Nintendo held a Xenoblade Chronicles 3-focused Nintendo Direct, and in the 24-minute presentation the company showed off a chunk of new footage, as well as talked about features and future support. If you want to watch the showcase, you can do so right here with the archived video, but for everyone else, scroll down further for a quick recap.
Much of the footage showcased focused on the game’s story and cast, their seemingly doomed lives of war and death, and their attempts to defy their fate throughout the game. After which the presentation shifted focus to its vast landscapes, the towns you can find within them, and the monsters you’ll fight in your travels. There was also a great deal of time dedicated to the battle system, and man, it’s hard for me to look at this game’s combat in motion without being taken aback by how busy the UI is. But beyond that, the Direct breaks down roles and classes, and how you can customize them as the player. It also gave some spotlight to the fusion mechanic that lets two characters create a powerful Ouroboros, which can function differently in combat depending on which character you have set to control the fused creation.
As things wrapped up, Nintendo confirmed Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would have an Expansion Pass, which will run you $29.99, and include both cosmetic items, as well as story content set to release sometime next year. The game will also feature amiibo support, with any figure giving you in-game items. However, the Shulk Super Smash Bros. amiibo will allow you to change a character’s sword to look like Shulk’s.
Check out the full Expansion Pass details below:
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is coming to Switch on July 29. The RPG was originally set to launch in September before Nintendo moved it up to fill out its summer release schedule.
