Nintendo has shared new details for the upcoming latest entry in the Xeno series, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, during a Direct video presentation today. The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct revealed 25 minutes of new footage focused on the game’s characters, enemies, and environments.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3Â will launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch on July 29th, 2022, and will focus on the story of Noah, Mio, and their fellow soldiers as they battle for the fate of their world.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct Presentation and Gameplay Details
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be the latest entry in the iconic JRPG series. According to Nintendo, it will connect the futures of the two previous mainline Xenoblade Chronicles games: Xenoblade Chronicles (Definitive Edition) and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 can also serve as an entry point for anyone looking to get into the series.
The description for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 from the direct and on the website reads:
“In Aionios, the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, there are two opposing nations, Keves and Agnus, whose soldiers fight daily with their lives on the line. Six soldiers hailing from both these warring nations are tasked to take part in a special mission. Can these characters, once filled with mutual hatred, find a path that lets them all live?
In this spellbinding tale, players will get to journey with these fate-defying hopefuls to learn the truths of their world – a place where every victory in battle and each setback is another chance to change the course of history and triumph over an uncertain destiny.“
Many new details were shared about the world, characters, and gameplay of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 during the June 22nd, 2022, direct presentation. The first of these highlights is the locales of Aionios features, which boats breath-taking natural splendor in contrast to the grim conflict waging between the game’s two nations.
Players can visit various landmarks and save them for quick travel later, and it’s possible to wander the world freely or follow a trail by enabling a navigation feature. Players will encounter a range of surreal landmarks and diverse wildlife on their journeys.
When the party enters a fight, they can harness powerful abilities called Arts. Some of these can throw opponents off-balance, inflict more damage based on where the attack comes from, and even heal allies. Players can unleash havoc on enemies by linking multiple Arts with stunning Chain Attacks. By becoming more experienced in battle, they will be able to learn powerful Master Arts and Fusion Arts for even more devastating attacks.
Each character also has a Class that influences how they battle. Among these is the Swordfighter, a well-balanced attacker, but a variety of classes specialize in things such as healing, defense, and powerful strikes. Players can freely swap the character they are controlling in the battle to try out these Classes.
The game will feature the main party of six main characters. Still, there are particular Aionos residents of Aionios called Heroes who can temporarily lend their arms to the team as a seventh party member. Only one Hero at a time can assist on the battlefield, but players can freely swap them out as well.
Finally, by joining together in battle through Interlinking, two-party characters can fuse into a form known as an Ouroboros. Earning points in battle makes the Ouroboros even more powerful.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will launch on the Nintendo Eshop on July 29th, 2022, which was confirmed again during the direct. Players can pre-purchase the official Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass from the Nintendo EShop. From the game’s launch through the end of 2023, players will be able to get additional content released in four waves to enhance their journey through Aionios, including helpful items, new outfits and color variants, challenging battles, new quests, new Hero characters, and a new story scenario.
Additionally, players will be able to purchase the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Collector’s Edition exclusively through the My Nintendo Store. This special edition will include the game itself, package artwork from designer Masatsugu Saito, a full-color 250-page+ softcover art book, and a SteelBook case. Pre-orders will start in late July.
