The Xenoblade Chronicles saga is one of those games series that gets its hooks into you and forces you to talk about it like someone who does CrossFit or practices veganism. There is something so addictive about it that you just want to share it with everyone and let them know you are involved in this fantastic franchise.
It’s so odd to me that I can rarely find people to discuss this series with. Even amongst the most die-hard JRPG fans that I know, Xenoblade Chronicles seems to be one of those titles that’s either completely missing from the conversation or perpetually remains on the “oh yeah, I need to get around to that” list that we JRPG fans love to have.
With the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I am here to tell you that there is no better time to pick up a Xenoblade Chronicles title and throw yourself deep into the story-filled worlds. In fact, I would even recommend that you start with the most recent addition above all the other titles in the series.
The reason behind this is the story doesn’t connect in the Xenoblade Chronicles saga. Instead they opt for completely standalone storylines which almost benefit from you knowing nothing that came before it. With this in mind, it becomes increasingly easy to recommend Xenoblade Chronicles 3 along with all of its quality-of-life improvements to be your first foray into the saga.
I guess the thing to bear in mind about going down this avenue would be that if 3 does in fact get its hooks in you, then 1 and 2 would feel like a drastic step backwards in terms of mechanics and graphical prowess. This isn’t me suggesting that you do not play these games though: I wholeheartedly recommend that you play every title under the Xenoblade banner.
The games combat can be a little off-putting to JRPG fans as they play a little like an MMO (think Final Fantasy 12 if you have never played a MMORPG before). Whilst this did put me off in the early stages of Xenoblade Chronicles 1, it was something that got its hooks into me and never let go, eventually becoming one of my favourite things about the series.
I say “one of” my favourite things because it is far from my favourite aspect of any of these titles: This can be entirely credited to each and every story beat that features within the Xenoblade Chronicles games. They are so rich with plot and character development that I fell in love and just could not put the game down at all.
So, what are you waiting for JRPG fans? Go forth. Pick up that Nintendo Switch and start to make a dent in the ever-growing series of Xenoblade Chronicles!
Written by Luke
Edited by Alexx