Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was my first experience with the Xenoblade series, and it blew me away. I'm coming back to write this review more than a year after I've finished it as I regularly find myself to thinking upon the themes of its narrative.
It's easy to lump in Xenoblade 3 into a category of JRPG story of "Attacking and Dethroning God", but I find the narrative to contain deep resonance when reflected against modern times. Xenoblade 3 is a story of a toxic yearning for the present and the consequences it presents. It's a revolutionary story that focuses on the will of the younger generation fighting to grab the future they deserve for themselves. It's a story of the power of community and the power for us all to change ourselves for the better. Xenoblade 3 is all of these themes and much, much more. It's willing to tackle so much in its story to the point that the game could collapse under its weight, but its structure remains stable.
The story has its moments of melodramatic, anime bombast, but it also takes the time to ground its central cast in the quiet moments. The central cast members are given the space to express their aspirations and fears around the warm light of a campfire, to grieve fallen comrades, and to have fun in each other's company. It's special to follow these characters through their respective emotional journeys as they work to build the community that the world of Aionios needs. You can also feel the impact of your efforts on the world around you as you free colonies from oppressive rule and recruit heroes to your cause. You will continue to work with these colonies throughout the game to transform the world into a community of equal collaborators, all working towards a better future.
I didn't touch on it much, but the gameplay and exploration through the world is a joy as well. The game has so...many...systems, but the complexity ramps up over time and I found all of its sytems to mostly add to the experience. Engaging with these systems is how you will spend the majority of your playtime in Xenoblade 3, but it is the themes this game tackles that stick out to me after all this time. It's what makes this experience so special to me.
Favorite Tracks:: I barely even touched on the soundtrack!! It's incredible. Hats off to the entire composition team. These few tracks are the just the tip of the iceberg.
The Bereaved and Those Left Behind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4MXGl1Qbgg
A Life Overflowing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmi_lZU392Q
Carrying the Weight of Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC5s9KcaHHY
Moebius Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NahBomgb0E
Words That Never Reached You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hs1zwwQuUo
It's easy to lump in Xenoblade 3 into a category of JRPG story of "Attacking and Dethroning God", but I find the narrative to contain deep resonance when reflected against modern times. Xenoblade 3 is a story of a toxic yearning for the present and the consequences it presents. It's a revolutionary story that focuses on the will of the younger generation fighting to grab the future they deserve for themselves. It's a story of the power of community and the power for us all to change ourselves for the better. Xenoblade 3 is all of these themes and much, much more. It's willing to tackle so much in its story to the point that the game could collapse under its weight, but its structure remains stable.
The story has its moments of melodramatic, anime bombast, but it also takes the time to ground its central cast in the quiet moments. The central cast members are given the space to express their aspirations and fears around the warm light of a campfire, to grieve fallen comrades, and to have fun in each other's company. It's special to follow these characters through their respective emotional journeys as they work to build the community that the world of Aionios needs. You can also feel the impact of your efforts on the world around you as you free colonies from oppressive rule and recruit heroes to your cause. You will continue to work with these colonies throughout the game to transform the world into a community of equal collaborators, all working towards a better future.
I didn't touch on it much, but the gameplay and exploration through the world is a joy as well. The game has so...many...systems, but the complexity ramps up over time and I found all of its sytems to mostly add to the experience. Engaging with these systems is how you will spend the majority of your playtime in Xenoblade 3, but it is the themes this game tackles that stick out to me after all this time. It's what makes this experience so special to me.
Favorite Tracks:: I barely even touched on the soundtrack!! It's incredible. Hats off to the entire composition team. These few tracks are the just the tip of the iceberg.
The Bereaved and Those Left Behind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4MXGl1Qbgg
A Life Overflowing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmi_lZU392Q
Carrying the Weight of Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC5s9KcaHHY
Moebius Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NahBomgb0E
Words That Never Reached You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hs1zwwQuUo