@Mioaionios Yeah, this'll be one of those games I'll probably be watching LPs of for a long time.
lolno. I'm heartless, and I still don't believe they'll kill off a major character. Xenoblade games are like soap operas: nobody really dies... they just get resurrected, or you find out they swapped places with their clone double, or they get turned into robots, etc. etc.
Except Vandham. Poor, poor Vandham exists to be a redshirt.
I definitely see Jax's Matrix comparison working here. I also see heavy shades of Xenogears, and, to some extent, Digital Devil Saga.
Props to Monolith. I feel like I'm playing a PS2 game again in the best way possible.
Just finished Ch. 5 and... wow, what a ride that was. I'm sure they'll retcon what happened next chapter with some metaphysical BS, but it was an interesting bit of raw, sustained storytelling. Kinda expected Noah was going to rush forward and stab Mio at the end there to prevent her from being absorbed by the queen, since that somehow apparently ejects them from the cycle of rebirth, but I guess not..
I've played this game for over seven hours today. My eyes hurt.
Spoiler for the start of Chapter 6 so if you haven't played that please ignore this and come back when you have.
I felt really emotional when it happened but when I think about it and even in my immediate reaction at the start of 6 I should have realised... they wouldn't kill her for good. For one we need six party members and an Ouroboros partner for Noah. Second we see her in footage above Lv50. But the moment was so powerful that on balance, honestly... I don't even care. It's a good enough twist that when you rewatch the cutscenes you realise it was foreshadowed enough. The music (Mio's flute in the M fight), the time stop, etc. If you can see the clues, it's a good twist.
Small update: I believe I've done every single side quest available pre-post-game.
The last one I did was particularly fitting. Maybe it's meant to be the last, not sure, but if it was intentional Monolith knew what they were doing. 😭
Tonight, I'll be going for that final boss.
I'm both excited and a bit scared, hoping the game sticks the landing.
I know nobody is going to read all of this lol but I just remembered I made a wishlist for XC3 on this forum back in February when the game was announced and I wanted to see how it held up! Everything on my wishlist was gameplay related or a feature of some sort so there are no story spoilers. (This is the original post: https://www.nintendolife.com/forums/nintendo-switch/xenoblade...
Customizable outfits - Yeah, this might be a smaller feature but this was one of the reasons why I enjoyed XCDE. They had outfits that matched the scenery and it was super nice!
❔ - I guess they did add this to an extent but it wasn't quite to the same level of XCX or XCDE. I admit the main reason why I wanted this was that I thought it looked odd having to wear the character's clothes every time you swapped to a new class. Though the outfits aren't entirely customizable I'm at the very least glad they gave you the ability to switch outfits.
Good Navigation System - I hope they keep the navigation system from XCDE because I thought it was pretty much perfect. No matter where you were on the map you'd always be able to find your way back to the objective with ease. The follow ball in XCX worked but, in XC2 I had some trouble getting to some areas because of its navigation system.
✅ - What can I say? I think this navigation system was fantastic. In my journey so far I haven't gotten lost so it has done its job successfully lol.
No requirements for Heart to Hearts - One thing that I like about XC2 was that the heart to hearts wasn't locked behind affinity like in XCDE and in XCX. The heart to hearts add a lot to the characters so I'm kinda surprised that they locked them behind something in the first place. I also hope the heart-to-hearts are voice acted in this game but it won't kill me if they aren't.
❌ - I'm not quite sure whether or not to mark this as an "x" or a question mark because they removed heart to hearts entirely which is something that I didn't expect lol. Instead, we have some nice conversations at the resting spots. I enjoyed these a lot as they seem to accomplish the same thing but I have to admit I do miss going out and finding these in the world because they gave me another reason to go explore. On the bright side though, the conversations at resting spots don't have requirements and they even give you a little bonus exp for doing them which is cool!
Overkill Bonuses - This one might be a bit of a long shot but I really loved overkill bonuses in XC2. I thought it was a pretty cool way to avoid grinding. In XC2 I'd set the difficulty to easy and then fight an enemy that was 5-10 levels higher than me. Every time I got a good overkill bonus I would be able to increase my exp gained by like 500% and level up 2-3 times from one battle. It wasn't always easy to pull off but it felt rewarding every time I did it! I'm not expecting it to come back the same way but I would like it to be in XC3 in somehow.
✅ - I am so happy they added this back because I loved this mechanic in XC2. It's funny because as I said in my wishlist I didn't think this would make a return. Even though the chain attacks are drastically different the overkill bonuses function pretty similarly. I want to add I think it's cool that they give you the option to turn these off and end chain attacks manually if you don't want to do them. I normally only ever go for overkill bonuses on story bosses and unique monsters. They become a bit tedious if you do them for every enemy lol.
Better Tutorials - Lol I don't think I need to explain this one. I think they have been improving since XC2 though.
✅ - I have seen people say that the tutorials can be a bit much which is true. It occasionally looks like the tutorials target someone who never played an RPG before (like when they teach you how to equip an accessory). That being said though I definitely found them better than XC2 tutorials. I think the only time I didn't get the hang of something immediately was with the chain attacks but I got the hang of those after doing them a few times.
No Field Skills - I really felt like field skills were really unnecessary in XC2. If they do end up bringing them back they need to implement them better. Having to rearrange blades every time just to pass a skill check wasn't exactly fun lol.
✅ - Okay...I'm not sure whether or not to mark this as a checkmark or a question mark because there technically are field skills in XC3 but they were revamped entirely. I decided to go with a checkmark because on my wishlist I stated that if they should return they needed to be implemented better which is exactly what happened. I also love how some of the field skills are obtainable through side quests. Because of this, I feel like they're more rewarding to get.
Switch characters mid-battle - This one is also a long shot but I feel like Xenoblades combat would benefit if we could switch characters mid-battle like in FF7R. The AI isn't always the smartest lol
✅ - This is a funny one because they did add this and yet I don't use it nearly as much as I thought I would. I have to admit, I don't really like how you have to cycle through each character one by one. Initially, I wanted this added because I thought it would be easier to pull off the break topple combos. But, throughout my entire playthrough, the AI did a fantastic job of finishing the combos. Since there are so many party members I think they're a lot easier to pull off. The only time I switch characters in battle is if the one I'm playing dies or if I want to set up a specific aura in a specific position.
Bring Back Tombstones - XC2 was superior in this aspect because if I ever wanted to refight a boss I would just click their tombstone and resummon them. In XCDE the bosses only had a 30% chance of respawning so you had to reload the save file multiple times in hopes of getting the boss to respawn.
✅ - They brought this back and I absolutely love the way it was implemented! Not only can we refight the unique monsters easier but we can fast travel to them as well!
Other ways to explore the map - After seeing how fun it was to explore the map in XCX I'm kind of hoping they add other methods of travel in XC3. I never really had a problem traveling on foot but XCX made me want more lol. As I mentioned earlier in the thread though this seems it might be possible based on the trailer.
I marked this one as a spoiler in case anyone wants to find out on their own. ✅ - It isn't on the same level as XCX but hey at least they gave us a cool boat to use. Given that the map is so much bigger than XC1 and XC2 I feel like they should've added something else but it didn't ruin the game for me
No Missable Content - Ugh...I have never liked missable content and Xenoblade is full of it...I didn't realize how many things were missable in XCDE until I did a 100% completion playthrough. I get the feeling XC3 will have missable content but I really hope it doesn't.
❔ - I'm still not 100% sure on this one but from what I've played it doesn't look like there has been anything that was missable (thank god).
Better voice direction - I loved the voice acting in the first game and I thought it was pretty good in Torna...but future connected itself had me a little bit concerned. There were a few cases in future connected when the subtitles actually didn't line up with what they were saying. I know future connected isn't really a main game but still...That being said I do like what I've heard in the trailer so far.
✅ - I really enjoyed the voice acting in this game. I think everyone in the cast was pretty solid! I have no clue who I would pick for the best performance but I really love the accents from Mio and Eunie.
Bring Back Expert Mode - I love expert mode so much not only because it prevents you from being over-leveled but it also allows you to do some crazy stuff. I've seen people beat some of the hardest bosses in both XCDE and XC2 at level 1 because of this mode. Dropping bosses 100+ levels higher than you is always fun 😂. I just hope they allow you to use it from the first playthrough like in XCDE.
❔ - I marked this as a question mark because it turns out that this actually IS in the game but it's only unlocked after you beat the main story. I'm so angry that this wasn't available from the beginning of the game like in XCDE because it was perfect there. Since I enjoyed the side content so much in this game I found it quite easy to become over-leveled. On the bright side, I guess I should be happy that this isn't a ng+ feature like it was in XC2.
Good New Game Plus Mode - I don't always replay RPGs but if they've got a good new game plus mode I'm usually willing to do it at a later date. XC2, in particular, has one of the best New game plus modes I have ever seen!
❔- I haven't done new game plus as yet but it looks pretty standard based on what the game has told me about it. I'll probably do it again sometime down the line.
Bring back different types of enemy aggro - I really liked how in XCDE certain enemies had the "eye" icons which meant if they see you then they'll attack you. Then there were enemies with the "sound" icon which meant if the enemy heard you it would attack you. Enemies with no icons would usually not attack you unless you attack them. None of this showed up in XC2 and sometimes it felt like all enemies would try and attack you which made it tough to explore the map.
❌ - So there are different types of enemy aggro in the game but there isn't any indicator of which enemies are docile or hostile which is the main thing that I really wanted.
Out of the 16 things on my wishlist for XC3 I got 10 of them and 4 of them were partially added/still unsure. I'm quite surprised I got so many things that I wanted lol.
So, I'm into chapter six now. The mysterious hooded figure babbling about changing the past gave me bad S-E vibes, but thankfully that didn't go the way I feared it might. So the end of chapter 5 and beginning of chapter 6 is, like, what, three nearly interrupted hours of dramatic cutscenes and boss fights?
That was a lot.
Ch. 5 was really good, though. Maybe the single best one in the series. And I don't just mean because of how it ended. You start with a comparatively pretty huge area with the resistance city, which expands the world-building quite a bit, gain access to the boat, spend hours playing Wind Waker out in the ocean, discover two pretty unique optional consuls (including one that joins your party!), one of the most interesting colonies in the game, and then you get the elaborate prison sequence followed by the game trying its damnedest to hurt the player emotionally, and ends with a truly great cliffhanger.
Now chapter six opens with two boss fights, a dramatic setpiece involving an annihilator, and an apparent suicide. Hopefully it can maintain momentum until the end like XC2 did after a certain point.
If it does, then I maintain that this series is improving pretty dramatically with every new game. With the exception of XCX, which I'm still... mixed on.
Also, while I mostly enjoyed the voice acting in XC2, I'm so happy they found someone to voice the protagonist who can muster a proper gut-wrenching scream instead of just making race car noises.
@TheJGGYeah, the twist was alright. We all knew she wasn't going to die. I'm willing to accept the solution the game concocted. Actually, I kinda already guessed at it, although I didn't think she would swap minds with Mio. It kinda makes sense, though, given her abilities to infiltrate and inhabit the bodies of others. And this made for a surprisingly wrenching turn for N. I like that he's not just a randomly evil, Metalface-esque villain, but instead someone who was broken by numerous lifetimes worth of suffering, and chose an easy out by opting to victimize others in order to avoid accepting loss. Ironically, this is what ends up alienating M from him, who couldn't embrace the cruel path he chose to forge.
EDIT: This post looks like it went through five layers of government censorship jfc.
Oh... my... gosh!
That final boss sure was intimidating. 😱
Lots of great epic moments in that final battle. Absolutely perfect!
And I'm happy to say I loved the ending. The game stuck the landing!
Not sure how to explain it without spoilers, so I'll say it was very fitting with the story of Xenoblade 3 as a whole. All the themes it explored came to a natural conclusion. It was emotional, yet hopeful.
This is now my favorite game of the franchise. I think it was pretty much perfect from start to finish.
A true masterpiece!
10/10
I can't wait to learn what the DLC campaign will be about.
Right, on to the post-game to defeat Aionios' strongest! 😁
I plan on giving the game a rest for a bit after I finish the post-game but I don't think I'll be able to wait until all the DLC has dropped before playing it again or starting NG+.
First, I want to replay XC 1 and 2 before jumping into 3 again. Maybe the first DLC hero will be added by then but if not, I don't think I'll be able to wait for it.
Each time a new wave drops, I'm sure to check out its contents immediately on one of my save files, and once all DLC is out, I'll probably start a brand new playthrough.
In other words, XC3 will provide me plenty more entertainment, no doubt about it.
@Mioaionios I'll probably be doing something similar, as I never played the DE of XC1, and want to eventually get on that, and I'd also like to play through the stuff that was added to XC2 via the season pass that I never got to.
That'll put enough years between me and XC3 (especially if and when Monolith releases something new in the meantime) that I'll be able to play it again without wanting to skip bits.
@Vortexeo
Sorry for the late reply but I wanted to comment on that huge post you made yesterday.
Most of your wishes seemed to be fullfilled and that's true for me as well. Though granted, I only had 3: no more gacha system, revamped field skills and better voice acting.
I can also confirm there's no missable content, which is a huge plus.
NG+ though seems very barebones. If you do the extra post-game content before jumping into NG+ there's no new content to be found. At least not from what I can gather on the interwebs. Though doing NG+ will make it a lot easier leveling all classes to max and such, which is nice.
Finally, on heart-to-hearts. You're not the only one who's disappointed they haven't returned the way they were in XC2. It was one of the stronger points of that game imo. However, I don't consider them a must-have for a Xenoblade game. Frankly, I couldn't be bothered with them in XC1 and XCX because of the affinity requirements. As it stands, I consider heart-to-hearts a one-off thing done well in XC2.
Like you, I do love the conversations at rest spots though. Not only do they often deepen the bonds between the main cast and the many heroes, but they also often offer extra quests in a very organic way.
It seems to me Monolith Soft really listened to the fans and tried to make the best experience possible.
I thought the lack of heart-to-hearts would bother me, but, tbh, the game is so chock full of little interactions and moments between your party that they don't feel needed. It's more like heart-to-hearts were just integrated into the plot.
late last night i got Zeon and Gray alogn with valdi. I got their classes and still trying to figure out how to unlock their classes for Noah and whoever else.
How does that work exactly anyway? So Valdi is linked to one of the team members so I have to have valdi and oen of the regular team members in my team when fighting battles? Would that same class unlock open up for everyone else or not?
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