Review of "Xenoblade 3" (over 80 hours of play)! A great RPG with a story about life and all other elements in a huge volume!

On July 29, 2022, Nintendo released Xenoblade 3 (Xenoblade 3), the latest in the Xenoblade series, for the Nintendo Switch. It is the first sequel in five years since the previous title, and also connects the first "Xenoblade" and the second "Xenoblade 2".

In this issue, we present our review of this title after playing it up to the ending. The review will cover four themes: worldview and story, battle system, field exploration, and Nopon coins. We have done our best to avoid spoilers regarding the story, so please feel free to read on even if you haven't played the game yet.

What will you accomplish in 10 years of life?

The setting of this work is a vast world called Aionion. Two military nations, "Keves" and "Agnus," have been fighting each other in this land for centuries. The people of both nations are born to be soldiers, living off the lives they take from their opponents. However, their lifespan is 10 years, and even if they survive by taking lives, they will die before too long.

Those who have fulfilled their life expectancy can go through a ceremony called "coming of age" and meet their end while being cared for by the queen. The coming-of-age ceremony is considered the highest honor for the Caves and the Agnus Dei. It is the role of the "departed" to send their souls, and it is also the role of Noah, the protagonist of this film.

One day, Noah and his friends, as soldiers of Keves, go on a mission to locate and destroy a high-energy reaction, where they engage in battle with Mio and his men, who are soldiers of the Agnus army. On the way, a powerful enemy intervenes, putting Noah and his team in a tight spot, but they manage to fight them off using the power of "Ouroboros," which was entrusted to them by a mysterious man. However, Noah and Mio, who have gained the power of the Ouroboros, are pursued by Keves and Agnus. Losing their way, they find hope in a place called "City," as the mysterious man said at the end of his life, and embark on a long journey across the Aionion. This is how the early part of the story unfolds.

Beginning with the worldview in which war is a daily occurrence, many aspects of the film are shown to be different from our reality. From the beginning of the story, the battle between Keves and Agnus begins, and the lives from the drowned bodies become red particles that are absorbed into each other's "Iron Giant Gods".

In addition to the coming-of-age ceremony, mourning for the fallen is also the duty of the departed, so Noah, the hero, sends his companions home daily at the battlefield after the battle is over. He plays a flute when he sends them off, and the contrast between the beautiful sound and the bodies lying on the battlefield is both beautiful and a little frightening.

The life span of 10 years is particularly shocking, and compared to the reality where life is said to last 100 years, the difference is so great that it is difficult to feel the reality. At the beginning of the story, Noah and Mio are all in their 10th year (in this film, age is expressed in terms of years), and although they are supposed to die in less than a year, they are not confused but rather calm, even if they are pessimistic. It is possible that the calculation of life expectancy in Keves and Agnus is different from that in our world, just as a dog's 10 years of age is 50-60 years of age, but Noah and his friends look like children, and their bodies do not deteriorate just because they are in their 10th year of life. Their 10-year lifespan is normal and they do not think of it as early, and their dedication to the war as a matter of course is a clear indication of the worldview of "Xenoblade 3".

After the battle, Noah and his friends take a mixed bath at the facility. Later, Lanz and Yuni get up and argue with each other, but they expose their nakedness to each other without any shame. They are born from a special machine with a certain degree of growth, so they may not have any idea of gender or reproduction.

The fact that they look at the face of the mysterious man who has lived for 60 years and describe it as "wrinkled" also shows their curiosity about aging.

From the beginning to the end, the story focuses on Noah and the other main characters. From the beginning, when Noah has no choice but to team up with the enemy and aims for the city in the midst of a tense atmosphere, to the middle, when they travel through the Ionion and gradually grow closer to each other despite occasional confrontations, to the end, when they learn the mysteries of the world and confront a great evil together as friends. I could clearly understand the changes in Noah and his friends' feelings, words, and actions, as well as their growth.

As I will write in detail in the section on battles, the power of the Ouroboros is used in pairs. Therefore, pairs naturally emerge within the party. To be more specific, the pairs are Noah and Mio, Lanz and Senna, and Taion and Yuni. Since the party is divided between men and women, one would think that there would be a romantic element, but in fact there is very little. Although the volume of the story is heavy because of this, "Xenoblade 3" has a particularly bleak worldview, so this style of storytelling suits the game well, and I was able to concentrate on the story. The six members of the Ouroboros team are not only a pair, but they also treat each other without any separation, so that they are depicted as a single team.

From right to left: Noah, Mio, Yuni, Taion, Lanz, and Senna.

Of the six main characters, the one I liked the most was Taion. To put it simply, he was the one who, along with Lanz, was particularly reluctant when Noah and Mia's team decided to work together. As the brains of the party, he advises Noah and his team and sometimes chides them, but at the same time he cares about his friends. He and Yuni, who is prone to emotional outbursts, were like oil and water, but because of this, the process and change from enemies to friends were easy to understand, and the aspect of reconciliation between Keves and Agnus came out even more strongly.

Noah and his friends want to do something about the situation where Köves and Agnus are killing each other. On the other hand, there are those who wish to have a rematch with their rivals, and there are differences in the way people use their remaining lives.

However, while the characters are carefully described, I felt that the explanation of the world view and the mystery of the story was a bit lacking. Questions such as "Who is that person?" and "What is the truth of this mystery?" were left unanswered, and the mystery only deepened after the ending.

However, since an original story will be released next year as the fourth installment of the "Expansion Pass" downloadable content currently being distributed, the solution to the riddle will have to wait for a future date.

An elaborate battle system set up like a puzzle

Battles in this title are command-selectable. While normal attacks are performed automatically by the character, the timing of activating "Arts," special attack techniques, is decided by the player. The basic idea is to use Arts as the main attack, interspersing normal attacks in between. Noah and his friends are assigned the roles of "attacker," "defender," and "healer," and the type of arts they can use is determined in advance.

Some arts have conditions such as "break when attacked from the side" or "increase in power when attacked from the front," so it is essential to pay attention to the positions of the enemy and allies in order to activate special effects. The "break" mentioned above is an effect that disrupts the opponent's stance, and from the break, a combo of "down," "stun" (or "rising"), and "burst" (or "smash" if the enemy is in the rising state) is possible.

The "Chain Gauge" accumulates as the attacker attacks the enemy or connects combos, the defender draws the enemy's attack, the healer restores allies, and so on, as the players use their arts to perform their roles. When this gauge is full, a "Chain Attack" can be launched.

The conditions for being able to use arts again vary from camp to camp. For Noah and the Keveth camp, it is the passage of time, and for Mio and the Agnus camp, it is the number of attacks that hit the target.

In a Chain Attack, the player first selects a "Chain Order," which is a kind of strategy. After that, the player selects a number of allies who have not been disabled, and uses their arts in turn. In the process, a "TP" is accumulated, and when this reaches 100% or more, the Chain Order is accomplished and a special attack can be launched.

The chain attack consumes a gauge and repeats this process several times to inflict heavy damage on the enemy. Note that the Chain Attack will end there if there are no friends available to attack while the TP is below 99%.

If the Chain Order succeeds, some of the attacked companions will return according to the total TP at that time. Nevertheless, since the first order is terminated when it reaches 100%, various techniques are required, such as adjusting the attacking companions so that they can gain TP all at once from the 99% state. The amount of damage dealt by a single Chain Attack may be in the tens of thousands at first, but by the end of the story, it is not uncommon for the damage to be over a million.

For healers, TP earned from arts during a Chain Attack always stops at 99%. Using this characteristic, a combo can be formed by using a healer to accumulate TP until the last minute, and then using an attacker or defender who can earn TP to finish the attack.

Ouroboros, as mentioned in the story section, can also be used in battle. Basically, it can be activated at any time, and there are also arts dedicated to Ouroboros. It is of course effective when folding up, but while transformed, the concept of HP itself disappears, making it suitable for defense as well, since it can withstand all kinds of attacks. In addition, as with the Chain Gauge, if the level of "Interlink" is raised by taking actions appropriate to the role, the arts that can be used after transforming into Ouroboros are enhanced. It can display overwhelming offensive power.

However, when a group becomes an Ouroboros, the number of members is temporarily reduced by one, leaving a hole in either attack, defense, or recovery. In particular, Yuni and Taion's initial role is that of healers, so if they easily become ouroboros, their recovery role will be reduced and they may be cornered. In addition, they cannot be used if one of the characters they are paired with is out of combat, and there is a time limit on transformation, so they cannot be used as much as they want. While powerful, it is important to know when to use it.

When Ouroboros is in effect and the Interlink Level is 3, or when a Chain Order is completed for a pair of Ouroboros, an Ouroboros-specific Order or Chain can be triggered during a Chain Attack. Compared to the usual, the damage inflicted is a step above!

As I have written at length, the battle in "Xenoblade 3" generally goes like this.

Aim for combos by using Arts.
At the same time, raise the Chain Gauge and Interlink level.
Aim for massive damage by using the power of the Ouroboros and mixing in Chain Attacks.
After the Chain Attack is over, raise the Chain Gauge and Interlink level again by focusing on the Arts.

The battle is, of course, difficult because it is performed by a seven-member party consisting of Noah and six others plus a guest character called "Hero. In the author's case, it took him three chapters of the story to grasp the battle system in "Xenoblade 2," so it is easy to imagine that those who have not played the previous titles will struggle in the battles of this title.

Roles such as attacker depend on which "class" the protagonists are equipped with. It is not possible at the beginning of the story, but once you are able to change classes, the range of tactics will expand at once.

Perhaps in anticipation of such circumstances, the battle system described so far is gradually released as the story progresses. Each element is taught in the tutorial as it comes up, and the "Training" section in the "System" section allows you to battle according to what you have chosen, or you can easily look back by reading the "Tips" section.

Auto-battles are also available; just press the minus button on the Switch and the rest will fight on its own. Arts are used and combos are aimed for. Ouroboros and Chain Attacks are also incorporated naturally. The AI is able to use all the elements essential for battles in this title, so if you are unfamiliar with battles, it is recommended that you watch the AI's movements to learn its flow.

You can use auto-battle as much as you want, but it is better to do as much as possible of the battles in this game by yourself. There are many elements to learn, and the techniques to master are complex, but that is why you will feel a sense of superiority when you are fighting. You will be able to enjoy yourself for understanding such a battle system and being able to think and move in a logical manner, so the rewards are worth the effort. Since you get a bonus in experience when you defeat an enemy in a Chain Attack, it is easy to level up by combining with "elite" type enemies, which originally give you a lot of experience.

Elite type enemies. Their names are marked with blue patterns at both ends.

A sense of adventure in a vast world

Sachi Kojima, producer and director of Monolith Soft, stated in the "Developer Interview" posted on Nintendo's official website that "the area where you can walk is more than five times larger than the field in 2. In fact, the field in "Xenoblade 3" is on a scale that would qualify it as an open world.

It is so large that it is a great adventure to get to the next destination in order to advance the story. The fields, such as snowy mountains, deserts, and oceans, are large and seem to stretch forever. Even in the early stages of the game, there are many things to discover just by moving around, such as the fact that the paths are crawling with level 70 enemies, or the fact that you find ladders woven from purple plants, which must have some way of climbing up. Some of the enemies are described as having a habit of picking fruit from trees, which is part of the ecosystem, and it can be seen that the game is pursuing a sense of reality in the eye onion.

There are many "landmarks" in the field, which can be used as fast-travel destinations to which you can return at any time, except when the storyline restricts you to a certain place. Also significant is the fact that finding landmarks provides exclusive experience called "bonus EXP". When resting at a place where you can take a break, you can use "Level Up" to raise each character's level using the bonus EXP that you had accumulated.

Thanks to the experience bonus from Chain Attacks, elite-type enemies that provide a lot of experience, and the bonus EXP, I was able to reach the ending of the game without leveling up that much. By the way, the final level was 75.

In addition to landmarks, there is also a "colony," which is the base of Keves and Agnus, where various quests occur. Of particular importance are the "Hero Quests," in which a specific hero is temporarily enlisted while the order is received, and upon completion, the hero is officially enlisted.

The heroes that join the group can be used by Noah and his friends, and the heroes themselves can be added to the party as guest characters at any time, helping in field exploration and battles with enemies. The "Hero Quest" is a short storyline that allows players to delve deeper into the world of the game and the feelings of Noah and his friends, so we encourage you to pursue it.

It is easy to get lost while exploring the many landmarks and colonies, as well as the fields in each area, but thankfully, the quest destinations set as "active quests" are indicated by markers and guide lines, so you will never be at a loss. If you cut off the detour and choose an active quest, you can quickly return to the main course.

Nopon coins, also known as in-game chargeable items.

Each class has a level, and if you don't level up, your performance will be middling. Cooking food at rest points requires ingredients, and "Corepedia Cards," quests that are similar to "otsukai," require the collection of materials from various regions. Creating "gems," which enhance the performance of equipped characters, is also essential, and the end is never in sight.

The "Nopon Coin" is the answer to this itch. Nopon coins come in gold and silver, and their main role is to provide the materials required for the above-mentioned elements. Even though fast travel makes it easier to move from one map to another, the only way to get to certain places and approach enemies is to walk, and this kind of steady work becomes tiring at some point. Therefore, the Nopon coins, which take over the material gathering part, helped us a lot.

The biggest benefit was in raising the class level. In addition to the initial classes of Noah and his friends, there are as many variations as there are heroes, and it takes time to level up each time. Especially in the latter half of the story, the enemies were strong, and if the class status was low, not only would they struggle, but they could also be wiped out, which was a big risk. However, it takes a lot of nopon coins to suddenly raise the level to level 10. In my case, I used coins to raise the class to level 4 or 5, and then leveled up the remaining level while playing the main storyline, subquests, and hero quests.

Personally, I believe that the nopon coin is the result of modern game design. It is the same as selling collectibles and completion rewards as downloadable content, as in a buy-one-get-one-free game. It is a social game-like element that shortens the time and effort with money. The storyline, sub-quests, field exploration, and many other elements of "Xenoblade 3" are voluminous, so perhaps the idea is to simplify the small parts as much as possible.

It took the author about 80 hours to complete this work. Sub-quests and hero quests were moderate, but even this was a bit of a rush. If you want to go into the game, you can spend as much time as you want leveling up the main characters, going through the fields, completing quests, defeating backstage bosses, etc., but this carefully crafted game is worth the effort. Although this title can be called the culmination of the "Xenoblade" series, there is little direct connection between the past two titles and this title, and it can be enjoyed even without prior knowledge of the series. For those who are looking for a big RPG to play, this is the perfect game for you.

(Text by Yoshiyoshi Natsumashiuchi)

Information on the titles

Xenoblade 3

Compatibility: Nintendo Switch

Genre: Action RPG

Release date: July 29, 2022 (Friday)

Price:

Download version: 8,700 yen (including tax)

Package version: 8,778 yen (including tax)

CERO: C (for ages 15 and up)

Manufacturer：Nintendo

© Nintendo / MONOLITHSOFT