After years of anticipation and speculation, Xenoblade Chronicles X has made its way to the Switch. Following the successful release of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition in 2020 and the acclaim of its direct sequels, many fans believed this port was inevitable. Yet, given Nintendo’s unpredictable nature, especially with a successor console on the horizon, it was still a moment filled with excitement. Even now, a decade after its debut on Wii U, the game stands out as a bold and ambitious entry that diverges greatly from the rest of the franchise. The Definitive Edition enriches and expands the original experience, making it an enticing revisit.
Please note that this review points out that Xenoblade Chronicles X takes a different approach than typical titles in the series; the focus leans heavily towards open-world exploration rather than a structured narrative. This shift in emphasis results in a distinctly varied pacing. The game kicks off with a thrilling and intense intro but transitions into story missions that require certain prerequisites—like exploring a set area of Mira or reaching a specific level—before you can proceed. This pacing can sometimes rush important plot developments, leaving players feeling a bit disconnected due to the protagonist’s limited interactiveness in conversations. It’s not uncommon to spend extensive time between story missions, causing significant plot information to feel condensed with minimal escalation in dialogue.
However, where this edition may fall short in narrative depth compared to its numbered counterparts, it compensates handsomely through its worldbuilding. The pacing is expertly crafted, offering a richly diverse and captivating setting. Using the FrontierNav map, Mira is divided into various sections. Engaging in activities within these segments, such as completing sidequests, planting data probes, gathering resources, or eliminating enemies, helps unlock new areas and boosts your survey rating, providing rewards, quest opportunities, and experience points. This continual progression also applies to your recruitable team members. Beyond the familiar Heart-to-Hearts that promote character interaction in a lighter tone, each character features unique Affinity Missions, creating personal story arcs that offer character development in place of their minimal roles in the main narrative, which primarily centers on Elma and Lin.
Players familiar with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or 3 will notice similar structures in these character quests, akin to the Blade and Hero quests. They provide significant character development while also granting powerful new abilities for both the character and the player’s avatar. Side Missions further enhance the worldbuilding, inviting choices that can lead to varied outcomes. Completing these missions not only leads to new allies joining New LA but also opens new facilities and influences relationships between minor characters—some may even perish due to poor choices. The act of colonizing Mira can feel even more significant than the primary goal of securing the Lifehold, and players often find themselves more invested in this than in confronting the game’s antagonists.
Xenoblade Chronicles X on Switch offers a significantly smoother and more enjoyable experience compared to the Wii U original. This is largely thanks to numerous quality-of-life improvements that align it with the series’ standards. With an improved UI that enhances readability and navigation, along with features such as changing the in-game time from the menu and easily recruiting characters for your party, these updates contribute to a more streamlined gameplay experience. Even inactive members of your party gain experience points, preventing them from falling behind, while affinity levels rise noticeably faster, encouraging players to engage in Heart-to-Hearts and Affinity Missions without excessive grinding. Additionally, several new characters are introduced at appropriate intervals throughout the main story missions, providing fresh content to those who progress through the main plot.
Returning players who were left unsatisfied by the original’s ambiguous ending will find the new story additions in this edition particularly rewarding. To avoid deterring players with spoilers, details will remain under wraps, but it’s worth noting that this version includes significant expansions and clarifications on previously unresolved plot points, alongside an exciting new area to discover.
While many improvements elevate Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, a few design choices still lend an air of frustration. Comprehensive character customization is a highlight, yet tutorials on optimal usage are frustratingly sparse and hidden within the System menu’s Gameplay Tips section. Key gameplay mechanics such as Overdrive are only briefly introduced during story progression, leaving players to figure out many systems independently. Even though level progression is fairly balanced for narrative contexts, struggling underpowered against certain challenges can be frustrating, especially if you’re not equipped with the understanding of the game’s underlying mechanics, which the game does not actively teach through gameplay.
If you fall in battle three times during a Story or Affinity mission, the option to lower the difficulty to alleviate frustration becomes available, dropping enemy levels by five. Unfortunately, this doesn’t extend to other nearby foes, which remain at their original level, potentially resulting in an overwhelming scenario for players trying to progress. Casual players may experience difficulty spikes that lead to extended grinding sessions to get strong enough to combat enemies effectively without understanding the gameplay mechanics.
From a performance standpoint, Xenoblade Chronicles X runs admirably on Switch, showing few significant hiccups during exploration. The draw distance remains impressive, enabling players to see enemies well in advance, enhancing the sense of scale, especially when you gain access to the Skell’s flight capabilities. However, challenges emerge later in the game, predominantly in areas like New LA, where increasing NPC population leads to noticeable pop-in issues and sometimes longer loading times between menus and cutscenes. The visual enhancements come with some drawbacks as a slight blur can mar the viewing experience, particularly during rapid camera movements in cutscenes.
Xenoblade Chronicles X distinguishes itself from the primary trilogy through a unique gameplay style, and this Definitive Edition successfully elevates the title’s previous shortcomings with numerous quality-of-life alterations, making it a more enjoyable title overall. While it still grapples with sporadic performance issues and complicated mechanics, whether revisiting New LA feels like returning home or setting foot on Mira for the first time, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition delivers a phenomenal experience that shouldn’t be missed.
8.5/10
A copy of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition was provided by Nintendo UK for the purpose of this review.