REVIEW: ‘Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition’ Is An Impressive But Imperfect Remaster

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a lesser-known but beloved entry in the fan-favorite Xenoblade Chronicles series. After almost ten years, Nintendo and Monolith Soft have rereleased the game to modern audiences through Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. It comes packaged with several technical and visual enhancements, and as the name suggests, it is the definitive way of experiencing the game.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition’s story takes place in the year 2054. Earth has been decimated after being caught in the crossfire of an intergalactic war between two alien species. Survivors escape aboard an ark-like ship called the White Whale, which crash-lands on the planet of Mira. Players take on the role of a custom character who joins BLADE, an organization tasked with exploring the planet, protecting the last remnants of humanity, and searching for scattered life pods containing other survivors. Eventually, they meet several alien species, including a hostile species hell bound on wiping out humans.

While the premise is intriguing, the storytelling in Xenoblade Chronicles X has less focus compared to the gameplay. Unlike every other game in the series, the game opts for a silent protagonist, which frankly weakens its engagement factor. The story also takes a while to get going, as it takes several hours for players to come across the real threats and enemies of the game. And while the supporting cast, including the enigmatic Elma and the energetic Lin, provide some depth, the story doesn’t make players care about them as much as other characters in the series.

Additionally, much of the lore is delivered through side missions and optional dialogue, making it easy to miss crucial plot elements if players focus solely on the main questline alone. What’s worse is that most of these side quests aren’t engaging, as most boil down to non-voiced NPC characters sending you on insignificant quests. However, this isn’t the same for Affinity Quests, as they at least allow you to learn more about the main characters.

Despite all this, the Xenoblade Chronicles X’s world is still one of its major highlights. Players get introduced so several alien races, their histories and their motivations throughout the course of the game. As players progress, they learn more about how these aliens all landed on Mira and why, and learn some secrets about the true nature of the remainder of the human race. These elements make the story worth seeing through to the end even if the characters don’t hold up on their own. As such, the worldbuilding is some of the best in a JRPG and remains an excellent part of the series.

The quests don’t stand out in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, but the gameplay shines.

Where Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition truly shines is in its gameplay. The game features the series’ signature JRPG gameplay formula that’s easy to pick up quickly, especially if you’ve previously played one of the games. Players fight enemies with auto-attacks and the use of Arts, abilities that recharge over time and have specific effects depending on positioning and timing.

Unlike other games, you can switch between ranged and melee attacks on the fly for more versatility. Success during combat is determined by using the right Skills, Arts, and attacks while executing the right positioning and learning how to organize party members. One of the best parts of combat is how players unlock skills and arts dynamically by just playing the game. However, being able to change classes to get more powerful skills adds even more depth to combat.

Players can choose from various weapon types, from dual blades to heavy artillery, offering numerous playstyles. When not fighting on foot, players will fight enemies on their Skell, a powerful mecha machine. This introduces an entirely different dynamic as they all have their own set of abilities, making gameplay more engaging.

Quality of life improvements to customization vastly improve Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.

Customization is another strong aspect of Xenoblade Chronicles X. The game allows players to customize almost everything, from skills to weapons and armor. Equipment customization is extensive, with different armor sets, weapon types, and upgrades. There is even a transmog system that allows players to wear their best-looking armor while applying the strongest stats, which is always great.

All these elements make Xenoblade Chronicles X one of the series’ most approachable and user-friendly entries. However, the Definitive Edition goes a step further by including a shocking amount of quality-of-life changes. These include swapping party members in the game’s menu no matter where the characters are as opposed to finding them in the city first. Additionally, all characters now share experience points even if they aren’t at the party so characters will no longer have annoying disparities in levels, and character Affinity points are easier to earn.

Quests are easier to track through the menus, making gameplay more streamlined. Players can also now respec battle points for better combat options and change time wherever they are, not just in set locations. Most importantly, the game finally gets an autosave, making exploration seamless.

The Definitive Edition also adds all-new Skells and characters. Lastly, without spoiling too much, it also adds a new amazing story content that expands the world and narrative. All these changes make Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition a much more user-friendly and engaging game than the original in many ways.

Exploration is a key part of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. Mira is a stunningly vast and diverse planet, divided into five massive regions, each boasting its own unique ecosystem, wildlife, and geography. From the lush forests of Noctilum to the barren wastelands of Oblivia, the sense of scale and discovery is awe-inspiring.

The world of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is vast and beautiful, but mostly empty.

Unfortunately, the worst part of Xenoblade Chronicles X is how the game locks main mission quests until you reach a certain map exploration percentage for each region and complete side quests. This design decision not only inflates play time in the worst way possible but also makes players trudge through the worst parts of the game, which is really frustrating.

However, the world is completely open from the start, allowing players to traverse it freely on foot and Mechs, some areas being more easily accessible with the latter. The best part of exploration is how freeing it is. Players can freely run without stamina, jump without taking fall damage, and explore all areas easily. However, while vast and open, most of the planet, even the game’s fictional city of New Los Angeles, is quite empty. The majority of the planet is filled with only creatures, forests, and fauna. As such, there isn’t much to do aside from killing aliens and completing quests.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition features attractive overhauled visuals. It sports lush greenery, impeccable art direction, and amazing character and monster designs. The character models have had a massive upgrade that makes them indistinguishable from recent games, and the UI is much more user-friendly and readable.

All in all, while not without flaws, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is a fantastic remaster of an impeccable game. It adds several quality-of-life choices and new content that’s worth it alone for returning fans and makes it easily accessible to new players.

 Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is available now for Nintendo Switch.