Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Preview
I’ve played most of the games in the Xenoblade series at this point. Somehow, this one feels different. Maybe it’s the character customization, or the robust equipment system, or the sci-fi setting. Regardless, I’m having a great time so far. Can’t say for sure, but Chronicles X might end up my personal favorite.
Saving The World In Style
To be perfectly clear, this isn’t based on anything objective or concrete. I have a deep and abiding love for messing with my party’s outfits. It’s possible that this has totally overwritten my capacity for reason. I will endure a lot of utter nonsense if I can dress people in sunglasses and scuba gear during all the most important cutscenes. You get access to a ton of outfits and accessories almost immediately. Plus, the game distinguishes between combat gear and fashion gear. So I never have to make any sacrifices for style. This alone would keep me hooked until the credits rolled. But there’s more!
Being able to customize half a dozen equipment slots with hundreds of distinct items is a huge bonus as well. You can choose gear for extremely specific stats, and they make a tangible difference in battle, which I appreciate. Combat is pretty familiar to any fans of the Xenoblade series. It’s a hot mess of classes, cooldowns, and custom Arts loadouts. So far the challenge level has been enough to keep me pretty engaged. Seeing monsters thirty levels higher than you just, walking around the open world makes it all feel more alive. I’m finding myself making notes about which horrifying creatures I want to come back and take on once I’ve gotten strong enough. It’s all part of a pretty compelling gameplay loop.
So Much Gear To Grind For
So far, maybe a dozen hours in, the pattern is pretty simple. You find missions in the hubworld, venture out to finish them, and return triumphant. Presumably successive missions will take me farther and farther from the hubworld in question. Story missions are sprinkled between a frankly staggering number of sidequests. I don’t have to time to indulge in many of them since this is a review playthrough, but I have every intention of coming back and mopping up the lot. Not that there is no story! The little I’ve seen of the narrative is downright sweeping in scale. I’m actually psyched to see where the plot eventually goes. And I must say, this looks pretty decent for a Wii U game.
There have been small changes made to bring this title into 2025, but nothing too grand or mind-boggling. Which is fine! The original release of Chronicles X has aged pretty well, all things considered. Even so, all the character models have been updated and the resolution has been scaled up. I never played the original release, but I’m impressed with what I’ve seen so far. The soundtrack is also excellent. I’ve heard some real bangers, and I’m only a few chapters in. I’m looking forward to what the rest of the OST has to offer.
Lot Of Excellent Tunes
It’s impossible to judge the game just yet. Xenoblade games are enormous, for one. I’ve probably seen less than a quarter of the whole story. And who knows what new mechanics and characters are waiting in the wings. But so far, I’m having a lot of fun. Customizable characters are a huge plus in my book, and the story is rather compelling. I’m curious where things will go from here, and I’m honestly excited to find out. Come back in a month to get my complete thoughts on Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.
***A Nintendo Switch code was provided by the publisher***
