Game review: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch)

It goes without saying that the Wii U console was one of Nintendo's biggest flops. After the success of the original Wii, Nintendo was not able to continue the success with the Wii U. Some casual gamers thought the Wii U was an accessory instead of a console successor!

While the Wii U was a flop, you cannot deny that the console did have some great games on it. One of my favourite exclusive games for the Wii U was Xenoblade Chronicles X. This is a futuristic sci-fi spinoff from the main Xenoblade Chronicles series. 

Unfortunately, not many people played Xenoblade Chronicles X because nobody bought a Wii U to play it. This is probably one of the reasons why we never received a sequel. However, there is hope in the future thanks to Xenoblade Chronicles X now being available for the much more popular Nintendo Switch console. 

The only thing this game shares with the main series is its combat system, but that's about it. Xenoblade Chronicles X features new characters, a new planet, and an original story that is unrelated. I for one prefer X because its setting and technology-based storyline are more exciting to me. 

For anyone who hasn't played Xenoblade Chronicles X before, the story starts off on a sad note. The planet Earth is caught in the middle of a huge alien war, and sadly the planet is destroyed. Most of humanity is now dead due to this war. 

Thankfully, not everyone is dead because the humans are able to send out spaceships to find a new planet on which to live. Since this is a science fiction story, interplanetary travel is possible and isn't going to take an eternity to happen. 

The surviving humans manage to find a new planet to land on called Mira, and your character is a part of it, but they have amnesia about Earth and its destruction. Unfortunately, the same alien race that destroyed Earth is also on Mira and they want to rid the universe of humanity once and for all.

Before you can play the game, you must first have to create the type of character you want to be. You can be either a male or female character, but you can only be a human so there are no alien options. Not to mention your character cannot talk so you don't need to spend too long choosing the right voice.

For returning players, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition does offer some new content improvements over the original Wii U version. The game offers a better interface and the text is more readable this time around. 

As for the graphics, the game runs at a higher resolution which maxes out at 1080p while docked, and the visuals are so much nicer than before. The planet of Mira is also very large and has lots of enemies, but the framerate is stable most of the time. There are different biomes to explore, plus your character can swim and survive very large fall damage too. 

This Switch version of the game also offers some new story content, which is an extra chapter that wasn't included in the Wii U version. If you've played the Wii U original, you'll already know the game is already chock full of quests and missions to do!

Gameplay-wise, Xenoblade Chronicles X has one of my favourite combat systems in a JRPG. It doesn't have the old-school turn-based system, but it's not active combat like seen in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The combat is somewhat similar to that of Final Fantasy XII is the best way to describe it. 

Players can see the enemies roaming around the field, and you can initiate combat at any time. Your character will then automatically start attacking, but you can choose special arts and skills at the bottom of the screen to execute more powerful attacks. These special moves have a cooldown system, so you cannot spam the same one over and over again. 

The characters also have a cool variety of guns and swords they can use so the combat is never too boring and repetitive. Aside from mandatory boss battles, you can also run away from enemies if you feel things are getting too tough. 

The game is also one of the few RPGs I've played where your health replenishes after every battle so you don't have to stock up on millions of potions like in other games. 

If you want to improve your gear, there are tons of equipment, armour, and weapons that you can buy in your home base called New Los Angeles. New Los Angeles is like a new home for humans and it's a small city. It's also the place where you can accept main missions and sidequests. 

Speaking of equipment, later on in the game you can even pilot your own mech called 'Skells'. Skells make exploration far more enjoyable because they can fly anywhere, plus they have more powerful laser swords, guns, and missiles. Upgrading your Skell can be expensive, but they're required if you want to beat the huge boss fights near the end of the game. 

While I enjoyed a lot of what Xenoblade Chronicles X has to offer, there are some annoying flaws. Some people will notice that levelling up takes a very long time. Main missions have recommended levels, so you will need to explore and do tons of sidequests to stay competitive against the enemies. 

Exploration can be long and frustrating too. The frustrating part comes from enemy placement because some high-level enemies can hang out close to low-level enemies, and they can interrupt you if you're trying to just walk around. Thankfully when you explore locations called 'FN Sites', you can fast travel to places that you have been to before. 

It's also worth mentioning some people might not like this game because it's very long. It took me just over 90 hours to finish the game during my first playthrough. I enjoyed playing through it, but others might not have enough free time to invest in a game this long. 

All in all, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is the best way to experience this underrated JRPG gem. The story is interesting, the graphics have been improved, and the gameplay is awesome once you understand its combat system. You must try this game out if you love JRPGs. 

Verdict: 9.0/10