Xenoblade Chronicles 3 seems to be shaping up to be a must-have release on Nintendo Switch. Monolith Soft offers us its most controlled episode of the series, according to the French and international press.
[Mis à jour le 27 juillet 2022 à 13h45] A total absence of tan is expected on JRPG fans in August. The reviews of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 have been published by the press, which gives it unequivocal praise. The new creation from Monolith Software offers us a mastered and deep JRPG, and seems to be establishing itself as an essential release on the Nintendo Switch. And Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is likely to do good for the Japanese console, which has been lacking a “masterpiece” for a while. While waiting for its release on July 29, we go around the essential information on the game, and we summarize the tests of the French and international press.
To take the temperature when a new game is released, there’s nothing like a short walk on the Metacritic site. This reference in the world of video game tests allows us to gather the opinions of the most popular editorial teams around the world and gives us a very telling overall score as to the quality of the game. As for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, hang in there because the reviews are rave reviews. The game has an impressive average of 89/100 (on 66 different tests), making it one of the highest rated releases of 2022. Reviews from the international press are extremely positive. We find the American magazine TheGamer which simply gives it five out of five stars: “Monolith Soft has designed a JRPG as colossal as it is meticulous. It offers an experience that sublimates all that its predecessors have already achieved, offering us a captivating masterpiece..” For the essential magazine Destructoid, it’s 9.5/10: “The cast, the weight of the story and the freedom of composition of the group make up a winning trio that has totally won us over.”
If we look at the French newsrooms, the opinions are just as positive. JeuxVideo.com offers him an excellent 18/20: “With Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the Nintendo Switch welcomes a new essential role-playing game in its catalog. Far from the lightness of tone of the second episode, the title delivers a captivating scenario, rich in twists and emotions, aided by a beautiful soundtrack. By taking up the basics of the two previous games, the gameplay gains in dynamism and benefits from many effective and complex mechanics, even if the fights suffer from readability problems like the other games in the series..” The game is also to the liking of the editorial staff of gamekultwho offers him 8/10: “Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a paradox game. As long as we know the series, its twists like its mechanics, it turns out almost without surprise, like a real walk in the proper sense of the term, taking the player from one point to another. It’s also a little gem of mastery and rather a very good vintage, a game for JRPG fans by JRPG fans. The only thing Monolith can guarantee is product quality. Here, she is flawless.“
The world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3
It’s called Aionos, it’s a beautiful continent populated by peaceful creatures, and honestly, the visuals shown in the footage above really blew us away. So yes, we stay on Nintendo Switch, so we should not expect high quality graphics, but Xenoblade still seems to be pleasing to the eye. Magnificent landscapes, lush forests, deserts as far as the eye can see Aionos is as beautiful as its inhabitants are warlike. Indeed, war rages there between the nations of Keves and Agnus, and it is up to your party to find a solution to this endless conflict.
Who are the characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3?
The main characters of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are, you guessed it, from the two factions fighting each other on Aionos. Initially enemies, this group of soldiers learns to work and fight together against a common enemy. Among these characters, we find Noah, a seer, Eunie, a fierce fighter, Lanz, a hand-to-hand fighter, Milo, another seer, Taion, a genius tactician and finally Sena, who possesses titanic strength. Fugitives from their respective nations, they set out in search of the truth about their world and the reason for its endless conflict. A scenario for the less classic, but effective.
Combat in Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Key point of the success of the license since its beginning in 2010, the combat of Xenoblade Chronicles always promises to be a complete, thoughtful and deep experience, always based on a tactical system, mixing actions, real-time tactics and complex placement. Each character has its archetype (healer, attacker, support) and several skill trees in which to specialize in different classes. It is of course possible to merge certain essential skills or Arts to create more effective combos during the game. The characters will also be able to merge to create Ourobouros, gigantic Mechas with impressive power. Moreover, if you want to see what the gameplay of this new release looks like, our colleagues from IGN have published a video of a few minutes of a breathtaking demonstration of Xenoblade Chronicles 3:
When is Xenoblade Chronicles 3 coming out and at what price?
The good news if you hadn’t followed the news around this big release of the Nintendo Switch is that the game will be released on next July 29. Obviously, it remains a total exclusivity for the Nintendo Switch, and is already available for pre-order for 59.99 €. But that’s not all, like any big self-respecting release in 2022, for better or for worse, the game will come with an expansion pass including skins, new battles, new characters and new quests, as well as a whole new story, for €29.99. All of this content is already on a roadmap and is expected to release between July 29, 2022 (the game’s release date) and December 31, 2023.