Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has finally debuted on the Nintendo Switch. Produced by Monolith and authored by Nintendo, Xenoblade is definitely an open world, action roleplaying game. You play as Shulk wielding the mighty Monado, a sword able to take around the Homs’ worst enemy, the Mechons. Accompanied by friends, you decide to go forth on the journey of revenge.
The last time fans played this beloved game was on the New Nintendo 3DS in 2023. The game originally debuted on the Wii this year in North America. I vaguely remember time with the game around the New Nintendo 3DS however i am happy to play this masterpiece around the Switch.
If you've played any of the Xenoblade games, you’re aware the sport is big on story and flashy cinematic cutscenes. While you start the sport, you receive the back-lore around the globe and two titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis, kept in a timeless battle. The titans would soon defeat each other and eons would pass, but a brand new battle rages as the Mechons still invade the Bionis titan’s corpse, home of the Homs. And while Shulk may be the star in our adventure, we get to see the actual star, the sword Monado for action, and just what it’s able to.
As beautiful because the cutscenes are, Xenoblade Chronicles’ open world is every bit so. You can go anywhere you would like, all that’s barring you is the world’s cliffs and high-level enemies which will attack you on sight. You may also enjoy weather effects like rain and traverse during the day or night. Using the world so vast, you can fast travel to any section by picking out a landmark you’ve visited. Coupled with the game’s soundtrack, exploring the realm of Xenoblade is gorgeous.
Aside from exploring and watching amazing cutscenes, Xenoblade Chronicles’ battle system is pretty amazing. In many games, it’s turn-based or constant action where you’re mashing buttons but Xenoblade has a mixture of both. At first, the battles are chill, before you progress within the story and battles begin to keep you on your toes. Shulk and the gang will automatically attack your target with basic attacks, but it’s up to you to make use of certain attacks, known as Arts, that can help turn the tide of battle. One example is developing a combo of using Break to put on down your opponent’s defenses after which inflicting Topple, knocking your attacker, leaving them open to have an onslaught of attacks, and also you free from damage. By continuing to fight your weakened foe, you can inflict Daze, leaving them open and incapacitated for a longer period of time.
As you use your Arts and do great in battle, you are able to perform a Chain Attack, adding debuffs to your opponents and linking attacks to deliver massive damage. While the Monado is a great weapon against Mechon enemies, while you progress with the game you will learn Arts that will help you along with other enemies too. Why is the battles so great are the different characters you're able to control, changing your playstyle. For instance, your best bud Reyn isn't just a fish tank but a powerhouse. While playing with Shulk, it seemed like Reyn would certainly stand there and take the brunt of the attacks. But when I took charge of Reyn, I had been thoroughly impressed with his other abilities and the damage he dishes out. At some point in the story, you meet a young woman named Sharla who utilizes a rifle to fight. While she can inflict damage with her basic attacks, she uses Arts that heal the party and debuff your enemies. The synergy between characters in battle is amazing, keeping combat consistently fresh.
What also makes Xenoblade shine is its massive tutorial library that you can revisit whenever you don’t understand a game title mechanic. The tutorials are displayed in slides with not lots of text to be able to absorb information at your own pace. There’s also a casual mode hanging around. You are able to activate this at any time, however, should you die many times against an opponent, the sport asks you if you'd like to reduce the difficulty. Changing the difficulty does not alter the story and you may alter the difficulty anytime. Also, due to the quantity of driving the game, you are able to autorun at the tap of the mouse. The only real drawback is the fact that changing your camera angle to slightly use another direction stops the autorun.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is an amazingly beautiful game having a great story, along with an incredible soundtrack, and cinematics that play out like a movie. There are tons of side quests to keep you just busy and level you up, and while there may not be character creation, you can alter the way your characters look with various armor pieces and see your look play out in the cutscenes. The characters seem well rounded and therefore are enjoyable, and when you are looking at battles, there is never a dull moment due to their roles and talents. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive edition is a must-have in your Switch library.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition can be obtained now on Nintendo Switch
