Quick Thoughts: Xenoblade Chronicles 3

I finally finished playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (seriously, this game is well over 100 hours in game length if you do many of the side quests), and after playing the first two games in the trilogy, I think it is safe to say that XC3 is the best game in the series, and one of the best (if not, the best) JRPGs on the Nintendo Switch. I felt like XC3 is the sum of the best parts of XC1 and XC2 and improves upon them, which I will explain below:

XC3 had as good of a set of characters as XC1, and much better than XC2. The characters of XC3 are all quite distinct in their looks, their personalities, and their motivations (and their silly British accents, which always throws me off guard whenever I play a Xenoblade game). I will say that I felt more of an attachment to the main characters from XC1, but overall, the main characters of XC3 are solid, and each character gets their time to shine. XC3 also has many memorable side characters, and they each have their own side missions to showcase their own talents.

XC3 continues from XC2 in terms of quality-of-life improvements from game-to-game. I think the biggest quality-of-life improvement is in the menu management. XC3 has several complexities in terms of equipping your characters and setting up battle tactics, but there are a number of detailed tutorials that explain the complexities and concepts quite well. I also like that there is better tracking in terms of completing quests and tasks, and the game will even have a line on the ground for you to follow to take you to the quest objective.

The graphics and visuals are good enough for a Nintendo Switch and the game ran very well. I would not call this best-in-class either in terms of cel-shaded styled graphics (Breath of the Wild looked better) or in terms of Switch games that were released in 2022 (Kirby and the Forgotten Land looked much better). One thing you can always count on with Xenoblade is that the music is typically sensational, and XC3 is no different, with orchestral and atmospheric pieces which are some of the best of 2022. There is also an increased emphasis on delivering a quality story experience. Xenoblade relies on the story trope of a 'struggle between two races' a bit too much but overall, I think the story was well-executed, with some feel-good and hilarious moments, as well as some moments where the story felt slightly convoluted.

If you have played XC1 and XC2, then Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an obvious must-play. If you have never played a Xenoblade game and want to play a JRPG on the Nintendo Switch, then it is still worth playing XC3. The references to XC1 and XC2 will not take away from a first-time player's experience, though veterans of the series will appreciate the many easter eggs.