Nine months since release gorgeous Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and, true to form, Monolith Soft has once again delivered a massive amount of story-based DLC to keep fans hooked, this time in the form of Xenoblade Chronicles 3: The future is redeemed. We’ve got plenty of exciting new heroes and a brand new challenge mode added through the first three waves of add-on content, and now it’s time to get your real meat in. expansion card.
Much as Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – Golden Country, With Future Redeemed (which comes in the fourth and final wave of DLC and will be the focus of this review), we are billed as a prequel expansion that gives Xenoblade fans more It’s exciting with the return of some of the series’ most beloved characters, loads of dramatic revelations, and enough eye-popping spectacle to fill some of the smaller RPGs.
We fully admit that, after spending a lot of time thoroughly rinsing the main game for our review and tutorial campaign, the idea of returning to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 gave us a certain amount of anxiety. As much as it deserves it score 10/10 we felt like we were filled and then some. And so it speaks to the overall quality of this absolute top notch DLC, just minutes after booting it up for the first time any slight fatigue would be instantly forgotten when we’re completely back in the game. attracted to Aionios.
This latest adventure wastes no time to put you in the heart of the action, starting in explosive style and introducing you to a bunch of lovable new heroes who will take up arms. alongside the likes of Shulk and Rex (yes, he’ll still teach them a thing or three) as they testify to the dramatic events that preceded Noah and Mio’s epic battle against Moebius.
This is an expansion that’s a bit difficult to gauge for its plot, packed as it is filled with revelations that affect the entire series, it’s hard to know what we should or shouldn’t cover. for fear of spoiling someone’s fun. However, even if we ignore this issue entirely by simply stating that the story here will shake fans of the series, we still have a lot to discuss in the form of changes that can be changed. The gameplay sense takes the core of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and improves it in some notable ways.
Indeed, in terms of exploration and combat, Future Redeemed really tops the base game, thanks to some carefully considered additions. The biggest changes come from the reordered combat mechanics that do away with the main game’s Ouroboros transformations into Unity Combos and an all-new Affinity system that runs through every aspect of the game, positively affecting the game. Extreme to almost any action you take outside of the main story beats.
Get started with those Unified Combinations and you now have the ability to pair up your party members to perform special operations that take the place of the fantasy robot transformations in the main game . Unity Combos count in a similar way to Ouroboros’ attacks, fill the gauge using your arts and fusion arts, then unleash devastating attacks on your chosen target . The real factor here comes from the fact that you can combine your Unity pairs and change the effects of your attacks to suit any given combat situation, with the game actively encouraging You experiment and find pairs that suit your playstyle.
Unity Combinations still engage in Chain Attacks in much the same way as Ouroboros’ attacks did, you can still complete Chain Attack commands to unleash one final giant Unity Command. , but these attacks can now be enhanced by equipping various collectibles. This, in turn, leads to another big change this time around, a revamped collection, discovery, and rewards system that elevates the whole effort.
As you wander the beautiful world map — one that, for our money, is getting closer to the style of XC1 about its setting and tone – you’ll take down monsters of varying rarity, collect items, open containers, and all the cool stuff you’re used to in the base game. However, you now have Enemypaedia, and Collectopaedia registers all of this, marking enemy types and tallying the numbers of each and every item you have on hand. For example, complete a list to collect six Gooseberries or send three Jarack Volffs, and you’ll score yourself Relationship Points which can then be used to buy and upgrade a variety of skills. Ability to strengthen relationships for all team members.
There are three Relationship skill levels to traverse, and you’ll earn points for collecting and destroying, developing community ties, completing combat quests, and exploring the scenes Relationships bring to life. you a small cutscene and some context about the world as you explore it. This Relationship system really gives the core game loop a big boost here, adding a real sense of purpose to outsmarting enemies and collecting items that make the base game feel. find it surprisingly flawed in comparison. It’s the addictive stuff that works well to make the smaller campaign map feel bigger and busier than it really is. The discovery of a new type of enemy and the drive to kill as many as possible to fill an item in your collection have us happily roaming the world of this DLC with a sense of purpose. revival.
In addition to these major changes, there are numerous smaller tweaks found in the new enemy mechanics, which see enemy groups enhanced in attack and defense, enemy active arts , field crafting allows you to create and repair ladders, repair elevators, craft ether columns to locate ether deposits, and X readers pinpoint the locations of other survivors. In short, a lot has been added here and it really makes the installation of Xenoblade more addictive and refined than ever.
Of course, all of this would be for naught if the story wasn’t engaging, so it’s good that what we have in Future Redeemed is a prequel that delivers the goods in terms of a loose ending and gives The trilogy comes to a great end – even if it raises new questions for those who take their lore very seriously. The new heroes we’re introduced to are all spoilers (we actually prefer Matthew over Noah in the first place because of his jokes) and the list of returning legends makes up a bunch of super fun protagonists to attack others an incredible array of OTT Moebius baddies. We love the local accents and pantomime frenzy of these villains in the main game, and they’re just as fun this time around.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed wastes no time throwing you into screen-shattering battles against breathtaking enemies, and its story flow benefits from a shorter run time of around 15-18 hours (easily double if you’re aiming for 100% completion) get to work right away and maintain a high tempo throughout. If you’re here for big discoveries and emotional moments, to revisit old favorites, delve deep into lore and discover how it all connects, then you’re in for something. Great. Playing through this beautiful expansion has been a breath-taking experience for our longtime fans, with a constant carousel of meaningful moments hitting us over and over again. all the feelingsThat’s all we can ask for really.
It also helps that the quality of the cutscenes, the carefully choreographed battle sequences, the truly epic soundtrack, and the top-notch writing are all carried over from the main game, with the developers proving once again how good they are at switching tunes from everything- from flashy action sequences to moments of introspection. You may have less time to get to know new people here, but rest assured that you’ll care about them the same way when you’re done. It’s an inspiring conclusion and one that can’t be improved upon on the great base game.
Conclusion
Like it did with the excellent Torna – The Golden Country, Monolith Soft has brought us a carefully refined prequel experience here, adding and improving on the already core battle and exploration elements. of the best kind. Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s exciting combat system feels better than ever, its stunning landscapes are filled with discoveries revived by the new Affinity system and packed with enough emotion and revelation to satisfy the most avid Xenoblade fans. It also offers something future-proof for this most intriguing franchise. Where will the Xenoblade world take us next? We can’t wait to find out.
