I’ve been a massive fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles series since the original launched on the Wii in 2011 and in the 14 years since, I’ve replayed the first, second, and third games more than I care to admit. However, despite owning a Wii U and a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles X, I never played the game for no discernible reason outside of a general dislike for grabbing relics from my attic.
When Nintendo revealed Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition I couldn’t wait to finally have a way to play this classic on the go or my TV. Then to my glee, last month I received access to the first four chapters so I could let all of you dedicated XC fans know if it lives up to the legacy of other games in the series.
The first very obvious major change from other games in the series is that there’s a relatively extensive character creator. You can choose whether you’re a male or female, your height, skin tone – which includes hues of green and pink among others, a limited number of hairstyles, some unique eyes, and a couple of makeup choices. Like many others, I can spend hours tinkering with creators, but this time I settled on a girl who looks like me, only, you know, better.
Despite enjoying creating my character and seeing a little digital me roam around the world, I’m less fond of this silent protagonist than I am of the likes of Shulk, Rex, Noah, and Mio. I love these strong characters and the way they interact with their friends, while the relationships I’m building in XCX just seem a little more superficial than I’d like, but it’s early days, so this may change as I get deeper into the game.
Speaking of early days, the story of XCX revolves around a colony of humans who have recently crash-landed on planet Mira. It’s been two months since they escaped from Earth after its destruction from an intergalactic war between two alien races, and an organization named BLADE is attempting to locate life pods with more survivors, set up probes to get a better lay of the land, and collect resources to help humanity survive in this bizarre new world.
The general idea is intriguing, though I didn’t get a really good feel for the story during my preview, as it did feel sort of like a three- to four-hour tutorial where every beat vaguely revolved around teaching me a new thing that I probably could’ve gotten the hang of myself. In saying this, I’m definitely excited to learn more and see what kind of trials and tribulations you come across while rebuilding the community.
I think one thing that often shines in Xenoblade Chronicles games is how alive the worlds feel. XCX is no different. It has bustling metropolitan areas where you can talk to almost everyone around and view their affinities with each other, then you can venture out into the open world to find unique races and massive creatures.
But what’s it like when you encounter these massive creatures? Well, combat is well-polished and fast-paced, though I haven’t played the original, so can’t make a direct comparison, I believe Nintendo has streamlined it a little since 2015. It’s very similar to Chronicles 1, 2, and 3, with a bar down the bottom of the screen that you can set up to eight abilities on, then cycle through them to perform attacks, heal, and defend. The main difference is that you can choose a class from branching paths that include the offensive, beginner-friendly Striker, the buff-happy Commando, and the ranged art-focused Enforcer.
As a beginner, I went with Striker and it definitely feels well-balanced with a good amount of melee and ranged skills, but I’m intrigued to try the ranged class, as after a few hours, I’ve found I prefer sitting a little back from the heat of battle. You can also take three other characters into battle; they’re relatively helpful, but I‘m noticing a distinct lack of healers so far.
I’m well aware that a large part of the original XCX revolved around online play, but I didn’t have access to that during my preview, so I can’t comment on how well it performs and what aspects of the game or combat it has. However, I can imagine traversing this massive map with a pal would be a wonderful experience.
Okay, now I’ve mentioned the map, I’m sure you’re all very eager to hear how it compares to its sister games. The landscapes are gorgeous, the creatures are vibrant, and the load times are non-existent. As you walk between areas everything is smooth as butter, while vibrant creatures travel in natural motions and the foliage bristles beneath your feet, you can go anywhere and fight anything. You could easily spend tens of hours within the first few chapters traveling the map and collecting resources and still not see everything there is to see. Oh, and there’s no fall damage, so leap from those cliffs all you like!
One last thing I wish I had the chance to experience is the mechs, known as skells in XCX. I’ve seen so much footage of these awesome robots drifting around world and in combat, but sadly, it looks like they’re a later-game addition. This does add to my hype and increase my need to clock up more hours in-game, though.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition really pushes the Nintendo Switch to its limit, and I’m constantly surprised by how well this humble little console can handle such marvels. If you’re a fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles games, I recommend giving X a try. It has some really cute nods to other games such as a character wearing a Monado hairpin, but it definitely has a different vibe than the numbered titles, as it seems to rely more on you choosing what to do with less of a story focus, at least in the early chapters.
If you’re new to the world of XC, be sure to check out our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review. Then, while you wait for X to arrive you can occupy yourself with one of the best Nintendo Switch games or ruminate on when we may get the Nintendo Switch 2.