Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Vs. Xenoblade Chronicles 3

After a long wait, the praised open-world ARPG Xenoblade Chronicles X finally made its leap from the Wii U to the Nintendo Switch with an enhanced look and new features in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.

The title released before this, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, pushed the series to even higher heights with a game that oozes with ambition, love and passion. With Xenoblade X getting the remastering it deserved to bring it up to the standards of the others, how does it fair against one of the best RPGs on the Switch almost ten years after its original release?

8

Story

Winner — Xenoblade Chronicles 3

The story is always a big aspect in any JRPG and Xenoblade is known for some of the most gripping and beloved stories. It may shock you to find out that Xenoblade X has a very weak story that is pushed to the side by the fun of exploring Mira. There still are some good narrative plot points that matter when they need to, but it is not the focus of the adventure.

You may think that you need to have played both Xenoblade 1 and Xenoblade 2 as XC 3 is a direct follow-up to both, but this isn’t the case. Despite many connections and references, XC 3’s story stands on its ground and is a masterpiece that will get you emotional make you feel attached to its cast, and push you to see it through till the very end.

7

Combat

Winner — Tie

Xenoblade is all about action combat that involves you and your party taking down foes using special moves called arts that you can select and use. For XC X there is a ton of variety in how you approach combat, from having many classes to being able to fight inside a giant mech called a Skell. Some so many intricate mechanics and details make it super satisfying to optimize your team well to take down strong foes.

This is also true with Xenoblade 3 but you have almost too many options for what you can do. With a party size of seven characters at once, you are let loose to build a team using any classes you want. The main six cannot be swapped out, but they can, however, inherit any class from any other character. Each pair of characters also has an Ouroboros form where they fuse and get access to super-powerful arts and effects for a short time.

6

Quests

Winner — Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

Both titles share similar quest structures with many different types to complete, ranging from ones that flesh out characters to basic side-quests, but where this is the limit for XC 3’s quests, XC X manages to go further and even integrate the quests into the story and world.

Being a member of BLADE, you are helping the few humans who are left alive on the alien planet Mira survive in any way you can. Xenoblade X makes you feel like you are making a difference while not being some anime protagonist with the power to save every known universe. In XC X you are a survivor just like everyone else and the community you build through the large variety of missions is just amazingly detailed and alive.

5

Exploration

Winner — Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

Xenoblade X has a giant sprawling open world that is filled to the brim with varied things to do and Xenoblade 3 has an area-based world that splits each major region into sections to help with loading the beautifully giant places. Each does have a bunch of rewards for exploration, with XC 3 giving you something to find in every little corner while X struggles to fill its massive world.

Xenoblade 3 would win this, but there’s just one thing we have yet to mention that defines the way you play XC X, and that is the Skells. These customizable mechs are unlocked early on and allow exploration to become one of the greatest aspects of the game. With your Skell, you can quickly traverse the massive world by flying around wherever you want, and this freedom is unmatched.

4

World

Winner — Xenoblade Chronicles 3

In Xenoblade X, you and many others crash down to the strange alien planet Mira and are now forced to explore all over the detailed unfamiliar planet. While there are many mysterious alien ruins all across the gorgeous landscapes, the open-world aspect of the game leads to each area only being memorable at these specific locations.

Aionios is the land that you journey through in Xenoblade 3, and it is a mix of Xenoblade 1 and 2’s worlds mashed together in various ways but still with an original design. As a Xenoblade fan, this makes it such a joy to figure out which locations are which and see so many references to the two original titles. Even if you aren’t, these areas are all still stunning with wonderful themes and designs that stick out more despite their grounded fantasy design.

3

Graphics And Performance

Winner — Xenoblade Chronicles 3

While Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition gave the game a massive graphics overhaul with a beautiful enhanced art style, it’s still very obviously built on top of the Wii U original. Some areas and models can look less than ideal and while the game runs well there is a lot of pop-in that is quite noticeable.

On the other hand, Xenoblade 3 shows how much experience Monolith Soft has with the Switch and how they have improved since X. With jaw-dropping environments and cinematic cutscenes to go along with the epic tale, Xenoblade 3 stands as one of the best showcases of what the Switch is capable of.

2

Sound

Winner — Tie

Xenoblade 3 has a soundtrack that is a perfect symphony for the ears with a unique twist to make it stick out. Noah and Mio (the protagonists) both use flutes heavily throughout the game and a lot of important battle tracks use real-life replicas of these flutes to give the soundtrack a distinct connection to the game itself.

Where XC 3 does lack, however, is in the area of themes, as each takes a more atmospheric approach, which ends up making these tracks quite forgettable. Xenoblade X has a much more heavy rock-inspired sound design with tons of vocal tracks that we can listen to all day. Alongside memorable area tracks, XC X has an excellent soundtrack, but with how good XC 3’s battle theme is, they both have their fair share of great tracks.

1

Verdict

Winner — Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was a monumental release for Monolith Soft, combining everything they had learned from previous titles to make a near-perfect experience. While it may slack on some aspects, it remains exciting and brilliant from start to finish, and it is an experience that feels like more than just another game.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is also a masterpiece, but in the modern gaming scene, where nearly every other game released is open-world, what was once mind-blowing and genre-defining has now become lessened by an oversaturated market. Xenoblade X is still one of the best and biggest open-world RPGs despite this, and if you want to get lost in a world that has tons of content, both titles will keep you busy for months.