Xenoblade Chronicles fans have been eating good on the Nintendo Switch, and they’re about to get another feast when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches on the system next month. Nintendo recently held a Direct presentation focused entirely on the upcoming RPG that offered new information on the game’s story, combat, world, and various systems.
The Direct opened by showing a new glimpse at the story of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Set in the world of Aionios, the new game centers around six characters from opposite sides of a never-ending war between the nations of Keves and Agnus. The new footage hints at the sinister motivations behind the war and how that comes to alter the lives of these six protagonists.
Noah, Eunie, and Lanz hail from Keves, while Mio, Taion, and Sena call Agnus home. Each trio is sent on a special mission by their respective leaders that brings them into contact with the other group, though their first meeting isn’t very friendly. They’re forced to band together against a common enemy, an alliance that kicks off their journey.
The Direct also covered all the ways players can engage with and explore the world of Aionios. Cooking and gem crafting return, as does the affinity system that allows players to make connections with the residents of each colony. There are also campsites where players can learn more about the members of their party and their lives before the events of the game.
New combat features were also shown off such as classes, Hero characters, and Ouroboros forms. Each character in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 comes with their own, unique class that has a certain role in combat e.g. the Swordfighter dishes out damage while the Tactician heals and disrupts enemies. Characters level up their classes by participating in combat, and they can also switch between classes to learn valuable skills from a variety of roles.
Hero characters are allies the party meets throughout their adventure who can join them on the battlefield a seventh party member. These Heroes can be swapped out at any time, allowing for a certain degree of party structure. Furthermore, each Hero character bears a special class that members of the core party can also utilize once that Hero is recruited.
Ouroboros forms are powerful, link techniques that fuse two members of the core party together into a powerful mech with access to unique, high-level Arts. These Ouroboros forms also come with alternate styles depending on which of the two characters is in control, and these alternate forms have their own stats and Arts. Sena and Lanz, Taion and Eunie, and Noah and Mio each have their, unique Ouroboros forms that they can transform into.
The Direct closed by revealing the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass that will add a plethora of additional content over the next year-and-a-half, including items, color variants, new quests, and new heroes. The Expansion Pass will close with a new story scenario that is planned for release by December 2023. The game will also support Amiibo functionality, including a unique sword appearance for the Swordfighter class when using the Shulk Amiibo.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will launch on July 29th, 2022, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
