Xenoblade 3 Gem Crafting
Image: Nintendo / Monolith Soft

Nintendo has published a brand new Xenoblade Note for the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles 3 which goes into some more details about the game's seventh party member, and what you can do at campsites.

The blog post has been kindly translated by Perfectly Nintendo, so we'll be summarising all of the important details from their post. Thanks as always, Perfectly Nintendo!

First, let's start with another new music track. Shared on Twitter and within the Vol. 5 post, this track is being called 'Keves Battle' — we've heard it a few times before in other trailers, but it's always worth another listen because it's yet another fantastic Xenoblade battle track.

We've already covered the two other incredible tracks that have been shared — 'A Life Sent On' and 'The Weight of Life' — and with every new song we're convinced this is going to be another Xenoblade soundtrack for the ages.

Then, Nintendo covers the seventh party member, which Perfectly Nintendo has translated as the 'Heroes'. These will be uncontrollable additional characters who will join you at various points in the story — Riku and Manana, Valdi, Zeon (yes, we've made that joke), and Juniper:

Lastly, and perhaps most interestingly, is the game's Rest Spots, or Campsites. Just like a Landmark, you can quick travel to these at any time, so they're worth seeking out. At these camps, you can do a few little activities, one of which will be familiar to fans of the original Xenoblade Chronicles.

You'll be able to cook with Manana, one of the Nopon who will be with you. If you get her the required ingredients, she can make dishes that give you bonus EXP or little buffs that net you bonuses after battle — perhaps like improved drop rates or more money? She can also come up with new dishes.

The other activity is Gem Crafting, returning from the first game. Gems can be equipped to your gear to boost various stats, and you can create these from materials that enemies drop. Riku, your other Nopon friend, will assist you with this.

We've covered a lot of these details previously, so why not go and check everything out, including where you can pre-order the game! And don't forget that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches on 29th July!

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How are you feeling about the return of Gem Crafting in Xenoblade Chronicles 3? Why not share your thoughts with us below!

[source topics.nintendo.co.jp, via perfectly-nintendo.com]