The idea that this is what should have been Xenoblade 3's base game is one I think is exceedingly silly and fundamentally misunderstands what both Xenoblade 3 and this are really going for; the Xenoblade series is never one that outright displays a full connection nor is that the appeal of them. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an ending in every sense of the world: the world we see is a world stagnated, and one we must kickstart the death of for the birth of something new. It is the process of saying goodbye that defines an ending in many shapes and forms.
Future Redeemed is not an ending. Nothing about is truly an ending. Rather, it's a prologue. It's obvious that it concludes some of the plot threads that tied the setting of the Xenoblade series together, however, that doesn't necessarily constitutes an ending. While the base game focuses on the actual process of farewells and letting go of the past, Future Redeem is what comes after that goodbye. It's something that we all have to work towards, ceaselessly, in order to create something beautiful.
Outside of that, Future Redeemed was definetly a nice experience. I was expecting something that would shine off some of my gripes with the ending portions of Xenoblade 3, and while it doesn't do that, it instead does create a stronger foundation for what Takahashi wishes to do after while creating some nice, but nonetheless unnecessary fanservice. There is that wish that it would go all the way and have Rex talking about the Salvager's Code and whatnot, but that's not necessary; Rex and Shulk are amazing as mentor figures, both in the literal and thematic sense. They are the foundation for the future, and the way that is handled is great. Outside of that, Matthew and A have some absolutely strong chemistry as partners, making both of them exceedingly fun characters to watch in action.
While the combat of Future Redeemed is more or less the same as base Xenoblade 3's, I do have a small gripe with the way the classes were set up. Nikol and Shulk are both Kevesi Defenders, so they have no reliable way to continue gaining aggro. Their skills aren't really good for it, and Matthew/Rex are both so consistent with their damage dealing that it was common for Rex to spam Double Spinning Edge, die in one hit, revive and repeat. Other than that, the world of Future Redeemed is a much smaller one, but much more populated in a way that does incentivizes exploration. Not to say it's better executed than 3, because I think both are great in their different styles, but regardless, it does notably benefit exploration much more. Whether that's a positive or a negative is up to you, though, as character growth is directly tied to affinity levels and exploration. It's definetly better realized than Torna's Community Level, something that's stopped me from ever really making an attempt to finish the game, but it's still somewhat notable that Monolith attempted to pad out the length of the DLC for all it's worth.
Regardless, what Future Redeemed satisfied me enough. It's not a replacement for Xenoblade 3 by any extent, but regardless, it was a work I greatly enjoyed playing, and one I'm excited for what comes next in Takahashi's mythos.
Future Redeemed is not an ending. Nothing about is truly an ending. Rather, it's a prologue. It's obvious that it concludes some of the plot threads that tied the setting of the Xenoblade series together, however, that doesn't necessarily constitutes an ending. While the base game focuses on the actual process of farewells and letting go of the past, Future Redeem is what comes after that goodbye. It's something that we all have to work towards, ceaselessly, in order to create something beautiful.
Outside of that, Future Redeemed was definetly a nice experience. I was expecting something that would shine off some of my gripes with the ending portions of Xenoblade 3, and while it doesn't do that, it instead does create a stronger foundation for what Takahashi wishes to do after while creating some nice, but nonetheless unnecessary fanservice. There is that wish that it would go all the way and have Rex talking about the Salvager's Code and whatnot, but that's not necessary; Rex and Shulk are amazing as mentor figures, both in the literal and thematic sense. They are the foundation for the future, and the way that is handled is great. Outside of that, Matthew and A have some absolutely strong chemistry as partners, making both of them exceedingly fun characters to watch in action.
While the combat of Future Redeemed is more or less the same as base Xenoblade 3's, I do have a small gripe with the way the classes were set up. Nikol and Shulk are both Kevesi Defenders, so they have no reliable way to continue gaining aggro. Their skills aren't really good for it, and Matthew/Rex are both so consistent with their damage dealing that it was common for Rex to spam Double Spinning Edge, die in one hit, revive and repeat. Other than that, the world of Future Redeemed is a much smaller one, but much more populated in a way that does incentivizes exploration. Not to say it's better executed than 3, because I think both are great in their different styles, but regardless, it does notably benefit exploration much more. Whether that's a positive or a negative is up to you, though, as character growth is directly tied to affinity levels and exploration. It's definetly better realized than Torna's Community Level, something that's stopped me from ever really making an attempt to finish the game, but it's still somewhat notable that Monolith attempted to pad out the length of the DLC for all it's worth.
Regardless, what Future Redeemed satisfied me enough. It's not a replacement for Xenoblade 3 by any extent, but regardless, it was a work I greatly enjoyed playing, and one I'm excited for what comes next in Takahashi's mythos.