I appreciate Backloggd has a spoiler tag option and I could give bigger overall thoughts using it but I'd rather write something that at least is open to anyone.
With that in mind Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (XC3) is difficult to write about because you're taken on such a fantastic ride to reveal any of the major plot points, mechanical tricks or later character reveals and developments would be taking away from it.
This game though has all of that by the barrel, I found myself during most end of chapter cutscenes; mouth agape, possibly raising a fist to the air or even getting glassy eyed.
The story and characters are very "anime" at points but I feel for the most part this is genuinely a compliment.
XC3 has some of the best twists and turns in games and it also doesn't lead you on for ages to a point where you've had something figured out for hours.
If you think you something may be revealed the pace of the story usually means it's just about to come.
From the start the idea of XC3's world Aionios is an interesting sci-fi concept, but being inside the world as a player itself that is a magical experience.
Monoliftsoft are the actual top shelf Boys at creating beautiful open worlds, their work with scale is in my eyes still unmatched especially considering the technical limitations of the Switch.
You can see why Ninty have this team doing this work with Zelda and this I would say is at least structurally on par with BOTW, the big caveat being movement is not (and it's not meant to be) as free roaming as it is on Link's latest adventure.
Combat wise XC3 arguably has the best system and it takes so many lessons from the previous 2 entries and the (I can't believe I only recently got around to it) DLC Torna.
It's MMO-esque combat feels involved but very much like you're a moving part of a bigger machine.
You have the option to try and move all those parts if that is how you like to play but there is quite a bit going on at once that you will be, to a degree, forced to trust your partners but that in itself is a strength because whilst tactics are harder to control your team's strategy with it's classes, equipment and even choosing the moves (Arts) you do are a fun experiment in strategical thoughts and planning.
Speaking of classes, class systems in JRPGs are not a new thing but XC3 does some of the best work in showing the player the point in the different classes, how they work and why you want to use them.
It simultaneously rewards you for trying new things whilst also not really punishing you for sticking to strategies you enjoy or think work best.
Side quests are a large factor of any JRPG, XC3 is no exception and whilst I would say the combat is "arguably" the best in the series, I would say there's not much to argue in saying XC3 does side quests better than the others.
A lot of side quests are "fetch quests" but the way story is delivered, the variation in how they're done and the fact that nearly none are mandatory it's hard to find it an issue.
As with the previous games there are even quests where an NPC needs you to get a shopping list of items which are scattered throughout the world, in the past these have sometimes felt like "the grind" but personally in my almost 120 hours of playing the game only 3 times I've had to leave one of these to come back with the things required as, as long as you're not ignoring it all, you'll end up with the things the people of Aionios are asking for.
(Also 1 of those 3 times is a much more post game quest that's a bit longer)
I could continue to write more and more about what's in this game, what about it is good and why I love it but I think I'll start to wrap this up.
"Where is it in your rankings?" is a question I've been asked a few times already.
I'm still yet to play X, but if we're speaking just 1-3 I'd currently say 1>3>2.
Early days though and with a big DLC coming out later who knows where I'll sit eventually.
At the end of the day I think tonally it's closer to the first game which I much prefer but does take some of the more fun elements of the second along with the stronger parts of it's world and mechanical choices whilst binning the terrible stuff (gacha being the main crime).
Structurally Aionios is the most impressive of the worlds although in my heart it's so hard to beat the Bionis and Mechonis.
This is undoubtedly going to be my game of 2022 and I just hope that it will be for more of you and get's the recognition it deserves.
Xenoblade is never going to be in the media's brightest spotlight, JRPGs are a no-no for so many folk and being a Switch title and not on PS5/XSX means it doesn't have all those frames and resolutions that people are a bit too obsessed with.
However due to these restraints "Xenoblade fans are eating well" getting 4 huge titles and so much more within twelve years and I'm ready for another plater.
Oh, and finally.
I did somehow get used to Riku's voice by the end, but what was up with that?
With that in mind Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (XC3) is difficult to write about because you're taken on such a fantastic ride to reveal any of the major plot points, mechanical tricks or later character reveals and developments would be taking away from it.
This game though has all of that by the barrel, I found myself during most end of chapter cutscenes; mouth agape, possibly raising a fist to the air or even getting glassy eyed.
The story and characters are very "anime" at points but I feel for the most part this is genuinely a compliment.
XC3 has some of the best twists and turns in games and it also doesn't lead you on for ages to a point where you've had something figured out for hours.
If you think you something may be revealed the pace of the story usually means it's just about to come.
From the start the idea of XC3's world Aionios is an interesting sci-fi concept, but being inside the world as a player itself that is a magical experience.
Monoliftsoft are the actual top shelf Boys at creating beautiful open worlds, their work with scale is in my eyes still unmatched especially considering the technical limitations of the Switch.
You can see why Ninty have this team doing this work with Zelda and this I would say is at least structurally on par with BOTW, the big caveat being movement is not (and it's not meant to be) as free roaming as it is on Link's latest adventure.
Combat wise XC3 arguably has the best system and it takes so many lessons from the previous 2 entries and the (I can't believe I only recently got around to it) DLC Torna.
It's MMO-esque combat feels involved but very much like you're a moving part of a bigger machine.
You have the option to try and move all those parts if that is how you like to play but there is quite a bit going on at once that you will be, to a degree, forced to trust your partners but that in itself is a strength because whilst tactics are harder to control your team's strategy with it's classes, equipment and even choosing the moves (Arts) you do are a fun experiment in strategical thoughts and planning.
Speaking of classes, class systems in JRPGs are not a new thing but XC3 does some of the best work in showing the player the point in the different classes, how they work and why you want to use them.
It simultaneously rewards you for trying new things whilst also not really punishing you for sticking to strategies you enjoy or think work best.
Side quests are a large factor of any JRPG, XC3 is no exception and whilst I would say the combat is "arguably" the best in the series, I would say there's not much to argue in saying XC3 does side quests better than the others.
A lot of side quests are "fetch quests" but the way story is delivered, the variation in how they're done and the fact that nearly none are mandatory it's hard to find it an issue.
As with the previous games there are even quests where an NPC needs you to get a shopping list of items which are scattered throughout the world, in the past these have sometimes felt like "the grind" but personally in my almost 120 hours of playing the game only 3 times I've had to leave one of these to come back with the things required as, as long as you're not ignoring it all, you'll end up with the things the people of Aionios are asking for.
(Also 1 of those 3 times is a much more post game quest that's a bit longer)
I could continue to write more and more about what's in this game, what about it is good and why I love it but I think I'll start to wrap this up.
"Where is it in your rankings?" is a question I've been asked a few times already.
I'm still yet to play X, but if we're speaking just 1-3 I'd currently say 1>3>2.
Early days though and with a big DLC coming out later who knows where I'll sit eventually.
At the end of the day I think tonally it's closer to the first game which I much prefer but does take some of the more fun elements of the second along with the stronger parts of it's world and mechanical choices whilst binning the terrible stuff (gacha being the main crime).
Structurally Aionios is the most impressive of the worlds although in my heart it's so hard to beat the Bionis and Mechonis.
This is undoubtedly going to be my game of 2022 and I just hope that it will be for more of you and get's the recognition it deserves.
Xenoblade is never going to be in the media's brightest spotlight, JRPGs are a no-no for so many folk and being a Switch title and not on PS5/XSX means it doesn't have all those frames and resolutions that people are a bit too obsessed with.
However due to these restraints "Xenoblade fans are eating well" getting 4 huge titles and so much more within twelve years and I'm ready for another plater.
Oh, and finally.
I did somehow get used to Riku's voice by the end, but what was up with that?