Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an one of a kind game and has every element that sets what is a good RPG.
I am grateful that I went into this game without any prior knowledge because it helped me enjoy it a lot more. In my opinion, it's the best game I've played in 2023. Good luck to FFXVI, you will need it.
Xenoblade Chronicles games have always been on my "top 100 best RPG of all time" from a random journalist website, but I played the Definitive Edition and while I liked it, it didn't have a lasting impact. The same goes for the second game, although I had more issues with it. Now, with the third game, I had no idea what to expect, except that it lost to Mid of War in the OST, and considering the last two games, it was probably unfair (who might have guessed that i was right), and if you watched, you remember the flute guy having a blast. I already thought it would be a good game, i did not know that would be THIS GOOD.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 takes everything that was good about the first and second games and elevates it to another level. Almost 99% of the game is an evolution of its predecessors, making it a true sequel and a fitting conclusion to the trilogy (which is pretty rare).
But let's move on from generic praise and talk about the technical aspects. How the hell does this game run on the Switch? Monolith is truly incredible. The maps are gigantic, beautiful, and full of life. It's a shame that they're limited by the old junk of a Switch, but it's still impressive and makes Monolith the god of developers right now.
The soundtrack is absolutely mind-blowing. It never stops to destroy me. The flutes pierce through my soul. Some people might find the chain attack theme annoying after a while, but I don't. "Moebius Battle" is easily one of my top three boss battle themes, and "Weight of Life" is just... I don't even know what to say. I don't care about TGA because it tends to favor the generic AAA industry, but losing to Ragnarok is a crime. The entire soundtrack is the perfect culmination of a trilogy, sounding like an ending that leads to a new beginning... it's simply unbelievable.
Besides Persona, it’s hard for me to like characters that much like I do for the main party, and it wins a point against persona because it’s consistent in their development and for a very long time I thought the game did not have only a single protagonist, because everyone is so well written, and has its time to shine, its amazing. Eunie is the boss, and Taion is a god. This game awakened my inner shipper, as their relationships are so organic and exceptionally well-written. For those who didn't enjoy Xenoblade 2 due to excessive anime elements, don't worry, this one has almost none of that fanservice or other annoying anime tropes.
And speaking of well-written, the story is exceptional. It has been a long time since I last experienced something this good. It's a mature narrative that explores themes of life and death, hope and despair, and legacy. The prologue and Chapter 1 start slow, like any other Xenoblade game, but after the turning point, it only gets better. Chapter 5 is the pinnacle of storytelling. I was completely unprepared for it. I do think the game loses some steam after that, but it picks up again towards the ending. Do yourself a favor and don't ask or search for anything more about the story.
The gameplay is easily the best in the series, taking the best elements from the previous games and improving upon them. Chain attacks are amazing, I am starting to think I have a weak point for “tear the screen on the eyes”. There are numerous classes to play and test, making combat less repetitive and a lot of fun. The ability to change party members in real time and have them all actively participating is another feature I really like.
A Xenoblade game wouldn't be complete without a insane amount of side quests to complete alongside the main quests. The Hero quests, in particular, are fantastic, and I highly recommend doing all of them because they add depth to the narrative and character development.
The only downside I have to mention is the antagonists. The Moebius are cool, but they don't go beyond that. There's only one of them that stands out as the best in the series, but they aren't the main villain, so my focus wasn't entirely on them. The main villain was just okay, and I found the final boss fight to be underwhelming compared to the other amazing boss fights in the game. It could have been better.
Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is easily in my list of favorite games, and I could talk about it for a very long time. It completely exceeded my expectations, and I can even say it was a pleasant surprise. It fits perfectly alongside the other two games, creating an amazing experience to play. Despite my general hate for Nintendo, I must thank them for allowing Takahashi to finish this trilogy. Here i am hoping for more chronicles to be told. Please, if you like RPGs, do not skip Xenoblade Chronicles Trilogy, especially its third and best one.
I am grateful that I went into this game without any prior knowledge because it helped me enjoy it a lot more. In my opinion, it's the best game I've played in 2023. Good luck to FFXVI, you will need it.
Xenoblade Chronicles games have always been on my "top 100 best RPG of all time" from a random journalist website, but I played the Definitive Edition and while I liked it, it didn't have a lasting impact. The same goes for the second game, although I had more issues with it. Now, with the third game, I had no idea what to expect, except that it lost to Mid of War in the OST, and considering the last two games, it was probably unfair (who might have guessed that i was right), and if you watched, you remember the flute guy having a blast. I already thought it would be a good game, i did not know that would be THIS GOOD.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 takes everything that was good about the first and second games and elevates it to another level. Almost 99% of the game is an evolution of its predecessors, making it a true sequel and a fitting conclusion to the trilogy (which is pretty rare).
But let's move on from generic praise and talk about the technical aspects. How the hell does this game run on the Switch? Monolith is truly incredible. The maps are gigantic, beautiful, and full of life. It's a shame that they're limited by the old junk of a Switch, but it's still impressive and makes Monolith the god of developers right now.
The soundtrack is absolutely mind-blowing. It never stops to destroy me. The flutes pierce through my soul. Some people might find the chain attack theme annoying after a while, but I don't. "Moebius Battle" is easily one of my top three boss battle themes, and "Weight of Life" is just... I don't even know what to say. I don't care about TGA because it tends to favor the generic AAA industry, but losing to Ragnarok is a crime. The entire soundtrack is the perfect culmination of a trilogy, sounding like an ending that leads to a new beginning... it's simply unbelievable.
Besides Persona, it’s hard for me to like characters that much like I do for the main party, and it wins a point against persona because it’s consistent in their development and for a very long time I thought the game did not have only a single protagonist, because everyone is so well written, and has its time to shine, its amazing. Eunie is the boss, and Taion is a god. This game awakened my inner shipper, as their relationships are so organic and exceptionally well-written. For those who didn't enjoy Xenoblade 2 due to excessive anime elements, don't worry, this one has almost none of that fanservice or other annoying anime tropes.
And speaking of well-written, the story is exceptional. It has been a long time since I last experienced something this good. It's a mature narrative that explores themes of life and death, hope and despair, and legacy. The prologue and Chapter 1 start slow, like any other Xenoblade game, but after the turning point, it only gets better. Chapter 5 is the pinnacle of storytelling. I was completely unprepared for it. I do think the game loses some steam after that, but it picks up again towards the ending. Do yourself a favor and don't ask or search for anything more about the story.
The gameplay is easily the best in the series, taking the best elements from the previous games and improving upon them. Chain attacks are amazing, I am starting to think I have a weak point for “tear the screen on the eyes”. There are numerous classes to play and test, making combat less repetitive and a lot of fun. The ability to change party members in real time and have them all actively participating is another feature I really like.
A Xenoblade game wouldn't be complete without a insane amount of side quests to complete alongside the main quests. The Hero quests, in particular, are fantastic, and I highly recommend doing all of them because they add depth to the narrative and character development.
The only downside I have to mention is the antagonists. The Moebius are cool, but they don't go beyond that. There's only one of them that stands out as the best in the series, but they aren't the main villain, so my focus wasn't entirely on them. The main villain was just okay, and I found the final boss fight to be underwhelming compared to the other amazing boss fights in the game. It could have been better.
Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is easily in my list of favorite games, and I could talk about it for a very long time. It completely exceeded my expectations, and I can even say it was a pleasant surprise. It fits perfectly alongside the other two games, creating an amazing experience to play. Despite my general hate for Nintendo, I must thank them for allowing Takahashi to finish this trilogy. Here i am hoping for more chronicles to be told. Please, if you like RPGs, do not skip Xenoblade Chronicles Trilogy, especially its third and best one.
Reviewed on May 31, 2023