Because they aren't, there's always the sense that you're discovering meaningful additional content every time you stray off the main path. Many optional side quests feature cutscenes so spectacular that you'd think they're essential to the main story. While not every scene gets the full treatment, enough of them do, showing a lot of care went into its most emotional moments.Īnother notable element is that fully animated and voiced cutscenes aren't a rarity in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. On top of having excellent choreography, the camera placement is always interesting, making each cutscene feel uniquely handcrafted. The fights are masterfully animated, and their visuals do a lot of heavy lifting to compensate for the Switch's hardware limitations that often result in low-resolution video. The cutscene choreography also brings a cinematic flair to things that was completely unexpected but absolutely lovely. Because of that, they resonate and feel earned you understand each character's point of view before they start opening up. It's heavy stuff, but XC3 takes its time to make some of its more poignant points. In a recent session, one character has truly accepted the grim ending that awaits them and discusses the fear of being forgotten to time before they inevitably pass on. On top of that, all people are bred for war, only living for 10 years before dying, so there's a ticking clock for the cast, some of whom are getting quite close to the end, all of which adds a nice level of drama to the mix.īecause I haven't finished Xenoblade Chronicles 3 just yet (remember: there's a lot here - really), I can't say if it sticks the landing on all fronts, but so far, I've seen some incredible character growth from just about the entire main cast that makes each cutscene exciting, simply for the sake of seeing what happens next. From there, the six go on a mission to find real answers to what's happening behind the scenes. The premise of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is excellent: two warring countries have been fighting for longer than anyone on either side can remember, and three soldiers from both factions are exposed to the potential truth that the war is pointless. That narrative kept me coming back until XC3's mechanical ideas were fully baked and as delectable as one of Manana's delicious dishes. The studio behind the game, Monolith Soft, knew this, bringing their A-game with the story in its first act. That said, the hours and hours of tutorials XC3 throws your way certainly become taxing, making it tough to feel motivated to play between sessions in the early going. While it's hardly ideal, I prefer this method of tutorialization as opposed to other games in the genre like Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, which essentially push you into the deep end with little more than a pair of half-inflated floaties in the first two hours. It takes quite a bit of work to like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in its early hours. Without exaggeration, the main tutorial lasts roughly seven to 10 hours, easing you into the depths of its systems until your head is entirely underwater. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review: A Journey of a Thousand Miles Xenoblade Chronicles 3 doesn't make the best first impression, but if you're able to muscle through its opening hours full of tutorials, you'll find yourself deeply engrossed in its story, systems, and world, keeping your Switch within arms reach at all times, just in case you end up with a few minutes to play. The long answer? Well, that's what the rest of the review is for. There's just a lot here. So, is Xenoblade Chronicles 3 any good? The short answer is yes. That's not to say I haven't devoted myself to becoming a full-blown XC3 expert since launch, but it is an important truth to understand that adds context to this review.
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