Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Xenoblade Note Vol. 6 (Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct)

Nintendo have shared the 6th Xenoblade Note blog post on their Topics website, providing us with some more details about Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This time, the post goes over everything that was revealed during the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct!

Here’s the list of blog posts available:

• Xenoblade Note Vol. 2 (Battle System)
• Xenoblade Note Vol. 3 (Exploring the world)
• Xenoblade Note Vol. 4 (Battle System: Arts and Fusion Arts, Classes and Class Change, Cancelling, Chain Attacks, more)
• Xenoblade Note Vol. 5 (Heroes, Cooking, Gem Crafting, new music tracks)
• Xenoblade Note Vol. 6 (Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct)
• Xenoblade Note Vol. 7 (Overview trailer, Battle System, Ouroboros, Heroes)
• Xenoblade Note Vol. 8 (Side activities, Expansion Pass, Commercials)

Worldview – Reintroducing the story

The game takes place on Aionios, and tells the story of two countries that are constantly at war with each other: Keves (Noah’s home country) and Agnus (Mio’s home country).

Their inhabitants live a rather dreadful life: they only get to live for 10 years, and every year is dedicated to one thing: battle. They are trained as soldiers from an early age, so that they can go on the battlefield and defeat their enemies in order to fill their Flame Clock.

At first, Noah, Mio, and the others are fighting each other, but everything changes when they’re suddenly attacked by a mysterious giant enemy.

And just as that enemy is about to hit Mio, Noah jumps in to protect her. Their two bodies then fuse (a phenomenon called Interlink), and turn into a giant being known as Ouroboros.

As an Ouroboros, Noah and Mio manage to survive their encounter with the giant enemy, but this victory comes at a price: the whole group is now being targeted by both Keves and Agnus. After that, they follow the advice of a mysterious old man known as Guernica Vandham, who tells them to seek Swordsmarch: a land pierced by a giant sword.

Worldview – The Consuls, who control both countries

The Nintendo Direct introduced a group of people known as the Consuls, who exert control over both Keves and Agnus (who are supposed to be at war with each other), and even command the various colonies on Aionios.

The Consuls wear masks to hide their faces, and can transform into Moebius (giant creatures that are over 5 meters tall) in battle.

Two Consuls are introduced:

• D: he’s the one who suddenly appears in front of Noah and the others as they’re fighting each other, and attack them in his Moebius form;

• ???: an enigmatic Consul, who wears different clothes than the other Consuls.

Worldview and Gameplay Systems – Exploring the wonderful world

Throughout the game, Noah and his companions will get to travel across the vast world of Aionios, trying to reach the mysterious city mentioned by Guernica Vandham. It’s said to be located somewhere in Swordsmarch (the land pierced by a giant sword).

The creatures roaming the world

The various regions of Aionios each offer a rich ecosystem, and are populated by many different creatures. Some are very docile and gentle, while others are ferocious and will attack you on sight.

Some of them have two names, and are extremely powerful: those are Unique Monsters. Don’t be afraid to run away if you feel like you cannot defeat them!

The Iron Giants and the Colonies where people live

In each region, you will find Colonies: they are strongholds used by Keves and Agnus. The people of Aionios live in those colonies. Each one has its own Iron Giant: a huge mobile base also used as a weapon in battle.

What you can do in colonies

In non-hostile colonies, there are various things you can do: you can shop for gear and items, grab a bite to eat, and even befriend the inhabitants.

And naturally, it would not be a Xenoblade Chronicles game if you could not talk to the inhabitants to take on some Quests.

There are many things you can do in the world, and more details about that will be shared at a later date.

System – Heroes, the 7th Party Member

Heroes are special characters that join you during your adventure, and even fight alongside your team in battle as the 7th Party Member.

Only one Hero can join your party in battle, but you can switch with another Hero that has joined your party at any time. Unfortunately, you will not be able to control Heroes directly.

When a Hero joins your party, their Class becomes available to the permanent party members (Noah and the others). In other words, the more Heroes you recruit, the more Classes and Arts you gain access to.

System – The protagonists can fuse?! Ouroboros

When two characters Interlink, they turn into Ouroboros: beings blessed with overwhelming power in battle.

As an Ouroboros, you can use powerful Ouroboros Arts at will. But be careful: you can only stay in that form for a limited amount of time!

An Ouroboros has two forms: one for each of the two characters that Interlinked. Each form has its own strengths and weaknesses, so make sure to switch from one to the other in battle depending on the situation.

Here’s the various Ouroboros:

• Mio and Noah, with Ouroboros Mio and Ouroboros Noah
• Sena and Lanz, with Ouroboros Sena and Ouroboros Lanz
• Taion and Eunie, with Ouroboros Taion and Ouroboros Eunie

System – amiibo compatibility

Quite interestingly, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is compatible with all amiibo figures. Scanning one allows you to obtain useful items for your adventure. And if you use the Shulk amiibo, you will be able to change the appearance of the Swordfighters’ weapon to that of the Monado. But if you don’t have that amiibo, don’t worry: you will unlock that skin by clearing the game (the amiibo simply allows you to do it much earlier).

Product Information – The Expansion Pass, offering additional content, is now available for pre-order

You can expand the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 with the Expansion Pass. It adds a completely new storyline, new Heroes, fashion equipment, Challenge Battles against strong enemies, and more. The content will be released from July 29th onwards, and throughout 2023.

You can find more details about the DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on this page!

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch) comes out on July 29th worldwide.

Source: Nintendo