Xenoblade Chronicles originally only came out on the Wii in Japan until it was released as an English version. After that, it got released on the more powerful New Nintendo 3DS models. Recently, the Definitive Edition released on the Nintendo Switch, which boasts of the all-new graphics to bring it in line with the sequel. The version also has a new chapter that goes beyond the original ending, along with under-the-hood changes.
- Developer: Monolith Soft
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Platform: Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
- Availability: Out May 29th on Nintendo Switch
The Xenoblade Chronicles X’s ambition was served rough, while the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 creaked under the weight of its elaborate systems and anime excess. The Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition delivers the best of all. The game takes the best RPG and makes small and considerable changes in all the right places. The show takes the user through the mad, magical majesty of Xenoblade Chronicles’ world in the HD view.
The storyline and concept are great, weaving in the Takahashi’s recurring themes- gods will fall, and fates will be altered, and all at the blade of a blonde-haired hero. The most spectacular show was, however, is the world set on the back of two warring, country-sized titans and the pair trapped in stony stasis for many years. The views are amazing! The maps that need to be explored are vast, open-ended spaces drawn with the imagination of best sci-fi’s best cover artists.
What makes this Definitive Edition unique is how it’s made the entire concept much more comfortable to discover- for newcomers and veterans alike. The exploration of a particular world is rewarded by generous XP bonuses that are awarded upon coming across a new location or completing one of the countless side quests.
The game also has a newly introduced casual mode that reduces even the toughest of boss fights to a mere inconvenience, while the regular encounters seem to rush in the blink of an eye.
The version also has a Future Connected- an expansion that’s as sizable as the Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s own Torna – The Golden Country. It’s a little post-game adventure that offers delicate areas to explore and handles players a group of level 60 characters. Once the players are ready for Future Connected, they are treated to a self-contained Xenoblade Chronicles adventure. The real star of Future Connected is, however, the world itself. The Bionis Shoulder was left on the cutting room floor from the original Xenoblade Chronicles, which can be experienced here too, with great Monolith Soft’s series, high stone archways lining with the sky. At the same time, a user looks out across the plains to see vast lakes that dip the horizon at Bionis’ edge.
The Xenoblade Chronicles’ concept and the grand open spaces look glorious; however, as graphical upgrades go, this becomes light. The Definitive Edition falls just shy of what one might expect of a full remaster or a remake. Instead, it feels like a re-release topped with a few extras. Like the Takahashi and Monolith Soft’s games, there are signs of compromise in this series. The original Xenoblade Chronicles, equipped with its scope, size, and the wonderful world, still stands as the best in the series!
