| Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Gameplay
Quests Upon Quests Upon Quests Upon Quests
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is Monolith Soft’s once-stranded Wii U sci-fi action RPG. Initially, your customized avatar begins with a limited skill set. However, as you explore Mira’s five continents, you’ll eventually team up with eight other party members, each bringing unique abilities to battles and exploration. The combat and class system may seem slow at first, as, similar to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, players must progress through the story first to unlock the game's full deeper features. However, remember: Patience is a virtue, one that is highly rewarded in Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Quests come in all shapes and sizes, from main story quests that advance the plot to affinity quests that deepen friendships with comrades, to a whole range of side missions that reward players with in-game currency and items.
A Combat System that Evolves with the Game
⚫︎ Gameplay From Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U
Gameplay is all about roles and responsibilities. The player’s avatar joins BLADE, a specialized task force that takes on different roles to keep humanity thriving on Mira. Whether it’s scouting out uncharted territory as a Pathfinder, seeking out towering Tyrants as a Harrier, or collecting rare resources as a Prospector, players can adopt a variety of paths that each bring their own unique rewards.
Combat in Xenoblade Chronicles X is a dynamic, real-time system where you must seamlessly use both melee and ranged weapons. Melee weapons rapidly build Tension Points (TP), essential for powerful abilities, reviving allies, and activating Overdrive. However, they draw significant enemy aggro. Conversely, ranged weapons minimize aggro and allow for you to position yourself away from enemies, but build TP at a slower pace. Once you’ve built enough TP, you can now access the Overdrive mode. This amplifies attacks and shortens cooldowns, turning players into high-powered juggernauts in combat. In the heat of intense late-game battles, players will constantly find themselves switching between weapons to maximize damage output and exploit enemy weaknesses.
You’ll also have to skillfully time your "Arts"—powerful abilities with a cooldown system that adds extra potency if you’re willing to wait just a bit longer to strike. Unique to the game’s combat system is the Soul Voice mechanic, where quick-time events (QTE) appear during battles. Successfully timing these QTEs can trigger powerful effects like increased damage, healing, or status effects for your party. There are even late-game builds that exploit this mechanic to the point where players can forgo a dedicated healer, focusing solely on damage while relying on the Soul Voice mechanic to sustain the team.
Conquer Tyrants with Skell Mechs
⚫︎ Gameplay From Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U
As you progress, you'll unlock Skells—massive, customizable mechs that enable faster travel and more combat options. Each Skell has its own fuel gauge, so you'll need to strategically manage its power for battles or long-distance travel. With these in hand, however, you can now take on Mira’s enormous Tyrants—colossal enemies scattered across the planet that possess significantly enhanced stats, akin to the minibosses or superbosses found in other RPGs.
Skell combat is a spectacle in itself, as it gives players new abilities to defend themselves and support non-Skell allies. Losing a Skell, however, doesn’t necessarily mean game over; players have a chance to salvage it in a QTE, or otherwise, it’s a trip back to NLA for repairs.
Team Up and Take on Mira
Xenoblade Chronicles X is the only game in the series with a multiplayer feature. According to the game's eShop page, you can team up with up to 31 other players online, sharing avatars and forming squads to tackle Mira's most challenging monsters. Similar to the Wii U version, you won't directly interact with squad members while exploring the world. You'll only be able to see their avatars in various areas, ready to be recruited or called for combat support. However, you can interact with other players in real-time during online missions.
32-player squads can collaborate on Tasks, earning Reward Tickets and BLADE Medals to purchase monster parts for augments or Skell parts. Squads can also gather resources and face down massive Global Nemeses that require insane teamwork to defeat.
Transitioning from the Wii U to the Switch
⚫︎ Gameplay From Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U
While Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition would be a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch, some of the unique Wii U features might not translate seamlessly. The game made exceptional use of the Wii U’s second screen. On the said platform, the GamePad's secondary screen served as a dedicated hub for managing gameplay elements, like mapping out Mira, setting waypoints, tracking missions, and so on—all without interrupting the main display. This setup added a layer of convenience that enabled players to interact with the game’s vast data smoothly. The fast-travel system especially benefited from this map functionality, as it allowed players to instantly access newly unlocked areas without sifting through menus.
Transitioning to the Switch may mean the game will play more like it does on the Wii U GamePad alone. Though it’s possible to play without the second screen, accessing menus and map functions would likely take a few extra taps. On the Switch, these functions would need reworking, possibly involving additional menu layers or an entirely new way to access the map. Without the GamePad’s capabilities, the Switch version would need to creatively adapt or simplify certain systems to keep the streamlined experience that was so integral to the original.
Recommend the game to:
⚫︎ People who like the Xenoblade series or mech games
⚫︎ People who like open-world RPGs
⚫︎ People who like seemingly endless side missions
⚫︎ People who enjoy Kunihiko Tanaka’s character designs
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Story Plot
After Earth becomes collateral damage in an interstellar war, the remnants of humanity flee in massive spacecraft, hoping to find refuge somewhere in the stars. However, the White Whale, one of the last arks carrying human survivors, is attacked and crash-lands on Mira.
The story begins as the player-created protagonist is awoken from stasis by Elma, a commander from the organization BLADE, and is recruited to aid in humanity’s survival and the recovery of Lifeholds, scattered life-pods that contain the genetic essence of humanity. Their journey will take them through Mira’s breathtaking ecosystems and into conflict with the Ganglion, an alien coalition determined to eradicate all human beings.
At various points in the game, players will be given opportunities to make choices that will affect how scenes play out. Although these choices may not substantially alter the main plot, they can significantly impact how the player is viewed by the people in Mira, including their relationships with party members and NPCs.
For the Definitive Edition, Monolith Soft has added new story elements. Similar to what they did with the first game's Definitive Edition, it is possible that Monolith Soft could even add more affinity quests and side missions that further develop the characters you’ll encounter.
While the specifics of the new story element remain undisclosed, the game’s trailer did offer a brief glimpse of what’s to come. "Just who is the mysterious hooded figure on the beach?" Nintendo teased. "You’ll have to stay tuned to learn more…"
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Setting
New Los Angeles
New Los Angeles (NLA) is a strikingly ambitious city on the alien planet Mira, built from the remnants of humanity’s crashed starship, the White Whale. This colony is divided into different districts, including commercial, residential, and military areas, each reflecting the efforts of its inhabitants to establish a sense of normalcy amidst constant alien threats.
NLA serves as a central hub where players return periodically to restock supplies and get side missions. You'll also find the eight playable characters frequently going about their daily routines in the city.
Mira
Divided into five sprawling continents—Primordia, Noctilum, Oblivia, Sylvalum, and Cauldros—Mira presents an exotic environment where alien ecosystems flourish alongside daunting terrain. Primordia, for instance, greets players with lush plains, while Noctilum has a dense, bioluminescent forest that feels mystical. Sylvalum’s stark white plains feel almost otherworldly to the volcanic terrain of Cauldros. Each region is as visually entrancing as it is dangerous.
But how does one navigate such a vast world? Mira's terrain is too treacherous for foot travel, so BLADEs are equipped with powerful Skell mechs that allow players to soar through the sky and explore Mira’s most remote corners. However, caution is advised, as fearsome creatures prowl at night, especially during rain.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Characters
Player Character
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition’s player character is a customizable avatar who embodies the player’s choices and actions within the game. Often referred to as "Rook"—short for "Rookie"— by other characters, they are a survivor of the White Whale crash on the alien planet Mira. With no recollection of their past life on Earth, they join the organization BLADE to protect humanity’s future on the hostile new world.
Elma
Elma is the cool-headed and fiercely capable leader of the Reclaimers Division. Previously known for leading the "Skelleton Crew" in training Earth’s heaviest combat units, Elma is every bit the disciplined powerhouse: she’s a Full Metal Jaguar, deftly dual-wielding swords and guns with unyielding precision. And while she’s all business on the surface, Elma’s steel-willed commitment to humanity’s survival might just make her one of the most layered characters in the game.
Lin Lee Koo
Lin Lee Koo packs an impressive punch despite her age. As the resident engineer of BLADE’s Outfitters Division, Lin is all about creating and upgrading Skells. She joins up with Elma and the player character early on and quickly proved her mettle with both her Shield Trooper class combat skills and her knack for tech. She often finds herself at odds with Tatsu, a supporting Nopon character who assists the main cast on their journey.
Lao Huang
Lao Huang is the kind of battle-scarred soldier who’s seen it all yet still charges forward with conviction. Once a comrade-in-arms with Doug—another playable character—back in their U.S. Army days, Lao is now the leader of the Pathfinder Team Belisarda. Wielding both a javelin and sniper rifle as a Partisan Eagle, Lao strikes from afar and closes in for the kill with precision. His bond with Lin goes deeper than most, born from shared traumas and unspoken understandings.
Judging by the brief snippet showcased in the Definitive Edition's trailer, Lao is poised to have a more significant role in the new story content of the game.
Is Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Multiplayer?
Yes, for up to 32 people online.
According to the game’s Nintendo eShop page, cooperative online play is supported for up to 32 players. Players can form Squads to undertake challenging missions and Tasks.
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Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Product Information
| |
| Title | XENOBLADE CHRONICLES X: DEFINITIVE EDITION |
|---|---|
| Release Date | March 20, 2025 |
| Developer | Monolith Soft |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Supported Platforms | Nintendo Switch |
| Genre | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Number of Players | 1-32 (Online Co-Op) |
| Rating | ESRB Teen |
| Official Website | Monolith Soft Official Website |
