We've been playing rather a lot of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 lately, and in doing so, we've come across some handy gameplay hints and tips that can make your life ever-so-slightly easier as you explore the stunning world of Aionios.
Let's take a look at precisely sixteen of our favourites!
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Top Tips & Tricks
1. You can click in L3 (the left analog stick) to toggle on auto-run, a life-saver considering just how much running you're going to be doing!
2. Hold ZL for a handy quick menu that gives you instant access to your area map, quests list, current quest route and character stat pages without needing to pause the game.
3. Remember to lure out enemies in order to fight them solo, instead of taking on a big group and getting into bother. You can lure enemies by targeting them and pressing up on your d-pad.
4. You can perform a cool dodge move in combat by clicking the right stick (R3), and it's an excellent way to avoid damage and quickly reposition yourself for side or rear attacks!
5. You can freely adjust the camera to zoom right in on your current character or way out to get a great view of your surroundings. Simply hold ZL to bring up your camera options.
6. Tag unique monsters that you find by simply targeting them, and then their region of residence will be added to your Soul Hack list once you unlock it later on in the game. This function isn't as detailed as we'd like it to be, but it is still super handy for picking up hard to find baddies that you've completely forgotten about.
7. Holding ZL and Y will toggle on a route to your current objective, priceless when you've got lost. Again.
8. You can click the right stick (R3) while out of combat to enlarge the world map on the screen. The larger map is semi-transparent so you can leave it up as you hunt for shortcuts and secrets.
9. Climbing during a fight will see enemies disengage and stop attacking you. This can be a surprisingly handy life-saver when you're in big trouble.
10. Always make a beeline for ? markers on your map. They're usually something good like a Hero side quest or a handy shortcut to unlock and make traversal faster.
11. A great way to save time when clambering down very long climbs is to simply let yourself fall while still facing the vines or ladder you were climbing, then reattach yourself quickly by pushing forwards just as you're reaching the bottom.
12. You can climb up the central Ferronis in Colony Tau to reach an upper level with a shortcut lift down to Maktha Lower. Simply run up the tree root on the left arm of the Ferronis and dart up and across its shoulders. Hooray!
13. You can abandon battles in the pause menu instead of trying to run away. Simply hit "-" and choose give up to save yourself from a nasty scrap if trying to run isn't working.
14. You can't end a Chain Attack with a healing move unless you've got a certain hero equipped. This is of vital importance when thinking about when to heal during chains and how to build your damage counter to the max without going over.
15. You'll unlock the ability to level down once you've beaten the game, allowing you to drop down and meet the level of the monsters and enemies around you for bigger XP gains.
16. There's a point of no return that gives you fair warning and allows you to save your progress safely before attempting the game's final battles.
This article is part of our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 walkthrough and guide series. We'll help you survive your journeys across Aionios with information you'll need to make the most of the game, such as How to Unlock Traversal Skills (Wall Climbing, Rope Sliding, Scree Walking, Hazard Neutralization), How to Unlock and Upgrade All Heroes and Classes, 16 Tips & Tricks We Wish We Knew Before We Started, How to Get Affinity and XP Rewards from Collectopaedia Cards, How to Gain 100% Completion, and How to Unlock the Nopon Coin Xchange.
We'll also let you know where to find Every Rest Spot Location, All Secret Area Locations, Every Ferronis Hulk Location, and All Unique Monster Locations (including Aetia Region Full, Aetia Region Upper & Elgares Depths, Fornis Region, Pentelas Region, Keves Castle Region, Cadensia Region, and Origin Interior), plus All Meal Recipes, Effects & Where to Find Them.
We can also help out with specific sidequests, such as How to Complete the 'Uniting the Seven Nopon' Quest, and How to Complete the Nopon Register Quest, tell you how to make the most of Chain Attacks and the Soul Hack ability, and offer advice on if you should play the previous Xenoblade Chronicles games before starting XC3, How Long to Beat the Game, and How to Take a Screenshot Without the HUD
And finally, you can check out our review and Where to Buy Xenoblade Chronicles on Nintendo Switch, if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game!
Comments 1
Nice list. I've been utilizing #11 since the XC1 Wii days. Saves so much time. 😎
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