Topic: Xenoblade Chronicles 3

@Takoda It's definitely a different approach. One I think is smarter, actually, given the open and exploratory nature of these games. XC1 always felt like a game that could have featured far more linear environments with little issue, because nothing was done with the larger world outside of the areas you visited in the main quest. XC3 sort of reminds me of SMT V insofar as how a lot of the side-content feels like it could've been integrated into the main plot.

I'd probably be considerably less impressed with this game if I mostly ignored the side content and focused on the main quest because, yeah, I think one is missing a good chunk of the game's meaningful narrative content when they do that.

@TheJGG Lol Vandham tackling them was a nice touch

@Ralizah The sidequests so easily flow into one another and obviously those quests involve you literally fighting main villains. I think that piece of the game is just something really great that I hope they continue doing in the series.

It's so crazy that I'm actually recognizing NPCs and remembering their quests as I'm running around the colonies. XC1 and XC2 had a few memorable NPCs but not nearly to this level.

The side content is crucial for the full experience in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Don't have to do every sidequest, but definitely the major ones like Hero sidequests and the main character side stories. And at least a fair portion of the standard sidequests. Enough to help with world building.

I have one final side quest I want to do- Uniting the Seven Nopon, so I can upgrade my weapons. I'll start on that tomorrow. But afterward it's on to the finish line. I'm right near the end.

It's pretty cool seeing storylines from various colonies interact and coalesce over the course of the game. And how environments seem to change and evolve based on what you do in various side-quests. It really feels like you're making a difference in peoples' lives.

And the character interactions make even boring side-quests worthwhile, like... ugh... Zeon's ascension quest.

I'm not sure it's their best story (need to finish the game first), but I absolutely think XC3 is a full realization of what Monolith has wanted to do with the series since day one. One of those fully satisfying gaming experiences that you only get a few times per generation.

Stayed up until 4:30 in the morning playing this, lol. Not ideal.

I about lost it when I heard that gorgeous remix of Drifting Souls as I prepared to meet Nia. As an XC2 fan, it was a great sequence.

At least I'm in chapter 7 now, though.

@Takoda @Ralizah @FroZtedFlakerZz @JaxonH
Seems like everyone agrees this game has the best side quests of the entire series and I'm one of them. They include a ton of world and character building and they're a joy to complete.

100% I noticed this as well. Even during my first playthrough I knew tons of the NPCs by name. From the Colony lieutenants and colonels to all the kids running around in the City, somehow they're all memorable. In previous games there were some NPCs that stood out but not to this degree... not even close.

@XandertheWise spoilers dude!

yeah that has happened to me a couple of times if im up all night playing an RPG game tat Im really into such as level grinding etc.

just last week i stayed up until 4 in the morning. Not healthy to be doing that lol but at leaset we're playing through RPG games anyway for our consoles

Not your fault at all, if you don’t like stuff like that you don’t like it. Hopefully I can make something that you do like one day! But recognising I put work into it is it’s own reward. ❤️

@FroZtedFlakerZz That was my favourite part to edit. It came into my head with the subtlety of a truck crashing into my skull, and thank god it stuck. Glad you enjoyed it though! It was so much fun to make, so I’ll definitely make another one within my lifetime.

I still haven't started my journey into XC3 yet since I'm still going through the first game and I have to say I despise the people that put spoilers into thumbnails of articles/youtube videos.

Like it's fine if you want to talk about something but don't put clear spoilers of the game in it for everyone to see...

@Neph Ugh dude I know. It doesn't take that much effort for people to put a spoiler warning. I've seen people say "well just don't search up anything about the game!" but even if you don't the algorithms can still push something related to your feed.

@Vortexeo Right? Like I know so many keypoints of the game without really knowing anything about it as well if that makes sense?

@Neph They often go about it in this 'well, everybody already knows because it's an old game, haha!' way, but you really notice how only the fan community really pays attention to avoiding spoilers with stuff like 'party member seven' or whatever it was in XC1. I'm extremely spoiler-sensitive when it comes to stories so I feel ya. Even here on this thread there's someone who doesn't go through the trouble to spoiler stuff, thankfully it hasn't been that major. It's the little things that can save an experience, but oh well. : /

@XandertheWise Use spoiler tags please, it's very inconsiderate for people who haven't gotten to where you are yet. Use it like this; text . Quote my post to see how it works. Wouldn't want to ruin it for someone else, right?

anyway back to subject of the game.

what i went through earlier today at the prison, the scenes got pretty long. That and my Switch Lite needed to be charged up