Xenoblade Chronicles is the third set of works in the Xeno games franchise, directed/produced by Tetsuya Takahashi, Koh Kojima, and Genji Yokota of Nintendo subsidiary Monolith Soft. Stemming from Jungian Gnostic mecha RPG/rejected FF7 proposal Xenogears, published under SquareSoft, and continuing in spiritual successor Xenosaga, published under Monolith Soft after Takahashi and others broke away from Square due to creative differences.

Xenoblade Chronicles, initially titled 'Monado: Beginning of the World*' was initially conceived as a worldbuilding idea from Takahashi, and was adopted by the team as their working project in an attempt to bolster team morale after the commercial underperformance of later episodes within Xenosaga led the series installments to be halved. Though it was initially meant to be a standalone franchise, Satoru Iwata recommended the title be changed to Xenoblade in order to commemorate Takahashi’s work on the project and past projects.

Xenoblade is primarily known for its detailed environmental design, exponentially escalating/unravelling narratives, and symphonic and electric soundtracks. Xenoblade Chronicles is written by Takahashi and Yuichiro Takeda, with Yurie Hattori having also been brought in from Nintendo to supervise and contribute to the first game. Takeda had previously worked primarily in the anime industry, breaching into games with Xenoblade. Xenoblade’s soundtracks are composed primarily by lead composer Manami Kiyota, the composer group ACE+, Yoko Shimomura, and Yasunori Mitsuda. Shimomura is known for Kingdom Hearts among other games, and Mitsuda composed the Chrono Trigger soundtrack.

Xenoblade has a real-time action-centric battle system that plays much like an MMO, emphasizing relative positioning, timing, preparation, and strategic thinking. Characters, within sufficient range of a targeted enemy, will begin automatically attacking them. Each character in the main party is playable, and each moveset provided fills different team composition niches. Characters can use Arts in combat, special moves that take time to charge but can inflict statuses, manage battle conditions, or do high damage under certain circumstances. In a proper rhythm, one can pull off consecutive status combos and potentially charge enough to perform an all-out Chain Attack for massive damage over consecutive art usage.

Xenoblade Chronicles faced issues in regards to its release status in North America. It had released in Europe with English localization (being the source of its iconic :ukkk: vocal direction) on August 19th, 2011, over a year after its Japanese release, but it was initially held off on by Nintendo of America due to internal struggle regarding its profitability. The online campaign Operation Rainfall attempted to raise awareness of this blockage, alongside other embattled Wii RPGs such as The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower. Ultimately, in April 2012, Nintendo of America decided to publish Xenoblade Chronicles to American audiences, as well as state both their awareness of Rainfall and its ultimate lack of impact on the final decision.

Xenoblade Chronicles (2010, Wii/New 3DS/Switch) takes place on the towering titans/landmasses of the Bionis and the Mechonis. Shulk, a mechanics geek and studier of the Monado, a mysterious sword in the possession of his mentor, is accompanied by his hot-headed and worrywart childhood friends: Reyn and Fiora, respectively, on a routine attempt to obtain power sources when tragedy strikes as the forces of Mechonis invade his hometown, Colony 9. Wielding the Monado, a slight case of future-sight, alongside a bucket full of rage and vengeance, Shulk and friends, some picked up on the way, set off up the titan to take revenge on the mechanical terrorists that ravaged his home, learning to deal with his new visions and unlocking the secrets of the Monado. Quick addendum: this narrative summary only holds up until around halfway through the game.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected (2020, Switch) is an epilogue set a year after the events of Xenoblade Chronicles, packaged alongside the Definitive Edition remake for Switch. Shulk and Melia embark on an investigation into a strange phenomenon regarding a mysterious fog surrounding Alcamoth, while venturing across the Bionis’s discarded shoulder. Future Connected is bundled with Definitive Edition.

I’m going to be honest, I’ve never touched Xenoblade Chronicles X because I didn't have a Wii U. I’ve heard it’s good though! Not exactly connected to the trilogy in terms of chronology, but the open-world is almost universally praised. The music is good too, apparently, but I’d personally like to go in blind if they ever do port it, so I won’t be looking up info about it.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017, Switch) is set in the world of Alrest, populated by animal-esque Titans that roam the Cloud Sea, protecting the inhabitants upon themselves until they eventually succumb to the natural cycle of life. Problem: the Titans are dying off at a faster rate than they’re being born, and Alrest is running out of livable land. Starry-eyed salvager Rex is suddenly wrapped up in a conflict much greater than he could surmise when he disobediently awakens the Aegis, the most powerful Blade known to man, becoming their driver. After a conveniently sword-shaped hole manifests in his pericardial cavity, he makes a deal with his newly bonded companion/WMD, Pyra, to venture towards the top of the World Tree and reach Elysium, which Rex hopes will answer the pressing problem of land shortage. Rex, his newfound sword gf, and the two catbeings they nabbed off of the false flag attack who may or may not be actively wanted for terrorism, journey across Alrest’s nations in order to solve geopolitics once and for all and recruit individuals of varying national importance to their merry band of traveling mercenaries, whilst trying to find a way to reach the World Tree and enter Elysium with their own two to four legs.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country (2018, Switch) is a paid DLC expansion for 2, as well as a standalone-enough game for its own cartridge. I would know, I accidentally bought one thinking it was the original game in like, 2019. Set 500 years before the events of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Torna follows Lora, her two Blade compatriots, and her accompaniment of Addam, initial driver of the Aegis, in his quest to end terrorism. Torna is an entirely separate piece to 2, and can be bought as either DLC or as a standalone game, which I would know, because I accidentally bought it physically before I bought Xenoblade 2.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022, Switch) is the third and final entry in the overarching narrative that encompasses the first and second games. In the land of Aionios, the two indefinitely warring nations of Keves and Agnus fight in a forever war for each other’s fleeting lifespans. Noah, the protagonist, alongside deuteragonist Mio, both have the sacred duties of an Off-Seer: flutists tasked with seeing off the fleeing lights of the dead. A chance encounter with a familiar looking resistance fighter has a chance group of Agnus and Kevesi soldiers entangled into a world-spanning conspiracy of the highest order, due to becoming Ouroboros, beings which can fuse with their partners into EVA Units humanoid biological mech-like beings, which also happen to be the primary counter-weapon against the monstrous Moebius, the ruling class of this ever-stagnant world. Now wanted by the world and cast out from their nations, the 6 Ouroboros and their 2 Nopon companions embark on a protracted people’s war against the vampiric beings that have forever rooted themselves into the machinations of Aionios, alongside those they recruit along the way. A culmination of the previous two games, follow Ouroboros’ journey to end the Xenoblade Chronicles. systematically dismantle the military industrial complex. seize the future, as well as the freedom of the common person to make their own uncoerced decisions.

Xenoblade 1, 2, and 3, alongside 1 and 2’s respective content expansions, are all available for the Nintendo Switch. Xenoblade X is, unfortunately, hardstuck on the Wii U unless Monolith can recreate the game to work on Switch hardware.

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