I know you guys hear this all the time, but THANK YOU for these Before You Buy videos. I don't even need to watch other reviews anymore. You guys give the best, most balanced rundowns of any channel on UA-cam!
Same. Now that you mention it, I really only watch Gameranx reviews now. It's all I need. ACG, IGN, Fextralife, Angry Joe, etc I don't even consider watching their reviews anymore.
@@noxinabox3506 ACG is so annoying, he talks without pause and uses all these similes/metaphors all the time, like why? It's a video game review just get to the point, it's not philosophy or politics.
Most of these videos are an "After You Buy" for me, but probably none moreso that this. Xenoblade is absolutely a top 5 game series for me and so far this one is blowing me away. I agree about the resolution, but everything else just hits. Especially the music. My god, the music.
lol that's a good point this is one of the few before you buys I've ever seen where it's a game I plan to play but don't have it yet, really a before I buy. the hype is real for this game xc2 is one of my favorite jrpgs along with the first game after I played definitive edition (never had a wii). here's hoping xenoblade chronicles x gets a release on switch
Idk i didn't really like the music as much in this one. I didn't like how it played the same track in every single colony (the Agnus colony track especially kind of annoyed me). But the combat music is absolutely amazing and hype af.
@@hapahapahappy you know what, at this point I actually agree. I still routinely listen to the OST of the other Xenoblade games, but this is the first one that hasn't really stuck with me the same way. After 120 hours, I still think there are some great tracks, but also a lot more filler.
Monolith is filled to the brim with old Square and other classic JRPG studio employees. The best of old Square went on to join Takahashi and formed Monolith...there's a reason these guys have been making such consistent games. Heck if you didn't know technically Xenoblade is just one part of one long running series/storyline going all the way back to Squares Xenogears...Takahashi and his wife being the minds behind all of the games.
Honestly I think Eunie might be my favorite character so far. She's got this spunky and aggressive attitude that never comes off as blatantly rude or annoying for the most part. Most of the time she speaks I find myself laughing my ass off and really enjoying her. I think the other two standouts for me are Lanz and Sena (Gotta love me the big bois that hit hard with absurdly large weapons lmao)
Eunie definitely gives me Nia vibes from XC2, just a bit more sassy though. I'm actually surprised by how well rounded the cast is, I don't hate or find any of the characters bothersome at all. Though, I find myself favoring the girls a bit more, because they're just so damn cute in this game.
I kind of relate to Taion as I’m always trying to make the most logical choice. Plus his class is a lot of fun. I’ve probably played him more than any others right now.
My favorite character is definitely Noah. He heavily reminds me of Shulk. He's kind, caring and also a bit quiet. He's also strategic and thinks before doing things unlike Rex from XC2. I also really like Lanz, because he reminds me of Reyn which is my favorite Xenoblade character.
Last game I purchased for the switch has to be over a year ago, Xenoblade 3 is a must have! Hands down it’s a great game and your review is 100% on target. The whole Xenoblade series is a masterpiece. (Xenoblade X for the Switch please)
Playing it while listening to the review lol. This might overtake XBC1 for me personally. It has its hooks DEEP in me right now, I've been struggling to put it down when i need to do things in life. An easy 10/10 for me.
@@traceyrinaldi4759 2 isn't bad, just has a few annoying or obtuse elements, like collecting rare blades at random, or the difficulty in chain attacks. Your average person will get easily bothered with those elements. Also imo, Rex is a more annoying character compared to Shulk, Elma, Lora, or Noah
At the end of chapter 1, I was 5 hours in… I cried. The scene, the music, the atmosphere, the acting… I don’t know man, it just hit me. I experienced catharsis… and the only other game that ever done that to me, to make me cry, was FFVII in 1997 when I was 14 years old. Beautiful game. Just beautiful.
So there must be some strong moments coming up near the end up chapter 1 then eh? Good. XBC1 and 2 had moments just as powerful...XBC1 and that games opening chapter are so sad.
I have dumped so many hours into this game and I’m only midway through chapter 4. I’m still getting to terms with the story but I love the feel of the world and the gameplay. Feels even better than 1 or 2 IMO
XC3 is easily the best JRPG on the switch. Everything is bigger and better and more refined that the previous entries with ease of access for new players to the series and full of easter eggs and subtle nods to the other games in the series for veterans. Even with the Switch’s limitations, Monolith Soft outdid themselves with this game, it’s chock full with innovations not only to the series but to the JRPG genre itself and on the Switch, no less. Easy 10/10 for me and a must play for longtime fans while being a great entry point to the larger series for newcomers. It’s a hard game to put down because it does so much things excellently all the time and you really need to finish it in order to fully appreciate what it does because it’s a wild ride to the end and beyond, 150 hours at the minimum if you explore a fair bit of it’s amazing world and much more for completionists and there’s the already announced expansion that they said will be similar if not bigger than Torna: The Golden Country which was the story expansion for XC2 and one of the best story expansions for a JRPG ever, so there’s so much yet to come for the game even in 2023 and beyond!
@@ayaan9968 I love persona, especially 5, but they're different beasts. I've played the chronicles games multiple times though, cant say that about the persona games. Gameplay wise, the Xenoblade games are way better in my opinion. Also, you just cant beat them immense vista's...
@@joehayes8795 Both smt5 and dq11 are amazing games, but neither game has a better world than the Xenoblade games, though those worlds are awesome as well, especially dq11. The combat is like you said much more accessible and clear in those games, but if you stick with the Xenoblade games, you won't have any problems understanding what the hell is going on on screen. Xenoblade combat once mastered is so much more fun than those other games. I actually deliberately run into enemies because combat is just so much fun. Oftentimes with those other games I really try to evade enemies. Especially if they're underleveled. In Xenoblade even underleveled enemies are fun to beat. My vote goes to the Xenoblade series as best RPGs on the system for sure.
Im about 12 hrs in, I'm loving Eunie and Lanz' banter. Noah's sword style has been my preferred set up on all characters. And I'm loving how it feel like Xenoblade 1's vibe (mechanics and location) with 2's refinement.
Either they port it over, or just going to make a sequel to it instead. Personally, I'd prefer the latter, as much as I love X, I really want a continuation of the story/world/universe; since they left it on such a cliffhanger.
@@XDarkEcho I want a sequel too, but I honestly want confirmation of a port either way. Give me that game with QoL updates and please make it so you don't have read the game manual to understand the menus.
@@XDarkEcho I want both honestly. Let X be on a console that’s actually successful. It and Nintendoland are the last 2 non virtual console titles that are worth anything on it but not on the Switch.
Taion is my favorite character so far, I like how he’s nerdy and is aware of how much smarter he is than the rest of the group. Riku and Manana are funny as heck and are also my faves lol
I jumped in Day-1 and I am playing ever since. I'm about 20 hours in. I can't stop playing. It's addicting. The story is really interesting, the music is phenomenal, the battle system opens up more and more and the more you get used to the flow of battle the more fun it is. Monolith pulled it off again. It's another JRPG wonderland for fans of emotional and anime style story telling and I really like it so far.
I have spent the last 10 hours in chapter 3. Just exploring. I have barely touched the story since I got the freedom to do what i want. It does a PHENOMENAL job of building 6 main characters at the same time
One of the greatest games of the year. I'm 50 hours in and it's still blowing me away. Definitely a goty contender. And yet again I find it will come down to gameplay vs story for whether I pick elden ring or xenoblade. And gonna have to see what God of war does. But I'm absolutely loving xc3 atm. It's the best xenoblade game yet. Reminds me of 2017 when it was breath of the wild vs persona 5.
I knew what I was getting into so I preordered digitally, now 2 plus’s for me in what I have played is that I like how they now allow you to fight while SWIMMING, in XC2 I hated going near enemies that swim and secondly I like the jump button in this game as apposed to the second where in that game it was the only thing that felt too stiff and too clunky to have been implemented in the traversal aspect in XC3 however it is instead fast, smooth and useful in a practical sense, I never felt like I had to throw caution to the wind and hope for the best. Something I like is the pause menu changes as time moves on and you get more characters, it reminds me of Tales of Arise (my favorite game of last year) where as you progress each chapter brought a new background on the pause menu.
@@boebielski2397 nope the purpose of it was to be able to play it RELIABLY as soon as possible so it preloaded before release date so that at midnight Friday I was able to boot up the game immediately. The reason why I say reliably is because preordering a physical copy just a week before the release date was not going to guaranty I would play it day one let alone at first hour of public availability this is the reason I preorder digitally.
I have to admit that the story didn’t pick me up at start. By the end of chapter 2 I was jaw-dropping and wanting to know how the story progresses. Monolith just nailed the story telling here. Wonderful
Xenoblade 3 is a good game. For those that enjoys a fantasy adventure games... You should definitely try playing the Xenoblade series. It was worth it.👍🏼👍🏼
Graphics/Performance in comparison to XC2 is such an improvement i couldn't believe it, i own the lite and I'm still shocked around 25 hours since launch and there has hardly been any frame drops, I'm very satisfied in that regard
@@KogMawsTvShow I think you watched that video backwards since Digital Foundry praised the graphical fidelity of the game both in Docked and handheld...
I really love how straight and honest with your reviews and i have to say, i'm on chapter 4 and i am in love with this game, i really don't care for character repeating their lines, to me is really not an issue and the graphics i mean is not xenoblade 1 for the wii, i think is gorgeous to look at. If they can't do more like god of war or final fantasy 7 remake (in some cases) i really don't care. It doesn't take away from the story, or characters or the gameplay or the music.ike you said, this games have heart, something that a lot of 3A games nowadays with magnificent graphics really lack.
⚠️‼️⚠️*important tip for anyone who’s going to buy this*⚠️‼️⚠️ be aware that unlocking classes for other character requires class points /CP, and it’s based on your level vs the enemies’s level. Which if you’re puttingh two and two together, that means you can become over leveled if you’re using bonus XP every single time while also doing side quests. So I recomend not using the campsite bonus XP unless you’re under leveled for the MAIN STORY quest, if unerrlegeled for a side quest, just hold off on it for now. However if you don’t plan on doing very maHny besides the necessary “side” quests and high are needed to progress, then it THAT case it would be a good idea to use bonus XP. *If you do find yourself ocerleveled to where classes are not unlocking, do not fret. Just immediately cease using bonus XP; at least until you aget at or below the level of enemies in the main hstory quest. Once you’re only 1-2 levels above, the classes will unlock pretty quickly again like before.* In addition, if you don’t want to change a characters class who inherited the new class you want to use for a different character, then you can just equip the hero who has that class, and it will unlock.
This game is fantastic I really didn't expect it to be better than #2 but I'm actually enjoying it much more. The story is amazing and the UI/HUD is a major improvement. Very smooth. Docked also doesn't downgrade the graphics dramatically like Xenoblade 2.
As annoying as the tutorials and tips can be, they are a godsend when compared to xc2. Seriously, they give you alot of information this time around, and definitely helped. Instead of having to watch some guy on UA-cam explain the deeper mechanics much is explained through the tutorials. Eunie best girl btw
Exactly. Like I told others, while I think they held your hand in 3 a little too much, it’s better than what they did in 2 where you were left to discover vital battle details yourself. You can’t even review tutorials you’ve come across in case you skipped over it by accident since you were button pushy.
I picked it up on release and I have to say, the graphics are not an issue for me. I come from the PSP era, low res mobile devices have given me some of the best games out there (I'm looking at you Crisis Core), you can't scare me that easily. Although it is a matter of preference in the end so if you are a 4k infinite fps kind of gamer don't try this one. The game unfolds slowly and it takes a while but the mechanics and the battle are amazing, and before long you'll be micro managing a ton of systems and stats. Also the characters (so far) feel compelling and real, it's refreshing to see a group of protagonists instead of "The Hero ™ and their sidekicks". Maybe you're glued to the screen watching the story or you're farming staff while listening to a podcast, this game can do both. I am exited to see where it all leads. P.S. First time playing a game of the series so there's that.
I really enjoyed pretty much everything about xenoblade 2 from it characters to its story and steampunky-scifi theme when playing it. I haven't gotten xenoblade 3 but i feel like its going to give me the same feeling i got when playing 2, however i feel like game play and stuff looks a little clustered at times. but either way im defiantly going to sink tons of hours into this game once i get it.
I love XB 1, 2 and now 3 so far. For those who dig the Xenoblade stories, I highly suggest a PCSX2 playthrough of Xenosaga 1-3. The trilogy isn't open world but has the same dark tones and conspiracy story line with huge reveals that cap every chapter. The wonderful Monolithsoft 15-30 min cutscenes are all there too and they'll get you in the feels just like the Xenoblade stories do. Once you're done with that trilogy, send Bandi Namco an email asking them to port the Xenosaga trilogy and Xenoblade Chronicles X to the Switch!!!
Idk if I've romanticized how 2 used to look but the resolution in 3 looks kinda rough. Not usually one to notice such things but the game gets blurry at times.
@@jadeanimepiano6143 According to digital foundry 3 is far sharper than 2 despite having similar resolutions, because of a new technique that the devs are using. The game also generally holds the frame rate at 30 much better than 2.
I'm loving the game so far, and I have to say the characters have way more stories behind them than some previous characters. The whole main cast is equally fantastic but I especially enjoy Noah. I have 2 heroes so far and really enjoy the side content, graphics have been fantastic with a few exceptions. I have been playing on an OLED switch with slightly better specs and haven't had any frame drop issues yet. Only in chapter 3 with 22 hours logged, and really enjoying myself :)
'Same two voice lines at the end of battle' Did we. . .not play the same 2nd game? Yes there were some voicelines more frequent than others. . .but end of battle voicelines was based on party composition and was actually prefer varied and there were a LOT of them. You can also turn down the battle chatter if I remember correctly. Anyway, I pre-ordered physical for the special edition, I have to wait until Tuesday for my copy. I argued with the pre-order to get my copy and I know I'm going to love it. The series just keeps getting better as Monolith keeps learning refining their craft. I trust 'em.
I’ll put it like this, if you enjoyed Xenoblade 1 OR Xenoblade 2, OR both, then you will enjoy this one a lot. If you haven’t played either, but you enjoy JRPG’s in the vain of FF or KH (especially FFXV), give it a go, you should enjoy it. If you don’t like either XC1 or XC2 then this is likely not for you. This game is definitely not for everyone, but personally this was everything I wanted and more. For someone who somewhat enjoyed XC1 (loved the story) and absolutely adored XC2, this was perfect.
I definitely agree with the graphical negatives you mentioned. Be interesting to see how they realise their vision when the switch successor eventually arrives.
I've been playing this game for a month now and loving everything the game has to offer, it actually removed the big downsided XBC 2 had,being there is autosave and no more field skills! I personally love the gameplay and to be able to unlock more classes is what really makes the game so much fun, since it motivates u to explore and do side quests wich are very rewarding. I actually think the graphics are way better then in XBC 2, alot smoother as well couse i have't had any framedrops so far(unless they were really well hidden) and its just great.
This is my first XBC game and I've gotta say, so far it's amazing. And in all honesty I strongly disagree with your issues regarding the graphics. Imo this is one of the best looking games on switch right behind SMT 5 but I see where you're coming from.
I haven't been buying Switch games for a while (or even playing the ones I do have) because I was so tired of the hardware limitations, but this finally broke through and became the first Switch game I've bought in more than a year, and it's just like I remembered with the hardware problems. It looks like garbage. It's so frustrating seeing a game like this that's so good in so many ways be held back by a console like two gens behind. Just imagining all those sweeping vistas and attack animations and big cool monsters on PS5 or something makes me sad since we'll never see it. I'll play through this and probably enjoy it overall despite the issues, but it's just reconfirmed my resolution to not buy anything else on the Switch (except for probably BOTW 2, because, duh).
I feel exactly the same way. I really wanna enjoy the awesome landscapes Xenoblade has to offer, but they look so low res it takes me out of the experience.
I'm sorry to hear that. I appreciate very good graphics - I love the worlds in Forza Horizon and I emulate some of the games I own to get a sharp 1080p. Nevertheless, graphics didn't keep me from enjoying Mass Effect or Zelda Twilight Princess and considering them classics. I would feel bad if I missed out on those fantastic characters and stories and musical scores.
@@HondoJarrus There are a lot of differences between those games and this one. Neither ME or TP have the huge landscapes like this game. The whole game is designed like it's a graphical showpiece but put on a console with severe limitations. ME and TP were also never as busy on screen with all the effects and characters and everything. You have 6 characters in your party here, plus all the enemies, plus all enemies in the background because of the aforementioned big sweeping landscapes. And the biggest thing? It's simply that most people aren't playing Switch games on a TV designed for 1080p graphics. With the older games, they were coming out on consoles that matched the resolution of the time, especially with Mass Effect being on PC so you could tailor the settings for your monitor's resolution. Not to mention that those graphics were all we knew, versus now when we've seen so much better. These days, while 1080p is probably the most common resolution for TVs in homes now, there are a ton of people who have 4K, and probably a much higher proportion of gamers have 4K than do average consumers. And a game like this looks terrible on a 4K screen. You can see all the blurriness and pixel-y crap very easily. So I have the choice of playing it on my 4K screen and having it look bad, or sitting in front of my big TV while playing on a tiny handheld, and it still not looking good. Nintendo's so ass-backward in everything. I'll bet they don't even have 4K on whatever their next console is.
@@Jatt2613 Yes, and I do play on a 4k screen. Nevertheless, I value gameplay in games over everything else because I'll just watch 4k movies if I'm only looking for graphics. The point is that graphical limitations didn't make those classic games unplayable. If the games didn't change, what changed? Our perception? Digital Foundry posted a well-done review of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and I very much recommend it. I am not saying you are wrong, we all have our preferences. I am happy that my lack of sophistication allows me to thoroughly enjoy games like this. Cheers!
That’s one reason I’m buying these games (XC3) to end up playing them on Yuzu emulator.. at least in 4K it doesn’t look like garbage and I can import/export my saves between console and PC, This game looks and feels awesome in 4K@60 FPS with proper scaled graphics if you have the right hardware for it, it’s like it was designed to be like that… it’s just weak old Switch hardware… doesn’t honor what this game is truly capable of, a shame many people is forced to do that, I mean I can’t stand shitty graphics on such great games in 2022 and thankfully we’re not alone :)
Ironically I just came across this video this morning... ironic because I took a leap of faith and bought the game (with expansion) blind about a week ago. 🤣 So far, I'm only about 23 hours in (still at the beginning, like BotW i drag the gameplay out as long as possible) and I'm loving it so far. On the surface it's not my usual type of game, but the trailers make it look so much like FFXIII which I absolutely loved, that I figured what the hell. I'm NOT regretting it! The story is truly unique and captivating. The docs say it can take anywhere from 150 to 200 hours to 100%, but I'm probably going to Skyrim this baby and knock out a good 1,000+ 🤣💖👍
I played the first Xenoblade Chronicles, skipped 2, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 recently popped up on my radar, and after seeing this I'm strongly considering a buy. Thanks for the thoughts!
This is a great series on the channel. I've put over 600 hours into XC2 and 300 into XC1 so this was an instant pre-order. Only played handheld so far so the gfx thing is worth noting but the vastly improved tutorials are a draw
this is literally Xenoblade Chonicles X 2 , its setting , combat so much is very familiar if you have played XCX , i love this game already , XCX was one of my favorite games , never really got into 2.
I couldn't get into 2 either. This one is much more fun and less complicated. The gacha system and all the grinding required for each character killed the game for me.
Wish this game was on ps5 or pc because the hardware limitations are getting really blatant with the latest switch games. The switch 2 needs to be at least on the ps4 pro's level in terms of performance.
Same. I love the game but it’s so jarring going from a 4K60/1440p120 game to this. Feels like Vaseline is spread on my eyes and the game frequently looks like it’s below 720p docked.
Combat definitely seems to be a little easier now that you can have more than 3 members on the field at a time. You just gotta be careful that your defenders don't die cause attackers and healers can't really take that many hits.
Fav character atm is Ethel she is badass. Monolith is top studio with what they can do on the dated Switch hardware, Nintendo needs to upgrade their system so their dev studios can put out the best uncompromised games.
I'm only _5 hours_ in and I've already saying it's *the best* of the series so far. Finally a combat system that's not overly complicated and frustrating.
@@somethingelse4282 that's true but I feel like the tutorials are good enough that it feels less complex, and the drill training you can do really helps too. I'm having a way easier time getting to know this system than xeno 2
@@somekid2500 Yeah but the tutorials can only help you at some extent, with so many classes and skills u can obtain, plus arts there are millions of possibilities
@@somekid2500 it's easy to get into it but the further you go the more you realize how complicated the system actually is. But it's prob too soon for u mate
I’m just finishing up XB2 (way late to the party, I know) and I’m excited to jump into XB3…eventually…after Tears of the Kingdom rules my life and halts my backlog progress. Seriously though, on the graphics piece, I feel like the Switch is just seriously showing it’s age at this point. It was never a particularly powerful gaming experience to begin with and games like this that came out and are coming out towards the end of its lifetime…we’ll, it just sort of feels like a shame that they’re going to be stuck on the Switch until (if they ever) get remade or remastered.
I think being drip fed new mechanics is my favourite thing about these games. It constantly feels fresh and the interesting story helps carry you the rest of the way.
Expected Falcon, pleasantly surprised to see Jake playing a JRPG! I still need to get into this series. I'm glad to hear it seems to have been living up to the hype for fans!
Been looking forward to this for a while now. I'm glad they kept the Nopons in as playable characters and despite what people may think of them I think they're cute as hell.
I've been slowing getting into JRPG'S and damn you've really sold me on this one Jake (odd usually Falcon jumps on these) but damn man im just ready to dive into this world. Thank Gameranx team
@@traceyrinaldi4759 I almost got the 2nd after seeing the trailer for the 3rd but I went to look into the 3rd and found that you could play it without playing the 2nd but if it's anything similar to Tales of Arise when it comes too quality of story I'll be straight t the 2nd one right after
To everyone going through stuff in life and keeping it inside. Please play this game, it will all come out then. All your pent up emotions will release and you will get the most satisfying feeling afterwards. This is a 50-60$ 60 hour therapy session.
What did you think of the ending? I thought I was really lacking. And also WHAT is Z? It’s still not really explained. He’s fear? Despair? It’s never really explained. I’m curious what you thought.
@@SnowCoveredKK Z is the will of the people. Time stopped because the fear of the impending doom caused the people to pray for time to stop and he is the "answer" to that prayer. The ending was ok but what made it good for me was how emotional it was. I don't want to say too much about the ending for the people who are still playing but it left the door open for at minimum 2 to 3 more games.
@@shrtbus44 I’m definitely excited what comes next. And thank you for that explanation because it was just not clear to me who the fuck Z is. THANK YOU
@@shrtbus44 I think the ending needlessly invalidated 90% of the other stories within the game. They put so much effort in to those narratives, many of which were quite good only for it all to mean nothing in a single cutscene.
@@SH1NK1R01 The whole point is both universes from the first 2 games were going to collide, Mobius stopped it from happening by making time stand still. The only option they have is to make the worlds split again because if not it will cause total destruction. I think they did a great job with the ending.
The best thing about these is that I don't like every game that yall do, but when you review a game that is my style you guys are on the same wavelength so I always know if it's a good fit for me.
I wouldn't really say the graphics are that much of an issue. Because of the art direction and world design this game already looks better than majority of the games on current gen consoles. Also the developers definitely put a lot of work into polishing the game to make it run well. At least for me it doesn't usually look that blurry (sometimes it does though). It's certainly much better than in xenoblade 2. At least digital foundry seemed to be impressed at how they made the game run as well as it does, so I think they did a good job on the performance for the game.
So I personally am not far enough yet, only chapter 3 but I will say I’ve seen some people showing off stuff from the end game and the performance does start to tank as you get farther into the game. Once you start getting more flashy moves, and bigger enemies with wide open landscapes it does start to struggle.. I’ve seen lots of framerate dips and the resolution scaling can be pretty bad. It can drop down as low as 620P, that’s very low, it just make everything look fuzzy. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not going to stop my enjoyment but it definitely is something to know and be aware of
Probably their overexposure to high resolution games caused that comment in regards to Graphical Resolution (Which is not a problem in their part mind you) but compared to any Xenoblade release so far on switch especially Xenoblade 2 to those who doesn't know it this game is alooooooooooooot cleaner graphically and performance-wise especially in handheld.. Mind you the resolution is not locked especially in busy scenes but the adaptive resolution in this game so far does a great job in keeping both performance and quality... I'm playing solely on handheld and never been happy such an Open-world on handheld can look like this.. Watch Digital Foundry's video about Xenoblade 2 and Xenoblade 3 for the full comparison if you are curious..
I'm halfway through the game and so far it's a phenomenal game. I was worried that they would commit the same mistakes as 2 but somehow they learned from all the criticism and made game that is equal if not better than the first game. The gameplay is the best in the series and the story is absolutely wonderful. I love all the characters and they are written amazingly. Can't wait to see where it keeps going but so far, it's a 10/10 for me
Funnily enough I've got and played one and two, and was all set to play three but it was released on the same day as Digimon Survive. So though I have bought Xenoblade Chronicles 3 day one I have yet to touch it thanks to Digimon Survive just absorbing me.
THANK YOU for mentioning the graphical issues. It seems like no one is talking about this. For me, the characters seem to be pixelated a bit especially when when the world and it's very jarring. I'm only about 15 hours in so I hope the story will pick up soon because I'm tired of walking through generic mountain and field areas. It feels like one thing that's missing so far is the sense of verticality I felt from the other games. I'm a bit bummed because that's one thing that made me want to explore the world in the previous games and I'm not really feeling it in this one. Hopefully there will be more unique environments later in the game!
That is a switch hardware limitation, its a legitimate concern but its unavoidable. Blame nintendo for not releasing an upgraded console. The switch was way behind where it should be spec wish and they still dont have a new model like ps4/xbx
Heres my no spoiler review: Overall, good game, 7/10. I finished the story in 51 hours. Combat: is fun and complex, however can get visually messy (a lot more than previous titles). The map: its big. Like big big. Theres a feature to follow a path so that makes it easy knowing where to go. However, i feel i didn't explore much as a result. Just skipped past enemies to story progress. So maybe if you play it, don't do that? Only turn the path on if you are lost. Story: started out very strong. Imo, got dragged out in the middle. A lot of crap anime-like phrases being repeated against the villains. Typical monologuing anime protagonist shit. About "looking foward", and "the future". The very end though ties it off nicely and redeems itself a bit. It also has some things that feel like it wasted potential. Can't say exactly what i mean because it would spoil bits. Characters: honestly only liked lanz at first. He seemed like the one with the most personality. The rest did grow on me in time. The villains seemed goofy at first (to me at least. Not the one at the very start though). They became a bit more menacing later. Music: Great overall, has a couple really good fight songs. Oh, and get used to that fucking flute, you'll hear it a lot. Extra: cool ideas like the affinity tree for npcs and the clock warning for agnus and keves seemed pointless. Simply put, they were features that seem useful, but not if you are only there for the story. Good for 100%ing the game i think... Tutorials: very good. You will have no problem understanding how to play unless you skip it all. Even then, you can replay it in the menu and even practice it there. Comparing: i think 2 is the best so far. Its only flaws being rex as the protagonist; a squeaky child and oversexualisation of the female blades. Its cliche at timed too. It had a better story by far that made sense. Good world building, unique characters that interacted well through comedic interactions. Great music, good combat. Its a shame since it feels like a step back with xeno 3. It would have been nice to see more banter between the characters in xeno 3. I would highly recommend xeno 2 being your first game NOT 3. Overall: its a good game. Play 2 first, its more refined in my opinion. But 3 is good. Got a chunky story (ignoring the tedious aspects that plague the center chunk), and it has fun, complex combat. Ps: i did binge the game, finished it in less than a week, so my critisim of the middle of the story could be a result of that, but eh it is what it is.
Games great and all but the thing that kept going through my mind as I played is that Nintendo switch is definitely due for a technical upgrade. Xc3 will thrive massively on a more powerful console!
I didn't hate 2 but I didn't like it as much as I did with 1 got this one yesterday and it feels lot closer to XC1, it's exactly what I was looking for but it's even more... a lot more than that and I love it.
Great review. Don’t like the bashing of the graphics tho. It’s on a Switch for goodness sake. It’s so much in this game that makes it so fun. It’s not on PS5 so no it’s not going to look that great. With the massive amount that’s in the game on this system they did a damn good job with performance and visuals. It takes a lot for me to stick to a game because I’m a type that buys them all and have no time to play them. So I just game swap all the time. But this game got me locked it and that’s a hard thing to have me do. I played this game the entire weekend and I’m hating I have to go to work because all I want to do right now is play this game!
I'm part ways into Chapter 2 and so hooked right now. This series has so far hit every one of my buttons in what I look for in an RPG. This 3rd one so far is doing no wrong.
Give what I've played so far, the combat system and the mysterious story can definitely make for any graphical limitations (I haven't noticed any performance problems yet, personally). Given how I've played the first two until I could basically face every monster in the game, I might be a bit biased though. Still, I like it, and I know it will be worth the money I spent.
XC 2 took forever for me to beat but once I did it was so satisfying. Crazy about the tutorials - even in XC2 there was new things to learn even later in the game. There was almost something new to experience and discover which kept the game fresh, hope for more of the same here
👍👍👍
Cool
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Hi
We love you
I know you guys hear this all the time, but THANK YOU for these Before You Buy videos. I don't even need to watch other reviews anymore. You guys give the best, most balanced rundowns of any channel on UA-cam!
Same. Now that you mention it, I really only watch Gameranx reviews now. It's all I need. ACG, IGN, Fextralife, Angry Joe, etc I don't even consider watching their reviews anymore.
@@noxinabox3506 are you kidding? IGN for xeno? Lmao, but seriously, this guy can be trusted with this
@@noxinabox3506 ACG is so annoying, he talks without pause and uses all these similes/metaphors all the time, like why? It's a video game review just get to the point, it's not philosophy or politics.
@@XxICraigIxX wow
@@InnerRise thank you
Most of these videos are an "After You Buy" for me, but probably none moreso that this. Xenoblade is absolutely a top 5 game series for me and so far this one is blowing me away. I agree about the resolution, but everything else just hits. Especially the music. My god, the music.
lol that's a good point this is one of the few before you buys I've ever seen where it's a game I plan to play but don't have it yet, really a before I buy. the hype is real for this game xc2 is one of my favorite jrpgs along with the first game after I played definitive edition (never had a wii). here's hoping xenoblade chronicles x gets a release on switch
Idk i didn't really like the music as much in this one. I didn't like how it played the same track in every single colony (the Agnus colony track especially kind of annoyed me).
But the combat music is absolutely amazing and hype af.
@@hapahapahappy you know what, at this point I actually agree. I still routinely listen to the OST of the other Xenoblade games, but this is the first one that hasn't really stuck with me the same way. After 120 hours, I still think there are some great tracks, but also a lot more filler.
This is an example of how a JRPG series should be made. From I to III, the series still constantly good.
YEAH very good ps2 game
lol, were you expecting a ps5 level graphics? well then you're on the wrong video review lol
Monolith is filled to the brim with old Square and other classic JRPG studio employees. The best of old Square went on to join Takahashi and formed Monolith...there's a reason these guys have been making such consistent games. Heck if you didn't know technically Xenoblade is just one part of one long running series/storyline going all the way back to Squares Xenogears...Takahashi and his wife being the minds behind all of the games.
You mean it gets better with every game!
I personally love the third one the most. Its the most serious one!
@@Klazyo dude wasn't even born when the ps2 was current if he thinks this looks like ps2 graphics
This game is absolutely phenomenal and deserves all the praise it's gotten
This isn’t an opinion this is certainly a fact
^ one of the 15 sjw's just happy they removed the fanservice.
@@blackdysfunction8260
... Okay?
@@blackdysfunction8260 what's wrong with that and why did you want to point it out?
You must really enjoy the young adult section of your local bookstore.
Honestly I think Eunie might be my favorite character so far. She's got this spunky and aggressive attitude that never comes off as blatantly rude or annoying for the most part. Most of the time she speaks I find myself laughing my ass off and really enjoying her.
I think the other two standouts for me are Lanz and Sena (Gotta love me the big bois that hit hard with absurdly large weapons lmao)
Eunie looks like my kind of waifu.
O5
Eunie definitely gives me Nia vibes from XC2, just a bit more sassy though. I'm actually surprised by how well rounded the cast is, I don't hate or find any of the characters bothersome at all. Though, I find myself favoring the girls a bit more, because they're just so damn cute in this game.
I kind of relate to Taion as I’m always trying to make the most logical choice. Plus his class is a lot of fun. I’ve probably played him more than any others right now.
My favorite character is definitely Noah. He heavily reminds me of Shulk. He's kind, caring and also a bit quiet. He's also strategic and thinks before doing things unlike Rex from XC2. I also really like Lanz, because he reminds me of Reyn which is my favorite Xenoblade character.
Last game I purchased for the switch has to be over a year ago, Xenoblade 3 is a must have! Hands down it’s a great game and your review is 100% on target. The whole Xenoblade series is a masterpiece. (Xenoblade X for the Switch please)
Looks like you are getting your wish for Chronicles X
Playing it while listening to the review lol. This might overtake XBC1 for me personally. It has its hooks DEEP in me right now, I've been struggling to put it down when i need to do things in life. An easy 10/10 for me.
This is really good to hear about this game. I was worried it'd be like the reaction to XBC2 which I still loved despite consensus saying it's "bad".
Can I ask what are your reasons for thinking it’s better than 1? I wanna buy the game
@@traceyrinaldi4759 I think most people like 2. It's the best selling game in the series
@@dez87 Most players enjoyed or loved XBC2 but if you read the internet "it's shit" lol.
@@traceyrinaldi4759 2 isn't bad, just has a few annoying or obtuse elements, like collecting rare blades at random, or the difficulty in chain attacks. Your average person will get easily bothered with those elements. Also imo, Rex is a more annoying character compared to Shulk, Elma, Lora, or Noah
At the end of chapter 1, I was 5 hours in… I cried. The scene, the music, the atmosphere, the acting… I don’t know man, it just hit me. I experienced catharsis… and the only other game that ever done that to me, to make me cry, was FFVII in 1997 when I was 14 years old. Beautiful game. Just beautiful.
Yeah, I cried too, lol.
So there must be some strong moments coming up near the end up chapter 1 then eh? Good. XBC1 and 2 had moments just as powerful...XBC1 and that games opening chapter are so sad.
Same with meeeee this game are so emotional. Its amazing jouney so far
I like the game so far but crying already? Why? What happened? Did I miss something?
@@KainsAddiction Lol. I’ll keep that in mind, and yes, Jesus Christ be praised. Amen.
My next RPG I play I'm naming the character As Usual in honor of Jake.
My character will be Gray Nofsalt
@@shuy5396 noice! 😂💯
Mine is Mike Hunt. He's a really deep character.
I just finished chapter 2 and I'm really enjoying it atm. Enjoying it more than I was XC1 and XC2 at this stage (and I really like both those games)
Exactly the same
Same
Same. And didn't finish definitive edition because of that.
would you say its more like XC1 or XC2? personally I only enjoyed the first one and I'm worried about getting this one.
im in chapter 2 but feels like a long tutorial so far...
I have dumped so many hours into this game and I’m only midway through chapter 4. I’m still getting to terms with the story but I love the feel of the world and the gameplay. Feels even better than 1 or 2 IMO
XC3 is easily the best JRPG on the switch. Everything is bigger and better and more refined that the previous entries with ease of access for new players to the series and full of easter eggs and subtle nods to the other games in the series for veterans. Even with the Switch’s limitations, Monolith Soft outdid themselves with this game, it’s chock full with innovations not only to the series but to the JRPG genre itself and on the Switch, no less. Easy 10/10 for me and a must play for longtime fans while being a great entry point to the larger series for newcomers. It’s a hard game to put down because it does so much things excellently all the time and you really need to finish it in order to fully appreciate what it does because it’s a wild ride to the end and beyond, 150 hours at the minimum if you explore a fair bit of it’s amazing world and much more for completionists and there’s the already announced expansion that they said will be similar if not bigger than Torna: The Golden Country which was the story expansion for XC2 and one of the best story expansions for a JRPG ever, so there’s so much yet to come for the game even in 2023 and beyond!
It’ll be the best JRPG on the switch until the Persona series gets ported.
@@ayaan9968 I love persona, especially 5, but they're different beasts. I've played the chronicles games multiple times though, cant say that about the persona games. Gameplay wise, the Xenoblade games are way better in my opinion. Also, you just cant beat them immense vista's...
I would say SMT V is the best jrpg on Switch. Or DQXII. You know, games where you can see what's happening?
@@joehayes8795 Both smt5 and dq11 are amazing games, but neither game has a better world than the Xenoblade games, though those worlds are awesome as well, especially dq11. The combat is like you said much more accessible and clear in those games, but if you stick with the Xenoblade games, you won't have any problems understanding what the hell is going on on screen. Xenoblade combat once mastered is so much more fun than those other games. I actually deliberately run into enemies because combat is just so much fun. Oftentimes with those other games I really try to evade enemies. Especially if they're underleveled. In Xenoblade even underleveled enemies are fun to beat. My vote goes to the Xenoblade series as best RPGs on the system for sure.
@Doktor yeah that's why I said they're different beasts, meaning you can't really compare them ;)
Im about 12 hrs in, I'm loving Eunie and Lanz' banter. Noah's sword style has been my preferred set up on all characters. And I'm loving how it feel like Xenoblade 1's vibe (mechanics and location) with 2's refinement.
Nintendo, please port Xenoblade Cronicles X to the Switch... It's one of my all time favorite games!
Either they port it over, or just going to make a sequel to it instead. Personally, I'd prefer the latter, as much as I love X, I really want a continuation of the story/world/universe; since they left it on such a cliffhanger.
@@XDarkEcho I want a sequel too, but I honestly want confirmation of a port either way. Give me that game with QoL updates and please make it so you don't have read the game manual to understand the menus.
@@XDarkEcho I want both honestly. Let X be on a console that’s actually successful. It and Nintendoland are the last 2 non virtual console titles that are worth anything on it but not on the Switch.
your wish got granted and mine as well
JRPG of the Year! Amazing game.
so far so great!
Xenoblade chronicles. One of the very few jrpgs to make me cry like a big baby
Taion is my favorite character so far, I like how he’s nerdy and is aware of how much smarter he is than the rest of the group. Riku and Manana are funny as heck and are also my faves lol
I don’t feel like he’s all that much smarter. Noah seems incredibly intelligent as well, only less smug and intolerable because of it.
@@joaoazevedo3939 Ooooh, give Taion a bit. The facade is all just to hide his insecurity and tenderness
First Xenoblade game I've played and it's amazing so far the exploration, combat, characters, and especially music are all amazing
I jumped in Day-1 and I am playing ever since. I'm about 20 hours in. I can't stop playing. It's addicting. The story is really interesting, the music is phenomenal, the battle system opens up more and more and the more you get used to the flow of battle the more fun it is. Monolith pulled it off again. It's another JRPG wonderland for fans of emotional and anime style story telling and I really like it so far.
It's crazy that it might be my favorite of the series considering I love XC1 and XC2. Definitely a great jrpg series.
I have spent the last 10 hours in chapter 3. Just exploring. I have barely touched the story since I got the freedom to do what i want. It does a PHENOMENAL job of building 6 main characters at the same time
Absolutely loving it combat and music are amazing. If I’m gonna say my favorite character so far probably be Eunie or Sena
One of the greatest games of the year. I'm 50 hours in and it's still blowing me away.
Definitely a goty contender. And yet again I find it will come down to gameplay vs story for whether I pick elden ring or xenoblade. And gonna have to see what God of war does. But I'm absolutely loving xc3 atm. It's the best xenoblade game yet.
Reminds me of 2017 when it was breath of the wild vs persona 5.
I knew what I was getting into so I preordered digitally, now 2 plus’s for me in what I have played is that I like how they now allow you to fight while SWIMMING, in XC2 I hated going near enemies that swim and secondly I like the jump button in this game as apposed to the second where in that game it was the only thing that felt too stiff and too clunky to have been implemented in the traversal aspect in XC3 however it is instead fast, smooth and useful in a practical sense, I never felt like I had to throw caution to the wind and hope for the best. Something I like is the pause menu changes as time moves on and you get more characters, it reminds me of Tales of Arise (my favorite game of last year) where as you progress each chapter brought a new background on the pause menu.
You preordered a digital game, were you worried they were going to run out of digital copies?
@@boebielski2397 nope the purpose of it was to be able to play it RELIABLY as soon as possible so it preloaded before release date so that at midnight Friday I was able to boot up the game immediately.
The reason why I say reliably is because preordering a physical copy just a week before the release date was not going to guaranty I would play it day one let alone at first hour of public availability this is the reason I preorder digitally.
@@boebielski2397 by the time I arrived at GameStop in the early morning I bought there 3rd to last copy 😂
I have to admit that the story didn’t pick me up at start.
By the end of chapter 2 I was jaw-dropping and wanting to know how the story progresses.
Monolith just nailed the story telling here.
Wonderful
Xenoblade 3 is a good game. For those that enjoys a fantasy adventure games... You should definitely try playing the Xenoblade series. It was worth it.👍🏼👍🏼
Is it worth it if I only like Xenoblade 1 and not 2?
@@neotralize9110 You need to play Xenoblade Chronicles X , this is 80% like it.
I just can't believe that the switch has three Xenoblade Chronicles games. All that's missing is Xenoblade Chronicles X.
I love how they took elements from Xenoblade X with the class system. Such a good game
This game is blowing me away,so glad I got it first day
Graphics/Performance in comparison to XC2 is such an improvement i couldn't believe it, i own the lite and I'm still shocked around 25 hours since launch and there has hardly been any frame drops, I'm very satisfied in that regard
This is cap
Don't know what u mean, even Digital Fundry explained Xenoblade 3 has lower resolution textures.
@@KogMawsTvShow I think you watched that video backwards since Digital Foundry praised the graphical fidelity of the game both in Docked and handheld...
XCX on Wii U looks 1000 times better
@@KogMawsTvShow they quite literally said the opposite
I really love how straight and honest with your reviews and i have to say, i'm on chapter 4 and i am in love with this game, i really don't care for character repeating their lines, to me is really not an issue and the graphics i mean is not xenoblade 1 for the wii, i think is gorgeous to look at. If they can't do more like god of war or final fantasy 7 remake (in some cases) i really don't care. It doesn't take away from the story, or characters or the gameplay or the music.ike you said, this games have heart, something that a lot of 3A games nowadays with magnificent graphics really lack.
I agree with the graphics although I think there is an obvious improvement than #2 it was so blurry and glitchy handheld.
As someone with absolutely no previous exposure to the series including advertising, this seems pretty sweet👍🏾🙏🏾
If you decide you want to get into the games, definitely play Definitive edition and 2 first.
⚠️‼️⚠️*important tip for anyone who’s going to buy this*⚠️‼️⚠️ be aware that unlocking classes for other character requires class points /CP, and it’s based on your level vs the enemies’s level. Which if you’re puttingh two and two together, that means you can become over leveled if you’re using bonus XP every single time while also doing side quests. So I recomend not using the campsite bonus XP unless you’re under leveled for the MAIN STORY quest, if unerrlegeled for a side quest, just hold off on it for now.
However if you don’t plan on doing very maHny besides the necessary “side” quests and high are needed to progress, then it THAT case it would be a good idea to use bonus XP.
*If you do find yourself ocerleveled to where classes are not unlocking, do not fret. Just immediately cease using bonus XP; at least until you aget at or below the level of enemies in the main hstory quest. Once you’re only 1-2 levels above, the classes will unlock pretty quickly again like before.*
In addition, if you don’t want to change a characters class who inherited the new class you want to use for a different character, then you can just equip the hero who has that class, and it will unlock.
This game is fantastic I really didn't expect it to be better than #2 but I'm actually enjoying it much more. The story is amazing and the UI/HUD is a major improvement. Very smooth. Docked also doesn't downgrade the graphics dramatically like Xenoblade 2.
Do you mean the downgrade for handheld? For me the second game looks great docked and bad in handheld mode
@@plazma6484 oops that's what I meant :) docked is great and handheld bad! But Xenoblade 3 isn't as bad
I completed the first two chapters f XBC3 and I'm loving it so far. It's my first Xeno game also! My favorite character so far would be Sena.
As annoying as the tutorials and tips can be, they are a godsend when compared to xc2. Seriously, they give you alot of information this time around, and definitely helped. Instead of having to watch some guy on UA-cam explain the deeper mechanics much is explained through the tutorials.
Eunie best girl btw
Exactly. Like I told others, while I think they held your hand in 3 a little too much, it’s better than what they did in 2 where you were left to discover vital battle details yourself. You can’t even review tutorials you’ve come across in case you skipped over it by accident since you were button pushy.
3:35 'is that lenny?' red dead redemption 2 flashbacks
I picked it up on release and I have to say, the graphics are not an issue for me. I come from the PSP era, low res mobile devices have given me some of the best games out there (I'm looking at you Crisis Core), you can't scare me that easily. Although it is a matter of preference in the end so if you are a 4k infinite fps kind of gamer don't try this one.
The game unfolds slowly and it takes a while but the mechanics and the battle are amazing, and before long you'll be micro managing a ton of systems and stats. Also the characters (so far) feel compelling and real, it's refreshing to see a group of protagonists instead of "The Hero ™ and their sidekicks".
Maybe you're glued to the screen watching the story or you're farming staff while listening to a podcast, this game can do both.
I am exited to see where it all leads.
P.S.
First time playing a game of the series so there's that.
I really enjoyed pretty much everything about xenoblade 2 from it characters to its story and steampunky-scifi theme when playing it. I haven't gotten xenoblade 3 but i feel like its going to give me the same feeling i got when playing 2, however i feel like game play and stuff looks a little clustered at times. but either way im defiantly going to sink tons of hours into this game once i get it.
What was your experience with the game? I love 2 but 3 disappointed me.
i have no plans to play/buy i just really like Jake's Breakdowns
I love XB 1, 2 and now 3 so far. For those who dig the Xenoblade stories, I highly suggest a PCSX2 playthrough of Xenosaga 1-3. The trilogy isn't open world but has the same dark tones and conspiracy story line with huge reveals that cap every chapter. The wonderful Monolithsoft 15-30 min cutscenes are all there too and they'll get you in the feels just like the Xenoblade stories do. Once you're done with that trilogy, send Bandi Namco an email asking them to port the Xenosaga trilogy and Xenoblade Chronicles X to the Switch!!!
I hope one day Xenosaga will resurface.
@@TofuSG98 I feel like Nintendo and bandai have a good relationship, so hopefully
This game is 10x better than Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I hated 2 because of how confusing it was but this game has a perfect balance.
What are you talking about? Xenoblade 2 easily bests this game.
@@The_Ostrich excuse me? Most people didn't like 2 at all and literally everyone loves 3.
Resolution and performance hasn't been an issue for me, it looks cleaner than both 2 and DE and runs better than both too
Idk if I've romanticized how 2 used to look but the resolution in 3 looks kinda rough. Not usually one to notice such things but the game gets blurry at times.
@@jadeanimepiano6143 According to digital foundry 3 is far sharper than 2 despite having similar resolutions, because of a new technique that the devs are using. The game also generally holds the frame rate at 30 much better than 2.
Oh the shilling
@@ken7007 can't enjoy anything these days without an asshole calling you something...
@@somethin7020 2 must have looked like a absolute crap then, because this still looks rough.
I'm loving the game so far, and I have to say the characters have way more stories behind them than some previous characters. The whole main cast is equally fantastic but I especially enjoy Noah. I have 2 heroes so far and really enjoy the side content, graphics have been fantastic with a few exceptions. I have been playing on an OLED switch with slightly better specs and haven't had any frame drop issues yet. Only in chapter 3 with 22 hours logged, and really enjoying myself :)
There any absolutely no better specs on the Oled switch. Games just look better because of the OLED screen.
Thank you for doing a video for Xenoblade Chronicles 3
This series needs more love
'Same two voice lines at the end of battle' Did we. . .not play the same 2nd game? Yes there were some voicelines more frequent than others. . .but end of battle voicelines was based on party composition and was actually prefer varied and there were a LOT of them. You can also turn down the battle chatter if I remember correctly.
Anyway, I pre-ordered physical for the special edition, I have to wait until Tuesday for my copy. I argued with the pre-order to get my copy and I know I'm going to love it. The series just keeps getting better as Monolith keeps learning refining their craft. I trust 'em.
I’ll put it like this, if you enjoyed Xenoblade 1 OR Xenoblade 2, OR both, then you will enjoy this one a lot. If you haven’t played either, but you enjoy JRPG’s in the vain of FF or KH (especially FFXV), give it a go, you should enjoy it. If you don’t like either XC1 or XC2 then this is likely not for you. This game is definitely not for everyone, but personally this was everything I wanted and more. For someone who somewhat enjoyed XC1 (loved the story) and absolutely adored XC2, this was perfect.
You’d think so, but quite a few who claim to have played 1 and 2 don’t like this for some reason.
I definitely agree with the graphical negatives you mentioned. Be interesting to see how they realise their vision when the switch successor eventually arrives.
I've been playing this game for a month now and loving everything the game has to offer, it actually removed the big downsided XBC 2 had,being there is autosave and no more field skills!
I personally love the gameplay and to be able to unlock more classes is what really makes the game so much fun, since it motivates u to explore and do side quests wich are very rewarding.
I actually think the graphics are way better then in XBC 2, alot smoother as well couse i have't had any framedrops so far(unless they were really well hidden) and its just great.
This is easily my GOTY, sorry Elden ring, I like REASONABLE challenge and deep story driven epics.
It's hard for new to say rn personally, I love elden ring as well though
This is my first XBC game and I've gotta say, so far it's amazing. And in all honesty I strongly disagree with your issues regarding the graphics. Imo this is one of the best looking games on switch right behind SMT 5 but I see where you're coming from.
I haven't been buying Switch games for a while (or even playing the ones I do have) because I was so tired of the hardware limitations, but this finally broke through and became the first Switch game I've bought in more than a year, and it's just like I remembered with the hardware problems. It looks like garbage. It's so frustrating seeing a game like this that's so good in so many ways be held back by a console like two gens behind. Just imagining all those sweeping vistas and attack animations and big cool monsters on PS5 or something makes me sad since we'll never see it. I'll play through this and probably enjoy it overall despite the issues, but it's just reconfirmed my resolution to not buy anything else on the Switch (except for probably BOTW 2, because, duh).
I feel exactly the same way. I really wanna enjoy the awesome landscapes Xenoblade has to offer, but they look so low res it takes me out of the experience.
I'm sorry to hear that. I appreciate very good graphics - I love the worlds in Forza Horizon and I emulate some of the games I own to get a sharp 1080p.
Nevertheless, graphics didn't keep me from enjoying Mass Effect or Zelda Twilight Princess and considering them classics. I would feel bad if I missed out on those fantastic characters and stories and musical scores.
@@HondoJarrus There are a lot of differences between those games and this one. Neither ME or TP have the huge landscapes like this game. The whole game is designed like it's a graphical showpiece but put on a console with severe limitations. ME and TP were also never as busy on screen with all the effects and characters and everything. You have 6 characters in your party here, plus all the enemies, plus all enemies in the background because of the aforementioned big sweeping landscapes.
And the biggest thing? It's simply that most people aren't playing Switch games on a TV designed for 1080p graphics. With the older games, they were coming out on consoles that matched the resolution of the time, especially with Mass Effect being on PC so you could tailor the settings for your monitor's resolution. Not to mention that those graphics were all we knew, versus now when we've seen so much better. These days, while 1080p is probably the most common resolution for TVs in homes now, there are a ton of people who have 4K, and probably a much higher proportion of gamers have 4K than do average consumers. And a game like this looks terrible on a 4K screen. You can see all the blurriness and pixel-y crap very easily. So I have the choice of playing it on my 4K screen and having it look bad, or sitting in front of my big TV while playing on a tiny handheld, and it still not looking good. Nintendo's so ass-backward in everything. I'll bet they don't even have 4K on whatever their next console is.
@@Jatt2613 Yes, and I do play on a 4k screen. Nevertheless, I value gameplay in games over everything else because I'll just watch 4k movies if I'm only looking for graphics.
The point is that graphical limitations didn't make those classic games unplayable. If the games didn't change, what changed? Our perception?
Digital Foundry posted a well-done review of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and I very much recommend it.
I am not saying you are wrong, we all have our preferences. I am happy that my lack of sophistication allows me to thoroughly enjoy games like this. Cheers!
That’s one reason I’m buying these games (XC3) to end up playing them on Yuzu emulator.. at least in 4K it doesn’t look like garbage and I can import/export my saves between console and PC, This game looks and feels awesome in 4K@60 FPS with proper scaled graphics if you have the right hardware for it, it’s like it was designed to be like that… it’s just weak old Switch hardware… doesn’t honor what this game is truly capable of, a shame many people is forced to do that, I mean I can’t stand shitty graphics on such great games in 2022 and thankfully we’re not alone :)
"I like your attitude!"
- Some guy named Rex
THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME? DONT FORGET ME! THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME? YA DUN! DONT FORGET ME! DONT FORGET ME! YA DUN! THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME?
MEH MEH MEH!
ANCHOR SHOT!
Ironically I just came across this video this morning... ironic because I took a leap of faith and bought the game (with expansion) blind about a week ago. 🤣
So far, I'm only about 23 hours in (still at the beginning, like BotW i drag the gameplay out as long as possible) and I'm loving it so far. On the surface it's not my usual type of game, but the trailers make it look so much like FFXIII which I absolutely loved, that I figured what the hell.
I'm NOT regretting it! The story is truly unique and captivating. The docs say it can take anywhere from 150 to 200 hours to 100%, but I'm probably going to Skyrim this baby and knock out a good 1,000+ 🤣💖👍
I'm thinking about maybe getting the first one and playing them all as one big game, one right after the other. I did that with Judgment recently.
I highly recommend, all 3 are amazing and will pull you in
I’m 12 hours in and I think it’s easily the best in the series and one of the best JRPGS this generation
Eh. i prefer X
@@pogoacct8611 x is incomplete game with very bad main story
@@jefurihartono1630 nope. Game is great
I like Dragon Quest
@@jefurihartono1630 shit take comes from someone who has 0 clue what they are talking about.
Makes me want to own a Switch
I played the first Xenoblade Chronicles, skipped 2, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 recently popped up on my radar, and after seeing this I'm strongly considering a buy. Thanks for the thoughts!
This is a great series on the channel.
I've put over 600 hours into XC2 and 300 into XC1 so this was an instant pre-order. Only played handheld so far so the gfx thing is worth noting but the vastly improved tutorials are a draw
quick question, how the hell did you manage to get 600 hours in xc2? what are you spending that time on lol
this is literally Xenoblade Chonicles X 2 , its setting , combat so much is very familiar if you have played XCX , i love this game already , XCX was one of my favorite games , never really got into 2.
Xenoblade X is in a separate continuity.
@@Jenema2 it is , but from the rest 2 games this is the closest.
I couldn't get into 2 either. This one is much more fun and less complicated. The gacha system and all the grinding required for each character killed the game for me.
Wish this game was on ps5 or pc because the hardware limitations are getting really blatant with the latest switch games. The switch 2 needs to be at least on the ps4 pro's level in terms of performance.
Same. I love the game but it’s so jarring going from a 4K60/1440p120 game to this. Feels like Vaseline is spread on my eyes and the game frequently looks like it’s below 720p docked.
You’re asking for something Nintendo can never deliver on in this current age.
Combat definitely seems to be a little easier now that you can have more than 3 members on the field at a time. You just gotta be careful that your defenders don't die cause attackers and healers can't really take that many hits.
I’m not sure if it’s just me but I think the game is gorgeous 😭
Fav character atm is Ethel she is badass. Monolith is top studio with what they can do on the dated Switch hardware, Nintendo needs to upgrade their system so their dev studios can put out the best uncompromised games.
I'm only _5 hours_ in and I've already saying it's *the best* of the series so far. Finally a combat system that's not overly complicated and frustrating.
Lol just wait
Oh boi
it's the most overly complicated and extensive combat system of the series, there are over 200 battle tips. GOOD LUCK!
@@somethingelse4282 that's true but I feel like the tutorials are good enough that it feels less complex, and the drill training you can do really helps too. I'm having a way easier time getting to know this system than xeno 2
@@somekid2500 Yeah but the tutorials can only help you at some extent, with so many classes and skills u can obtain, plus arts there are millions of possibilities
@@somekid2500 it's easy to get into it but the further you go the more you realize how complicated the system actually is. But it's prob too soon for u mate
I’m just finishing up XB2 (way late to the party, I know) and I’m excited to jump into XB3…eventually…after Tears of the Kingdom rules my life and halts my backlog progress.
Seriously though, on the graphics piece, I feel like the Switch is just seriously showing it’s age at this point. It was never a particularly powerful gaming experience to begin with and games like this that came out and are coming out towards the end of its lifetime…we’ll, it just sort of feels like a shame that they’re going to be stuck on the Switch until (if they ever) get remade or remastered.
I think being drip fed new mechanics is my favourite thing about these games. It constantly feels fresh and the interesting story helps carry you the rest of the way.
Best one in the series I'd say. Absolutely loved it. Buy it. It's a beautiful send off to end the trilogy with.
Expected Falcon, pleasantly surprised to see Jake playing a JRPG! I still need to get into this series. I'm glad to hear it seems to have been living up to the hype for fans!
Jake always played JRPGs tho just not as much as he used to
I made a tradition of always when I buy a game I watch these while it’s downloading
Been looking forward to this for a while now. I'm glad they kept the Nopons in as playable characters and despite what people may think of them I think they're cute as hell.
They annoy me but in a loving way!
they 100% do the repeating lines on purpose at this point lmaoo. I honestly love it. So many funny jokes come from those voice lines.
Great stuff, from Cape Town!
cheers, thanks!
Gordons :)
I've been slowing getting into JRPG'S and damn you've really sold me on this one Jake (odd usually Falcon jumps on these) but damn man im just ready to dive into this world. Thank Gameranx team
The other games in the series are just as good if not better in other ways. Don't forget Xenoblade 1 and 2 after you put down 3:)
@@traceyrinaldi4759 I almost got the 2nd after seeing the trailer for the 3rd but I went to look into the 3rd and found that you could play it without playing the 2nd but if it's anything similar to Tales of Arise when it comes too quality of story I'll be straight t the 2nd one right after
To everyone going through stuff in life and keeping it inside. Please play this game, it will all come out then. All your pent up emotions will release and you will get the most satisfying feeling afterwards. This is a 50-60$ 60 hour therapy session.
What turns me off is the combat. The story/characters look awesome
Just beat the game maybe 20 minutes ago. The ability to connect all 3 games was amazing. Cant wait for/ i hope they keep making them
What did you think of the ending? I thought I was really lacking. And also WHAT is Z? It’s still not really explained. He’s fear? Despair? It’s never really explained. I’m curious what you thought.
@@SnowCoveredKK Z is the will of the people. Time stopped because the fear of the impending doom caused the people to pray for time to stop and he is the "answer" to that prayer. The ending was ok but what made it good for me was how emotional it was. I don't want to say too much about the ending for the people who are still playing but it left the door open for at minimum 2 to 3 more games.
@@shrtbus44 I’m definitely excited what comes next. And thank you for that explanation because it was just not clear to me who the fuck Z is. THANK YOU
@@shrtbus44 I think the ending needlessly invalidated 90% of the other stories within the game. They put so much effort in to those narratives, many of which were quite good only for it all to mean nothing in a single cutscene.
@@SH1NK1R01 The whole point is both universes from the first 2 games were going to collide, Mobius stopped it from happening by making time stand still. The only option they have is to make the worlds split again because if not it will cause total destruction. I think they did a great job with the ending.
I do love these games. But Gameplay always takes me FOREVER to actually get used to
The best thing about these is that I don't like every game that yall do, but when you review a game that is my style you guys are on the same wavelength so I always know if it's a good fit for me.
I wouldn't really say the graphics are that much of an issue. Because of the art direction and world design this game already looks better than majority of the games on current gen consoles. Also the developers definitely put a lot of work into polishing the game to make it run well. At least for me it doesn't usually look that blurry (sometimes it does though). It's certainly much better than in xenoblade 2. At least digital foundry seemed to be impressed at how they made the game run as well as it does, so I think they did a good job on the performance for the game.
So I personally am not far enough yet, only chapter 3 but I will say I’ve seen some people showing off stuff from the end game and the performance does start to tank as you get farther into the game. Once you start getting more flashy moves, and bigger enemies with wide open landscapes it does start to struggle.. I’ve seen lots of framerate dips and the resolution scaling can be pretty bad. It can drop down as low as 620P, that’s very low, it just make everything look fuzzy. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not going to stop my enjoyment but it definitely is something to know and be aware of
Probably their overexposure to high resolution games caused that comment in regards to Graphical Resolution (Which is not a problem in their part mind you) but compared to any Xenoblade release so far on switch especially Xenoblade 2 to those who doesn't know it this game is alooooooooooooot cleaner graphically and performance-wise especially in handheld..
Mind you the resolution is not locked especially in busy scenes but the adaptive resolution in this game so far does a great job in keeping both performance and quality... I'm playing solely on handheld and never been happy such an Open-world on handheld can look like this..
Watch Digital Foundry's video about Xenoblade 2 and Xenoblade 3 for the full comparison if you are curious..
Yeah- 2 lagged a lot in handheld when it really shouldn’t.
I'm halfway through the game and so far it's a phenomenal game. I was worried that they would commit the same mistakes as 2 but somehow they learned from all the criticism and made game that is equal if not better than the first game. The gameplay is the best in the series and the story is absolutely wonderful. I love all the characters and they are written amazingly. Can't wait to see where it keeps going but so far, it's a 10/10 for me
It seems like the Facial animations from XC:DE and onward have been a significant improvement over XC2
I really wish they'd make xenoblade chronicles X 2
Funnily enough I've got and played one and two, and was all set to play three but it was released on the same day as Digimon Survive. So though I have bought Xenoblade Chronicles 3 day one I have yet to touch it thanks to Digimon Survive just absorbing me.
THANK YOU for mentioning the graphical issues. It seems like no one is talking about this. For me, the characters seem to be pixelated a bit especially when when the world and it's very jarring. I'm only about 15 hours in so I hope the story will pick up soon because I'm tired of walking through generic mountain and field areas. It feels like one thing that's missing so far is the sense of verticality I felt from the other games. I'm a bit bummed because that's one thing that made me want to explore the world in the previous games and I'm not really feeling it in this one. Hopefully there will be more unique environments later in the game!
That is a switch hardware limitation, its a legitimate concern but its unavoidable. Blame nintendo for not releasing an upgraded console. The switch was way behind where it should be spec wish and they still dont have a new model like ps4/xbx
Heres my no spoiler review:
Overall, good game, 7/10. I finished the story in 51 hours.
Combat: is fun and complex, however can get visually messy (a lot more than previous titles).
The map: its big. Like big big. Theres a feature to follow a path so that makes it easy knowing where to go. However, i feel i didn't explore much as a result. Just skipped past enemies to story progress. So maybe if you play it, don't do that? Only turn the path on if you are lost.
Story: started out very strong. Imo, got dragged out in the middle. A lot of crap anime-like phrases being repeated against the villains. Typical monologuing anime protagonist shit. About "looking foward", and "the future". The very end though ties it off nicely and redeems itself a bit. It also has some things that feel like it wasted potential. Can't say exactly what i mean because it would spoil bits.
Characters: honestly only liked lanz at first. He seemed like the one with the most personality. The rest did grow on me in time. The villains seemed goofy at first (to me at least. Not the one at the very start though). They became a bit more menacing later.
Music: Great overall, has a couple really good fight songs. Oh, and get used to that fucking flute, you'll hear it a lot.
Extra: cool ideas like the affinity tree for npcs and the clock warning for agnus and keves seemed pointless. Simply put, they were features that seem useful, but not if you are only there for the story. Good for 100%ing the game i think...
Tutorials: very good. You will have no problem understanding how to play unless you skip it all. Even then, you can replay it in the menu and even practice it there.
Comparing: i think 2 is the best so far. Its only flaws being rex as the protagonist; a squeaky child and oversexualisation of the female blades. Its cliche at timed too. It had a better story by far that made sense. Good world building, unique characters that interacted well through comedic interactions. Great music, good combat. Its a shame since it feels like a step back with xeno 3. It would have been nice to see more banter between the characters in xeno 3. I would highly recommend xeno 2 being your first game NOT 3.
Overall: its a good game. Play 2 first, its more refined in my opinion. But 3 is good. Got a chunky story (ignoring the tedious aspects that plague the center chunk), and it has fun, complex combat.
Ps: i did binge the game, finished it in less than a week, so my critisim of the middle of the story could be a result of that, but eh it is what it is.
Games great and all but the thing that kept going through my mind as I played is that Nintendo switch is definitely due for a technical upgrade. Xc3 will thrive massively on a more powerful console!
I'm sure they'll do an upgrade eventually
You’re talking about Nintendo here. You ain’t getting PS4 material for a long time.
I don't regret getting it release day so far. I hated 2 but this one brought me back into the series.
I liked the first one and can’t stand what I’ve seen from the second, do you think I’ll like this new one?
I didn't hate 2 but I didn't like it as much as I did with 1 got this one yesterday and it feels lot closer to XC1, it's exactly what I was looking for but it's even more... a lot more than that and I love it.
I love the music even before released,,
Chain attack music is 🔥🔥🔥
Great review. Don’t like the bashing of the graphics tho. It’s on a Switch for goodness sake. It’s so much in this game that makes it so fun. It’s not on PS5 so no it’s not going to look that great. With the massive amount that’s in the game on this system they did a damn good job with performance and visuals. It takes a lot for me to stick to a game because I’m a type that buys them all and have no time to play them. So I just game swap all the time. But this game got me locked it and that’s a hard thing to have me do. I played this game the entire weekend and I’m hating I have to go to work because all I want to do right now is play this game!
I'm part ways into Chapter 2 and so hooked right now. This series has so far hit every one of my buttons in what I look for in an RPG. This 3rd one so far is doing no wrong.
Been debating since friday if i wanna try this game out since i never played a xenoblade game been watching gameplay and still on the fence
Spectacular. Don’t do anything before you buy. Just buy. 10/10.
Thank you for your wonderful review Jake.. you’re one cool dude👍
Give what I've played so far, the combat system and the mysterious story can definitely make for any graphical limitations (I haven't noticed any performance problems yet, personally). Given how I've played the first two until I could basically face every monster in the game, I might be a bit biased though. Still, I like it, and I know it will be worth the money I spent.
Always makes great videos for us
I had high expectations and so far it has exceeded them.
XC 2 took forever for me to beat but once I did it was so satisfying. Crazy about the tutorials - even in XC2 there was new things to learn even later in the game. There was almost something new to experience and discover which kept the game fresh, hope for more of the same here
Its the legendary dude from the friends per second podcast o: