The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 key art promises a hell of a lot. You know the shot, that jaw-dropping vista with its deep blue skies and lush green fields, this time joined by an impossible rock formation looming large on the horizon as the silhouettes of a band of heroes you've yet to meet look on. It's an image that exudes the very essence of adventure, that promises a fantastical odyssey populated by unforgettable new friends, breathtaking scenery and rip-roaring combat. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 delivers all of this and so much more in a game that ramps up the emotional intensity, gives us the best combat the franchise has seen to date and introduces an all-new cast of characters that we'll genuinely never forget.

By now you'll no doubt know the gist of the story here. The world of Aionios is a tortured and war-torn planet where two factions, Keves and Agnus, are embroiled in endless conflict, their soldiers condemned to live and die again and again in a perpetual cycle of violence. We join this relentless action as Noah, Eunie and Lanz, three eager Keves warriors, march into battle once more, laying it all on the line for a Queen they believe they're born from and must therefore sacrifice everything for. They're almost entirely consumed by this belief system, never truly questioning their actions or the brutality of the existence they suffer through. Their short lives are measured in year-long "terms", just ten in total, at which point they'll be rewarded with a homecoming ceremony that sees them returned to the Queen's embrace — should they get lucky enough to make it that far.

Of course, on the particular day that we meet them, the battle at hand plays out quite differently. Our soon-to-be heroes face off against an unusual troop of automatons controlled by a mystery man who fights for neither Keves nor Agnus. They're thrust into an uneasy alliance with three Agnian troops who've been sent on the exact same mission and soon find themselves imbued with the power of Ouroboros, at the same time learning some uncomfortable truths about the nature of their reality and the real enemy working behind the scenes to keep them all chained to a never-ending war machine.

It's a properly engrossing start to a game, a premise with plenty to offer, and it's all helped along enormously by some fantastic cutscenes that punctuate an extended tutorial period with some of the most effortlessly stylish combat sequences we've ever seen on Switch — or any other console for that matter. It doesn't take too long to settle into the groove in these early hours, to get to know a little about the motivations and personalities of Noah, Eunie, Lanz, Taion, Sena and Mio as you prepare to pit your wits against their new shared enemy, the majestically theatrical members of Moebius. With the world now set entirely against them and their shared realities shattered, this epic adventure gets underway proper as our band of six set out to put things right, to liberate their world colony by colony and save a planet that's been blindfolded to the true nature of its existence in order to serve the plans of unseen puppet masters.

We really don't want to give too much more of the story away here, it would be a shame to have even a second of it needlessly ruined before you get to experience it all for yourself, but needless to say that over the course of around 100 magical hours, we were put through the emotional wringer with this one to a surprising degree. Yes, there have been actual tears on multiple occasions, we're not ashamed to admit it, with a couple of scenes really not holding back on the pulling of heartstrings. There's an emotional depth here that sits alongside plenty of laughter — those returning regional UK accents delivering so much humour and warmth once again — surprises, twists, turns, heartbreak... oh yeah, this game got us good. With a surprisingly dark and complex narrative that asks some tough existential questions; what you'd choose to do if you had more than one chance at life, what you'd actually sacrifice for your convictions, and whether one should be happy with their lot or strike out and seize the future regardless of the consequences, there's certainly plenty to sink your teeth into with this one.

It's not all grimness either, there's real hope for humanity here - something we could all do with a good dose of right now - and so much positivity and drive to survive in the face of all-encompassing evil that it's hard not to get thoroughly caught up in it all and find yourself really rooting for your band of heroes, heroes who are willing to do the right thing, no matter how much it costs them. There's complexity too in the motivations of many of the bad guys you'll meet along the way, they're not all evil for the hell of it, and you'll find good guys gone bad, decent people who've lost their way and others whose fear has driven them to desperate measures. There is, in short, a fair bit going on in terms of the narrative here, far more than we expected at the outset, and the game's consistently excellent writing frames and delivers all of these situations in fine style, making for a campaign that we were enthralled by for its entire running time.

This is a tale that's then bolstered no end by the game's superb cast of core characters. It's not often you'll get a group of six individuals covering such a wide range of personality types without at least one of them becoming a bit of a pain in the butt, let's face it, but each and every one of the heroes here is a genuine joy to get to know, and you really will feel like you're getting to know them. Through well-written campaign missions and side quests that see all six get plenty of time in the spotlight, every character here is given ample time and space to grow and develop from the almost catatonic state we find them in into the fully-fledged heroes of Aionios they strive to become. You'll grow to love Noah's steely determination in the face of terrible odds, Taion's uptight nerdiness that masks a desire to be accepted, Lanz's knuckleheaded bravado backed up by a heart of gold, Mio's quiet strength as she struggles alone with inner turmoils, Sena's constant need for reassurance — even as she hands out kickings to absolutely everything that stands in her way — and Eunie... well Eunie is just a masterclass in brutally calling out BS, going so far as to stop a Moebius boss in full pre-battle speech flow to tell them to stop gabbing and get on with it.

And then there's the Nopons. They should be annoying, they really shouldn't work as well as they do, but Riku and Manana, and all the rest you'll meet as you journey across Aionios, are an absolute delight, the game's universally strong voice-acting ensuring that even the most potentially annoying character usually ends up worthy of plenty of screen time. Elsewhere, and although we can't go into any real detail on all of the unlockable heroes on offer for fear of entering big-time spoiler territory, you can rest assured there are plenty of them, a huge roster of new comrades who are a constant joy to get to know thanks, once again, to the quality of the writing and acting work on show here.

Every colony that you liberate as you fight for the future of Aionios has its own cast of characters, its own social practices and situations to learn about, and once you've freed them from the misery of constant battle you'll find busy little hubs full of new people to meet, missions to take on, stories to become a part of and more. You can really go to town here, getting stuck right into the game's Affinity Chart, checking how all of these NPCs are getting on with one another, how relationships are developing and exactly how each colony regards you and your teammates as you busy yourself solving their problems in order to raise your friendship level in return for rewards, further missions and so on. It makes for a world that feels truly busy, alive with more than just monsters and baddies to battle, and one that's always got another story to tell. Indeed, even after over 100 hours, there's still many hidden corners of our map we've yet to visit, plenty of adventures, secrets and great big chunks of narrative that we've yet to unearth and explore.

While Xenoblade Chronicles 3 probably sits closest to the first entry in the franchise in terms of the general tone and feel of its story, in terms of combat it aligns itself most obviously with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 by expanding and layering on a bunch of new systems which, thankfully, this time around feel far more intuitive, much less confusing, and nowhere near as clunky. Yes, we enjoyed the heck out the Blades system in Rex's adventure, make no mistake — it's an excellent time once you get your head around it all — but there's no doubt it could have been more streamlined, more user-friendly and worked into the rest of the game's combat a little more fluidly. Here there are no such problems.

The action kicks off by introducing the auto-attack and rhythmic deployment of Arts and specials that fans will know well from the rest of the series before unleashing the fantastical power of Ouroboros, giving our heroes the ability to Interlink, combining in pairs into great big Transformer-like beings with a variety of screen-shaking attacks that you'll need to make good use of as you go toe to toe with a rogue's gallery of gloriously hammy Moebius monsters.

Interlinking is a slick addition to the action here, it adds real drama and excitement to battles and is, most importantly, easy to get your head around, employing the same general rhythms and rules as the base layer combat but with much more impressive end results as a reward. The game gives you plenty of time to get used to this flashy new mechanic too before slowly adding more fuel to the fire, layering on the ability to combo smoothly from art to art in a never-ending flow of attacks, fusing master arts to normal arts to meld multiple effects together in a blur of explosions and colour, unleashing special talent arts — such as Noah's incredibly powerful and hugely satisfying Lucky Seven Sword manoeuvres — and then introducing delightfully strategic Chain Attacks into the mix for good measure.

There are plenty of new classes to be unlocked by discovering and adding the game's generous roster of heroes to your crew too, each one working as a seventh unplayable member of the team who can be swapped out to suit your needs in battle. Every new class you discover comes with its own unique moves and skills, they can be used by anyone in the squad and, more importantly perhaps, you can now freely switch between all of your characters as you roam the world and fight, flipping from a defensive role that draws aggro from enemies, to a healing class that drops HP and defence-boosting rings on the battleground before swapping to a straight-up offensive role to truly lay the smack down with fast and furious attacks. Once you've unlocked Ouroboros and the ability to string combos of arts and fusions together here you can really go daft, unleashing a non-stop tirade of attacks, powerful specials, strategically satisfying chain attacks and Interlink transformations to devastate your foes.

If it sounds complicated, well, it's certainly got plenty of depth and a ton of moving parts — the Chain Attack system here almost deserves its own separate review — but it's always great fun, always intuitive, and the game has got an encyclopaedic hints and tips section as well as a ton of VR-style tutorials that cover everything you need to know in great detail. Feel like you don't quite understand the ins and outs of how Chain Attacks work or how to position your character to make best use of rear/side attacks? Jump into the training mode and practice until you've got it down.

In general, besides showdown battles against big bosses and the roughly 140 legendary monsters you'll find hiding around the world, the combat here is flexible and generous enough in normal mode that you'll get by without too many sticking points, it's an enjoyable and addictive experience for anyone to just pick up and dive into, and there's an easy mode for those who want to simply kick back and enjoy a stress-free ride. However, it also has the depth and strategic chops to fully engage those looking for a massive challenge and playing on a harder difficulty sees you really need to dig deep and consider your every move, know when to deploy that Chain Attack or hold off for just a bit longer, when to erupt into Ouroboros form to take control of a battle gone bad, how to combo from a level three Interlink straight into a Chain Attack and then out into your charged special talent art, breaking, toppling, juggling and dazing the biggest and baddest foes for maximum damage.

We could go on and on about the combat here but what Monolith Soft has come up with is one of the very best battle systems we've ever had the joy of getting to grips with and, beyond the super slick and streamlined nature of things on a purely mechanical level, visually it's also absolutely knockout stuff. As the game settles into its rhythm, as you get to grips with liberating colonies from the clutches of their Flame Clocks, you'll find yourself coming up against a unique Moebius Consul for every location you attempt to free. These face-offs, and we mean every last one of them, are just spectacular set-pieces, kicking off with plenty of highly entertaining smack talk, OTT cutscenes, and villainous posturing before high-intensity battle commences. We never tired of it and honestly, after over 100 hours, the desire to immediately dive right back into New Game+ is overwhelming. We genuinely can't wait to go back and play this one all over again, and there really aren't too many JRPGs of this length we can say that about.

Is it all absolutely perfect? Of course not, no. The world here may look fantastic and its various locales are stuffed to bursting point with interesting locations, secrets, and collectibles, but it isn't a particularly modern creation, it's perhaps not as exciting as Alrest and its Titans were to explore first time around, it's segmented rather than truly open-world and can at points feel quite old-fashioned in how it's designed as a result. Side quests, too, although there are plenty of excellent ones, still suffer from their fair share of groan-worthy filler and busywork.

But that's it. Thinking back over all the time we've spent with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, that's the worst we can come up with. That, and the fact it goes totally mad on the melodrama from time to time (but we love that about this franchise).

With regards to performance, this new entry is a big step up from its predecessors, with crisp image quality in docked mode and a much-improved resolution in handheld. Yes, you'll still notice dynamic shifts as you wander into busy areas or get stuck into a particularly epic fight in portable mode, but it's a huge improvement and at no point did the clarity diminish to the point it impacted our enjoyment. In terms of the frame rate, too, we didn't notice any issues beyond the odd very slight stutter here and there. There are some longish loading times as you get to the endgame, and these can get a little infuriating as you approach the final encounter, but overall Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a real technical triumph on Nintendo's ageing console. This is a huge game that's jam-packed full of stunning vistas, action-packed battles and stylish cutscenes and it honestly rarely misses a beat whether you're playing portably or docked.

There's so much other stuff we can't give away in this review, so much we don't want to spoil about the adventure that awaits, but if you're a fan of Xenoblade Chronicles, know that this is the pinnacle of the series so far, a game that continues the story and ties into everything you love about this franchise in some delightful ways. If you just love yourself a great big JRPG, know that this is one of the very best out there, one of the finest experiences currently available on Switch and a game we'll be talking about and enjoying for a long time to come. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an emotionally-charged masterpiece, a heartfelt epic that delivers the goods and easily overcomes any of its minor shortcomings with an incredible narrative and some of the best combat we've ever had the pleasure of digging into.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a genuine masterpiece and the highlight of Monolith Soft's superb series thus far. There's an emotionally-charged and surprisingly edgy epic to get stuck into here, a sprawling and hugely engaging narrative populated by a cast of unforgettable characters that's backed up by some of the very best combat we've had the pleasure of getting to grips with in this genre to date. Over 100 hours into this one, we're as captivated now as we were when we first booted it up and it has more than delivered every bit of the adventure, emotion, and action that its key art promised it might. Aionios awaits, it's time to seize the future.

Scoring Policy Review copy provided by Nintendo

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Liquids, solids and the occasional gas

For once I’m actually caught up with Xenoblade games and can just jump right in to this one. I cannot wait.

I was going to see how reviews were, and this might just mean I’m getting it. I skipped out on 2, but I loved DE.

Can't wait for this masterpiece

Good god here we go. I have never been this excited for a game in my entire life, and I can’t believe the day is finally almost here

YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!! We are ON GUYS!!!

Is it the best sport game on switch tho ?

Holy hell that's a good score

The first two games are hands down the two best JRPGs I've ever played so I expected nothing less. Looking forward to getting stuck into it on launch day.

I haven’t played any Xenoblade games, but sounds like a well deserved score!

Yeah.. Was already excited. And not even surprised by the score lol Also glad to see its another 100+ hour game! Friday can't come soon enough!

Honestly very pleased to see this. I am not into these games, but I am excited for the audience that is.

Okay, Nintendo. Now let's focus on Splatoon 3.

We've known their names in 1, recalled their names in 2 and now..... we're ready to remember their names once more in 3. Brings a tear to the eye, doesn't it?

I won't be grabbing this myself until I've played either DE or 2 for the first time but I can already tell this is GOTY potential, fantastic stuff for the fans who've had to wait patiently for their time to come.

"I've been waiting...waiting for this DAY!"

After having recently completed Xeno2 at last, I'm excited to see what the third entry has to offer.

I skimmed over a lot of the review, hoping to not get too read up on the combat system in particular, because I want to discover it on my own.

Looking forward to a nice, long weekend playing this.

I really wish Nintendo would offer demos for their games. I don't want to pay $60 for this only to find I don't like it, as I've been burned too many times in the past. I get it's objectively good, but I did not enjoy playing Xenoblades 1 due to its combat feeling uninteresting. If you say this one has the best combat, I'm willing to give it another try, but not for $60.

This seems almost too good to be true, I mean this was moved up from september don't forget. I need to get caught up on this series, I've only played the first and that was over five years ago now.

I have zero interest in it, but good for those that do. I did try to get into these games, they just couldn't hold me.

I haven't beat remastered yet, don't want to play 2 (can't get past the absurd character designs) but definitely want to get this based on what I've seen.

@Kazman2007 Yeah the first one's combat is frustrating. Difficult, protracted AND not responsive controls? Gosh it's almost like they didn't want you to enjoy the game.

Haven't played any in the series yet but I guess I don't have any more excuses to delay this experience. Looking for good deals on the previous games if anyone is aware of some discounts available!

Glad to hear they've finally figured out how to make these games palatable in portable mode.

@PJOReilly Question: as someone who never fully completed Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and hasn't touched the Future Connected expansion from the DE, but who did fully complete both XC2 and the Torna expansion, am I good to go?

@Kazman2007 You could always buy it physically and then sell it back for almost as much as you bought it for if you don't like it. This will probably maintain its value for years.

So hyped for this one! Glad to see such positive reviews across the board. I'm on vacation all week next week so I'll have some time to play too.

Awesome review - I'm really feeling it!

Friday can't come fast enough!

Wow I didn't expect this game to be that good, I skipped XC 2 but I absolutely loved the first game so hearing that this one is more in line with that makes me want to play it that much more, hopefully I have some more time in the near future to do so.

Time to play the first two I suppose…

@Kazman2007 it’s quite the same, semi-automatic, semi-passive combat system. I don’t think you’ll like it if the first one wasn’t your cup of tea.

@Kazman2007 You can always resell it later, second hand Switch games - especially the big first party ones- do sell really good and keep their value.

Welp I was gonna wait but I guess not! (Apparently I preordered last week and forgot so yay me?)

Friday cannot come soon enough!

never played a JRPG, they look so utter bewildering, confusing, and after watching that review i still have zero idea how the game works or what on earth is going on! must be getting old... would like to give it a try but i'm still at a loss to what the game actually involves!

Ooo this review has got me hyped, my body is ready!

I wonder if this will top XB1 for me... But if it's a 10/10 then it might

@Fizza It’s gonna be great, but any notion that it will come close to toppling Elden Ring simply doesn’t exist.

Whoa! Sounds good! I'm actually glad it's not truly open world; I'm actually burned out on these.. And i'm so, SO happy that it's more like XC1, in terms of both side quests and the tone of the game. XC2 was a massive disappointment and one of the worst Nintendo games of all time - for me at least - but this is looking really sharp. Hype!

Yeap definitely waiting for my copy to arrive so I too could explore Aionios.

I’m in the final chapter of the first game and then I’m planning on playing the second immediately afterward. The wait to play this is going to be painful!

Been a fan since 2011 when I found a copy of the original for £10 in Gamestation! Can't wait for this!!

Hmm nice. The first one bored me after 10 hours or so but the combat sounds a ton better in this. Maybe one day.

Ok can we have other game news now please

I expected a high score for this, but not a 10/10! I guess I have to get this somewhere down the line soon™.

The art and review certainly make this game tempting, but I'm not convinced I would personally enjoy the combat system. If there is ever a demo, I would definitely try it.

Zoinks! This review isn't helping the wait, guys.

But is it a 10/10 on the Steam Deck?? ???

side quests are more than just generic fetch quests like in 1 or 2? I'm sold

I need to watch someone's digest of the XC2 story so I can get started on this. It'll be great getting into a new Xenoblade game again.

Well time to get back to the first game and for goodness sakes i gotta finish it this time! I've gotten side tracked from it far too many times.

Very much looking forward to Friday

@Moonsorrow999 Gonna be completely honest with you: with how much has already come out this year, I genuinely forgot Elden Ring came out back in February. To be fair though: Xenoblade 3 will probably still win best RPG.

Damn it. I need this game!

Good to know that even by the time I'll get to play this game I'll have yet another masterpiece waiting for me. Still have the first Xenoblade to complete and then 2, MAYBE X as well, but that first entry absolutely sold me on the series, what a brilliant game.

Also, is it me or do others look at Shulk in Smash a little differently too after learning certain story plots from that first game?

I still need to finish the 2nd game. But I’ll get this eventually.

Absolutely loved the first two, so I'm definitely excited for this!

I dunno...XC2 burned me so bad with its dumb character designs, poor Switch performance and bland environments. Played it for about 5 hours then had to sell it. I'm scared this will do the same. Can anyone confirm if it feels different than 2? (I really enjoyed 1 and X.)

I cannot wait for this game! I already have it preordered and installed. This franchise is one of my favorite of all time. I was a bit concerned with the random announcement of the game along with the subsequent close release date, but I’m glad those feelings can be put to rest. Furthermore, I have a three day weekend this week and it’s going to be focused on this game. Let’s go, people!

@Mauzuri I agree! Loved 1 but hated 2 and could never figure out why.

@Cineologist I see what you did there......

Anyone else think chronicles X needs to be on switch? I mean why not right?

Of course, while this third entry evolves in some key areas that make the epic journey more consistently fun than the two mainline games that came before it, it also repeats some of the same mistakes, including sloppy writing, weak bosses, and graphics that often leave something to be desired. ign...

Holy cow. Get here already! Lol

The reviewer doesn't say but do you need to have played the first two to enjoy the story of this one?

nintendo world report gave it a 9. metacritic score is a 89. curious why nintendo life gave it a 10..

@Kazman2007 Same happened to me with Xenoblade DE. I tried it, but quickly found out these games are not for me. It's great that it seems to be a top quality games, those that are into them are in for a treat!

not even a single mention to the soundtrack??? did u guys forget or it's not on the same level of the previous games?

If I don't care about story, can I skip cutscenes/dialogue? And is the game still worth playing if you don't care about plot?

Ive wanted to get into xenoblade series for a while, do i skip one and two or is there important story i would be missing?

My copy just arrived 3 days early! Sadly I have too much IRL stuff to be getting on with and it will have to wait. But glad to see reviews are phenomenal. 89 on MC right now. Love Xenoblade.

@PJOReilly Is the story accessible for those not familiar with the franchise? Never played 1 or 2, but this sounds awesome.

The fact a game has atleast two negatives should lower the score, 10/10 to me is perfect but this isn't, its more a 9/10.

Then again who knows, I might change my mind after I've played it

A 10/10?! Good grief! I skipped Xenoblade 2 due to its...questionable design choices, but am super hyped to play 3. Roll on Friday!

just started the second one im new to switch.. been a big FF fan and this game could be a FF gamre im surprised square didnt worrk on it. the battle system you really have to study to master thoe.. cant just pick up and play or youwill get killed

@Reyren The Eurogamer review says "is the most approachable in the series to date; indeed, it seems tooled towards an audience who've never played a Xenoblade game before, or maybe even one that's not touched a JRPG before." Because there is a 'very easy' mode.

@Fizza I hope it doesn't, just because there's still a few months left of the year and I always hope for more. That said, I'm a huge JRPG fan and naturally Xenoblade.

The thing with Elden Ring is that it revolutionised the genre and introduce so many people to it. Including me, who has since played all of the Fromsoftware games. That said, Sekiro is better than Elden Ring imo.

Oooo baby. Friday here we come!

Really glad this turned out well as I liked everything I’ve seen leading up to it. Unfortunately I’m waiting a bit to pick this up. I won’t have much time for gaming for a while and I have a huge back log even when I do play. I think I’ll wait to buy this for the fall/holiday season. This and Pokémon will keep me occupied for a good while!

@themightyant Ohh interesting, thanks for the info!

Whoa a perfect 10! It feels like it's been a while. I don't remember what it's predecessors on Switch earned on NL...

I skipped XC2 mainly because of the character designs and concept, but XC3 is looking more like the original with Shulk and Co, which I enjoyed.

I'll pick up my preorder this week, but won't get around to playing this for a while I'm afraid, with life and this monstrous backlog I've got.

for a game to get a 10 it has to be perfect from the reviews i said their are valid minor criticisms of this game some very long load times in one review a few crashes..

@UltimateOtaku91 I think most review sites regard 10 out of 10 as "A Masterpiece" or "Amazing", rather than claiming the game is perfect or flawless. A game can have some minor issues and still be regarded as amazing

XBC 2 is the worst jrpg I’ve ever played, but a 10 out of 10… nah, still no way in hell. Great review, though!

Played 1 and Future Connected and were both great.

Only a few hours into 2 and it's already a step up in everything especially the music.

So I'll buy 3 when I eventually clear 2 and Torna in a few months. Taking a break between the games otherwise it'll burn me out.

Ive been trying to avoid spoilers for this game. And im awaiting Xenoblade 3 very excited to see this game doing so well.

@johnedwin PJ said straight up that it wasn’t perfect, so i’m guessing his criteria for a10 out of 10 is different than yours. I would think you would have surmised the same given that information, but i am happy to be of service.

Game of the year for certainimilitude

@UltimateOtaku91 @johnedwin There is no such thing as a perfect videogame (except perhaps Tetris), there is ALWAYS room for improvement, which would make the review scale 1-9 by your reckoning.

10/10 has never meant a game is perfect, ever. Just as a 5/5 review for a film does not mean it's flawless. 10/10 just means it's one of the best games they've played and deserves exceptional praise.

BTW It's not NintendoLife, over 10 reviews have given it top marks.

@Fazermint can't remember the last time a jrpg won game of the year if ever. Would be nice though

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is one of my favorite RPGs of all-time, and while not quite as good as the first game, I enjoyed XC 2 quite a bit. Can't wait for Friday.

That part in the video review about telepathy being the future, was that a joke or a spoiler regarding the end of the game?

My most anticipated game of the year! Can't wait for Friday.

Up there with BoTW and SMO in terms of rating, I literally can’t wait to put my hands on it!

Wtf, this video was seriously borderline spoilers and at times slightly across the spoilers red line. Why tell so much of the story? Up to min 7:30 too many spoilers. Please in the future make reviews that start like 7:30 mins into the video.

@Diogmites thats your opinion but majority loved xenoblade 2.

@RiasGremory Well you know what they say about the majority…

A few folk asking so I'll throw up a general comment, you do not need to have played 1 and 2 to enjoy this one. Everything is explained where necessary and it's very much its own thing overall. So dive in!

Looks amazing but I didn't expect a 10/10. Even though I won't be playing it on day 1( need to beat XC1 & XC2 first) I'm glad I pre-ordered this masterpiece! It'll be sitting on my shelf waiting until I get to it one of these days. Now I need to order a physical copy of Torna

@Diogmites sounds like someone is being salty.Xenoblade 2 had some flaws yes but its still a good game along with torna even though it was quite short.

I’ve actually never played any of these games (well, a bit of X on Wii U). Debating on jumping right in with this one or starting with the Definitive version of the first game.

@johnedwin because the reviewer wanted to?

@RiasGremory Nah, just thought the writing was drivel, the plot adolescent, the combat repetitious and the subquests boring. I did like the level design and the slamming babes though. Just because someone doesn’t agree with your opinion doesn’t mean they are angry. I think you are the angry one. But we all have flaws. You can’t accept that other people are different than you, and therefore have different opinions, and i am too awesome.

I'm not a xeno fan but I'm glad this one turned out alright, the fanbase can be a passionate bunch.

uugghhh.... with rave reviews for basically all the entries, I really feel like I'm missing out! I just have a very hard time with the semi-auto combat stuff. It's so weird... I'm not for button mashing either but I also don't like the battles to play out before me like that. I'd be all over this if combat was more turn-based but I know even that comes with its own ... niggles.

It's only a matter of time before I just jump into this series. It has everything important to me: fully voicer acted, amazing story, huge sprawling world, sci-fi touches but with old-times vibes. Man.. I think I need to re-evaluate this series. I'd love to own and play all these on Switch!! I'll give it another shot — maybe something will click this time.

I wonder if this one will have New Game + from day one or if it will be like in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 where it became available after a couple of months.

Not a big fan of the idea to be honest as you will need to do all the sidequests again...

@Miles_Edgeworth that’s great you’re so excited, man. I hope you really enjoy it!

Live-A-Live is kinda short, I think I can make it for day 1 XBC3!

NL giving a score of 10 to a not Zelda. That's new.

Is there an actual way point marker now? One of the reasons I gave up playing 2, was due to how terrible it was to navigate the world.

@ChromaticDracula For what it's worth auto attacks eventually stop being at the forefront during combat. Idk if you ever played XC2 but for example, Mythra has this skill on her affinity chart where every time she lands a critical hit your arts automatically recharge. I was able to get her critical hit rate up to 60% (It could go higher) which meant I wasn't using auto attacks nearly as much

It's a lot of fun figuring stuff like this out!

@NinjaWaddleDee It actually gives you a line on the ground the follow if you need it so it's pretty hard to get lost!

This game is nothing like Xenoblade 2, that game was pure torture with the whole Rex whining thing, in my mind i wanted to stop playing but since i paid for it i forced myself to finish it, i sold the game afterwards and looked never back. Xenoblades 3 looks promising, the story is very much different than Xenoblade 2 and the whole continent thing is luckely not in the clouds with giants creatures, another thing that i didn't like about xenoblade 2.

Thanks goodness they got rid off the whole Xenoblade 2 cast, and went in with another fresh new story. I will put hours into this game like i did with Chronicles X. I trully hope that Chronicles X gets a sequel, since its the best open world RPG that i've played.

Imagine Nintendo asking you to release a game 5 months early because they need you and your team to work on BOTW and Splatoon, two of the most important game to Nintendo, and despite losing almost half a year of polish you still get several perfect scores.

Mad respect for Tetsuya Takahashi and the rest of his team.

Is it possible to turn off the quest markers? Because the huge red marker looks painfully awful!

@Vortexeo Oh nice! Yeah, see, that's something that would make things exciting. Honestly, I think I'm about to make some purchases.. I have the first Xenoblade on 3DS that I was enjoying. I definitely need to get 2 and then 3 now on Switch. If you don't mind, I have a question: Do you know, would it be weird if I played 2:Torna before playing 2? It's a prequel but is it truly meant to be played after 2 or would it make more sense to start with 2:Torna first?

Think I’d get it on a sale some day. I bought two and thought it was good but at the same time I only played like 5% of the story.

Getting a 10/10 after having your release date moved UP by a few months on relatively short notice in game development time is nothing short of spectacular. Well done Monolith Soft/Nintendo.

Hope those devs get some special recognition and perks for their exemplary work.

It's Rotbart time! Day one or bust!

I bought into the hype of the first one and finally picked it up for the 3DS.....I didn't care for it. It felt like work. I think I made it 60-70% into it before I quit and walked away.

I doubt I'll play this but for all you fellow Nintendo fans who are into this; I'm very happy for you all!!!!

@ChromaticDracula I think it's best to start Torna after the main game honestly. It's funny though because I really think Torna is better than the main game ?

I played Torna in anticipation, and now I need a little break. I want to be really hyped committing to 100 hours and not force it, maybe the reviews will get me there.

Playing the XC remake right now, I didn't remember much. Have a good game, and such an amazing series! One of the best ones Nintendo has right now. Damn, I can't wait for this one!

@Vortexeo Thanks! I sort of gathered Torna was its own amazing beast haha Ok great! I'm in the middle of Demon Slayer right now (which is freaking amazing!) but once I'm done, I'll be getting Torna at least!

And you guys wanna tell me, you completed the game in a few days for this review?

@Friscobay of course! But it’s not the best game on switch that goes to the JRPG Mario Strikers Battle League!

At 37 hours recently into XCX, the last one I need to complete, I don’t think I’m going to finish it time…

this must be like this blue dress – golden dress things where the one side cant understand how the other side sees gold. I really wanted to like xenoblade 2 but truth is I HATED it. it has NO respect for the users time. Everything is unnecessarily complex and cluttered, nothing is intuitive and the art direction is annoyingly random. The characters look like they were all designed by someone else with completely different art styles and the dialogues were absolutely stupendous.

Yet that game got glowing reviews. I feel like it will be the same with this one.

I'm going to hang off on this and play XCDE first. I absolutely loved it on Wii but fell of the series after being really disappointed with XCX on Wii U. I'm fine with skipping XC2 but I want to reacquaint myself with the original before moving onto this epic.

All I needed to see was the 10. I haven’t read or watched anything on this game since it’s reveal trailer. Can’t wait for this Friday!!!!!

@awp69 I would just get this one and go back and play the earlier entries if this tickles your fancy. Some of the systems in the first game especially have not aged well.

@Tandy255 This game sounds great. I own them all and the original (so far) is the best for story and generally just being a great game. X was a great game, but not as story-centric, at least starting out, and it's locked to the Wii U. I love Chronicles 2, but the visuals were a bit low resolution and with rumors of a Switch Pro at the time I held off in case it got a boost from new hardware. But again, really looking forward to this game.

I'm currently playing and enjoying XC2, so will be a while before I get around to this one, but I'm glad it's turned out so well.

About the different artstyles of the characters. They really were made by different people. Even Nomura ( the character designer from Final Fantasy) was asked to design some characters.

@Reyren You don't need to have played the others at all!

So you left a score in binary: yes/no out of yes/no. Would that be a 5/10 in the decimal system?

@Nameless_Shame If you only do the main story you can probably finish X before 3 releases. But the side missions and affinity quests are where all the world building lore content is. The main story is like a quick tour. On the other end of the spectrum, I finished my main exploring by 200 hours, got my flight module at 600, finished the game at around 650, then 100% the map at 700. Mileage will vary. I love XCX!

Can't wait to play this! Now the challenge is to complete it before Splatoon 3.

@Ralizah you're good to go!

Im finishing Shin Megami tensei V (and have "live a live" and "YsVII"I on the backlog) But I think this one will be the next one to play. Loved the franchise since Xenogears (my favorite RPG of all time, that still does not has a proper HD port)

@VancouverVelocityFan yep yep I’m 59€ salty. Still.

@Jhena that’s interesting. I think that completely backfired. It’s like have different people paint parts of your picture but without letting them see the whole image.

It works in smash bros because it’s just whacky fun but in this game it looks completely off

@Nintendo4Sonic I mean, we know they've had the game for at least three weeks given that PJ wrote a very long preview for the game that was published on the 7th of this month. So no, I don't think anyone is claiming to have beaten the game in just a few days.

Really glad to see a review like this.

I bought the last one at launch and still regret it, they basically released it in early access to hit the Christmas deadline. The game you play today is way better than the release title.

But I can’t wait for Friday!

@thesilverbrick Blah, I am NOT caught up but still gonna buy this hahaha and probably play it sooner rather than later!

Geez, now I'm even more hyped than I already was.

My preorder shipped a few hours ago, my body is ready.

@rex_rex Here in this time that I have left it for you, it says it has an outstanding soundtrack: https://youtu.be/SPKDX5B8X0s?t=48 So, I believe it will be good!

@RiasGremory I must say, when I started XC2 I hated it, but mainly because of the kiddish like protagonist, and I did put down the game for approx. 1 year. When I played it again a year later, I made the effort to try and force myself to like it. About 2 hrs later into the game, I did not have to force myself anymore because I flat out loved it. To this day I think of myself as a fool for having waited one year. What made this game shine I think was the addition of the Torna DLC. I still loved XCX the most tho because I liked the fact that there was a main base and that I was part of a community rather than part of a small team. Still, you are right, XC2 was a really good game and people should not judge it because of the kiddish like protagonist.

@Diogmites XC2 worst JRPG you ever played....bro... lol

@Varathius Exactly the same. I was negative about this chibi anime character but later on when I was playing the game, I didn't have any problems for this! It was great. It was like Zelda W windwaker. When we first saw the trailer, it was awful. When we were playing the game, we liked it a LOT !

I bought XC 3D for my 3DS 5-6 years ago (out of desperation really - I didn't have much faith in my purchase - and I wasn't wrong) and I've spent 3 hours in it (couldn't get into it all).

I my opinion it's a really niche franchise and it's probably a 10/10 for the fans, but for the rest of us it's probably a 5/10 at most.

The combat system is very "weird" imo and feels like a cheap way of actually making a combat system that's actually good (Skyrim's combat is much, much better in comparison).

But it's understandable; it's not like it's games that sell that well in today's market (2 million for XC2 and 1.5 for XC DE according to Wikipedia) so the developers have to cheap out some where.

But it's where gaming has gone really; overrated single player games or GaaS games where you continually have to spend more and more money to make it worth your time (not worth my time really, but each to their own I guess).

The only game I look forward to is Resident Evil 4 (and then I'm not even that hyped for it - I hope it will have a good rendition of The Mercenaries with it to boost play time).

I'm not even sure I will buy into a Steam Deck, having played a few of the old games on my laptop recently (let's just say I've looked on most of them with rose tinted glasses).

Alan Wake is a really good game for the 7€ I paid for the franchise package on Steam (Alan Wake, the 2 DLCs and AW's American Nightmare) and I might even re-buy it on Switch because it really has something.

Batman Arkham Asylum still has the magic and Lost Planet 3 and Bionic Commando are underrated imo (not extremely, but they are quite good and enjoyable games that does something different).

Splinter Cell Conviction hasn't really lived up to the memories of greatness and Blacklist was never really that great imo. Con- demned: Criminal Origins is a bit too brutal (always was really).

But if I still have a slight bit of faith in gaming it would actually be in Nintendo to (in conjunction with Capcom of course) to at least give me handheld versions of RE2 remake, RE Village (and maybe even RE4 remake and the inevitable RE IX - one can hope the Switch's successor will be powerful enough to run them).

(the Steam Deck seems to be a bit of a hit or a miss - even Resident Evil Village has audio issues if Steam is to be believed)

Is there anything like the horrible Blade Gacha system from XC2 in this? Or the way those Blade Quests and Affinity Charts were implemented? Those were the worst aspects of XC2!

Removed - trolling; user is banned

My favourite thing about this game is part of the ending has right royally pissed off loads of XC2 apologists and it’s hilarious ?

@QueenKittenWrite Those games have nothing to do with each other to begin with. Fanbase is just bigger for Xenoblade its that simple.

@QueenKittenWrite You must be fun at parties.

Removed - flaming/arguing; user is banned

@QueenKittenWrite Yes, I'm sure that if the latest game in one of Nintendo's relatively niche series (at least compared to the heavy hitters like Mario, Zelda) flops it'll convince them to take a risk on other niche projects. That's definitely how this works, right?

@RadioHedgeFund Assuming the spoiler you're talking about is the one literally everyone seems to be talking about, why would 2 fans be annoyed by that? It's 1 and X fans that get pissed off because of 'anime bullcrap', not 2 fans so I don't see why they'd be mad.

@QueenKittenWrite Tbh thinking Xenoblade influences the releases of a new Star Fox or Pikmin is already idiotic.

@Indielink I've played 150hrs so far if that helps!

This is wonderful news. I was a bit nervous in regards to performance but reading this all of my fears have gone away. Now I just have to wait until Friday or possibly Thursday as sometimes my online orders get delivered a day early.

@RadioHedgeFund Please explain, but without XC3 spoilers

@Kazman2007 This. I played XC3D and the combat mechanics practically put me to sleep. It just doesn't feel unique and original enough to hold my attention. I wouldn't mind a demo for the later games to see if anything's improved, but other than that, I don't really see the hype behind this IP.

@Glrd I think they’re annoyed at how it sells short the relationship between character W and characters’ X, Y and Z. X and Y are often criticised as eye candy and apologists illustrate the relationship and growth. The XC3 ending is basically character W being a polygamist

@RadioHedgeFund Eh, as a 2 fan myself I'm ok with it personally, even if I can see why some don't like it. It was hinted at that W understood Z's feelings in post battle dialogue and it was hinted at with the NG+ title screen that there might be something like that going on between them after the game so I think at the very least I think it's silly to be shocked by it. Also X and Y probably already knew the way Z feels about X, and I think commiting to being in a relationship like that takes a lot of emotional maturity from them. The only part I have a problem with about the image is basically that it's going to be the only thing discussed about 3's ending for a while, and take away from 3 a lot in that regard.

(Side note, thanks for actually explaining people's issue with it, most of the people I've discussed it on either side of the argument have been pretty awful when it comes to explaining why they're for/against it. A lot of hyperbole going around so I appreciate it!)

Sounds amazing but still need to play the 2nd one first before i play this.

Is there anything like the horrible Blade Gacha system from XC2 in this? Or the way those Blade Quests and Affinity Charts were implemented? Those were the worst aspects of XC2!

I'm super excited for this but I refuse to believe the Nopons are anything other than annoying anime-hamsters that need punting into the sun

@lizardbish I like both the Nopon (XC series) and the Plushlings (Fantasy Life series)

@lizardbish Although, Tatsu needed/deserved to be eaten... Rikki was awesome Tora was just dumb and boring

@PJOReilly Plan to read your review in detail, but glad to see 'superb writing' as a joy. I don't think I can handle another JRPG with a generic plot and lame dialog.

Really hope my game shipment isn't delayed. I can't wait to play this game!

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is going to be my first JRPG for 25 years. The last one I played was FF7 on the PS1 in 1997.

I have paid the friendly shopkeeper in Mexico a little bit extra to get my physical copy tomorrow.

Amazing review too, thanks NL.

This is the kind of website where I expected no less then a 10/10 so will definitely not be putting all my hopes in this basket.

Also why is the comment section below all the comments?

@Kazman2007 yes definitely be careful because this website was always going to give it a 10 it's just how they work.wait for other reviews that are a little less ecstatic over it.

@MindfulGamer like Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2?

@Vortexeo not really torna story could of been much longer reason why i felt the story wasnt completely finished since it left more questions then answers especially how did laura died or where did adam go so on.

@Varathius at least you and many others grew to love xenoblade 2 while some others are just plain on hated or making excuses about fan service which there was only a few scenes.

Ammm, i tried the wiiu one, don't get why all the hype about this franchise is, but guess i should spend some more time with it before passing judgment ?

@piitaahh To be fair, that’s exactly what I did with Xenoblade 2 before I beat the first one. It worked out for me in the end, as I eventually got through them both, and I wish you the same luck!

@Kazman2007 $90 if you want the whole experience...

What a shame that even after attempting to play thru 1 and 2 several times throughout the years, I could never get into this series. The last time I played I spent over 60 hours on part 2 and I could not finish the game. It became too boring for me to finish. I don’t know what it is about this series that just can’t capture my attention and all the praise it gets. It feels like a chore for some reason. I’m thinking it’s the battle system… or the characters… I dunno I still can’t figure it out. Glad it got a 10 tho.

I will definitely play XC3, but 100+ hours? I find it hard to spend more than 40-50 hours with a JRPG - and it is even harder in summer. Very likely that I keep this one on my backlog until Christmas.

I can't tell if anyone answered you yet, but playing Torna before 2 wouldn't be weird at all. In fact, I kinda recommend it.

The world is Xenoblades 2 is built around the cast of Torna, to the point where (with the exception of your POV character Lora, and even with her you know how things end) you have INTIMATE knowledge of what's going to happen to them in Torna. There is zero mystery if you are playing it second, it's just an emotional "how did they get there" ride.

You're not missing out on anything by playing the prequal first, it's just up to you if you think you would enjoy the story more already knowing exactly what happens to the cast.

@PJOReilly you the real MVP! I appreciate this! I want to give this a try since I'm sure people are going to be talking about it on podcasts for a while, but I'd like to start here and go back to the older games if I'm enjoying this one at some point

Yes, I also felt that it wasn't a very good idea. Well it seems like this time the artstyle is coherent.

Can't wait for launch day! The story, cast and emotional feel as well as its relatable themes during these present times. I'm looking forward to an epic journey. This game couldn't have come at a better time IMO.

Does one of those annoying furry balls still join your party? Because if so, I'm out.

@Glrd I guess it kind of reinforces opinions on 2. Even with all their growth over the game, for me X was deliberately portrayed as a subservient ‘I’ll do /anything/ to make you happy (wink wink)’ not helped by her hyper sexualisation on behalf of the developers whereas Y is a highly petulant, almost dominatrix sort of character, again not helped by the hyper sexualisation or the penchant for jailbait anime characters.

I know that the growth over the game undoes these stereotypes but they cut kind of uncomfortably deep with me and made a poor first impression. I didn’t get on with XC2.

It didn’t help that Sharla and Amelia from XC1 were some of the strongest female characters I have ever seen in a video game. Neither of them was ever portrayed as subservient or a damsel in distress. One can choose to dress them up in revealing outfits but then again one can also choose not to. The same can be said of Elmyra in XCX.

Wow, a 10 from Nintendo's biggest fan club website. I am sure it is not biased at all. ?. Have not played Xenoblade series, but it is on my future playlist.

@nkarafo tks a lot bro!! and I have found this in a very famous review site also on the "the good" section: The music, good Lord, the music is so good so yes.. I can keep my exepctations in a high lvl!

If I have never played Xenoblade before, where should I start?

Wow this review really talks the game up! I initially wrote this game off because I detest the second one and could never finish it. The battle and Blade systems were too confusing and I missed the simplicity of the first game, and I'd also be going into 3 missing half the story. But it's reviewing so well so I might just look up a synopsis of 2's story and then pick this up. Not immediately as I'm not in a good enough head space to play something that requires such a commitment of time and attention, but maybe once I get myself under control.

Sooooo from the review I take it that means I'm safe going with the English dub? The first game I played in English, but the second one I had to change to Japanese because I found the voice acting grating

From what ive gathered from reviews is that the game seems to be fantastic but definitely feels like its running into the systems technical limitations, it definitely seems like an improvement over XB2 and XB:DE though.

i am really hoping that Nintendo's next system keeps the ability to "switch" since its my favourite concept of theirs and definitely deserves another shot.

@Randomarcadedude Defo worth playing the others just because they're so damn good.

@Mgalens Honestly, beyond some loading issues here and there and some dynamic resolution kicking in here and there, i think you'll be quite impressed overall.

@PJOReilly Does it have New Game+ day 1? Are there many things you can't reset nor unequip? For example, I imagine you can't reset Oroborus skill tree or classes level, but for the later I can just use unmastered classes.

I'm thinking over doing an story playthrough on easy, then take my time doing a completionist playthrough on hard, hopefully being able to level down on NG+. Does that sounds a bad idea to you?

Getting asked about a few things so I'll just stick a comment up here. There's NG+ once you've beaten the game and you'll also unlock the ability to lower your party's levels, level down, in order to make battles more difficult and gain more XP.

@RennanNT NG+ unlocks after you've beaten the game for the first time.

@RennanNT And you can level down once you've beaten the game too!

@PJOReilly Hearing its an improvement over DE is nice to hear since i was cool with that and DE in itself was a big improvement over XB2 handheld (which i felt pushed the limits of "tolerable" at times)

Definitely interested to see what monolith can pull of when a potential next gen switch comes around, maybe we will finally get a sequel to XBX (or even a remaster, i feel that game deserves a second chance on a more popular system)

@rex_rex https://www.pockettactics.com/xenoblade-chronicles-3/review But the soundtrack, too, takes a step forward for the series. Not only is the heartwrenching piano and driving guitar that Yasunori Mitsuda excels at as good as ever here, but there are new elements, adding to a darker, more dystopian tone.

From the outset, bubbling synths drive alongside fast-paced drum beats, like a hyperactive Bladerunner soundtrack, adding to the overall feeling of sci-fi this game presents. Sure, Xenoblade Chronicles X has that, but the other two mainline games feel much more like fantasy lands, rather than the far-flung dystopian future of XC3. (This isn’t just a tonal change, it feels deliberate for story reasons, reasons best left unsaid for now).

I wanted to like xc2, but the boring side quests, strangely tepid world, stupid story, Rex too unnerving (it s rare that a main character gets on my nerve as much), too melodramatic scenario, resulted in a mixed experience. I had no issue with Pyra design though I will try xc1, if it works,I will eventually play xc3

I must confess… MONOLITHSOFT have done an outstanding job in making Xenoblade Chronicles 3 one of the best action JRPG. From storytelling to lip sync… from visuals to vistas… from gameplay mechanics to huge payoffs. This game truly deserves a perfect 10!

@HeadPirate Excellent! Hey I really appreciate that information... I'm actually really excited to get into this finally. I'll likely start with Torna. Being a prequel it makes sense I just didn't want to ruin anything. Sounds like it's all going to be good... Thanks!

Seems like a good time to have the original on sale in the eShop, no?

I bought a digital pre order because I can't wait to play this thing (come midnight I'm GOING) but also I want the special edition so I'm holding out hope for another batch. ?

I beat xc1, played half of x, beat most of x2 (but ibr the anime boob stuff and the rex harem grated on me), so I'm pretty much ready for this one.

@rex_rex Sorry I didn't mention the soundtrack! Hard to fit everything in, but it's fantastic.

@Kazman2007 If there is no demo, I would wait and chrck out YouTube videos. With over 7,000 games on the Switch, I wouldn't feel any pressure to buy this game. Plenty of other RPG's are getting released. Live A Live just came out and Neir Automata is right behind.

@PJOReilly no pb at all pal! thanks for the reply!! eager to play the game!! haha

@nkarafo cool man! and tell me? when / how I'm going to play the xeno X??? I don't have a wii u, nor "I want to have one"..

@rex_rex Then if you cannot want a Wii U, you can only through emulation. I have not done it myself because I have an old mac and it's not good for games and emulation for Wii U. I have seen though some videos in youtube.

@nkarafo yeah.. since my backlog is endless, I rather wait to see if it comes to the swicth... but perhaps ill suffer of the same effect of the first game.. I didn't like thaaat much.. so far I played in this order, XC2 then the first.. I still gotta play thorna also.. but it seems everyone loves the X! all the major wii U games came to the switch, so.. I can still have hopes, LOL

XC 1 is one of my fav games of all time so this appears to more than match it? Wow. Reads and sounds incredible and exactly what I would want from a sirloin steak video game. Cannot wait to dive in and immerse. Happy days.

Cheers for the review. (I think the average reviews have it at around 90% so far across the board. Impressive.)

Loved Tales of Arise and Ys VIII and IX, so apparently have a ARPG fetish. Should I start with earlier versions or just jump into 3? Hmmm.... decisions, decisions...

@Randomarcadedude Enjoy the game dude!

I hated xc2, loved xc1: de and xc3 seems to take the best from both games. It really is a 10/10 game and a must play if you like jrpgs

@luckiernut Hehe, for me it was the other way around. I liked XC2 a lot. I just had to cringe my way around some of the blade designs, but the story and gameplay was amazing.

XC3 is so far surprisingly good. Into Chapter 2 now.

A few hours in and this feels way more like the (awful) xenoblade chronicles X than it does the amazing original xenoblade chronicles game. The graphics are nothing special, the original wii game graphics were much more impressive and had a much more distinctive art style compared to these which feel very generic in terms of design. Even on a technical level they aren't impressing in fact at times it looks to me almost like I'm playing a 3ds game. Will concede that the soundtrack is pretty good.

@mwa Then sell it, you dont deserve to play this masterpiece. And sell your Switch too. Thanks, bye.

@luckiernut I didn't hate XB2 at all but yeah, I loved XB1 far more and XB3 feels like a proper followup in terms of quality, story, everything. This game is insanely good.

I loved XB2 which was my first entry and then played XB1 and found it alright. I will be waiting until I get an OLED Switch to pick this up but it will be one of my first game purchases for that system as I give my old 1st gen to my kids.

I really really loving the first game. Hell it is in one of my top 5 games of all time...the 2nd game I really do like it because it does have a fun story...this one...is interesting...I just really could not connect with the teens in this story. Kinda disappointing for me. Gameplay was cool though....I am not saying its a bad game because I play over a 100 hrs... gameplay is solid...I think I'm just a boomer who's seen it all I guess.

Woah Got a rare doodah right here

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