Rate the last game you finished.

Well, I've decided to put this together.  This is my review for Xenoblade Chonicles 3.  I finished the DLC (which I should rate later), and I have played through the main story twice.  I fully understand this game, and I think that I am now more than capable of reviewing it. 

In the movie Inception, there is a scene where the main character witnesses a multitude of clients in India, in which they have paid for an alchemist to drug them to the point that they live in a dream like state for the rest of their lives (presumably). A bit of dialogue takes place in which some wonder why someone would want to live a catatonic state, where you are living in a dream in which you could stay in a state of time for a seeming eternity. Well, if you have experienced hardship or trauma, would you want to live in a state of humanity where you have little hope? Do you want to live in a world where your love one has passed? Do you want to live in a world where your glory days are behind you? Or, would you like to live in the “endless now?”


This is the core question in the story of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. You start out as Noah, an off-seer, who is a member of a Kevesi special unit from Colony 9. As an off-seer, he is capable with the sword, but he must be able to play music on a flute that will send the souls of the departed back to the Kevesi queen. In his world, you brought into the world at the age of 10. Your lifespan is 10 years. While on the planet of Aionios, your soul purpose is to survive. As Noah would say it, you are “fighting in order to live, and living to fight. If you die in combat, an off-seer can play a melody in which your soul can return to the queen. If you reach your 10 year maximum, then you have a “joyous” ceremony, where you are sent off in front of the queen and your peers to the jubilation of the crowd.


Now, who is the enemy? To them, that would happen to be Agnus. The other main character, Mio, just so happens to be an off-seer as well. Not too long into the game, you will meet her on a secret mission: destroy an unknown element, known as the Ouroboros Stone. When you meet Mio and her spec-op team, you immediately begin the dance of death, when a stranger from a third mysterious faction shows up and intervenes. He activates the Ouroboros Stone and reveals to both parties that their fight is in vain. The real enemy is someone else; however, once the two parties receive the power of the Ouroboros Stone, they are now factionless, and considered the enemy of both of their worlds. To solve the mystery of why they are fighting, and who the true enemy is, they must travel to “the city” and learn why they are trapped in the “endless now.”


Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is tied into the stories of Xenoblades 1 and 2. You can play this game without knowing the background of the previous entries and still enjoy yourself. (Harry McEntire, the English V/A for Noah streamed through 100 hours of gameplay without background knowledge, and absolutely loved it.) However, veterans to the Xeno lore will be thrilled to play through this game, because the worlds of the Bionis and the Mechonis collide with Alrest. This is the culmination of Klaus’ story, and many players may never know it. Once known, however, it feels like a great discovery that you’ve waited for most of your life, and it is fantastic.

The gameplay is typical of the Xenoblade series. In combat, you’re not controlling your characters basic strikes. Instead, you are controlling the characters special movies, while playing the squad leader. The player makes the major decisions. Exploration is fantastic, and there is a massive open world environment to explore. There is a stream of consciousness in the game, yet you can go off the beaten path to liberate colonies, or ignore them entirely. (Although, I don’t know why anyone would want to do so.) Upgrading your characters and taking on different fighting styles happens to be very satisfying, and in the end, you can have a well-rounded character in he arts of fighting, defending, and healing.


Graphically, the game is beautiful. The character designs may seem familiar to previous entries, but there seems to be plenty of variation. You will also see throw backs to enemy machinery, yet there are distinctive traits that set them apart from the previous games. Gone are the charmingly clunky Wii graphics of Xenoblade 1 and the hyper exaggerated anime designs of Xenoblade 2. There is a sense of serious somberness in this game, yet beauty prevails.

The soundtrack in this entry of the series is second to none. True to Xenoblade form, the music is astounding. Tracks like “A Life Sent On” should be played at my funeral. It’s that sad, yet introspective.





“Carrying the Weight of Life” gives one hope.




Yzana Plains brings out curiosity and mystery.



While the Moebius Battle brings out all of your energy.




These are just a few of the many gems associated with this fantastic score. To me, it was the soundtrack of the year, and it was a travesty that this 147 track masterpiece didn’t win the honor at the so called “Video Game Awards,” but most would agree that that award program is rigged. I find myself streaming the soundtrack on a constant basis, and I will probably purchase the OST once it comes out.


For an RPG fan, Xenoblade Chornicles 3 is an 8 or a 9. Some may not like the minor platforming, and others may take offense to not being able to control a character’s basic strike. There are countless side quests, so a fan like me will love it, yet others may be overwhelmed. One may also complain that there may be a bit of too much of a reliance on chain attacks and/or cheesing the system by leveling up at camp fires with extra EXP.  I would like to point out that you can avoid doing both of those things willingly, and it shouldn't alter your experience too much.  It was interesting to see Harry McEntire play through the game, enjoy it, and know very little about the lore. He obviously loved it, and I think a general RPG player with little to no knowledge of the Xeno lore would too.


For a Xenoblade fan, it is a solid 10/10. The game is fantastic for us. From the heart wrenching chapter 5, to the realization that M’s decision to become Moebius was understandable, to the epic conclusion makes this game stellar for me. The wonder involved in exploring Aionios of a new world always intrigued me.  The complicated, yet simple combat (once you've understood it) placed the cherry on top.   A Xenoblade fan will go nuts after seeing how the Xeno timelines all intersect in this world. It is mandatory game play for us. To us, this is the peak of modern fictional story telling. I loved this game, and it was my game of the year for 2022.