I don’t like the sentiment that this game was “What Xenoblade 3 Should Have Been”. This game feels largely like a nostalgia-fest-y victory lap while also trying to be a full fledged game (and it succeeds in that!), and quite honestly I feel like wanting this first would have gone very much against Xenoblade 3’s message of moving on from the “Endless Now”. Thankfully aside from that one gripe with the sentiments, I’m by no means immune to nostalgia-fests! Every little reference and location and nod warmed my heart, and speaking of heartwarming SHULKDAD!!!! God I loved seeing the parents interact with their kids, even Rex who I’m not especially fond of elsewhere, I was pretty fond of in this game. Matthew and A are a fantastic duo as well as great characters individually, I love how Matthew is this sorta dumbass (lovingly) hyperactive guy, love him so much. A is my genderfuck monarch and I love A with all my heart, perfect char. Nikol and Glimmer as said earlier, in addition to being great in their own right, I loooove their relationships with Shulk and Rex so damn much. Great story of course as well, even if I feel like it could have used a bit more room to breathe. Combat I feel is pretty alright as well, they did a pretty good job differentiating it from 3’s, which was something I was a bit worried about. Major issue with it is that the defense classes can’t keep aggro for shit, especially with how overpowered Rex is (SPIN TO WIN). But yeah! Overall I loved this dlc, it stands pretty well among its peers in the series and despite how I felt for a bit in the middle, it worked its way into my heart pretty dang well. Love you, Xenoblade <3