Passage Of Fate – Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Nintendo Switch) 1 28 Screenshot
Image: Nintendo / Monolith Soft

It's almost time to dive into the world of Aionios. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches this Friday, and reviews for Monolith Soft's massive JRPG dropped yesterday. And it sounds like fans are in for a treat.

Many of you will be dodging spoilers following the game leaking online last weekend, but if there's one thing we need to know, it's just how good Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is. We've rounded up what the critics think, and impressions are overwhelmingly positive.

For our money, this third (main) entry is more than worth it. In our 10/10 review of the game, we said: "Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a genuine masterpiece and the highlight of Monolith Soft's superb series thus far."

But it's not just us saying that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is absolutely brilliant. RPG Site also scored the game a monolithic 10/10. The word "masterpiece" was also used there, too. Here's what they had to say about the game:

"Very few JRPGs these days have astounded me with a core cast as well-written as this one; Xenoblade Chronicles 3 often opts for a “show, don’t tell” mentality in important moments of characterization. Throughout my 143 hour playthrough, I never thought that the game dragged its feet or was tiring itself out."

Another pretty positive review — but slightly less so — is GameSpot's 8/10 one, where they say:

"Xenoblade Chronicles 3 may stumble from time to time, particularly in its dialogue, but its ambitious premise pays off with a heartfelt conclusion."

Destructoid, on the other hand, were glowing about Xenoblade Chronicles 3, awarding the game 9.5/10, praising the game's accessibility and just how quickly the game hooked them:

"Xenoblade Chronicles 3 didn’t need to do a whole lot to keep me invested, as I was all-in very early on. The cast, the weight of the story, and the freedom of party composition are the power trio that won me over."

Eurogamer felt similarly about the game's accessibility, heartily recommending this lengthy JRPG:

"Perhaps more than any game before it in the series this gets the balance between systems and story down perfectly - even better, it manages to entwine the two in an adventure that infuses each of your footsteps with a sense of purpose."

And, lastly, TheGamer awarded Xenoblade Chronicles 3 a rather lovely 5/5, believing the game to be "something special":

"Monolith Soft has crafted a JRPG that is so colossal yet also intricately focused. It delivers an experience that iterates upon everything its predecessors managed to achieve, resulting in a masterpiece that I am utterly enraptured by."

So, pretty good then, isn't it? Don't forget the Expansion Pass is also dropping this Friday, 29th July, and the first update will be dropping on launch day. But it sounds like we have a long, emotional, eventful journey ahead of us in Aionios.

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How do you feel about the reviews for Xenoblade Chronicles 3? Are you getting the game on Friday? Let us know in the comments!