Xenoblade Chronicles X first appeared on the Nintendo Wii U a decade ago, wowing players by pushing the system to its limits and introducing unique gameplay elements that made it feel like the perfect mix between Western and traditional JRPGs. Since then, the Xenoblade Chronicles series has become synonymous with excellence gracing the Switch with Xenoblace Chrinclies 2, then a remake of the first game, and then the sublime Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Being a fan of the series, I have spent the past week playing Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition and it’s a title that has left me lost for words, and yet, I’m going to have to find about 1200 of them for this review. What’s it Like? Gear up, lock and load, and prepare to give ’em Skell as we review Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition for Nintendo Switch.
Despite the game being released originally a long time ago, this will be a relatively spoiler-free review.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition follows the story of the survivors of the White Whale, a single ship that escaped Earth during a terrible intergalactic war in which we were helplessly outnumbered and outgunned. The White Whale can’t escape the clutches of war, and is eventually shot down over Mira, a seemingly untamed planet teeming with all manner of wildlife referred to as “Indigens.” You are awoken from your stasis a few months after the White Whale crashed, and after an incredible introduction, join the Blades, a team of soldiers from New LA to help hunt down “The Lifehold,” a section of the White Whale that holds the remaining survivors in hypersleep.
The story pacing is exceptionally well done, delivering plot twists and moments that left my jaw on the floor well into the run time. The writing conveys how high the stakes are for humanity, and adds a sense of urgency to your mission. Characters have depth and meaningful motivations for their quests, further developed by “Affinity Missions” when you reach certain bond levels. These missions delve into the complexities of the characters and touch on backstories and relationships with other Blades. It’s not all heavy though, as there is Tatsu, a small furry alien who acts as comic relief, and while a series favourite, he sometimes is a bit too much, relegated to being the butt of all food-related jokes. The story’s pacing is handled by adding certain prerequisites in order to undertake the next mission. These can be reaching certain levels or completing affinity missions to move forward. Thankfully, in the case of completing side missions, the game tells you where the mission can be initiated, and also allows you to participate in Support or online missions to quickly level grind, meaning you can be at the right level in a matter of 15-20 minutes instead of the dreaded hours long XP grind.
One of the most interesting and compelling aspects of Xenoblade Chronicles X is the incredible world of Mira, which is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a world full of wonder, teeming with interesting and unique inhabitants, exotic locales, and varied biomes. There are moments of absolute awe, both scripted and non-scripted that tantalise the player right from the get-go. One such moment is in the first 20 minutes of the game as you are introduced to the Planet Mira as the rain clears and the sun rises over Primordia (the section you are currently in.) It’s somewhat akin to the first moments of Breath of the Wild, promising something grand, and then consistently delivering that for the next 70-odd hours it will take you to roll the credits. While exploration is a core gameplay mechanic, it’s something you’ll want to do regardless to unravel secrets and hidden caches left behind by battling forces. Nearly every hexagon on the map has something to find or do, from locating wrecked Skells to defeating Elite creatures. Frontiernav assists with exploring Mira, tasking you to install probes at certain locations that unveil sections of the map pointing out treasure or titans to take down, as well as providing a resource yield. These nodes can be further enhanced by Mining, Storage, or Research nodes helping you increase your currencies which you can then use to purchase items or gear and invest in Arms Manufacturers for both better weapons and armour.
Gearing up is essential in the world of Xenoblade Chronicles X, as you’ll be clashing with Mira’s local wildlife referred to as “Indigens,” as well as hostile alien forces who threaten Mira and the extinction of the human race. Combat is slick, starting out as a simple positioning-based RPG affair, selecting basic moves on a cooldown rotation. Combat evolves as you level up into something entirely different depending on your class, offering upgradable skills that range from laying down cover fire to buffing your teammates. In the heat of battle, you will have certain “Soul Challenges” that require you to press B at the right time which provides a small health and moral boost. The higher the morale, the more Technical points you accumulate and the higher your chance of success. Your teammates will also call out what they need which may be “cover fire” and if you oblige by letting off the correct colour attack, you will receive a small HP gain and boost. When I first started fighting, I was spamming attacks as much as I could, but as the game progressed, my team and I orchestrated more tactical soirees by carefully timing skills and threat management. We became a well-oiled fighting machine, toppling even the largest of foes.
Second to this combat is the ability to unlock your very own fighting and exploration mech called a “Skell.” This doesn’t come into play until roughly 20 hours in and they make you work for your Skell certification which makes it all the more rewarding. The Skell starts off simple enough, but you will eventually deck it out with a variety of weapon types and abilities that will allow you to fly around Mira, and orchestrate battle with ease. You can also easily jump in and out of your Skell for the moments that require a little bit more finesse. Should you not do so well in a fight on a boss, the game offers to lower the difficulty by dropping that particular boss by 5 levels, meaning that the story can still be enjoyed for players who may struggle with the intricacies of combat early on.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Definite is brought to life with a gorgeous graphics engine. It was a technical marvel a decade ago, and with its upgraded graphics on the Switch, Mira is further fleshed out with amazing texture resolution and environmental effects to draw you in. Characters have their own unique charm, enemies are menacing, and Skells give off a tremendous sense of scale when they stomp past you in the city streets. There’s such a jarring difference between being inside the safety of New LA, and out in the untamed wilds that it almost feels like 2 different games. While within the walls, everything is sterile and connected, yet in the wilds of Mira, it’s an untamed jungle where the path isn’t always clear, but in a good way. If that’s not enough, the beautiful ambient sound design makes you feel like you’re a part of a living, breathing world. Gentle acoustic guitars and tribal percussion scores accompany you outside of the walls of New LA, while inside you are treated to a mix of hip-hop and more modern tracks to highlight the vast difference between the dangerous wilds and the safety of the city walls.
For my Blades looking into accessibility, there are some options to assist with your mission on Mira like Subtitles and being able to change text speed, fixing your mini-map positioning or having it dynamic, reducing clutter by turning off certain markers like NPC’s, Hostiles, or objects, as well as all sorts of mission icons. You also have a myriad of camera-based options for all aspects of the game, giving you control over how you view the world of Mira.
At just under $80 AUD, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is excellent value for money. It’s an adventure of grand proportions, lasting around 70 hours for story-only players, and over 100 hours for those looking to tackle everything the game has to offer. On top of this, there are a host of modern quality-of-life changes that help streamline gameplay like being able to switch party members and classes on the fly, an entire new region to explore, several additions to the story, shared XP meaning no grinding for inactive party members, and many many more additions. If you’ve played Xenoblade Chronicles X before, then this is a more streamlined and thought-out approach to an incredible game, and for those who have yet to experience Xenoblade Chronicles X, this is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best action RPG’s in recent history, and quite possibly, one of the greatest video games to land on the Nintendo Switch.
I award it What’s It Likes’ highest awarded score at 98/100.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is a “Certified Exceptional” game.
In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by Nintendo Australia, but this doesn’t influence my score.
