Personally, I think Xenoseries has never overshadowed the original work, a JRPG called Xenogears from 1998. However, I’ll be the first to admit that every other game from these creators has definitely been worth it, and most of them have had a great mix of intricate story with a solid combat system and an immersive world to explore, whether it’s the Xenosaga games or now Xenoblade. The word “series” needs to be used with care, as each new game introduces a new group of characters and a new storyline, so it’s really possible to start with any of them.
There are some winks to fans and veterans in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but I didn’t come across anything major in my first twenty hours of playing the full game. The story takes place in the world of Aionios, where two nations are waging an irreconcilable war – the technically oriented Keves and the magical energy oriented “aether” Agnus. Both sides use “cloned” fighters as soldiers with a given service life of 10 years. If they don’t die first, these warriors will spend all ten years of their lives in war. You fight three such fighters, namely the swordsman (and spirit guide of the dead) Noah, his bodyguard Lanza, and the healer Junia. Together you will go through training and real battles in the service of your queen’s military campaign.
These warriors spend as many as ten years of their lives in war.
At the heart of the military conflict is a mysterious vital energy that pours out of the slain into the vessels of the victors, giving them additional strength to fight. Obviously, there’s more going on in the background than your characters realize. But before you have a chance to explore it properly, a carousel of events throws you into battle with three equally elite fighters from the opposite side as you are. Things get even more complicated when an unknown third person enters the battlefield, culminating in the unexpected alliance of two warring trios, which eventually makes them fugitives on both sides. The fragile alliance of these six fighters must embark on a long journey to uncover the secrets of their world and life.
Although some of the dialogue is sometimes somewhat naive, the story itself is very dark, and the characters adequately reflect their limited lifespan, bleak future prospects in endless military conflict, gratitude, and brotherly sisterly love for their comrades. Within a few hours, I easily found my favorites, which usually does not happen so quickly and easily with similar games. To some extent, this is facilitated by the presence of sometimes ridiculously long movie scenes. On the contrary, I have somewhat conflicting impressions of the English dub of the main character, which sounds, perhaps, too soft and “delicate” for someone who should lead a combat unit.
I easily found my favorites within a few hours.
The combat system is an evolution of everything we know from past Xenoblade games. You fight right in the game environment, your characters attack automatically, but you have the ability to “trigger” their special attacks or spells with separate buttons, while you can also switch between individual characters. There are several levels of rock-paper-scissors mechanics, as well as combo chains, stunning/flipping enemies, etc. But the main novelty is the ability to “link” two characters, who then learn each other’s abilities and can thus create a hybrid a “class” such as a fighter with multiple healing abilities, etc. Also, under certain circumstances, your bonded pair of characters can turn into a single giant “organic mecha”-like creature with destructive power.
The game world is just as elaborate as the combat system. True to the spirit of the series, it’s a breathtaking landscape full of all sorts of monsters, beautiful views, and hidden side quests and items. As usual in this series, the enchanting atmosphere of the game is greatly enhanced by the beautiful music, which again is the responsibility of the legendary composer Yasunori Mitsuda. Although I have no way to check the exact frame rate of the game, it appears to be running at a steady 30fps. The game menu, where you manage the characters, their equipment and tasks, is fast and straightforward. You’ll also find a complete list of all tips and guides if you’d like to brush up on your memory. While these games often have slower starts, in the case of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I slipped into the world here much more smoothly than I expected. We can only hope that the game maintains the quality and pace it has set – it looks like it’s going to be a long way to go.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will release on Friday, July 29, 2022 on Nintendo Switch.
Source :Indian TV
