Xenoblade Chronicles X News
January2023
Soapbox After 10 Years I Finally Got A Wii U, Here’s What I Thought
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, following up on his piece from a few weeks back, Jim delivers his verdict on the ten-year-old console and how it holds up in 2022 ... Picture the scene. The year...
December2022
Feature The History Of Monolith Soft - From Baten Kaitos To Xenoblade And Zelda
A monolithic tale
Monolith Soft has become one of the most recognisable of Nintendo's first-party developers in recent times. Led by legendary RPG writer and director Tetsuya Takahashi, the studio is renowned for the monolithic (pun intended) Xenoblade series. Combining MMORPG-style, memorable worlds, stunning music, and philosophical writing, the...
Soapbox Xenoblade Chronicles X's Influence Is Bigger Than You Think
So why is it *still* stuck on the Wii U?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on the 5th anniversary of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's release, Alana wants to celebrate the influence of its predecessor and series spin-off... Xenoblade...
November2022
Video Remembering 10 Years Of Wii U
Looking back on the console's launch and legacy
The Wii U is now ten years old. Crazy, right? The successor to the WIi launched back in November 2012 to - shall we say - lukewarm reception. Nevertheless, for fans of Nintendo, it remains a quaint and beloved entry to the company's console line-up, introducing the likes of Splatoon, Xenoblade...
May2022
News Details On Xenoblade, Mana, Pokémon Alumni's New RPG 'Trinity Trigger' Leaked
Update: No longer PROJECT-TRITRI
Update [Mon 23rd May, 2022 15:30] Oopsie! Biccamera, an electronics retailer in Japan, has accidentally revealed PROJECT-TRITRI ahead of schedule. The game was originally going to be unveiled by FuRyu on 26th May, but in a slip-up, the Japanese retailer published the name, the release date, and a bunch of screenshots...
April2022
Talking Point With BOTW2 Slipping, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Launching Early Is Fantastic News
"Bringing together the futures" of its predecessors
Though Xenoblade Chronicles is not the biggest-selling franchise to consistently grace Nintendo's hardware, it's clear that Nintendo is happy to recognise that some brands and genres deserve support for the loyalty they earn among fans. MonolithSoft, a company majority-owned by Nintendo that often...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 16th)
A long weekend? More time for video games
If you celebrate it, Happy Easter! If not, we hope you at least have a nice, long weekend, or perhaps you're just going to relax more than normal. Whatever you're doing, we hope video games factor into your plans. This week, we got a new Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes trailer, which introduces us to...
June2021
Feature Our Predictions For Nintendo's E3 2021 Direct
Switch Pro, BOTW2, and high, high hopes
It's been a long, weird year, but E3 is back after last year's COVID cancellation. It's still a digital event, as we're not out of the woods yet, but that means we'll be seeing all the big names on the (virtual) stage again. But will Nintendo give us everything we've hoped for, or will we be left a little...
June2020
News Monolith Soft Celebrates 10 Years Of Xenoblade Chronicles With Some Special Artwork
Here's to another decade!
The original Xenoblade Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii today celebrates its 10th anniversary in Japan. Yep, believe it or not, but the first entry in this open-world RPG series by Tetsuya Takahashi was released on 10th June 2010. It arrived roughly a year later in the west. To mark this anniversary, Monolith Soft's...
News Xenoblade Chronicles Creator Expresses Interest In Smaller-Scale Project
But Monolith Soft would need to be better organised
Monolith Soft might be best known for the Xenoblade Chronicles series, but studio head and series' creator Tetsuya Takahashi recently told Vandal how the Nintendo developer would one day like to explore some "smaller-scale" projects that aren't necessarily associated with the popular open-world RPG...
December2018
News Get Discounts On Lots Of Zelda Titles And Some Lovely Smash Ultimate Goodies In North America
Plus Metroid, Xenoblade and more!
The latest North American My Nintendo rewards have gone live, offering a large selection of games and some bonus Super Smash Bros. Ultimate goodies for eager fans. Let's kick things off with the games on offer, shall we? As you can see below, this new batch brings with it a lovely collection of great Legend of...
October2018
News Monolith Soft Director Would "Love" Xenoblade Chronicles X On Switch, Money Stands In The Way
"Re-creating it would be really difficult"
With Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - and Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country - all sealed up and completed, the series' fanbase will no doubt be wondering what's on the horizon for the franchise. We know that Monolith Soft has been hiring for a mysterious new RPG project, and we also kno
News Xenoblade Chronicles Developer Monolith Soft Is Hiring For New RPG Project
To join the main team
Monolith Soft, the development studio behind the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise, has been incredibly busy in terms of recruitment just lately. Back in May this year, the studio began actively and urgently recruiting for "experienced staff in action game development", and the team had reportedly grown in size just a few months...
August2018
News Xenoblade Chronicles X's Elma Revealed For Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Available Today
And a new blade, too!
Nintendo has confirmed that Xenoblade Chronicles X's Elma will be making an appearance in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 alongside a brand new blade. The best news? They're both available today! Yes, even more news has come flooding out of Gamescom's lovely show floor, with Nintendo sharing a brand new video segment for Xenoblade...
News Xenoblade Chronicles Developer Monolith Soft Has Hired More Employees
Bigger and better
As each Xenoblade release grows in size, so does the series' developer, Monolith Soft. According to a post on ResetEra, the Japan-based company recently updated its website - with the employee headcount now at 171. Back in May, there were three fewer people at the company. Monolith is now also reportedly recruiting 'business...
June2018
Talking Point What Were The Biggest Highs And Lows From E3 2018?
What kind of impact did Nintendo have on this year's show?
E3 is finally over for another year, bringing to a close the biggest event yet. From surprise promotional crossovers on the Ubisoft conference to a certain game pretty much taking over Nintendo's big summer Direct, there's been plenty of topics to talk about now the dust is beginning to...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See From Nintendo At E3 2018?
We predict... some predictions
With E3 2018 set to kick off this weekend with the showcases from many of the big publishers and platformer holders in the video game industry, we thought it was high time we cooked up a fresh batch of predictions. Team Nintendo Life has gathered together its collective hopes and dreams for the show - some realistic,...
December2016
Feature Xenoblade Chronicles X - One Year Later
Musing on Mira
In this article Gonçalo "Shiryu" Lopes shares his personal reflections on Xenoblade Chronicles X, the enthralling Wii U title. Exactly one year ago Wii U owners were given a unique opportunity to escape reality by embarking on the extremely difficult assignment: to beat extinction against all odds on Planet Mira. But Xenoblade...
November2016
Rumour Monolith Soft Working on Something 'New' for Nintendo Switch
Xenoblade Chronicles X port being handled externally
Monolith Soft has been one of the big 'winners' in the Nintendo scene over the past two generations, with much-loved releases since it was acquired by the company. Though it's had a hand in a surprisingly broad number of games in supporting roles, it's best known for Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii...
June2016
News New My Nintendo Rewards Include A Super Nintendo Shirt And Xenoblade Discounts
Dress up as The King
The My Nintendo rewards page has been updated again, this time with new clothing and a couple of handsome discounts. If you're willing to part with some gold points then you can get 40 percent off Xenoblade Chronicles X (140 points) and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D (110 points). Should you be more interested in dressing up your...
April2016
Music Let This Musical Tribute To Xenoblade Chronicles X Gently Massage Your Eardrums
Mech some sweet music
Nintendo Life contributor Gonçalo "Shiryu" Lopes isn't just great at digging up classic Super Famicom games - he's also a keen music-maker and long-time fans of the site will know that he has produced many a fine tribute album in his time. He's back with NLA Blues, an "original music tribute album to Nintendo Wii U's...
March2016
Random Check Out This Japanese Transformable Skell Toy
More than meets the eye
One of the interesting new additions to Xenoblade Chronicles X is the introduction of Skells (or Dolls, for Japanese players), which are basically giant, drivable mechs that make traversing the colossal world of Mira that much easier. While it may be that it takes a large chunk of game time to actually reach a point where you...
February2016
News Bravely Second: End Layer Secures a Decent Start in the UK Charts
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon also shows decent momentum
Bravely Second: End Layer recently made its debut in Europe, and it's certainly another one to add to the list of excellent RPG experiences on the 3DS. The sequel delivers on various fronts, and has had a decent start in the UK charts. On its debut week the Nintendo / Square Enix-published...
January2016
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Voice Actress Is In Favour Of Lin's Western Costume Change
"People are calling it censorship. I really see it as localisation"
Xenoblade Chronicles X is now out in the west, and it's great - as you'll know if you've read our review or played it yourself already. However, changes made for the North American and European launch of the game - one of which involved the removal of a revealing costume worn by the...
December2015
Video How to Get a Skell in Xenoblade Chronicles X, Including Locations of Rare Items
Alex shows the way
We love Xenoblade Chronicles X, yet we're aware that it has a few negatives. The text and user interface could be better, and there are some difficulty spikes and awkward collectathons. The latter is particularly prominent when trying to secure your Skell licence, which you predictably need to get your own cool mech. For those of...
Editorial Xenoblade Chronicles X Has Tiny Text - Time for an Update?
Tom Whitehead's not really seeing it, are you?
This week we received an interesting email from one of our readers, Victor, which made a very good point. The text in Xenoblade Chronicles X is too small, and it should be improved; it was a lightbulb moment when we realised we should have brought it up far sooner - I certainly should have. In my...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Creator Tetsuya Takahashi Prefers Western Games To Japanese Ones
Next project will be entirely different, too
Xenoblade Chronicles X has just launched in the west to very positive reviews, and to mark this occasion Time has been speaking to creator Tetsuya Takahashi, the man behind the entire "Xeno" series of video games. Takahashi revealed that he actually prefers Western games to those developed in his own...
Video Figure Out the Online Features of Xenoblade Chronicles X With The Latest Survival Guide
Online quests, treasure deals and more
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a game with incredible depth, not just in the solo campaign but also in the various ways you can connect and interact with others online. Shared quests, group battles, recruiting avatars of other players, trading items - it's all in there. It can be confusing, and even after sinking...
It deserved better
The UK chart results are out, with these being the penultimate listings issued before the final Christmas list is released next week. It continues the status quo, largely, with a disappointing but inevitable week two drop-off for one of the year's finest games. Xenoblade Chronicles X has unfortunately dropped out of the...
Guide Here's How To Make That Xenoblade Chronicles X USB Drive More Useful
Hack the planet
The North American collector's edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X comes with a USB drive containing 10 tracks from the game itself. It's a neat little extra, but largely useless once you've listened to the music - which is why Nintendo Life reader Ben "mikey64" Barger has come up with this handy little hack which allows you to turn it...
Video Soothe Your Soul With Some of the Calmer Music from Xenoblade Chronicles X
With some nice quotes about its composition, too
We rate Xenoblade Chronicles X very highly here at Nintendo Life, and the odds are good that many others with the game now do likewise. It's a hugely impressive achievement from Monolith Soft and a strong showcase for Wii U in many respects, including its soundtrack. We think the soundtrack for this...
News Xenoblade X Art Designers Created the Game's Armor Sets with Samurai in Mind
Space Ninjas
Xenoblade Chronicles X is out now in all regions and contains a staggering amount of content. Among this content is an extremely diverse and varied array of armor sets, which provide a suitable level of customizability and depth for character loadouts. Perhaps most importantly, there's even a 'fashion armor' option that allows one to...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Earns Modest UK Chart Position But Outsells Predecessor
Up 73% on launch sales of Wii title
With another week underway we have the UK chart results, which carry extra interest following the launch of Xenoblade Chronicles X, a title that has drawn critical acclaim and hype from enthusiasts but nevertheless has a tough task converting that into big sales. That's how it's turned out in the UK, at least -...
DRM = Dopey Rights Management
If you want to listen to the Xenoblade Chronicles X soundtrack it's not particularly difficult; it can be easily found around the web. Unfortunately, for some that are actually paying for the privilege, there can be surprising issues. This relates to the gorgeous Special Edition of the game in North America, which...
News Xenoblade Director on What's Next for the Series and What Makes it So Popular
Perhaps a third game in the series will come about
Xenoblade Chronicles X is now out all around the world and it's been met with generally positive reception all across the board. The open world RPG presents a staggeringly massive world for players to explore, packed out with dozens, if not hours, of gameplay potential. Fans of both traditional...
Guide Getting Started With Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U
It's a big world out there
Xenoblade Chronicles X is out now in North America and Europe, which is certainly something to celebrate for Wii U owners that enjoy immersive, challenging RPG experiences. We've already shared our view that it's a fantastic game in our review - in that article we describe various key gameplay mechanics, so give that a...
Nintendo Download 3rd December (North America)
Xenoblade Chronicles X! Dementium! Pokémon Picross! More!
The time is upon us, once again, for the North American Nintendo Download update. This week brings a huge retail release on Wii U, a couple of high profile 3DS eShop releases and some other tempting options. Let's get to the details. Missed the European Nintendo Download Update earlier in...
Video Build the Buzz for Xenoblade Chronicles X With This Extended Launch Trailer
See the world, meet the cast
Xenoblade Chronicles X is nearly here, and pretty much all that can be said has been shared already. For our part we love it, and it's also a nice technical showcase for the Wii U. Basically, there's plenty of buzz telling Wii U owners that they should be considering it. It's an enormous adventure, of course, and the...
News Digital Foundry Gives Xenoblade Chronicles X a Thumbs Up
"Gives us hope for the upcoming Zelda title on Wii U"
Xenoblade Chronicles X arrives this week in the West, and we've already said in a number of words why you should strongly consider it, awarding a 9/10 in our review. Planet Mira is a fantastic setting, and beyond that Monolith Soft has taken a number of its ideas and mechanics from Xenoblade...
November2015
Nintendo Download 3rd December (Europe)
Xenoblade Chronicles X! Mario & Luigi! Wii games! More!
Another week begins with the Nintendo Download Update for Europe, and this week we have two major retail releases across the Wii U and 3DS; beyond that we have three rather good Wii games available on the eShop, some free-to-play Pokémon and a range of discounts. Let's get to the details. Wii...
Video The Latest Xenoblade Chronicles X Survival Guide Maps Out How to Use the GamePad
Pay attention...
With Xenoblade Chronicles X rapidly approaching release there'll be a distinct buzz for Wii U owners that enjoy Monolith Soft's brand of immersive RPGs. Promising a huge amount of content to support an enormous game world, it looks set to keep players busy through the Winter months. It's a complex game, however, with a lot of...
News Europeans Will Be Able To Download Xenoblade Chronicles X's Data Packs Early Next Week
Get prepared
Xenoblade Chronicles X is now so close we can practically taste it, and there's good reason to get excited - the game boasts one of the biggest open worlds yet seen on a Nintendo console. A world that size means that loading times can be an issue, so Nintendo has kindly provided players who plan to purchase the disc version of the game...
News Xenoblade X Developers Talk About the Game's Complexity and Why The "Xeno" Appears in the Name
A game for the fans
Xenoblade Chronicles X is only a couple weeks away from release in the West now, and most JRPG fans couldn't be happier. The follow up to 2011's excellent Xenoblade Chronicles promises to feature a world significantly bigger and more complex than the already staggering world of its predecessor, with seemingly hundreds of hours of...
Video Let This Xenoblade Chronicles X Battle Trailer Get Your Blood Pumping
Attack, attack, attack
Xenoblade Chronicles X is extremely close to release, a cause for celebration for Monolith Soft and RPG fans with a Wii U. With many, many hours of content it's sure to keep players busy into 2016, and it takes many of the mechanics from its Wii predecessor and shakes them up - the Skell mechs are a big part of that,...
Busted
Xenoblade Chronicles X launches in the west soon, and is shaping up to be quite the experience - as you'll know if you've already read our hands-on impressions with the final code. However, fans have expressed some concern at the localisation changes made by Nintendo so far. First up was the fact that majo
Video Here's How Much Those Data Packs for Xenoblade Chronicles X Speed Things Up
Gotta go fast
It's hard to believe, but Xenoblade Chronicles X is now only a few weeks away from launching in the West. The main setting of the game - Planet Mira – supposedly boasts one of the largest open worlds ever and all of its different environments are said to be seamlessly interwoven, with next to no loading screens. This would be quite a...
Preview Getting Lost in the World of Xenoblade Chronicles X
That's a positive, mostly
When an individual has spent well over a hundred hours of their life playing Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, there's an initial instinct that jumping into the enormous world of Xenoblade Chronicles X will be like putting on a big woolly jumper. Sure, it's larger and less snug, but it's also warm, inviting...
Video Learn All About Skells in This Xenoblade Chronicles X Survival Guide
Transforming our expectations
We're now just a small number of weeks away from Xenoblade Chronicles X, the enormous Monolith Soft RPG that'll likely keep plenty of Wii U owners busy into 2016. Excitement is sure to build as a result, and Nintendo is keen for players to go in with a decent amount of knowledge to tackle the complex and varied game...
YO-KAI is the reasoning
We've had another corker of a week in terms of Nintendo happenings; so much so that we couldn't blame anyone for not being able to keep up with everything. As we usually do, we've compiled all you need to know in one handy little video for your entertainment. This week we look at the incredible SNES Playstation prototype...
October2015
News Nintendo Is Making Female Characters Cover Up For The Western Version Of Xenoblade Chronicles X
UPDATE: Age remains the same
UPDATE: Having played the final code ourselves, we've noticed that Lin's age remains unchanged. ORIGINAL STORY: It is being reported that Nintendo has changed some of the more revealing outfits in the forthcoming western localisation of Xenoblade Chronicles X. The changes were spotted in versions of the game currently...
