Xenoblade Chronicles 3 GS review - 8.0

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

After 14 hours, I can definitely say this game is not for me. Its a shame because even though I never finished It I dug the first Xenoblade despite not being much of a fan of the combat. This game removes a lot of the good stuff from it and instead adds a bunch of convoluted, over designed systems that just aren't much fun or engaging. On top of that the the world is visually well designed but boring to explore because there's nothing in it besides collectibles and the same few mobs of monsters scattered around. Character customization and development is all based around just swapping your characters' classes with each other. If you have one party member that starts as a tank, and another as a healer, you can swap those roles around. The incentive being that when you gain ranks as a different class you get a skill that you can carry to the other class. But the problem is that you're not getting a 'new' skill, its just one that belonged to the other class. I just don't find that rewarding and the feeling of progression just isn't there for me. The lack of loot is also a real bummer. There's some cosmetic customization I didn't bother with but thats not the same.

 

The 6 character party is baffling as well. You win and lose battles but have no clue what went right or what went wrong because its just a chaotic mess of numbers and particles. Good luck trying to strategize when there's 20 things happening on screen at once. And even though I praised handheld mode before, the battles are pretty much unplayable on there unless you manage to have 30/20 vision. You're better off just turning on auto-battle at that point.

 

Im clearly in the minority but the game just feels like a huge mess of moving parts that just don't fit together that well. I couldn't imagine being entertained enough to play this for 100+ hours. 

[Goukosan 2,338]

7 hours ago, Twinblade said:

After 14 hours, I can definitely say this game is not for me. Its a shame because even though I never finished It I dug the first Xenoblade despite not being much of a fan of the combat. This game removes a lot of the good stuff from it and instead adds a bunch of convoluted, over designed systems that just aren't much fun or engaging. On top of that the the world is visually well designed but boring to explore because there's nothing in it besides collectibles and the same few mobs of monsters scattered around. Character customization and development is all based around just swapping your characters' classes with each other. If you have one party member that starts as a tank, and another as a healer, you can swap those roles around. The incentive being that when you gain ranks as a different class you get a skill that you can carry to the other class. But the problem is that you're not getting a 'new' skill, its just one that belonged to the other class. I just don't find that rewarding and the feeling of progression just isn't there for me. The lack of loot is also a real bummer. There's some cosmetic customization I didn't bother with but thats not the same.

 

The 6 character party is baffling as well. You win and lose battles but have no clue what went right or what went wrong because its just a chaotic mess of numbers and particles. Good luck trying to strategize when there's 20 things happening on screen at once. And even though I praised handheld mode before, the battles are pretty much unplayable on there unless you manage to have 30/20 vision. You're better off just turning on auto-battle at that point.

 

Im clearly in the minority but the game just feels like a huge mess of moving parts that just don't fit together that well. I couldn't imagine being entertained enough to play this for 100+ hours. 

 

If you're sticking close to the guided path then you're not going to see any of the side content you get from exploring the full world. 

 

There is a ton of side content with full stories, cutscenes, missions and bosses etc... But you have come off the guided path if you want to find it. 

 

 

Yes Xenoblade has a fuck ton of systems, that's why I always laughed at you when you said the combat was simple, easy and just based on a basic auto attack. 

 

Xenoblade 3 actually eases you into it and introduces each system slowly one by one over the first dozen or so hours. 

 

You can go to pull up the character menu at anytime and go to Training drills which let's you practice each individual system and or combat mechanic. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They made this  game more accessible and you still find it too much for you.   You would have gotten crushed by X or 2 if you find this one overwhelming just based on the beginning. 

 

 

 

Check out the 10 tips for new players. 4 encourages you to explore and 6 talks about the training drills. 

 

 

 

They also added a accessibility features for those like yourself who may be overwhelmed at the start. 

Edited August 2, 2022 by Goukosan

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

30 minutes ago, Goukosan said:

 

If you're sticking close to the guided path then you're not going to see any of the side content you get from exploring the full world. 

 

There is a ton of side content with full stories, cutscenes, missions and bosses etc... But you have come off the guided path if you want to find it. 

 

 

Yes Xenoblade has a fuck ton of systems, that's why I always laughed at you when you said the combat was simple, easy and just based on a basic auto attack. 

 

Xenoblade 3 actually eases you into it and introduces each system slowly one by one over the first dozen or so hours. 

 

You can go to pull up the character menu at anytime and go to Training drills which let's you practice each individual system and or combat mechanic. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They made this  game more accessible and you still find it too much for you.   You would have gotten crushed by X or 2 if you find this one overwhelming just based on the beginning. 

 

 

 

Check out the 10 tips for new players. 4 encourages you to explore and 6 talks about the training drills. 

 

 

 

They also added a accessibility features for those like yourself who may be overwhelmed at the start. 

 

I know how the game works, I just don't find that the mountain of systems adds to the game or makes it more enjoyable. And yeah there are side quests to find in the open world, but the moment to moment gameplay isn't enjoyable enough for me to want to seek all that stuff out.

 

Ill probably play it for a few more hours but I don't expect it to change my mind anytime soon.

[Goukosan 2,338]

2 hours ago, Twinblade said:

 

I know how the game works, I just don't find that the mountain of systems adds to the game or makes it more enjoyable. And yeah there are side quests to find in the open world, but the moment to moment gameplay isn't enjoyable enough for me to want to seek all that stuff out.

 

Ill probably play it for a few more hours but I don't expect it to change my mind anytime soon.

 

You were just complaining that there isn't much to explore, now you're agreeing there's alot to explore? Lol

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

33 minutes ago, Goukosan said:

 

You were just complaining that there isn't much to explore, now you're agreeing there's alot to explore? Lol

 
many of the side quests are just collection quests. You rarely stumble across anything cool in the open world that feels rewarding.

[Goukosan 2,338]

13 minutes ago, Twinblade said:

 
many of the side quests are just collection quests. You rarely stumble across anything cool in the open world that feels rewarding.

 

New boss battles, characters, new scenarios, new members for your team, side stories etc. 

[Remij 4,830]

I knew this was going to happen before Twinky even bought the game.  This is literally the 3rd time....

 

It's ok to just admit the game isn't for you without blaming the game for not being what you want it to be.

 

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

1 minute ago, Remij said:

I knew this was going to happen before Twinky even bought the game.  This is literally the 3rd time....

 

It's ok to just admit the game isn't for you without blaming the game for not being what you want it to be.

 

 

Im pretty open minded and can enjoy most well regarded JRPGs. But the way this game is designed just rubs me the wrong way.

 

 

[Remij 4,830]

2 minutes ago, Twinblade said:

 

Im pretty open minded and can enjoy most well regarded JRPGs. But the way this game is designed just rubs me the wrong way.

 

 

Fair enough.  Just keep it in mind for XC4.

[Goukosan 2,338]

1 hour ago, Remij said:

Fair enough.  Just keep it in mind for XC4.

 

Lol He won't... Twinblade likes a win now hand holding button.   If the game asks too much of you too quickly he hates it.. Lol

Edited August 2, 2022 by Goukosan

[Remij 4,830]

3 minutes ago, Goukosan said:

 

Lol He won't... Twinblade likes a win now had holding button.   If the game asks too much of you too quickly he hates it.. Lol

Yup. We've seen it multiple times from him before.

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

48 minutes ago, Goukosan said:

 

Lol He won't... Twinblade likes a win now hand holding button.   If the game asks too much of you too quickly he hates it.. Lol

 

I don't understand how my complaints are somehow indicative that I find the game hard or overly complex. I just don't find the moment to moment gameplay to be  that engaging or rewarding enough to keep my attention.

[Goukosan 2,338]

15 minutes ago, Twinblade said:

 

I don't understand how my complaints are somehow indicative that I find the game hard or overly complex. I just don't find the moment to moment gameplay to be  that engaging or rewarding enough to keep my attention.

 

Are the systems complex or not? 

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

2 minutes ago, Goukosan said:

 

Are the systems complex or not? 

 

I'd say they're convoluted. I've played plenty of games with many different systems and mechanics that have been enjoyable, but this game feels overly designed with stuff that doesn't add to the gameplay.

[Goukosan 2,338]

1 hour ago, Twinblade said:

 

I'd say they're convoluted. I've played plenty of games with many different systems and mechanics that have been enjoyable, but this game feels overly designed with stuff that doesn't add to the gameplay.

 

You were just complaining that its difficult to keep track of the action and the systems because of all that is going on.

 

It's too complex for you that's ok. 

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

6 minutes ago, Goukosan said:

 

You were just complaining that its difficult to keep track of the action and the systems because of all that is going on.

 

It's too complex for you that's ok. 

 

The combat is a clusterfuck. That has little to do with its complexity. 

[Goukosan 2,338]

Just now, Twinblade said:

 

The combat is a clusterfuck. That has little to do with its complexity. 

 

It's a cluster fuck to you. It's ok that's its too complex and you can't manage a 6 man team. 

 

I've had no problems keeping track of all the systems at play and action that's going on. 

 

This is the Xenoblade that eases you into everything and yet you still think it's a cluster fuck...that should tell you something.. Its ok that it's complicated for you. 

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

2 hours ago, Goukosan said:

 

It's a cluster fuck to you. It's ok that's its too complex and you can't manage a 6 man team. 

 

I've had no problems keeping track of all the systems at play and action that's going on. 

 

This is the Xenoblade that eases you into everything and yet you still think it's a cluster fuck...that should tell you something.. Its ok that it's complicated for you. 

 

So this really doesn't look like a clusterfuck to you?

 

[Remij 4,830]

25 minutes ago, Twinblade said:

 

So this really doesn't look like a clusterfuck to you?

 

Not really.

 

No PC gamer is going to even be phased by that Twinky  

[Twinblade★ 4,065]

3 minutes ago, Remij said:

Not really.

 

No PC gamer is going to even be phased by that Twinky  

 

to be fair thats not even a good example because its one large enemy. But when you're facing multiple small enemies, its almost impossible to tell whats going on.