Xenoblade Chronicles X Switch 2 Review

Xenoblade Chronicles X Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

When I reviewed Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch over a year ago, I was completely lost for words and awarded it the highest score of any game I had covered, a 98 out of 100. I’ve always been a fan of the series, and finally being able to play one of my favourite titles on Switch was a very happy day for me. Now the Nintendo Switch 2 version is here. Has the lustre worn off? Does that score still stand for what I called one of the greatest RPGs ever made? We are going to re-review it fresh to find out. What’s It Like? Gear up, form your party, and let’s get the Skell out of here as we review Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2.

For those who are joining the survivors on Mira for the first time, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition follows the survivors of the White Whale, the only ship to escape the destruction of Earth during an intergalactic war where humanity was hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered. The White Whale eventually crashes onto the planet Mira, a wild and untamed world filled with all manner of wildlife referred to as “Indigens.” You are awoken from stasis a few months after the crash, by which time the survivors have already begun establishing a foothold with the city of New LA. Your mission is to join the BLADEs and help track down a missing section of the ship known as the Lifehold, a vital component that holds the key to humanity’s survival and prevents extinction.

This narrative delivers a number of heavy themes, balanced by light-hearted banter and genuine squad camaraderie. Side missions and Affinity Missions further flesh out the cast, giving characters depth and meaningful motivations for their personal quests. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the story, some of which genuinely left me in shock as I did not see them coming. There is a lot at stake for humanity, even if the full weight of that threat is not revealed straight away. The writing is not always perfect. Some of the heavier moments are undercut by Tatsu, a small furry alien who serves as comic relief. While a series favourite, he can sometimes feel like a bit too much, often relegated to being the punchline of food-related jokes. In my opinion, Tatsu occasionally removes the weight from certain story beats, whereas others may find his presence more endearing and necessary to balance the darker themes.

The story’s pacing is managed through prerequisites required to unlock the next main mission. These can include reaching certain levels or completing specific Affinity Missions before progressing. Thankfully, the game clearly tells you where to initiate required missions and allows you to participate in Support or online missions to quickly gain experience. This means you can reach the appropriate level in 15 to 20 minutes, rather than enduring a drawn-out, hours-long grind. That said, even without Support missions to get you up to speed, the combat system on Switch 2 manages to stay engaging throughout. You can equip specific weapons for certain roles, distribute skill points, and invest in abilities that grow your team stronger over time. While it might sound like a standard RPG setup, there’s real strategy at play. Teammates will call out abilities, which are thankfully colour-coded, so you can respond and boost morale. The higher your morale, the more Technical points you earn, and the greater your chance of success in battle. Later in the game, combat evolves even further. You’ll find yourself holding back certain abilities, waiting for the right callouts instead of just spamming attacks, managing the rhythm of each fight with precision. It’s a system that keeps battles feeling dynamic, tactical, and satisfying from start to finish.

The other major highlight in combat is the Skells which are giant mechs you can pilot to fight, drive, and even soar through the skies of Mira. You don’t get access to them until roughly 20 hours in, and the game makes you earn your Skell certification, which makes that first time jumping in all the more rewarding. Skells start off simple, but as you progress, you can deck them out with a huge variety of weapons and abilities, letting you take on even the biggest threats with ease. You can hop in and out depending on the situation, whether you need the firepower of a mech or the finesse of on-foot combat. On Switch 2, flying across Mira in a fully upgraded Skell never looked or felt better.

The real star of Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is still the planet Mira, brought to life with a bright and vibrant colour palette. It’s a world full of wonder, teeming with unique inhabitants, exotic locales, and varied biomes. From the very start, Mira delivers moments of absolute awe, both scripted and spontaneous, that pull you in and never let go. In my original review, I wrote about the opening sequence where the mist clears to reveal the scale of the world. Playing it a third time on Nintendo Switch 2, that moment still left me breathless. The game continues to deliver these awe-filled sequences throughout, making the 70-plus hour adventure consistently engaging. Exploration remains a core part of the experience, and it’s something you’ll want to do just for the thrill of uncovering 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 taking down massive Elite creatures. FrontierNav guides your exploration, tasking you to install probes that uncover sections of the map, highlight treasure or titans, and provide resource yields. These nodes can be upgraded with Mining, Storage, or Research, letting you grow your currencies to purchase gear, enhance weapons, and invest in Arms Manufacturers for even better equipment.

So, with all the new technology under the hood of the Nintendo Switch 2, what does Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition look like? The Switch 2 version comes with minimal visual upgrades, mostly 4K upscaling, with no major changes to textures or effects. That said, the game still looks incredible. The added sharpness in docked mode makes the world of Mira really pop, and exploring the landscapes has never felt more impressive. Handheld mode, however, has one noticeable quirk. Because of the machine-assisted upscaling, distant objects and textures can take on the appearance of an oil painting, blending assets like trees and rock formations together. It is far from a deal breaker, but it is noticeable.

The real difference comes with performance. Switch 2 finally delivers a solid 60 frames per second in both docked and handheld modes. This feels like a genuine game-changer. The original Switch version had occasional slowdowns, never game-breaking, but noticeable, whereas the Switch 2 version runs flawlessly, making combat and exploration feel smoother than ever.

For a full graphics and performance breakdown, check out our detailed comparison here: Xenoblade Chronicles X Switch 1 vs Switch 2 Graphical Comparison

For my Blades looking into accessibility, there are a few standard options here to make your time on Mira more comfortable. These include audio callouts for combat moves, auto-tracking for missions, subtitles, camera responsiveness settings, and various UI tweaks that allow you to remove clutter or highlight points of interest. Outside of these options, there are no dedicated accessibility presets or deeper customisation features. That said, there is an option to reduce difficulty if needed. Should you struggle in a boss fight, the game will offer to lower that particular boss by five levels. This ensures the story can still be enjoyed by players who may find the combat systems overwhelming early on. As always, I recommend further research into finding out whether Xenoblade Chronicles X suits your needs.

At just under $88 AUD for newcomers, and an $8 upgrade for those who already own the original Switch version, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 remains the same grand adventure that wowed me last year. There is well over 100 hours of content here for completionists, and around 60 to 70 hours for those simply looking to dip their toes into the world of Mira. It is a sweeping sci-fi epic that grabs you within the first 20 minutes and rarely lets go. Despite a few upscaling quirks in handheld mode, the improved frame rate and added sharpness on Switch 2 make this already beautiful game even more impressive to experience. Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition was a What’s It Like certified exceptional game then, and it continues to be on Nintendo Switch 2. It remains, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best action RPGs in recent history and quite possibly one of the greatest games currently available on Nintendo Switch 2.

So, What’s it Like? Xenoblade Chronicles X is like a Sci-Fi Final Fantasy, with huge mechs.

Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is a What’s it Like Certified Exceptional Game.

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