Xenoblade 3: Future Redeemed: Thoughts

Spoilers ahead…

Xenoblade 3: Future Redeemed is a direct prequel to Xenoblade 3, released in April 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. This DLC serves to connect all three Xenoblade instalments together and conclude them, ending what has been over a decade-long journey for fans from the beginning. The story is set 1000 years before the events of Xenoblade 3, and it centres around our protagonist Matthew, who meets an enigmatic woman known as A. They soon meet two new yet familiar looking characters, Nikol and Glimmer who join them after a chance meeting. Shulk and Rex, from Xenoblade 1 and 2, also return as playable characters. Alpha, a mysterious entity wielding a Monado, is referred to as God by Z and has links with Shulk and Rex’s past. Gameplay is familiar to before, and there are the vast lands to explore in Aionios, albeit on more of a concentrated scale this time. Set over 5 chapters, Future Redeemed is exciting for fans old and new who have been through the series so far. It will mean much more if you have played the previous titles though, as there’s plenty of references, areas and characters that hark back to what has come before.

The story opens with a flashback of Rex, Shulk, and Z fighting Alvis, now known as Alpha. The story is set in the world of Aionis, with our protagonist Matthew, who is a survivor of the destruction of the first City by Moebius N. In the present day, Matthew is looking for his missing sister, Na’el and survivors from the City. He travels with A, who wields a blade capable of hurting the Moebius. They meet other playable characters, Nikol and Glimmer by breaking up a fight between them as Kevesi and Agnians and freeing them from their flame clocks. In Chapter 2, Shulk and Rex appear and join your party. Now older and wiser, Shulk is looked up to as a teacher and Rex is seen as a mentor by both the immediate and wider cast. When Nikol and Glimmer want to go to Origin, they battle Shulk and Rex in Chapter 4 in order to prove themselves, which they do. It’s real dad energy there. Shulk and Rex also both bear injuries as Shulk lost his arm and Rex lost his eye after confronting Alpha, showing they are far from the young, innocent teenagers that they were.

There is a strong theme of familial bonds between characters in Future Redeemed and a coming of worlds. Nikol is Shulk and Fiora’s son, Glimmer is Rex and Pyra’s daughter, Matthew and Na’el are Noah and Mio’s great grandchildren of the versions that become N and M, Ghondor is Noah and Mio’s son – who we see early on killed by N. Of course, we see a Ghondor in Xenoblade 3, so it is revealed there is a familial link there as she was named after N and M’s Ghondor. Seeing the memories of Origin later in the game, you see the full context of this. Others include Panacea being the daughter of Sharla and Reyn, Linka is Zeke and Pandoria’s daughter. Matthew is very different to Noah, brash and outspoken. Nikol is a Kevesi soldier who enjoys tinkering with machines, much like Shulk did. Glimmer is an Agnian soldier whose personality resembles Mythra. As Mio is implied to be the daughter of Nia and Rex, that also makes Glimmer and Mio half-siblings. Alvis returns and is fought; A is also confirmed to be Alvis’ conscience. Matthew is also revealed to possess Pneuma’s Core Crystal and N has Logos/Malos’ Core Crystal.

Future Redeemed is set in a region of Aionios, known as the Cent-Omnia Region and explore the worlds seen in Bionis and Alrest. The Bionis’ Leg and the Kingdom of Tantal make up most of the Aurora Shelf and The Ragmos Desolation. The Aurora Shelf has ruins from places across Bionis, like the ruins of King Agni’s Tomb from Makna Forest and the Exile Fortress from Satorl Marsh, and remnants of Gran Dell. Colony 9 incorporates most of Yesterdale, with the elements of the Cliffs of Morytha. These form the surrounding areas and sections of Vermilion Woods. In Chapter 4, we see that The Black Mountains are the culmination of Valak Mountain and the interior of Genbu, with Prison Island located nearby. It’s interesting seeing areas like Colony 9 again, and seeing what has become of them, like Dunban’s house now which has become rundown and is now being used as Riku’s workshop to upgrade weapons. There’s also references to the fog in Future Connected, Matthew and Na’el seeing fog beasts and fog being visible in the Ragmos Desolation, with more fog being seen towards the end of the story. This fog is Alvis’ residue of the worlds coming together.

The gameplay is very similar to the base game of Xenoblade 3, you have six characters to play as. In battle, you use different arts and have chain attacks. However, there is no Ouroboros power, rather there is a Unity Combo where two characters unite to deliver a bigger attack. Affinity points are also new, and you unlock different skills on the Affinity Growth tree. Affinity Scenes also grant you affinity points, the affinity scenes work much like the Heart to Hearts in previous titles and can be viewed during the appropriate chapters. I like that they’re pretty accessible and it helps provide that extra context. For example, there’s an Affinity scene where Shulk and Rex talk about being dads and at Outlook Park, Shulk talks to Nikol about the sandwiches Fiora used to make him when they were living in Colony 9. There are side quests and the Collectopaedia to complete by defeating enemies. You also need materials to craft Ether Slides and fixing ladders. There are also plenty of containers to find which contain lots of useful items and collecting ingredients for side quests like Cooking with Rex (which is actually a side quest).

Despite this ending the trilogy, there’s still much open to interpretation. Watching the credits go by, seeing the flashbacks from throughout the series and ending off with a post-credits sequence of seeing the worlds come back together and a shooting star, hinting of the next instalment. It also suggests that Noah and Mio were able to reunite, after being separated at the end of Xenoblade 3. I still wanted to know more, though. At the end, Shulk and Rex (and A) go to Origin, in order to become avatars and help Aionios remain stable. They both grant their life force to their respective children, Glimmer and Nikol. Origin falls into the sea, which explains why the areas aren’t seen in Xenoblade 3. At the end, Matthew goes on a journey of his own and confirms his full name is Matthew Vandham. It also blew my mind to see our heroes transported to earth and wandering around a realistic looking neighbourhood in chapter 5. They see a tall tower which becomes the World Tree in Xenoblade 2, Na’el is in one of the gardens looking after children and playing the piano, all while the radio is on filled with Xenogears references.

Over the past year I have fallen in love with the Xenoblade series, with 2022 really being the year of Xenoblade for me, having played through the whole series now. It is easily one of my favourite RPG series after the Final Fantasy series now. The good and bad is that these games are very extensive. Good because there’s a big world to explore and lots of characters to relate to, bad because there’s simply not enough time in the day to play them extensively, regretfully! Future Redeemed was a great way to dive back into the series after playing Xenoblade 3 last September, but on a smaller scale with it taking around 13 hours for me to finish the main story. Once finishing the story, as per the series, the title screen changes to mirror the same one as Xenoblade 3 and you can play as Na’el permanently too after she joins for the final boss fight. It’s also wonderful seeing characters like Shulk again and experiencing a new side to them and seeing the children of our heroes. If you’ve played the previous titles, then there’s no real reason to not play this and see the conclusion unfold.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Thoughts

Some spoilers ahead…

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the latest instalment in the ever growingly popular series. Originally stated for a September 2022 release, it came out in July on the Nintendo Switch. I’ve spent the past few weeks experiencing the world of Aionios; where the Bionis and Mechonis from Xenoblade 1 and Alrest from Xenoblade 2 are fused into a new world in the future. There are two nations named Keves and Agnus who are locked in war together with wanting to expand their own lifespans. Keves is reminiscent of Xenoblade 1 and Agnus resembles Xenoblade 2. There are six main characters; Noah, Lanz and Eunie from Keves and Mio, Taion and Sena from Agnus, alongside their Nopon friends Riku and Manana. In this world, humans only have a life span of 10 years with each year being referred to as a ‘term’, at the end they will have their Homecoming. Once they die, they are reborn again and the cycle continues. Somewhat similar to Blades being reborn without their memories once their Drivers die in Xenoblade 2. Despite the references to the predecessors, it is fine to play Xenoblade 3 without having played the others although you get more out of it if you do.

The two protagonists of the story are Noah, from Keves and Mio, from Agnus who are both off-seer soldiers who play a special flute to send the dead husks as a ritual. Noah and Mio’s teams at the beginning fight each other, which is stopped by an older man named Vandham who advises that he knows the true enemy. He activates the Ouroboros Stone which causes Noah and Mio’s bodies to Interlink and they transform into Ouroboros. The same happens for Taion and Eunie and Lanz and Sena. This concept of transforming into Ouroboros can be done in battle too. The two teams join together as outlaws and enemies of the world, liberating Colonies as they go along by destroying their Flame Clocks which will free them from the war. The antagonists are the Consuls, who transform into Moebius – a similar being to Ouroboros. These Moebius also include N and M, who are physically identical to Noah and Mio and are the original versions of themselves who choose to live in the ‘eternal now’ and are a symbol of regret. The two nations also have queens, the Kevesi queen Melia and the Agnian queen Nia, both familiar faces from the series.

This game is character driven; the main cast have plenty of interactions with each other and feel grounded. There are many RPGs where some party members barely interact. This party feels very cohesive. Every character is distinctive and rather likable – emphasised by how well they all gel. Noah reminds me somewhat of Shulk with his kindness and passion to protect those he cares about, Lanz can be brash but I warmed to him, Eunie has sass with her sharp tongue and Cockney accent, Mio is compassionate and empathetic, Taion is very astute and analytical and Sena is chirpy but has insecurities about being herself. I’m a fan of the love story between Noah and Mio and the scenes at the end of Chapter 5 where the party are placed in prison separated from Mio is heartbreaking. You see Noah’s desperation and breaking down in the prison cell. We see the bloodied grazes on his knuckles as he tries to force his way out despite it being futile. Noah’s voice actor Harry McEntire is great but he really knocks it out the park here and captures the range of emotions. The animations also really do capture Noah’s pain and his very human emotions.

As is signature for Xenoblade, there are a variety of different open world areas to travel in. Some will sound familiar with context for XC1/XC2. Early on you visit Colony 9 – one of the first areas from the original Xenoblade, however this iteration is different to how it was before. Millick Meadows are from the remnants of Gormott and the Bionis’ shoulder, Rae-Bel Tableland leads to the entrance of the Urayan Tunnels and we know Uraya from XC2, the Maktha Wildwood is a combination of the Morytha and Makna forest, Erythia is also a combination of the Eryth Sea, the Leftherian Archipelago and the Spirit Crucible Elpys and Keves Castle was originally Alcamoth. The world building itself is a little less pronounced as you’re not actively looking at massive titans this time, but it is interesting to see how both worlds have formed together. You can still fast travel around the world as there are so many different regions and you can even traverse the seas with a ship provided by Samon the Nopon. Graphics are pretty good but not perfect, there’s the odd pop in and some clipping with animations like Mio’s long hair cutting into her clothing for example.

Cutscenes are lengthy – sometimes when you’re going from A to B you may stop and this will trigger yet another cutscene. I saw on YouTube there are over 19 hours of cutscenes and this is not surprising. Even from the start, the cutscenes set the tone of the endless fighting and death that comes with it. Other notable cutscenes other than the aforementioned prison scene is when the party are in the City. Monica, Vandham’s daughter shows them what the normal progression of human life looks like. Much unlike their lives where they are soldiers brought up to fight and only live for 10 years before being reborn. They’re shown the maternity ward and see a baby for the first time. Seeing their reaction to the miracle of life is endearing as the baby grips onto their finger – especially Taion, who is in awe by it. Seeing the previous life cycles of Noah and Mio/N and M at the start of Chapter 6 was interesting too, including one where they have a baby son together amongst other scenarios where Mio always dies first as she is older, emphasising that inevitability. There’s also several flashbacks of Noah and the others as children.

The battle system is accessible and easy to navigate making it perfect for newcomers. The basic combat is automatic same as previous games, there are standard arts that you can use where you can use these as they charge up and also fusion arts. Keves arts and Agnus arts recharge similarly to their respective games too. All six characters fight together at once and you can swap between characters to control in battle and on the field. Sometimes it does feel like there’s a lot going on the screen. My favourite addition to this is the class system as I always love a good job system in an RPG. Each character has a default class which has an associated outfit and you can switch between these, for example Swordfighter, Medic Gunner, Tactician etc. In pairs, characters can change into Ouroboros in battle which deals out more damage than if the characters were fighting individually, once it overheats the characters will separate. Heroes allow players to incorporate a new member into their party and many of these are acquired through sidequests. Chain Attacks kick in once the meter is charged and they are extensive as everyone gets a chance to attack.

The soundtrack includes familiar composers like Yasunori Mitsuda are back. Overall, the soundtrack is good and there are standout tracks, though some tracks did fade into the background. The poignant theme A Life Sent On plays a lot and this is played when Noah and/or Mio are playing their flutes to send the dead. There’s a gentler variation of Drifting Soul from Xenoblade 2 plays as Nia’s theme which was a nice throwback. The Kevesi battle theme which is one of the first battle themes you hear and it is a banger, I am a fan of this trend of jazzy battle music in the series – I didn’t get bored of this one. There’s also a vocal theme during the prison scene, A Step Away which conveys the strong emotions of Noah, Mio and everyone else. Battle! Vs. Moebius is a seriously epic boss theme and it sounds like a final boss theme, except it’s not. Remnants of Memories which plays when N has to leave his child really hits home the sadness of it all. The ending theme as the two worlds part Where We Belong is pretty emotional too, especially with the lyrics and everyone saying their goodbyes.

Running around, you will hear the same post-battle dialogue over and over with Eunie saying “Hear that, Noah? Lanz wants something a bit meatier!” and Sena declaring that she is ‘the girl with the gall’ continually. This was something I picked up on when playing Torna and it has returned. Also similar to Torna, is the return of the camp sites. Here, Manana can cook dishes which enhances the party stats for a period of time. There are also canteens and if you order the food there then Manana can learn how to make it. You can also discuss things with party members, some will open up a sidequest and some will give you tidbits of info and EXP. There’s no real need for Heart to Hearts anymore. Certain NPCs will be discussing things and if you listen in and gain the relevant bits of information then this can trigger discussions. You can also clean your clothes and if you don’t you will notice your characters clothes getting dirtier. There’s gem crafting and levelling up bonus EXP. Subtle quality of life improvements include being able to pick up items while in battle and even being able to fight while in the water.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a massive adventure and certainly the most refined of the series, taking the best from both entries before it. For me, 2022 has been the year of playing Xenoblade. Before this year I hadn’t played any of them and now I’m basically caught up with the main series. The world of Aionios is huge and there is so much to do, with an expansive story and so many different sidequests. If you’re expecting a lot of throwbacks to the past two games then you’ll find some, but most of them are fairly subtle e.g., when Noah and the others are seen as fog, a concept in Future Connected. There are more obvious references like Melia seen having possession of Shulk’s Monado REX and THAT photo with Rex and the party from Xenoblade 2 at the end. This is my number one Xenoblade game – I love the characters, it has my favourite love story in the series and I really enjoy the gameplay and story. The original Xenoblade Chronicles isn’t far behind it, but this has the edge over it. It’s been a journey and I look forward to the DLC and what’s next for the series.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country: Thoughts

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country was released in 2018 for the Nintendo Switch as an expansion to the original Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which was released in 2017. It was released as DLC, but the game can be played as a standalone entry. It is an entirely new story that features characters that were only touched upon in Xenoblade 2. Torna takes place exactly 494 years before Xenoblade 2 during the Aegis War. The story expands upon characters seen in Xenoblade 2 such as the Blades Jin, Mythra and Malos, but it also expands on characters who were only seen in flashbacks, such as Jin’s original Driver, Lora. She is the Tornan Driver protagonist who meets a tragic end with her untimely death. Addam who is Mythra’s original Driver also plays a big part in the story and Hugo, the Emperor of Mor Ardain is also one of the main Drivers who is accompanied by Brighid. From playing Xenoblade 2 we know what becomes of Lora and Jin, but Torna gives us a reason to understand and grow more attached to these characters.

The story follows Lora and Jin and the overall quest is to defeat Malos. Lora is the Driver of two Blades, Jin and Haze. She has an especially close relationship with Jin and she is often said to physically resemble Haze. Lora is mature and shows kindness despite the hardships she has been through. Lora and Jin go back 17 years and she was only 10 when she became a Driver. Jin protected her from an abusive man named Gort (who is Lora’s stepfather… I think?) and they became allies. Lora and Jin’s story is poignant and tragic as her fate is a foregone conclusion, but it’s good to see their story expanded. It certainly makes Lora’s original death scene hit harder. It is also interesting seeing Jin before he becomes an antagonist. Torna concludes with the battle against Malos where Mythra’s power ends up destroying the Tornan Titan. Malos is defeated, but at what cost. Ridden with guilt and turning into Pyra at the end, Addam takes her to the ship to be sealed away. In the last scene, we see Rex walk in 500 years later and that’s where Xenoblade 2 begins.

This chapter in the history of Alrest includes new environments to explore in which are in the grand, stunning, Xenoblade style that we associate with the series. In fact, these sorts of environments are one of the first things I think of when I think of Xenoblade. You traverse varied areas, mostly green but also sandy desert areas as well as some areas with rainfall. You get to see areas of Torna, for example Auresco, which is the royal capital city of the Kingdom of Torna. There are also familiar names such as Gormott, one of the earlier locations of Xenoblade 2 where here you see an older version of it. You can also see how areas differed back then, for example Torigoth here is a village and a minor location, not the capital of Gormott, which you see in Xenoblade 2. The soundtrack as per previous Xenoblade titles is very good and fits the scenes perfectly. The main battle music is very funky too, a lot of the time I get bored of battle themes because I hear them so often but this doesn’t outstay its welcome. I also really like the themes The Beginning of Our Memory and Auresco, Royal Capital.

The gameplay remains fairly similar to Xenoblade 2, but new mechanics are introduced in the battle system which makes it better and faster. The playable characters are divided into Team Lora, Team Addam and Team Hugo. You can now switch between playing as the Driver and the Blade with ease as well as playing as different Drivers and Blades, allowing for more variety and freedom. There are camps where you can craft food and items and see extra dialogue between characters as they chat. A lot of the content is based on completing side content by talking to NPCs, you have something called Community and to raise your Community level, you must complete side quests which involves helping people. This is fine, but the game can grind to a halt story-wise as you cannot progress until your Community level is high enough, you need to get to level 4 to face the final boss. Some dialogue as you walk around can also get very repetitive when you obtain items “Aren’t we intrepid?”, “This is becoming addictive” and “The suspense is killing me”. Be prepared to hear this a lot from Lora.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country builds on the lore of the main game without being alienating to newcomers. I had touched upon Torna when writing about Xenoblade 2, but I wanted to go back to Torna in further depth. It isn’t as long as a full Xenoblade Chronicles entry and it can be done in approximately 12 hours or so, depending on how quickly you go through it. This is a fine expansion and it does give you a greater appreciation for the characters of Xenoblade 2, especially ones like Mythra who play a big part in the original story. I liked seeing the lead up to her becoming Pyra. I also find Lora a more interesting lead than Rex, partly because she doesn’t fit the typical mould of a JRPG protagonist as she is 27 years old which is unusual for this genre which leans towards younger protagonists in their teens and early 20s. It would be great to see more slightly older protagonists as now I’m older it would be nice to see some characters of a similar age. If you want to play Xenoblade but in a smaller chunk (because let’s face it, they’re large games), then this is the way to go.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected: Thoughts

As part of the Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition released in 2020 on the Nintendo Switch, a new epilogue called Future Connected was included. Ahead of Xenoblade 3 coming out this month I wanted to check out both this and Torna – The Golden Country in full, having only briefly looked at them before. This extra story follows Melia and Shulk and the main purpose is wrapping up Melia’s story as it felt like they could have gone further with it before. This is set one year later in a new area on the Bionis’ Shoulder which was originally intended on being in Xenoblade itself, but had to be cut due to time constraints. As always, the environments are lush with lots of green, water and roaming creatures. In theory, there is nothing to stop you playing this before the base game as it doesn’t carry over data from it, but it wouldn’t be recommended as it would be without context and knowledge of the original game. Unlike, Torna for Xenoblade 2, this is less of a standalone and more of an extra.

The premise begins with Melia and Shulk looking for Alcamoth, the High Entia capital which has been sighted near the Bionis’ shoulder. They set out on the flying ship, Junks, but are shot down and crash land onto the shoulder. Accompanying Melia and Shulk in the party are Riki’s children who are found on Junks – two young Nopons named Kino and Nene. Both these characters play as the equivalent of Sharla and Reyn in terms of abilities. Nearby is Companions’ Cape where most of the High Entia soldiers have fled to and that’s where you meet Gael’gar, a High Entia that looks far too smiley and sure enough, he is a bad guy who strongly believes that mixed-blood High Entia like Melia are the only future of their race. Also located on the Bionis’ Shoulder is Gran Dell, another settlement where many other High Entia reside. Melia and Shulk also return to Alcamoth which has overgrown considerably since everyone left. The Fog King, who comes from an extra-dimensional rift is the main antagonist of Future Connected and the relatively short venture leads up to its defeat and the coronation of Melia as Empress at the end.

The voice actors for Melia and Shulk, Jenna Coleman and Adam Howden have respectively reprised their roles for this. Given there is about a 10-year gap between recording, you can hear a difference in their voices which would only be slightly jarring if you go into the game straight after Xenoblade, other than that you get used to it fairly quickly. You see some of the original party very briefly after the credits, but none have any dialogue. In fairness, there wouldn’t be much point in bringing the voice actors back for what would probably be a line or two of dialogue. I did find it strange that Shulk seemingly had no interaction with Fiora though. In terms of music, there is a lot of music that is used from the base game, although notably there is a new battle theme called Time to Fight! which is quite jazzy and makes me think it could have come from a 90s SEGA arcade game for some reason. I really like it, much how I like the upbeat battle theme in Torna.

The battle system remains largely similar as Melia and Shulk use the same arts from the main game, although now you no longer have visions or skill trees. Rather than chain attacks, you now have Ponspectors, a group of Nopon reinforcements who will join battles for Union Strikes as a type of chain attack. There are 12 Nopon that can be recruited in total. There is a new type of enemy in Future Connected known as the Fogbeasts who can emit the riot aura which affects nearby monsters. Shulk wields a replica Monado known as Monado Replica EX and he gets the Monado enhanced towards the end. Shulk and Melia also have new costumes for this venture and you can also customise these as before. In addition, rather than Heart to Heart dialogues, there are Quiet Moments between the characters, such as The Future is Ours with Shulk and Melia before they defeat the Fog King in Alcamoth.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected is a short venture that is worth a go if you’ve played Xenoblade Chronicles, but at the same time if you didn’t play it, I don’t think you’d be missing out too much story-wise. It serves to wrap up some of Melia’s story as she was one of the more interesting characters of the original game and there’s far more to her than just having unrequited feelings for Shulk. The Fog King, nor Gael’gar were not compelling villains, but it was good to see the return of other characters like the antagonistic turned supporting character Tyrea. Much like the base game there are plenty of side quests too. Future Connected is not on par with Torna – The Golden Country, but at the same time that can’t be expected as Torna is a separate purchase whereas this is already included. I do wonder though what connections there will be with this epilogue and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as we know that Melia is going to be part of it, so it will be interesting to see what links back to Future Connected.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Thoughts

Minor spoilers ahead…

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was released in 2017 on the Nintendo Switch by Monolith Soft and marks the third instalment for the series after Xenoblade Chronicles X. There are 10 chapters and each chapter has its own title screen image which gives each section its own theme and the story has good pacing. I mentioned before about there being a Square Enix tie previously and in this one Tetsuya Nomura, who is best known for his Final Fantasy character designs, is behind the designs of the Torna organization. There is plenty here that sets it apart from its predecessor; the battle system is more complex and extended, the art style has changed to a more anime theme and there’s mini games such as a retro arcade game named Tiger! Tiger! that you can play to acquire items. Of course, there’s the signature Xenoblade-esque grand sense of adventure and one you could lose yourself in for hours upon hours. Even nearly 5 years on, this title has a large following, helped by being released the same year as the Nintendo Switch itself.

The story takes place in Alrest, a world covered in a sea of clouds and humans live on Titans. Our protagonist this time is a young man called Rex, an orphaned salvager who lives upon a Titan he affectionately calls Gramps, otherwise known as Azurda. Two words you will hear a lot are Drivers and Blades. The Drivers are those who can summon powerful beings from crystals known as Blades. They both work in partnership with one another in and outside of battle. Rex is hired by Argentum Trade Guild Chairman Bana to aid the Drivers Jin, Malos, and Nia, who are part of the organisation Torna, in the salvage of an ancient ship. Torna is an organisation who wants to capture the legendary Blade who is an Aegis named Pyra who has very strong powers, capable of destroying the world. They find Pyra resting within the ship and Rex is fatally stabbed by Jin. Rex then finds himself in the field of Elysium with Pyra who gives him half of her Core Crystal in order to revive him. Their lives are tied with each other and together they seek to go to the paradise where they met named Elysium. Elysium is located at the top of the World Tree that they must climb and it is also where they find a man known as the Architect. Together, they must fight against fellow Aegis known as Malos.

Other than Rex who is accompanied by a smaller version of Gramps, the main playable Drivers are Nia who was originally a part of Torna but defects, Tora who is a Nopon and creator, Mòrag who is the Special Inquisitor of the Empire of Mor Ardain and Zeke, a flamboyant prince. Their accompanying Blades are Pyra, Dromarch, Poppi, Brighid and Pandoria. At the end of Chapter 3, Pyra’s literal other half Mythra appears so Rex ends up with two Blades who can switch places. Rex as a lead character is fine, he isn’t an extraordinary lead but he is likable enough, helped by the fact that he sounds like a regular lad from Manchester. Nia is a Gormotti cat lady who doesn’t hold back and comes off as rather sarcastic and cynical, which I like. Pyra is another standout character for me, I find her design rather unique if not slightly impractical. Pyra has more of a mild-mannered personality, especially in comparison to Nia. Of course, her feistier half comes out in the form of Mythra. In the original Japanese, Pyra is known as Homura, meaning flame and Mythra is called Hikari, meaning light. For me, the female characters are more interesting here. The Heart to Hearts are improved as you only need the relevant characters instead of building up their affinity meaning character development isn’t being locked behind specific requirements.

The battle system is rather varied. You play as a party of three and each character attacks with their Blade. You have an auto attack but you cannot move around while doing it. There are also some familiar enemy names such as Brog and Bunnit. You collect different Blades and when you get new Blades they are at random, depending on what Core Crystals you have it can improve the odds of getting a rare Blade. The game saves when you get a new Blade to avoid any cheating, but you can release ones that you no longer want. I find the concept of the Blades interesting as they are sentient weapons who are tied to their Driver and once their Driver dies, they return to a Core Crystal and eventually reawaken with no recollection of their past. Then eventually they turn into a Titan. While they have immortality, in a lot of ways it is more of a curse. Drivers usually have to have a certain aptitude but there are exceptions like Rex and also Poppi is an artificial blade created by Tora as he didn’t have the ability to become a Driver the traditional way and she takes on different forms such as Poppi QT. Later on, it is revealed that Nia is in fact a Blade herself and afterwards you have the option of using her as a Blade with Rex.

Graphically, the art style is a lot more anime this time, but once again there are some gorgeous worlds to behold. Many screenshots were taken as the environments just look so detailed and vast. One of my favourite areas is the Kingdom of Uraya which is located inside the Titan Uraya where the party are swallowed up. Usually I’m not too fussed about cave sections but there’s a lot of shimmering scenery and pretty trees within. There’s some controversy with the sexualisation of the female characters as a lot of them have skimpy outfits and large busts – it can be a little distracting at times. Even the humour is quite anime. There is a scene early in the game where Pyra is being roped up by Rex who is struggling as she is too heavy to pull up. It’s a bit of a strange joke given how obviously slender she is, but in Japan speaking openly about people’s weight is not a taboo subject. Some jokes hit the mark a bit better, later on there is an instance where Nia calls Zeke a one-eyed monster referencing his eye patch without knowing what it actually means.

In terms of sound, the music is excellent once again and each place has a Day and Night theme. Some noteworthy themes are Loneliness, a piano theme which plays during certain cutscenes like Rex talking with Pyra about her hidden power. I also really like the theme for Fonsa Myma in the day, it sounds so much more than a city theme – more like you’re entering Disneyland or somewhere magical. My favourite night theme is the Kingdom of Uraya with its incredibly atmospheric and ethereal vibes. I also really like the battle theme Still, Move Forward, it has little hooks that sound so retro. The song title reference with You Will Recall Our Names is a nice nod too. The voice acting is fairly diverse here too. For example, Rex is Northern English, Pyra/Mythra is American, Nia is Welsh, Morag is Scottish. The voice acting quality is a little more mixed this time round, characters like Nia have very good voice acting and Rex overall is decent, but does suffer from some questionable screams and lines at points, but you can clearly see he improves as the story progresses.

In 2018 there was an expansion; Torna – The Golden Country. This is a prequel that takes place 500 years prior and as we know from the base game, Mythra’s power caused destruction and led to the creation of Pyra as a means of easing the guilt. The story begins with Lora and her Blade, Jin traversing a forest and Lora is in search for her mother. Lora and Jin soon meet Addam who is Mythra’s original Driver and Mythra herself and they are also playable characters. You also meet familiar characters like Brighid and you are then introduced to Hugo, the Emperor of Mor Ardain during the Aegis War. As well as Brighid, he has the blade Aegaeon and Lora also has Haze, known as Fan la Norne in the base game. The battle system has been tweaked too so you can switch between your Driver and Blade in battle with ease, which gives a more equal footing for the Blades. Areas like Torigoth in Gormott are revisited, although here it has been burned down. There is also a Community mechanic, meaning you complete side quests for people and your community levels grow. There are also campfire scenes where you rest and can also interact with others like in a Heart to Heart. It’s a good chance to get a further look into characters that were only touched upon before as well as seeing old favourites.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an intriguing adventure with a world I enjoyed exploring as it is very story driven. Frankly, after playing both that and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition back-to-back I am exhausted – but in a good, rewarding way. The obvious question is did it surpass the original for me and I honestly have to say no, but that’s not to dismiss it by any means. I just think I connected with the story and characters more in the first instalment and it ultimately left more of an impact. I’m rather fond of characters like Pyra, Mythra and Nia and I find the Driver and Blade dynamic interesting. I think had I not played the Definitive Edition of the first game; my opinion may well have been different. Although if you’re missing any favourites from before, Shulk and Fiora also make an appearance in some post-game unlockable content. Despite this being a standalone sequel, there are very obvious connections revealed in Chapter 10 which tie in with the original Xenoblade Chronicles and makes up the fundamental twist in the story. This makes me super curious about what is in store for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 which will be released September 2022. I can’t wait to see how both stories tie in!

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition: Thoughts

Minor spoilers ahead…

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2020. It is an open world RPG game developed by Monolith Soft. Interestingly, a lot of the team are Square Enix alumni and the Xenoblade series is a spiritual successor to the Square game Xenogears. The original game was for the Nintendo Wii, released in 2011 for Europe and it was even ported to the 3DS in 2015. Xenoblade Chronicles had an interesting beginning; originally it was released in Japan and then later in Europe. There were no initial plans for a North American release so this meant that all the cast are UK based for the English localisation – and I love this as it gives Xenoblade its own little unique identity. Following a successful fan campaign, it finally saw the light of day in America. Comprised of 17 chapters, the premise is set on the frozen bodies of two titans who were at war, known as the Bionis and the Mechonis. These titans represent the biological versus the mechanical world. The people of Bionis are known as Homs (otherwise humans) and the Mechonis is home to a race known as the Machina.

The story unfolds by showing the events of one year prior with comrades Dickson, Dunban and Mumkhar fighting a Mechon army in the Battle of Sword Valley. Dunban then sustains an injury which paralyses his one arm. In the present time, our protagonist is the engineer Shulk. He is residing in Colony 9 where Dunban and his sister Fiora also live. Colony 9 is attacked by the Mechon and Shulk discovers his ability to wield the sword named the Monado, which Dunban had previously used a year ago. This mysterious sword also grants Shulk visions of the future and allows him to foresee and then alter future events. An enemy named Metal Face is immune to the Monado however, and kills Shulk’s childhood friend Fiora. This tragic event pushes Shulk and his friend Reyn to set out on a journey with revenge in mind. They soon meet the medic Sharla and we soon see Dunban again. Later they are also joined by Melia, a mixed High Entia and Homs mage and Riki, a Nopon which is sort of akin to Moogles from Final Fantasy and they speak in a cutesy, third-person way. The twist is that Fiora is alive but her body has become mechanised and she doesn’t initially recognise the party. Together, Shulk, Reyn, Sharla, Dunban, Melia, Riki and Fiora pursue the true enemy known as Zanza. There are twists along the way, particularly towards the end which is a great as I love a good story twist.

This version of Xenoblade Chronicles is a complete remake of the original. I am new to the Xenoblade Chronicles series, so I was pretty surprised to see just how different the original Wii game looked from footage I have seen – it has not aged well and looks blockier and darker. The Switch version is so much brighter and really benefits from the upgrade. The interfaces and menus look far improved too. Shulk particularly looks a lot different from his original appearance, but for the better. The 3DS version looks similar to the Wii version, but more pixelated. I honestly don’t think I could go and play these versions now. The Definitive Edition includes an epilogue named Futures Connected which wraps up Melia’s story with the assistance of Shulk and Riki’s two children, Nene and Kino. The story begins in a familiar lush, green land located on the Bionis’ shoulder and while you can play it first, it is far better to play after completing the main story. There is also a post-game title screen change to one of the party looking out together which is a nice touch. Admittedly, for quite a while I didn’t even notice that there are no CG cutscenes. Every cutscene you see are from the in-game graphics and they are very easy on the eye which is good as the game is very cutscene and story heavy.

Speaking of graphics, they make traversing the expansive open worlds an absolute delight, particularly when you are travelling through the sprawling environments of the Bionis. I loved areas like Makna Forest where you meet Melia, it’s so vast and pretty and the area before that evokes Northern Lights vibes. There is just so much detail here, especially as the areas go between night and day. For example, Satorl Marsh looks so different between night and day, by night it is a shimmering marsh and by day the lights fade and it looks a lot plainer. There are also little villages and cities to visit too – Colony 9 where you begin your journey, Frontier Village where the Nopon live and Melia’s city of Imperial Capital Alcamoth. I think towards the end of the game on the Mechonis was where things began to drag slightly as you go through mechanical area after another, I was missing the lush green lands that the Bionis had to offer, but the payoff is there in terms of story. This world will draw you in though and the way in which it is displayed makes everything about this title so epic. You can fast travel between areas you’ve visited which does prove to be useful in such a large world.

The battle system plays like a single player MMO as you lock onto targets (or they lock onto you) and you have free movement. When you’re close enough you can auto attack but you also have the option of using different commands/arts which are helpfully colour coded. These arts have a cool down period so you can’t just spam them either. Your other characters in battle will be AI operated. Of course, as Shulk has the Monado he can use its specific abilities too such as Enchant to be able to attack Mechon. The Monado also lets him pre-empt attacks to come to either him or his teammates and you can warn party members of an impending attack. You don’t have to stock up with items like potions here, you can revive your teammates and after battle your HP will regenerate. I had Sharla in my team for the whole game as she has very helpful healing abilities. As well as equipping your characters with weapons and armor, there’s outfits to unlock to customise your character’s appearances without affecting their equipment setup. I temporarily put most of the characters in swimsuits because it looked funny and then soon after we were in Valak Mountain which is a very snowy area. It also looked quite funny during serious cutscenes as it carries over. Other than that, I kept them fairly close to their usual attire, but it’s good to have a play around.

The Heart to Heart mechanic is an interesting concept as it helps enhance character development and encourages the player to have different characters battle together in your party as once you gain enough affinity points you can unlock little scenes between different characters when they have downtime. Two characters have a conversation and if you say the right thing, the other’s affinity rises, say the wrong thing and it lowers. You learn little extras about the characters that you wouldn’t normally see. For example, Sharla likes fruit and Dunban does not. Of course, there are more interesting ones than that. I really like the one between Melia and Sharla when they discuss Melia’s feelings towards Shulk. Shulk is oblivious and once Fiora is back in the picture there is not much chance of any feelings being reciprocated towards Melia, but Melia is happy to stand aside for Shulk and Fiora to pursue their feelings and even shows her support for a possible Sharla and Reyn romance. It’s pretty obvious that Shulk and Fiora become a couple. There’s a scene after Shulk and Fiora fall from the Galahad Fortress onto the beachy Fallen Arm of the Mechonis and he revives/kisses her. It’s really sweet how he is so happy that she remembers him. Even Dunban openly says that Shulk and Fiora should get together which makes a nice change from the typical overprotective brother trope.

The soundtrack is composed by Manami Kiyota, Yoko Shimomura, ACE+ and Yasunori Mitsuda, of Chrono Trigger fame. I thought I recognised Shimomura’s work as the battle theme Time to Fight! Sounded similar to the battle music in Final Fantasy XV that she composed as well. Early on, I was drawn to the Tephra Cave music with its mysterious, retro feel and bass tones. There is a continuous Day and Night cycle and this also affects what music plays. For example, the music for Gaur Plains in the day feels like an exciting, grand and epic adventure is unfolding. By night, it sounds like the perfect tune for a calm midnight walk. Thoughts Enshrined which plays during certain cutscenes sounds poignant but has a layer of hope within. I also like the theme for Frontier Village with its flute, Shulk and Fiora with the piano and violins and Eryth Sea feels very atmospheric and ambient with the background vocals. You Will Know Our Names is a pretty epic tune which heard during unique monster battles which shows things are about to get tense. I also really like the battle theme from Future Connected, it’s very jazzy.

As mentioned, the voice acting was based in the UK and as a British person, I really do appreciate the localisation as it is so common to have games dubbed with a US cast with perhaps the odd British or Australian accent. There are some notable UK based names such as Jenna Coleman who is best known as Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, Kellie Bright who plays Linda Carter in EastEnders and better yet, Julie from Ali G and even Peter Dickson who is best known for voice overs such as the X Factor. For me, Shulk’s voice actor Adam Howden has the standout performance. He captures so many different emotions along the journey and can certainly shout and scream when needed. Of course, when Shulk is not screaming “I’ll kill you” like in the early iconic scene, he is speaking in his well-spoken, pleasant-sounding Southern English accent which is how he sounds for the majority of the story. I believe the aim was for him to sound educated and not posh which I think they achieved. Reyn has a cockney accent going on so that works as a good foil for their personalities. Some enemies like Metal Face have strong cockney accents too. Generally, most of the cast seem to have a Southern/standard English accent of some sort.

Xenoblade Chronicles is a game that I never even considered playing as it just wasn’t on my radar, but I am so glad I did and in the best way with the Definitive Edition. The fascinating lore, the lovable characters and the epic world it is in makes for a compelling and rather unique tale. I mean, I cannot think of many stories where the world is literally set on a titan and you’re wandering around on its different body parts and even inside its body. The story and characters are one of those where it’s left an impression, even after finishing. The soundtrack is one of the best I’ve heard in a while, it has the right mix of epic, atmospheric, relaxed and engaging themes. On a personal note, this game will be memorable as I started it at 29 and ended at 30, so this makes it the first game I’ve played in my new decade. I played Xenoblade on a whim and now I’ve played it, I definitely want to look into Xenoblade 2 now. I must admit, after connecting so much with the story and characters I find it hard to believe I’ll have the same with the sequel (which has an unrelated cast and story). But equally I am optimistic as I seem to have found myself a good series here.