It’s no secret that the Wii U was passed over by millions of players. The console only sold 13.56 million units worldwide, and dozens of exclusive games were essentially left to rot. Things drastically changed with the release of the Nintendo Switch, a console that is getting ever so close to becoming Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time. Over the last eight years, Nintendo has brought numerous Wii U games over to Nintendo Switch.
These ports, enhanced editions, or remasters have allowed fans to experience so many of these games that many had no chance to play, essentially creating brand-new experiences for most on Switch. While many of the biggest Wii U games made it over, including Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and, of course, Mario Kart 8, one prominent game remained despite numerous pleas over the years: Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a game that got a lot of flak back in 2015 simply due to the circumstances surrounding it. For one, as a game focused on exploration, it followed Xenoblade Chronicles, a narrative-driven game. Fans expected something familiar, and when XCX was something different, many weren’t very pleased. While it seemed like the game would forever be locked in “Wii U Jail”, Nintendo surprised everyone on one October morning, revealing Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for Nintendo Switch.
The Xenoblade Chronicles series has blasted into space on Switch, with over 7.17 million units sold on the console alone, as revealed in the November 5, 2024 investor’s meeting. With new games come new perspectives, and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition now arrives on Nintendo Switch to at last make the complete series playable on one platform. After spending over 120 hours in Mira once again, I’m immensely satisfied with the dozens of improvements Monolith Soft has implemented in this release. Xenoblade Chronicles X has never felt better, and it sure feels great to be in this world once again.
Welcome to New LA
In the midst of a chaotic battle above Earth in July 2054, humanity is forced to enact Project Exodus, a plan that ships out humanity in various interstellar arks in hopes of finding a new planet to save the race. Hardly any of the ships make it past the edges of Earth, but one, the White Whale, does. After traveling through space for a few years, the White Whale suffers heavy damage from an alien attack, leaving the United States-branded ship to crash onto the planet of Mira.
Two months after the crash, you awaken out of cryostasis to meet Elma, a survivor who fills you in on the situation and takes you to your new home: New Los Angeles. With New LA as your base of operations, you’re tasked with joining BLADE, an organization set to secure the Lifehold, a key structure that is holding the vast majority of passengers still in cryostasis. The entire planet of Mira is waiting for you to explore it, and you’re given essentially zero knowledge beforehand.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is unique for a lot of reasons, one of which you’ll find out upon immediately booting up the game. In every other Xenoblade Chronicles game, there is an established protagonist. However, Xenoblade Chronicles X does things differently. Here, you are given the ability to customize your protagonist however you’d like, with hundreds of different options available to change. The Nintendo Switch version of the game adds in quite a few fun, customizable options, with nods to Mythra, Pyra, Malos, and even Nia.
This theme of Xenoblade Chronicles X offering something different from other entries in the series is prevalent throughout the entire game. While it retains the bones and quirks of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, X as an entry plays much closer to an MMO than any of the other games. This starts right away with the overall structure of the main story.
You’ll find that each main story mission is accepted at your base of operations, BLADE HQ. There’s a recommended level you need to reach to have a solid chance at success, but beyond that, it’s up to you to tackle these missions, one at a time, by completing various tasks and such. While there is a story to be found in the main campaign, it’s much lighter than any of the other Xenoblade games. Taking place across 12 chapters (plus a prologue and epilogue), you’ll find a narrative that, while satisfying enough, fails to be anything outstanding. There are numerous things you can point to for this, and while I do wish the main story had packed a bigger punch, it’s not necessary for this to be a great game.
In my experience, it was enough to get me interested in some characters and the world, and that drive for exploration was what allowed me to find the real story of this game: the side content. Xenoblade Chronicles X takes a departure from the more linear approach in narrative that we’ve seen from the rest of the series, and it’s for a good reason. The side content is what truly enriches Mira to levels not even seen in other Xenoblade games.
This is a game about people, humanity, and the means it will go through to fight for survival. The side quests are the shining example of this, as each quest gives you just a little bit more information about Mira. You’ll quickly learn that humanity isn’t the only species attempting to call Mira home, opening up communication and bonds with various alien races. Humans, too, have fascinating stories to share. New LA can feel desolate and dystopian when walking in for the first time, but each quest opens your eyes to another resident or two, truthfully making these people feel human – you feel that connection.
Another key reason the side content is so powerful is that your decisions truly matter. You can make choices in these quests that can lead to entirely different and permanent outcomes, which is fascinating. Depending on your answers in some of the side quests, you can lead to some crazy scenarios. Just be thinking ahead of time: Are you a dog, cat, or Elma person?
Taking everything in, including the side content & main story, my opinion on the overall narrative of Xenoblade Chronicles X is largely unchanged after playing through Definitive Edition: it’s solid, but the world-building is second to none. With the structure of the narrative, you are missing out heavily on the real scenario by opting not to tackle side quests. There is such an abundance of content to play, and after just a few, it’s easy to feel like completing each and every quest is a must-do.
I want to take a moment to talk about what is by far the biggest addition to this version of the game: a brand-new epilogue. While I won’t dive into any spoilers in this review, I will say that I feel pretty mixed about this extra story content as a whole. It feels quite rushed, with many questions proposed in the original game left unanswered. The plot itself is by no means bad, with some fascinating themes and messaging introduced, but it comes off as something that could have been 20-30 hours thrown into just a few.
As a result, there’s a bit of whiplash that hits as you move quickly from one scene to the next. There’s also one key narrative decision I’ve yet to come to terms with, even though I understand the implications and reasoning behind it. I think much of this has been designed and positioned with the future in mind, so perhaps we will receive answers there, but at the current moment, I would have liked to see this story told over a longer period of time.
It’s hard to judge this new story content the same way as expansions like Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country, or Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed, as all three of these could have been games in their own right, especially the latter two. This epilogue is roughly four hours long, acting as an additional chapter to the base game. There is no way to access this content without playing through right to the end, so keep that in mind if you’re hoping to jump right in and experience it first. While I am somewhat mixed on the execution here, it by no means detracts from the overall game, as once again, the main story is just kind of there as a vehicle to get you invested.
Shifting to characters, there are a lot of really fun characters you will have the chance to interact with and team up with. Every character is a blast to meet and interact with, and you never know what to expect. There are 22 different recruitable party members, each coming from various species like human, Qlurian, and more. Your customizable character essentially allows you to experience the world and its people through eyes of your own.
Naturally, these characters are great and fun to interact with, and lots of different personalities will pop up over time. The best way to deepen your bonds with party members is through affinity missions, with almost 60 available to complete in the game. Completing these missions will unlock rewards, such as exclusive arts for use in combat.
New to Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is the addition of four new recruitable party members, with three of these characters entirely new to the world of Mira. Two of these are Neilnail and Liesel, who appear in the main story with new content. I found both of these characters to be great additions to the game, but I do wish there was a bit more packed in with their affinity missions specifically.
While these 22 characters do receive the most characterization and screen time due to being playable, there are numerous other characters you will encounter throughout Mira. Once again, the side content will allow you to dive as deep or shallow as you please, but this really is a situation of you get what you put into it.
Overall, if you’re looking for an RPG that has a wide cast of great characters, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is an excellent choice. As we take a step back from the story and its characters, it’s hard not to realize the special thing that ties this entire game together: the planet of Mira.
Let’s Rock, Mira
Mira is, without exaggeration, probably the biggest and most ambitious world you’ve ever seen in a video game. This world is divided across five separate continents, stretching from the luscious jungles of Noctilum in the west to the volcanic region of Cauldros in the northeast. Every single continent has its own design, with different terrain, enemies, and structures to explore. There is a new continent, Volitaris, added in the epilogue, but for the sake of focusing on the base game, we’ll be covering these five only. Volitaris also doesn’t even have FrontierNav sites to complete, so take that as you will. There is a reason for this, but the lack of ‘meaty’ content in the area is disappointing. While I appreciate some aspects of Volitaris, I definitely wanted more out of this new area.
At the beginning of Xenoblade Chronicles X, you do not know anything about Mira. As you slowly work your way around the planet and see these various continents, it’s hard not to put the controller down and just stare in awe. While these regions were all very pretty on Wii U, the new enhanced textures have made everything look even more gorgeous on Nintendo Switch.
Stepping outside of New LA for the first time is an incredible feeling, but that only grows as you realize Primorida is just one of the continents available in the game. At the heart of everything is exploration, with numerous tasks to complete across the world. Monolith Soft both encourages and expects you to explore every nook of Mira, and you will be rewarded for doing so. While fast travel is an option, you’ll quickly realize there’s no need for it, as every minute spent exploring Mira is worth it, both for general map awareness and sheer enjoyment.
The biggest driver behind exploration is FrontierNav, a system that essentially breaks down the entire map into subsectioned areas. Each of these nodes contains something for you to do, whether it is setting up a probe, taking down a Tyrant, or something else. FrontierNav is great for many reasons, but I love it mainly for the fact that it gives you a visual of how to 100% the game. There’s even a progress meter for your total completion percentage of Mira!
Exploring such a vast world can be daunting, but thankfully, Xenoblade Chronicles X offers numerous tools for you to use at your disposal to make the task easier. One of these is the Follow Ball, which is a tool you can activate that will show you the route to your destination. This was infamously pretty jank on the Wii U, and that’s still the case here, unfortunately. Pre-release footage and marketing made it seem like the tool had been tweaked, but in practice, I still found myself taking oddly long routes because the ball didn’t recognize concepts like jumping off ledges or similar shortcuts. If you’re willing, I’d recommend skipping over the Follow Ball and just exploring Mira on your own — wrong turns and all.
Like any other Xenoblade Chronicles game (and any JRPG, really), Mira is explorable completely on foot. The game constantly encourages exploration, and while it often feels like you’re breaking the rules by climbing mountains and the like, it’s intentional. You’ll end up somehow scaling an entire cliff on foot and sit wondering, “Am I supposed to be doing this?” However, while exploring the world on foot is both breathtaking and rewarding, there is an alternative way to get around that makes the entire experience infinitely more enjoyable.
Skells are where Xenoblade Chronicles X shines its brightest. These giant mechs are shown off right near the beginning of the game, but you’re told early on that you cannot operate one without receiving a license, as these machines are a scarce resource. After Chapter 6, you’ll be able to tackle “The Skell License,” which requires you to pass eight exams to get your own Skell! Now, you’re ready to take to the skies… not. This Skell can be used to drive around Mira and engage in combat with enemies, but you won’t receive a flight module until Chapter 9.
Once you’ve earned your flight module, the game truly opens up. Exploration around Mira inside any of the Skells is unlike anything you’ve ever seen in a video game. There are three different types of Skell Frames: light, medium, and heavy. Each has different fuel requirements and such, which can impact your flight time. Overall, there are a ton of different Skells to unlock in the game, with more and more becoming available as you level up.
New to XCXDE is the Hraesvelg. This Skell cannot be altered, but it’s easily my favorite new addition to the entire game. You wield a giant Japanese katana as a weapon, and if that isn’t cool enough, Hraesvelg has the most unique flight mode in the game. It turns into a bird-like shape and blasts away using rear boosters. You can actually enter a first-person mode inside Hraesvelg, too, which creates an unbelievable perspective we never got on Wii U. With so many different options available for Skells, it’s hard not to get lost inside the system, but it’s a must if you wish to push into overdrive.
Engaging Overdrive
While the story and world take different approaches from the rest of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, gameplay is where things look more familiar. For the most part, gameplay largely resembles that found in the original Xenoblade Chronicles, with a few tweaks here and there that give X a unique feel. You can freely move around when in combat to position yourself, with even jumps available.
Immediately upon entering a battle, you’ll have the ability to cast different arts as your character auto-attacks. These are chosen by moving the D-Pad left and right, and you can customize these depending on your class. Speaking of, there are 16 different classes you can master. Once you max out a class, you can use its weapons and arts in any class you wish. This is crucial for creating the best builds you can in the game.
Beyond Arts, Overdrive is a very important mechanic that is easily your most powerful ability. Using TP, you can activate this counter, increasing the power of your arts and decreasing the cooldown time. While this caused a lot of trouble for players on Wii U, Monolith Soft implemented a very handy visual guide for the mechanic mid-combat. You can toggle it on or off, depending on your familiarity with it, but it’s an excellent addition to the game.
This goes right along with one of biggest changes to Xenoblade Chronicles X: an overhauled tutorial system. Out of every Xenoblade game, this is the one where learning the intricacies of combat is most essential. Your goal with the combat system is essentially to just break the game by making the best build possible, and these new tutorials do a great job at ensuring you’ll be on the path to success. I found some of the tutorials to be a bit tedious, but you really do get an overview on everything, with quick access to all of these resources tucked away in the menu. If you ever need it, even for just a refresher, it’s right there.
Another huge and appreciated change is the UI. Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U had a UI and text that was so small it was almost impossible to see at times. This has been completely resolved now, and the new UI is readable and clean. You can argue that perhaps some of the charm has been lost due to the replacement of the more ‘futuristic’ font, but the trade-off is so worth it. Enemy names can actually be seen this time around, so no need to squint while looking at your TV.
Other major changes with this Nintendo Switch release revolve around quality-of-life features. There are arguably too many to list out without talking for hours, so I’m going to focus on the ones I appreciated the most. First, there’s a brand-new mechanic in battle called Quick Recharge, which allows you to use a meter to completely recharge an art even if it’s under cooldown. As many fans and reviewers have pointed out, this is an excellent addition to especially early game, as you can take down enemies and grind out levels quite quickly.
Additionally, you can now change out your party members anywhere you are on the map. Before, you’d need to hunt them down at their specific locations in New Los Angeles, so this ended up being a huge time-saver. All party members also now gain XP, regardless of whether or not they are in the active lineup. Gone are the days of having to rank each character up one batch at a time.
You can also change the time of day wherever you are, so no more relying on specific areas to perform this action, either. Monolith has even done away with field skills, so you do not need to meet requirements to open treasures anymore. All of this combines to make the experience so much more enjoyable. The Wii U release’s level cap of 60 has been revoked, and these new changes made the grind to max level more satisfying than ever.
It might seem like combat ends there, but that’s just the beginning. You can fight against enemies inside your Skell, which acts as an extension to combat as a whole. Skells have an entirely different set of arts from your character on the ground, and these are all based on the weapons you’ve equipped. Some players will love this combat, and some will hate it. The recharge times are much slower overall when using these mechs, but that’s where that Quick Recharge comes in handy.
Customization is an aspect that directly impacts both combat and appearance in Xenoblade Chronicles X. As I mentioned earlier, it is crucial to tinker and find the best build in this game. Skells are one of the pieces in this customization puzzle. You can customize your Skell’s weapons, augments, armor, and frame to match what you’d like. Change the color to match your favorite mech, whether it be Gurren Lagann or Mobile Suit Gundam.
This creative freedom extends to your character as well, as you can customize your character to look like whatever you’d like. I, of course, had to model my character after Malos, but I’ve seen so many creative options inside the character creator. You can also shuffle through any of the 16 classes and pick the one that suits you best. Plus, outfit and armor customization is a thing, too! This also goes for the party members, with loads of hilarious outfits available. If you weren’t convinced that Xenoblade Chronicles X: Defintive Edition is essentially an MMO, you are now.
Finally, this is the only Xenoblade game that allows you to squad up and play multiplayer. You can tackle specific missions together with friends or random players in a squad throughout Mira, though these are mostly smaller missions. There are Global Nemesis missions, which pit the entire player base against a boss, and these are really fun. I definitely wish more content had been poured into multiplayer, but it’s hard to complain when the game is so rich with it already.
It’s Uncontrollable
The Xenoblade Chronicles series is no stranger to unbelievable soundtracks. Whether it’s the blood-pumping ‘Mechanical Rhythm’ from Xenoblade Chronicles, Yasonori Mitsuda’s ethereal ‘The Tomorrow With You’ from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, or Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s solemn ‘A Life Sent On’, there is no shortage of memorable music in this series. Xenoblade Chronicles X falls in line with this trend, but it’s by far the most unique soundtrack that the Xeno series has ever seen.
Renowned and beloved composer Hiroyuki Sawano, known for legendary anime soundtracks like Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill, and more, was in charge of composing the entire soundtrack for the original game. His participation in this game is by no accident, with Tetsuya Takahashi himself specifically requesting that Sawano handle the soundtrack. Sawano was essentially given creative freedom regardless of vocals, genre, and anything else, and the result was this fascinating soundtrack we have today.
And this was for good reason: from the beginning, Hiroyuki Sawano was the inspiration for the musical direction of Xenoblade Chronicles. Takahashi is on record stating that he presented Sawano’s music “as a sample for the kind of direction I was looking for” when ordering music for Xenoblade Chronicles. The man who had inspired the musical direction of a franchise had entered it to create his own soundtrack.
The result of this endeavor is a fascinating soundtrack that covers all sorts of different genres. In my opinion, this soundtrack embodies everything that Xenoblade Chronicles X is. Without it, the game would lose so much, as the funky and distinct sounds that fill Mira are key to the experience. There’s just a feeling you get when roaming around the six different regions and battling enemies. Even during cutscenes, tracks like ‘Theme X’ are ones I think about all the time. It’s a prime example of music not only enhancing the experience but also giving a game character.
The vocal themes will forever be my favorite, which is a common occurrence for me with much of Sawano’s work. You’ve got bombastic, electrifying battle themes like ‘Uncontrollable’ sang by mpi and Mika Kobayashi, the German ‘Wir fliegen’ that kicks in for Overdrive, and even somber tracks like ‘The way’. Sawano’s use of various languages and musical styles creates a soundtrack that’s not only enjoyable to listen to but also deeply immersive, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
With the release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, new music was revealed to be coming from both Hiroyuki Sawano and Xenoblade series newcomer Misaki Umase. I cautiously watched to see just how many new arrangements and tracks Sawano would return for, especially considering how busy the man is, and unfortunately, we only got a handful of new tracks. Though, what we got was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the new remixes and tracks where Sawano brought in Laco of EOW as a vocalist, as I think these tracks really complemented the original soundtrack well.
Misaki Umase’s contributions to the Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition are welcomed, and I found her compositions to be quite enjoyable. Umase mostly handled the music for the new area that is encountered in the epilogue, and her work is quite excellent. I’m absolutely interested to see if she returns to the series in the future, as I think she did a really nice job with the limited tracks she had.
Outside of music, the Xenoblade Chronicles series has consistently provided quality English voice acting with each entry. Once again, X follows this trend, with a consistent and solid dub for the most part. Caitlin Glass as Elma, Cassandra Lee Morris as Lin Lee Koo, and Ray Chase as L were the standouts for me here, with each delivering an excellent performance across a wide range.
While every other Xenoblade Chronicles game has a set protagonist, you get to create your own character in XCX, as aforementioned. This also comes with the ability to choose which voice actor you’d like for your character. While this is neat, with actors like Yuri Lowenthal and even Adam Howden available as options, it doesn’t really mean much outside of jumps and grunts, considering that the protagonist is silent.
Speaking of voice acting, I do want to highlight the new feature of dual audio support. You can freely switch between English and Japanese, which was great to see. While this wasn’t something that I needed to see for this release, more options are almost always better, and I’m sure many fans of the Japanese dub are satisfied.
Now, for some technical briefing: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition could be the most impressive game Monolith Soft has released visually. I think Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 beat out XDE with character animations, vivid environments, and things of that nature, but in terms of resolution? It’s not even close. This is one of the most beautiful games on the entire Nintendo Switch system, and I do not expect to see that change.
There is an undeniable sharpness to the game as a whole, creating a crisp and clear image all around. Objects in the distance now look sharper and more vivid, with enhanced shadows throughout the environment. While draw distance can make structures in the distance appear quite low resolution, there isn’t much of that here. The techniques Monolith employed have worked wonders to make the world feel like it’s all rendered in at 1080p at all times, even if it isn’t.
One of the biggest upgrades from the original is the remade character models. These look excellent, with many truly giving new life to the characters. I was never a fan of the eyes used in the character models on Wii U, but that has now been completely overhauled. Things like shading, hair models, face shape, and more are now brand-new, and they look great. While some might feel that these new designs are a departure from the original, I think they are a fantastic evolution that feels right in line with not only the original release but also the rest of the series.
The performance overall is very solid, though you’re bound to experience some frame dips here and there. I also experienced a few instances of pop-in that were a little too obvious, especially in New Los Angeles. Despite this, there are no loading screens between any of the zones—you’re free to fly your Skell wherever you please without any loading restrictions. This was something present in the original game, so no surprises here, but what did surprise me was just how good Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition looks in handheld.
I spent probably 60% of my time with the game playing handheld, which is a first for me with the Xenoblade Chronicles series specifically. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 notoriously hit resolutions as low as 378p in handheld, but that is far from the case here. Even on the go, XCXDE is sharp and crisp, especially on Nintendo Switch OLED. Regardless of whether you choose to play this game in handheld or docked mode, you’re guaranteed a steady experience.
Shortly after release, it was discovered that a 60 FPS mode was hidden inside the code of XCXDE. With Nintendo Switch 2 fully unveiled and Nintendo revealing upgrades for select Switch games, I cannot stress enough just how needed a 60 FPS patch is. While nothing is confirmed at this time, we can only hope that not just Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition but the entire series will receive an upgrade patch.
Something About This Planet
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is the perfect send-off for Nintendo Switch, which is set to be succeeded by Nintendo Switch 2 this June. This is a massive adventure that I cannot recommend enough, whether you are the biggest Xenoblade Chronicles fan in the world or someone reading about the series for the first time today. There’s something here for everyone, and it’s undeniably a game you can engage with as much or as little as you want.
Even at over 120 hours of playtime, I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. I put in numerous hours on the Wii U version of the game, but the enhancements on Nintendo Switch make this version of the game infinitely more enjoyable. There should be no question whatsoever regarding whether or not this is the definitive version of Xenoblade Chronicles X. Each time I opened XCXDE, I sat for a few seconds in awe just thinking about the fact that this game—and world—was playable on Wii U.
This is a game that was looked down upon at release because it was so different from its predecessor, but here, almost 10 years later, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is finally being seen for what it is — a great game. No longer are fans upset with something different; many are enthralled by that idea. We’ve seen three numbered Xenoblade Chronicles games with a heavy focus on story launch on Switch over the last eight years, and I believe Xenoblade Chronicles X is a fantastic way to introduce new players to the series while giving older fans a taste of something fresh.
Monolith Soft has completed its remarkable run on Nintendo Switch with a very fitting game in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, completing what I believe is the strongest output of any Nintendo-owned developer for Switch. Where Monolith Soft takes the series next is anyone’s guess (though I absolutely have a few of those!), but regardless of whether we get Xenoblade Chronicles 4, Xenoblade Chronicles X2, or something else entirely, I’ll be here for it.
If you’re looking for a world to get lost in, there is no better world to do that in than Mira. Jump in, get in that robot, pump up that music, and have a heck of a time doing it.
Disclaimer: Nintendo provided Final Weapon with a Nintendo Switch copy of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for review purposes.
