When it comes to Nintendo Switch 2, there are few potential graphical and performance upgrade showcases for original Switch games with a greater potential ‘gee-whiz’ impact than Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The third game in Monolith Soft’s epic sci-fi series – yes, third – was a pretty big hit when it launched in December 2017. A memorably emotional story, a complex and engaging battle system, and, that most poignant of Xenoblade traditions, fantastic exploration, joined together to help propel the series to new sales heights and lasting fan reverence.
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Alas, technical issues abound. It can be quite the choppy experience, and when played in handheld format, its blurriness is the stuff of legends. Few games at the time looked quite so rough on the eyes as Xenoblade Chronicles 2 undocked, and even in this late stage of the Switch’s lifetime, when intensely compromised ports from third-party publishers are frequently ugly, Rex and Pyra’s sprawling adventure across Alrest remains an all-time eyesore.
To be clear, the game looks a good deal crisper when it’s in docked mode. It’s not great, mind you, but it isn’t dire. The frame rates are still wildly uneven, though, and the end result is certainly the least technically sound Xenoblade on the system that’s got all four.
But one could set aside the muddy looks and shoddy frames and still find just cause for Monolith Soft to do with 2 what has been done with both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X. Their respective Definitive Editions are both fantastic, with sharper images, quality-of-life improvements galore, and best of all, brand-new story content. In X’s case, these additional plot points were desperately needed, as the game essentially shipped to Wii U ten years ago narratively unfinished.
That’s not the case with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which not only tells its complete tale but does so with the strongest climactic act the series has seen. Even so, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has some woeful tidbits. I mentioned my admiration for its battle system, but without looking up guides, folks can feel lost beyond words with it. For as chatty as the tutorial pop-ups can be, they don’t do an adequate job of explaining the myriad nuances in play.
What’s more, the Field Skills system is egregious. While a degree of friction in the game’s exploration is understandable, the dozens of obstacles strewn throughout each of Alrest’s several huge regions are more tedious than thoughtfully placed.
To make things exponentially worse, the acquisition of Blades – Xenoblade Chronicles has a ton of them, and they’re core to the combat and more – is tied to a gacha-like mechanic. No real-world money is spent here, but getting the Blades you want is a constant odds game… and you need certain Blades for specific Field Skills. Without getting those Field Skills leveled up as needed, you’re prevented from reaching plenty of places. It’s not just restrictive, it’s downright constrictive.
There is precedent for the elimination of such nonsense. Monolith Soft dutifully removed similarly draconian artificial limitations with Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. In that game’s original version, players must choose one of eight organizations, leveling them up to unlock basic missions and different forms of treasure acquisition. If a sealed container requires mechanical expertise, you’ll need to learn it. If a tree necessitates archaeological acumen, you’ve got to switch to a different organization and level it instead.
On paper, this doesn’t sound so bad; indeed, it’s downright immersive. But the developers missed the mark on the system’s initial execution, leaving it all feeling rather frustrating and needlessly time-consuming. In Definitive Edition, nearly every facet of this is gone. Your choice of organization does not prohibit you from doing very simple stuff in every corner of the world until you seek that career change. The mechanical and archaeological elements remain, but quick quests teach you what you need to know. It’s a sea change in the game’s overall flow, and I can’t imagine going back to the Xenoblade Chronicles X of yesteryear.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a wonderful JRPG that can get in its own way an alarming number of times. Not clicking with these exploratory caveats means potentially bouncing off of an otherwise thrilling adventure. If the Nintendo Switch 2 sees the game get the same treatment that 1 and X have been given, this gem can also be granted a new lease on life. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Definitive Edition would be smoother in more ways than one; it’ll feel better to play across the board, be it while running through verdant fields, timing special moves in battle, clearing shrubbery with Field Skill flames, or simply understanding the boatloads of information the game tosses at you at a rapid clip.
All I’m saying, Nintendo, is that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 initially arrived right in time for Christmas. If you’re wondering what to get me this year, why not repeat the trick?
