Xenoblade 3 is a game that is at war with itself. There’s the two nations, Keves and Agnus, fighting a perpetual, unending war. There’s the true enemy, Moebius, and the ways Keves and Agnus try to fight back against that, however subconsciously. There’s what Keves and Agnus actually represent - the first and second Xenoblade games, respectively - and how that ties into a divided fanbase and perhaps even a conflicted creator. It’s something I did not at all expect when coming into XB3 hot off the heels of completing the original for the first time; a game that I really did not enjoy. A game that I felt was politically incompetent and thematically incoherent, a game that reaches for the stars, and yet, falls to the ground. I respected the ambition, and it wasn’t like there was nothing I enjoyed about the game. Environmentally and musically, it is splendid. And yet, I cannot help but feel that XB3 is a game that reaches for those same stars, with a twisty, gargantuan narrative, a massive ensemble cast, absurd amounts of customization and, above all, a wide breadth of thematic concepts and ideas to cover, dials that up to eleven, and legitimately reaches those stars. It took a while, but I feel I can finally say that a Xenoblade game is good, and not in spite of itself (sorry XB2, love you always).
Covered in my word vomit on XB1, the second of the Blade trilogy was my first JRPG, and as such, you can imagine the ensuing experience if you’ve played that game. The music, the characters, the narrative, the visuals, the depth and width of gameplay.. to be quite honest, at the age I played it, I never really wrapped my head around it. All I knew was that when I understood how the elemental sealing and effects of breaking those seals during a chain attack worked, it tickled my monkey brain. I played it during a pretty miserable time in my life, and it offered a respite to my grievances. It helped that the narrative was about grief and moving on from the past, too. I can’t say for sure if I still think it’s good - it’s been more than five years, after all - but it is undeniably an important game to me, and will continue to be.
So, as I enter the finale, I lie conflicted. I betray my hope to re-experience the pure magic I felt from 2 and come into this new world expecting more of 1. I fully thought that I would drop this after a couple hours. Lo and behold, 100 hours later, I feel happy. It was a very peculiar feeling that XB2 brought up within me. It felt uniquely powerful in its combination of elements: gameplay, narrative, character interaction, visuals/spectacle, and music. To say it was more than the sum of its parts would be an apt choice. I find myself rediscovering this magic once again, in a similarly sorrow-filled part of my life, where the present feels somehow like it stretches on forever, and yet, I fear for my future. I fear where my path has taken me. And this set of circumstances has led for this magic to become even more potent than it already was all those years ago.
I think the part that impressed me the most was the decision to have the core cast together in the beginning. It removes the aspect of intrigue of who the next party member was going to be, as is how JRPGs are. This ended up really hurting XC1 in my experience, with Melia, Riki, and Seven not getting anywhere near enough screen time for me to really care about them (Seven especially god I hate Seven). It inspired confidence within me about the game, and made me think, how are they going to keep this going? How are they going to keep the momentum going here? It turns out, by having the best core cast in the series. Noah, Mio, Eunie, Taion, Lanz, Sena - all of them are a joy to play around with. Noah is my favorite of the three, and my other favorites were probably Mio, Lanz, and Taion. I like Eunie and Sena a lot too, but they feel a little underdeveloped, especially Sena, whose side story is just kind of a misfire. Creating a character focused narrative was definitely the right choice though, as was the decision to remove the affinity systems and Heart-to-Hearts. It allows you to get to know characters organically, rather than having to grind killing monsters with party members you don’t like so you can get an extra scene with them. It’s a really nice simplification, and having them together at the start allows all the dynamics to really shine.
I don’t have much to say about the gameplay but I think I enjoyed it the most. Yes, chain attacks are the most powerful tool in your arsenal, but when they have not been? The class system is awesome. I was always eagerly awaiting the next hero quest so I could see what hero I would unlock next. I thought a lot of them were really unique and cool, but I could’ve used less Attackers and more Defenders. I would’ve liked to see more variety other than Physical/Ether and flat DMG/Crit/DEX. In the end, though, it didn’t really affect me much at all, I just enjoyed the variety of switching up classes to have you really get a feel for all of their different playstyles and which party members they were best on. Also, Ourobouros fucking rules. More games should have you turn into Evangelions with your enemy of the state girlfriend.
The narrative itself is nothing really special I think, which is weird to say considering I loved this game so much. Instead of focusing on these world-ending threats from the get-go, like Rex and the Aegis and Shulk and the Monado, Noah and the rest of Ourobouros just feel like a bunch of kids trying to find their place in the world. The universe ending threats and stuff do come in, because of course they do, but it feels like we have a chance to see these characters grow into the legendary Ourobouros, rather than have it thrust upon them. It also helps that we learn extensively about their pasts, which isn’t really something you can say for XC1. Most of the twists are incredibly easy to guess, which is mostly because the characters don’t have the same lens we do. I’m conflicted on it, but I think it works, because in the end it’s much more important how these characters react to these reveals than I do. And then there’s Chapter 5… just, fuck man. The “all is lost” moment is done so well in these games. I love Noah and Mio so much.
Thematically, the game takes cues from both 1 and 2, as well as creating its own thematic fiber. Broadly, Xenoblade 1 is about the future, and Xenoblade 2 is about the past. Really, I think Xenoblade 3 is about both, and also the present. The whole reason why the present is what it is is because it is the mediator between past and future. It is the line between regret and hope. Instead of banging you over the head with silly plot twists, it questions and ask questions and it iterates upon itself until it finds its answer. Is there more to life in this world than just fighting? Yes. Then what is there to life more than fighting? Infinite things, and yet precious few are afforded the choice to do such a thing instead of fight. Then is the world my enemy? Yes. Then should I tear it apart? Even if the future is uncertain? If the world that takes the place of this current world is worse than the last? What then? It answers all these questions and more.
What’s more than this, though, is a creator that feels caught in his own work. In a game that tries to escape its own infinity. It is so, so difficult to talk about without spoilers, but I think it’s a really beautiful thing, to acknowledge the absolute finality of things. I have my reservations about the upcoming DLC, as I think that this is the perfect ending for this series, but I will reserve judgment until I can get my hands on it - if there’s anything this game has taught me, it’s that my expectations when it comes to these series are not to be trusted.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 urges us to step away from it. It tells us that we can enjoy it for what it is, and we can enjoy this series for what it is, but at some point, it will fade. Our current reality will continue moving forward, and we must move with it. We must have faith in the path we have traveled, and continue down it. It urges us to walk on - quite literally. If I can’t get the brainworms out of my head, I’ll edit this review with my thoughts on it while delving deep into it. Just, fuck man, what a game.
Some things I disliked: Overleveling is a big problem. You should absolutely be able to de-level, it’s stupid that’s locked behind beating the game. I don’t think area design is the best, but it’s whatever. The final dungeon is too long, and there’s too much padding that really messes with the game pacing. That’s all I can think of really, though. Amazing game, I really loved it a lot. I’ll definitely be checking out Gears and Saga in the coming months.
Covered in my word vomit on XB1, the second of the Blade trilogy was my first JRPG, and as such, you can imagine the ensuing experience if you’ve played that game. The music, the characters, the narrative, the visuals, the depth and width of gameplay.. to be quite honest, at the age I played it, I never really wrapped my head around it. All I knew was that when I understood how the elemental sealing and effects of breaking those seals during a chain attack worked, it tickled my monkey brain. I played it during a pretty miserable time in my life, and it offered a respite to my grievances. It helped that the narrative was about grief and moving on from the past, too. I can’t say for sure if I still think it’s good - it’s been more than five years, after all - but it is undeniably an important game to me, and will continue to be.
So, as I enter the finale, I lie conflicted. I betray my hope to re-experience the pure magic I felt from 2 and come into this new world expecting more of 1. I fully thought that I would drop this after a couple hours. Lo and behold, 100 hours later, I feel happy. It was a very peculiar feeling that XB2 brought up within me. It felt uniquely powerful in its combination of elements: gameplay, narrative, character interaction, visuals/spectacle, and music. To say it was more than the sum of its parts would be an apt choice. I find myself rediscovering this magic once again, in a similarly sorrow-filled part of my life, where the present feels somehow like it stretches on forever, and yet, I fear for my future. I fear where my path has taken me. And this set of circumstances has led for this magic to become even more potent than it already was all those years ago.
I think the part that impressed me the most was the decision to have the core cast together in the beginning. It removes the aspect of intrigue of who the next party member was going to be, as is how JRPGs are. This ended up really hurting XC1 in my experience, with Melia, Riki, and Seven not getting anywhere near enough screen time for me to really care about them (Seven especially god I hate Seven). It inspired confidence within me about the game, and made me think, how are they going to keep this going? How are they going to keep the momentum going here? It turns out, by having the best core cast in the series. Noah, Mio, Eunie, Taion, Lanz, Sena - all of them are a joy to play around with. Noah is my favorite of the three, and my other favorites were probably Mio, Lanz, and Taion. I like Eunie and Sena a lot too, but they feel a little underdeveloped, especially Sena, whose side story is just kind of a misfire. Creating a character focused narrative was definitely the right choice though, as was the decision to remove the affinity systems and Heart-to-Hearts. It allows you to get to know characters organically, rather than having to grind killing monsters with party members you don’t like so you can get an extra scene with them. It’s a really nice simplification, and having them together at the start allows all the dynamics to really shine.
I don’t have much to say about the gameplay but I think I enjoyed it the most. Yes, chain attacks are the most powerful tool in your arsenal, but when they have not been? The class system is awesome. I was always eagerly awaiting the next hero quest so I could see what hero I would unlock next. I thought a lot of them were really unique and cool, but I could’ve used less Attackers and more Defenders. I would’ve liked to see more variety other than Physical/Ether and flat DMG/Crit/DEX. In the end, though, it didn’t really affect me much at all, I just enjoyed the variety of switching up classes to have you really get a feel for all of their different playstyles and which party members they were best on. Also, Ourobouros fucking rules. More games should have you turn into Evangelions with your enemy of the state girlfriend.
The narrative itself is nothing really special I think, which is weird to say considering I loved this game so much. Instead of focusing on these world-ending threats from the get-go, like Rex and the Aegis and Shulk and the Monado, Noah and the rest of Ourobouros just feel like a bunch of kids trying to find their place in the world. The universe ending threats and stuff do come in, because of course they do, but it feels like we have a chance to see these characters grow into the legendary Ourobouros, rather than have it thrust upon them. It also helps that we learn extensively about their pasts, which isn’t really something you can say for XC1. Most of the twists are incredibly easy to guess, which is mostly because the characters don’t have the same lens we do. I’m conflicted on it, but I think it works, because in the end it’s much more important how these characters react to these reveals than I do. And then there’s Chapter 5… just, fuck man. The “all is lost” moment is done so well in these games. I love Noah and Mio so much.
Thematically, the game takes cues from both 1 and 2, as well as creating its own thematic fiber. Broadly, Xenoblade 1 is about the future, and Xenoblade 2 is about the past. Really, I think Xenoblade 3 is about both, and also the present. The whole reason why the present is what it is is because it is the mediator between past and future. It is the line between regret and hope. Instead of banging you over the head with silly plot twists, it questions and ask questions and it iterates upon itself until it finds its answer. Is there more to life in this world than just fighting? Yes. Then what is there to life more than fighting? Infinite things, and yet precious few are afforded the choice to do such a thing instead of fight. Then is the world my enemy? Yes. Then should I tear it apart? Even if the future is uncertain? If the world that takes the place of this current world is worse than the last? What then? It answers all these questions and more.
What’s more than this, though, is a creator that feels caught in his own work. In a game that tries to escape its own infinity. It is so, so difficult to talk about without spoilers, but I think it’s a really beautiful thing, to acknowledge the absolute finality of things. I have my reservations about the upcoming DLC, as I think that this is the perfect ending for this series, but I will reserve judgment until I can get my hands on it - if there’s anything this game has taught me, it’s that my expectations when it comes to these series are not to be trusted.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 urges us to step away from it. It tells us that we can enjoy it for what it is, and we can enjoy this series for what it is, but at some point, it will fade. Our current reality will continue moving forward, and we must move with it. We must have faith in the path we have traveled, and continue down it. It urges us to walk on - quite literally. If I can’t get the brainworms out of my head, I’ll edit this review with my thoughts on it while delving deep into it. Just, fuck man, what a game.
Some things I disliked: Overleveling is a big problem. You should absolutely be able to de-level, it’s stupid that’s locked behind beating the game. I don’t think area design is the best, but it’s whatever. The final dungeon is too long, and there’s too much padding that really messes with the game pacing. That’s all I can think of really, though. Amazing game, I really loved it a lot. I’ll definitely be checking out Gears and Saga in the coming months.