falling in battle) provides for an emphatic, relatable lens through which to take in the story.

I have to say I bought into this world hook line and sinker just five or so hours in. At that point, I had met the main party, and I was addicted to finding out what will happen to everyone �given, you know, the concept of predetermined death and limited lifespans. It's deeply contemplative at times (without going over the top or waxing poetic with overly flowery dialogue), like that time Keanu Reeves made everyone cry.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwG04ZdXCOo

The relationships everyone has with one another are a huge part of why I bought in. Since each half of the core six comes from a different side of the war, each person has a different take on the situation, or a different attitude �and it doesn't always mesh well with the other faction. "Aging as an abhorrent foreign concept" is a classic sci-fi trope, but it's played with here i??n interesting ways that make sense within its own universe. I'm also a sucker for "marked for death" storylines because of the inherent tension within.

While a lot of people will likely balk at any form of Switch visuals, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is impressive looking by any standard. I took a ton of screenshots of this gorgeous world for fun that I look forward to drip-feeding out once the spoiler statute of limitations is done and dusted, and ??it's all backed by an incredible soundtrack that may or may not get snubbed at The Game Awards. One of my only hang-ups when it comes to the visual style is the animations during some cutscenes �they can look wooden, especially when characters move and run in and out of set pieces.

It does sport some really cool action sequences, and for those of you who don't dig the Xenoblade dubs, dual audio is there for you. With that in mind, I loved this dub. With dialogue like "spark that," "deffo," "how much magic power has ?this geek got," and "queen bitch," it runs the gamut of wonderfully campy to straight-up laugh-out-loud h??ilarious. The spirited performances can get downright sassy, especially if we're talking Eunie, the queen of sass. The stoic Nopon Riku also brings a nice counterbalance to the otherwise peppy and loud Nopon creatures in the series, and I'm always down to just hang out with this crew. Plus, who can not love an NPC vendor named ShillShill.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 lets you know that yes, this is a Xenoblade sequel, but it also has its own rules. Exploration is a lot more fun because the sandboxes are generally bigger, and the ability to zoom in (all the way into first-person) or out, and swap party members is a nice touch in terms of immers??ion. Breadcrumb trails are available as an optional toggle to cut out aimlessness, and the map automatically checkpoints points of interest for you, without obnoxious maps full of pointless pins.

The game nudges you in the direction of participating without pulling teeth, encouraging players to t??alk to people for the first time for a small reputation gain. There's even bonuses for faster swimming, better meals (which provide timed bonuses), a quicker run speed, and so on. Quests are often uncovered in the overworld with traditional menu-based quest lists, or through talking with your party in a camp after hearing rumors while out and about. With supply drops (big bonus chests coming in from the sky) happening amid things like double-sided conflicts (where you can choose a side for a separate set of rewards), and shiny monsters indicating bigger loot rewards, there's always something going on.

Convenient fast travel and "save anywhere" features are back for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and although there are droves of tutorials, most of them are quick text boxes you can just skip. One of the only technical issues I had with the game involved a few framerate drops in specific areas where there's a lot going on, but in my personal experience, most of that was in cutscenes. I had encountered one stretch of the game where load times were a bit longer than normal (including areas I had already been to or warped back from), which was solved after rebooting the game. All told, any inc?onveniences were minor, but your threshold? of framerate terror could be different.

Similar to other Xenoblade games, combat starts off very simplistic with an emphasis ??on auto-attacking, and occasionally pop??ping an art (ability). At first, there's no real downside to just spamming arts when they come up, and you can't swap classes or try out new builds as readily. There are a few nuances, though, that carry on throughout the rest of the game.

Canceling auto-attacks (after they hit) into arts is optimal, as is canceling arts into supers (which are slowly charged up through arts or auto-attacking). Some classes can also throw down healing/buff ri??ngs, and select bosses toss debuff/damage rings on the ground to avoid. With easy-to-read aggro lines (blue means the enemy is centered on a tank), you can see how you need to adjust, or swap between party members to regain aggro or heal the party up. (All six core members can be swapped to in and out of combat, and be controlled.)

Roughly five to ten hours in (depending on your s?peed) you'll unlock the class system, which opens up party customization. Although everyone starts with a "core" function that's governed by three roles (attacker, defender, support [healer]), you'll slowly unlock the ability for any party member to swap to any role. As you level up, you'll unlock more accessory and gem slots, more classes, and it's off t??o the personalization races.

Passives, art alterations, combo potential, gems that have special effects (like drawing aggro at the start, or letting healers resurrect party members quicker), it's all on the table. I started to experiment with builds like o??fftanks that were mainly damage-oriented, but could grab enemies and take the heat off if the main tank fell in battle. The sheer number of support classes also encourages strategy beyond raw healing, with buffs and offensive spells in the mix. I eagerly maxed out every class in one of the three roles for each character so I could mix and match arts; op??ening up three more slots for cross-class arts (on top of the three you already have) is key.

So as I'm mentioning quite a bit in the review, the core party of six is static (though again, they can be customized and change classes), and you get a seventh "guest hero" party member too. Some are optional and off the beaten path, and several are required via ??the story. These are automated characters that have static equipment and presets, but they add a little fluff to combat, and can shore up party weaknesses if you want to go with an unconventional lineup.

Then you have the Ouroboros system, which, to be very vague and overly simplistic about it, combines two characters into one controllable mech in combat, sort of reminiscent of Xenogears. While there are naturally three combinations of Ouroboros links (two preset party members always sync up?? together), each person has their own unique Ouroboros form, and skill tree. I told you there would be layers!

In? theory, using Ouroboros in combat presents an interesting twist, as it technically eliminates two party members in favor of one body, so you'd potentially lose out on a healer or tank (temporarily) by linking up. However, I wish the system was a bit more sparing in nature? (perhaps only used in certain battles), or tweaked a bit. Depending on how you get on with it, it could be seen as an extra thing to micromanage, that takes you away from the fun builds you just spent a ton of time tweaking. While there is some light customization for Ouroboros, it's not nearly as in-depth as the class system, and the ability to freely swap into Ouroboros form wasn't as tantalizing or as satisfying as I expected it to be.

Of course, it has its strategic uses. If a party member is about to die or draws aggro when they shouldn't, you can swap to Ouroboros form for respite, which is protected by an overheat gauge rather than a traditional life bar. Once it overheats, you have to wait for a cooldown period to use it again with that particular pair??. But in many encounters, especially overworld trash fights, you simply don't need it. Fighting elite foes (enemies with blue or orange title cards, seen in the overworld image above) can add some excitement to the festivities, but I found the Ouroboros system a tad oversaturated �and wanted to see a little more meat on those bones.

Once again though, Xenoblade 3 ties everything together and makes it all worthwhile. Ouroboros have a huge impact on the storyline, and every time I'd see the CPU make a decision to sync up two party members (accompanied by a voiceover shout not unlike popular Sentai media), I'd smile, as I'd recall the connections they had during the journey and their r?elationship. It evens out, and you don't even really need to use Ouroboros if yo??u don't like it.

Because of the way everything funnels back into the emotional core, this isn't a bad "first dip into the pool" if you've never played a Xenoblade game before. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 didn't need to do a whole lot to keep me invested, as I was all-in very early on. The cast, the weight of the story, and the freedom of party composition are the power trio that won me over. Even during some of the slower moments of the na?rrative, I was fiddling with stats and loadouts, and still driven by a need to see where ever??yone ended up.

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"No additional download required"

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 dual audio will be part of the base game, Nintendo has revealed via a new tweet leading up to launch.

Sometimes on Nintendo consoles (read: not always) "language packs" are often used as a way to supplement a game's vocal optio?ns: optional downloads that you need to pick up, which can get annoying if you just want to pop in your physical cart and go. Well you can do just that, Nintendo says, at least if you're looking for English or Japanese voices.

The publisher posted a full one-minute video alongside the confirmation, splicing in the English cast with the Japanes?e one. You can hear pretty much everyone from the "core six" in action, and it's not even a major spoiler, as the clip has already been posted before (during the Nintendo Direct presentation for the game); and it's mostly a little traveling interlude with no major story implications.

This sort of dual audio at launch thing has become the norm for a lot of JRPGs, and I really dig it. I know some people can't stand a lot of the English voice acting for this series (I'm cool with it!), so the ability to swap immediately with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 dual audio will enhance a lot of people's experience quite? ??a bit.

//twitter.com/NintendoEurope/st?atus/1545392286049222658

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They're a tank

Nintendo just put out a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Zeon character reveal, which showcas?es the tan??k class in action.

The first reveal actually comes via the Nintendo of Europe Twitter account, which gives us a quick translated rundown of the character (notice the High Entia wing design on their head):

"Zeon is a Keves soldier and a reliable hero who’ll go above and beyond to protect his allies in #XenobladeChronicles3. Armed with a sword and shield, Zeon’s abilities?? are enhanced when he’s pitted ag?ainst stronger enemies."

Next, we have to hover back over to the Japanese Nintendo Twitter account, because this is h?ow Nintendo?? delivers segmented chunks of news these days, even on bigger games.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Zeon character trailer:

//twitter.com/XenobladeJP/status/1?536244016907694082

Through the above account, we actually get a much better look at the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Zeon character reveal i??n video form, w?hich more than does its job. Big sword? Check. Protecting the party? Check.

I'm a sucker for tank characters, and the getup of ?knight armor and an anime glowing sword and shield really do it for me. It's going to be hard to push this character out of my forever party unless Monolith Soft has something really special up its sleeve.

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Manana and Riku

With Xenoblade Chronicles 3 quickly approaching in July, Nintendo is sharing a ton of info rapidly, including the playable Nopons that will appear in your party.

In case you haven't played a Xenoblade Chronicles game before (which is understandable, as you can jump into any of them), Nopons are the core "cute" race of the series, not unlike a lot of other anime product??ions. They're typically goofy, but they also fight, and sometimes serve ??a larger role in the overarching plot.

As far as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 go??es, first up is Manana, who is "always thinking about food." It's not just for lore flavor either, as they'll serve as the cook of the party, and they sport a "cheerful personality."

//twitter.com/Xeno??bladeJP/status/15??26099318578421760

Then there's Riku, who is one of the most stoic Nopons we've seen to date. They'll "maintain your weapons" as the smith, and one of his defining tra??its is his ability to keep his cool. That calm demeanor and that Japanese voice in the video below are a thing of wonder. I'm already counting on adding them to my party ahead of tim??e. I love it when that happens with a JRPG.

//twitter.com/XenobladeJP/statu??s/1526098440547012609

This tweet? gives us a better look at the duo in a battle-ready stance, with their weapons out.

??//twitter.co??m/XenobladeJP/status/1526099687417139205

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Nintendo has unveiled the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 file size on the game's official listing and it's a doozy! 15G?B is what they have listed, before any updates.

Recently revealed for a July release, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will take up a hefty chunk on your Switch: half the entire on-board storage n some cases. Naturally, nearly all of you have upgraded at this point, and probably expected around that file size: but just in c?ase!

In terms of how this shakes out, the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 file si??ze is the biggest yet for the main series. While the first two games (on Switch) are roughly the same, teetering around the 13.5GB mark give or take, this one ups the ante a bit into the 1??5GB territory. Start clearing out your space now.

If we really want to get nuts, Xenoblade Chronicles X (which doesn't even have an official storefront page anymore), an often-forgotten part of the series, really shakes things up and takes the cake overall. It had a staggering 10GB of data packs, which included anything from speeding up load times to making things lo??ok sharper, in various aspects of the game (like walking around the fi?eld, or in shops).

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 series file size comparisons:

• Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition: 13.7GB
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2: 13.2GB
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country (standalone): 3.3GB
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3: 15GB

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Battle and character rundowns are the highlights

[Update: The UK Xenoblade Chronicles 3 site just opened up, which has some of this info in English.]

The Japanese Xenoblade Chronicles 3 site is open for business, and it has a lot of easily acc??essible info on the game.

Due out on July 29 of this year, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will feature a combat system with up to seven party members, which is touched upon through various screens and a short rundown on said site. Noting that "positioning" is important, it re-co??nfirms the seven-person combat sy??stem with cold hard screens, while stating that Nopons will be integrated into the party as well.

On top of that, class swapping is reconfirmed: "As you progress through the adventure, you will be able to change the character's class to create a free party. For example, it is possible to have multiple 'sword fighters' or to have an attack-oriented party." As part of the date reveal we had confirmation on the Ouroboros mechanic, where multiple characters (Noah and Mio, Lantz and Senna, Euni and Tion) could be fused into one; which we are now able to see fully in action via screenshots.

For those of you who can't wait until July, you're definitely going to want to look through all of the short one-sentence character bios, which have the seiyu cast listed for several characters. If you're looking for even more info and screens to comb through, there's a landing site for the game beyond the aforementioned useful news article.

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Xenoblade Chronicles X remains in Wii U jail

There is a myriad of ways Nintendo could have ended today's jam-packed Direct. It could have given us some new footage and release dates for The Sequel to The Breath of the Wild or Bayonetta 3. It could have presented the first footage of Metroid Prime 4 or a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey or that Detective Pikachu port/sequel that may or may not still be in the works. It could have revealed a revival of Mole Mania. So many options with so many highly anticipated titles in the works, but Nintendo decided to end its first Direct of 2022 by throwing a bone to the Xenoblade fans out there with its Xenoblade Chronicles 3 reveal.

From developer Monolith Soft, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will put players in control of Noah and Mio as they navigate a treacherous world and two nations at odds with one another. In a letter published shortly after the game's reveal, Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi explained some of the visuals seen in the trailer, including the broken sword of the Mechonis and the Urayan Titan's body, were conceived years ago following the completion of development on the first game in the series. The central theme of XC3 will be "life."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTP0YgozbC0

Masatsugu Saito, who designed the cast of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, is back on character design duty for the upcoming sequel. Koichi Mugitani created some of the key art for the game that will be revealed at a later time. As for the soundtrack, musicians from past Xenoblade titles, including ACE, Kenji Hira??matsu, Manami Kiyota, Mariam Abounnasr, and Yasunori Mitsuda, will compose the score.

Mr. Takahasi ended the letter stating:

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a new adventure bringing together the worlds of Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to take players into the future.

I'm not 100% sure how that's going to work having not completed either of the previous games in the series, but I'm sure it'll be interesting nonetheless. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches exclusively for Nintendo Swi??tch this September.

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It's likely coming this month

The Monolith Soft website has been updated, alongside of some sneaky ?tease??s that indicate a new announcement could be coming soon.

Piecing two things together, studio composer Yasunori Mitsuda recently noted that something will be revealed in February of this year, and explained to people that there would be a Monolith Soft website outage at the end of January. The site just came back online, with a revamped brighter layout, and it completely gutted several aspects of the site to streamline it: perhaps to focus more clearly on the upcoming project(s). A few new blogs and recruiting pages were? reworked, too.

At the moment, Monolith Soft is working on assisting Nintendo with Breath of the Wild 2, as well as something else entirely that we've yet to hear about. Prominent rumors include Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as well as the leaked Chrono Cross remaster project.

In any case, they're in an extremely good spot right now. Everything the company touches turns to gold, and the ability to help Nintendo produce some of the best games they're putting out right now is a heck of a side hustle. While Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would be nice, as the team has be??en consistently putting out fresh takes on this world with each new iteration, I do hope it's somet??hing different.

Take the concept of a beautiful open world just like Xenoblade Chronicles 2, sho??re it up a bit, make it more action-oriented, and give us a new universe. That's my vote! But I'll take anything from this company.

The post Monolith Soft just got a website overhaul, new announceme?nt could be imminent appeared first on Destructoid.

A hint of another Xenoblade from a voice actress is now being corroborated

It seems like a new Xenoblade Chronicles game is in development. Following a stir of speculation that came up over a voice actress' comment, Fanbyte is now reporting that a new Xenoblade Chronicles is in development.

Back in June, voice actress Jenna Coleman appeared on the YouTube channel Din's Meteorite to discuss her time working on Xenoblade Chronicles and the recent Switch remaster. During the discussion, one part about her role in the first Xenoblade Chronicles brought up an odd hint about a?? possible new entry.

"God, when was the first game? Ten years ago?" said Coleman. "It was a long time ago, I did it pre-Doctor Who days and then when they did the second one, they just asked me to come back, and I think they're going to do another.?" Coleman pauses for a momen??t, pondering if it's "common knowledge." "Yeah, I think they're going to do another."

Fanbyte's Imran Khan says according to his sources, he can confirm that's the case. The new Xenoblade is?? reportedly nearing the final stages of development at Monolith Soft, but its release date may be h?eld back for any number of reasons.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfjVIQug6_E

According to Fanbyte's report, the game is a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, taking place in the far-flung future with "a few returning characters who have lo?ng-outlived their human counterparts" from the previous games.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was reportedly set to be revealed earlier this year, and may still be announced before the end of it, but it's had a difficult time, both with development amid the pandemic and in optimizing the game for the Nintendo Switch. It's reportedly aiming for more character models on screen at once than any p??revious title.

The report concludes by noting that, as always, take these rumors with a grain of salt, and no in-development game is guaranteed to be the same as rumored or even released. For Xenoblade fans eager for more after the extra bit of content that arrived as part of the Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, how??ever, it seems like they might ??have something to look forward to.

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Over 40 new job postings

Very recently w??e discovered that Monolith Soft has been expanding?? year after year, but now we have some idea of just how big that expansion is strai??ght from the company itself.

As we know, the studio is working on whatever projects they have under their belt, as well as ancillary support on first-party Nintendo titles, including Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. So a ramp-up is definitely warranted!

On their official Facebook page, Monolith Soft just explained that they're looking for a "big increase" in staff, with openings for designer work, as well as advertising and art roles. But when you actually go to the application page, you'll be able to peruse over 40 new role??s,?? including ones in management, programming, planning, design, and artistry.

As of last week, ??the company aimed to hit a target of 300 employees,? with their current count at 272. But if all these listings get filled, that's roughly 312 people on board. And it's well deserved! They've been a pillar of RPGs for years on end, and seem to have a great relationship with Nintendo.

Monolith Soft [Facebook]

The post As Mon??olith continues its work on Zelda: Breath of the? Wild 2, it is rapidly growing appeared first on Destructoid.