Xenoblade Chronicles 3

[mwaawm]

14 hours ago, Stanley said:

I’ve just got in  from work and my daughter has started her own game, she’s playing on easy (she's only 8 ) and whilst I’m delighted she likes it enough to start playing after watching me - what am I going to do 

Be the adult.

 

My house,  my console ergo I get to play and you get to watch.

[SuperCapes]

This game really is tremendous like. Nearing level 40, and continuing to have an absolute blast!!!

[revlob]

13 hours ago, R0b said:

Without spoilers, where does this sit in the series in terms of quality for each of you? I adore 1, 2 and Torna. No interest in the battlesystems; I love the games in spite of those complex barriers to the good characters, story and landscapes. 

 

I'm enjoying this more than 2, but I'm not sure yet if it'll topple(!) XC1 as my favourite in the series. The first game had the advantage of being such an incredible breath of fresh air for JRPGs, and a smaller, more focused cast. So far, 3 is more of a refinement than a revolution, and some of its characters are lost in the crowd. Eunie and Taion are great, whereas I forget Sena is a member of the team sometimes.

[Wiper]

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying it more than 1,* but don't know if I prefer it to 2 yet — I imagine I'll need to finish it to determine that! Really digging the story and characters, but it remains to be seen if the whole ensemble get satisfyingly built up.

 

 

*and X, but that always feels — as its name suggests — like its own thing, so maybe not directly comparable

[Stanley]

I really hope X gets a port to Switch next year as it’s the only one I haven’t played, and it would make sense to have the entire series on the one system. 

[Wiper]

Honestly, I'd like to see it remastered because it's the most flawed in the series. Like, rerelease it with different/no city hub music and it would be 50% better. And that's not an exaggeration. Replace the creepy character models and it'd get better again. Would replay.

 

(sadly, a key part of its design will always leave me cold — the bit where you get access to flight and suddenly all traversal is friction-free — but that's just me)

[Kayin Amoh]

Honestly, X's flight music alone is enough to make it GOAT.

[Wiper]

47 minutes ago, Kayin Amoh said:

Honestly, X's flight music alone is enough to make it GOAT.

 

It is definitely a game of contrasts. Like, this level of artistry and technical accomplishment in the world and vehicle design: 

 

And then this level of... "artistry" and "technical accomplishment" in the character design: 

(This is your main party, not some random NPCs!)

 

Meanwhile on the music front you have this fantastic battle music with vocals: 

 

 

But also these "fantastic" hub city tracks with "vocals": 

 

 

 

 

I would be fascinated to read up on what the art and sound direction guidelines were for the game.

[scottcr]

I kinda regret selling XCX. I’d love to try it again… I just wasn’t feeling it.

 

meanwhile…

 

my son has just finished XC3!!! He was level 70 odd

[Stanley]

5 minutes ago, scottcr said:

I kinda regret selling XCX. I’d love to try it again… I just wasn’t feeling it.

 

meanwhile…

 

my son has just finished XC3!!! He was level 70 odd

He doesn’t mess about does he! How many hours is he on? 

[scottcr]

35 minutes ago, Stanley said:

He doesn’t mess about does he! How many hours is he on? 

It’s the first thing I check but for some reason his switch hasn’t recorded the hours played

[revlob]

Crumbs, this game really opens up in Chapter 3. I've completely sacked off the main quest for side content, and I'm still mopping up level-appropriate quests after a ten hour detour.

 

The side quest bosses are a real challenge on Hard, but it's helped me understand the nuances of the battle system. When it comes to bosses, having a higher level than your opponent does not convey as much of an advantage as a high class rank. I went into a fight with low rank classes and got almost immediately wiped despite being 7 levels higher. I switched everyone to rank 10 classes and had much better survivability as a result.

[MikeBeaver]

3 hours ago, scottcr said:

I kinda regret selling XCX. I’d love to try it again… I just wasn’t feeling it.

 

meanwhile…

 

my son has just finished XC3!!! He was level 70 odd

 

I probably could have done, but a blossoming conversation with a potential new other half has put a massive dent in my gaming time, first date tomorrow, so no XC3 till Sunday evening now at the earliest...

 

3 hours ago, scottcr said:

It’s the first thing I check but for some reason his switch hasn’t recorded the hours played

 

Check the save file time

[scottcr]

My son has confirmed this morning that the game was amazing and epic but XC2 had the best music

[Stanley]

I really haven’t touched side content what’s the deal with colonies? 

[MidWalian]

2 minutes ago, Stanley said:

I really haven’t touched side content what’s the deal with colonies? 

 

Not going to spoil them story wise but a good way to get some of the best classes in the game. Some good story events too.

 

Out of curiosity where are you up to?

[MidWalian]

I haven't been hooked like this for years. I've played a silly amount of this game already. Was up late last night completing Chapter 5. Long (and I really do mean long) cut scenes and battles towards the end. Loved it. 

 

Nothing can beat Xenoblade 2 music though, still some great pieces though.

[SuperCapes]

All this talk makes me want to revisit XC1 and XC2 which I bounced off hard. Always got so hyped but never got into them. 

 

This on the other hand. GOTY material for me... and I platinumed Elden Ring and Sifu in a handful of sittings... that's how much I loved those beasts too! 

 

 

 

[Stanley]

15 minutes ago, MidWalian said:

 

Not going to spoil them story wise but a good way to get some of the best classes in the game. Some good story events too.

 

Out of curiosity where are you up to?

I’ve just met 

Spoiler

Valdi

I can look at different colonies and so on but other than that I’m not sure what else I can do. 

[MidWalian]

6 minutes ago, Stanley said:

I’ve just met 

  Reveal hidden contents

Valdi

I can look at different colonies and so on but other than that I’m not sure what else I can do. 

 

Just keep on doing that hero quest, listen to some conversations which you can discuss at canteens and camp sites and more things will open up. The best is yet to come. Enjoy!

[Stanley]

Awesome! 

[Melon_Bread]

Also loving this, one of the best JRPGs I’ve played in years, it’s so confident in what it’s doing, story is interesting, characters are cool, the battles system is addictive. 
 

I find myself going out for of my way to fight stuff it’s so much fun, and if there’s one of those elite rare monsters and I cant quite take it down it sticks in my mind and I am like ‘I’m coming back for you, you mudder!’

[Alan Stock]

The Xeno 2 soundtrack was good and I know a lot of people think that's the best one... but you're wrong! I think Xeno 3 has better tunes overall. The boss music is amazing. Some of the battle tunes are fire. The rest spot music I could listen to all day. I think the only tunes that haven't grabbed me so far are the overworld themes, though I'm only in Chapter 3 so that might change. However the sad fact is the best bit of music in Xeno 2 doesn't get enough recognition (story spoilers)

Spoiler

The early scene where Pyra breaks out of her container when you first meet her and there's a big fire column in the sky. That music is one of the most epic cutscene scores in all RPG history!

 

In other news I spent all last play session just doing colony side content and it was a blast. Like Melon Bread I am really enjoying the combat and actively hunt down the elites. I do think like Revlob the game is really well balanced on Hard and it forces you to get in deep with the systems and classes. And like Revlob the last resort is to put everyone onto their Rank 10 classes for that extra oomph! Also if you aren't interested in colony side content then at least do the gold quests, which are little mini stories which reward you with a new class - more gameplay options and great fun, plus you usually get a new boss to fight at the end. Really like this approach to the side content. 

 

Question. I have been having trouble finding some of the first ingredients for the meals I can cook up. I did eventually manage to get some Tasty Sausages using one of the relic dispensers but no clue where to get other ingredients that sound like actual foods. Now I'm just resorting to spending silver coins for them (I have over 70!). In fact I've not really been spending my coins at all, but I imagine they will be useful in the later stages for levelling up new classes faster etc.

[revlob]

I learned last night you can only hold 99 silver coins, and any extras you pick up are automatically sold. So don't be a hoarder like me, use them to rank up classes, it's probably the best use for them.

 

Finished off chapter 3, too:

 

Spoiler

I wasn't expecting to get another 3 Interlink forms, and the way they got revealed was awesome. Now I've got "Orouboros Orders" added to the list of combat mechanics, and I'm wondering if that's the full set of systems laid out, effectively ending the tutorial a mere 35 hours into the game (I've really taken my time with chapter 3).

 

The reveal of J's identity was so obvious in hindsight, I should have seen that coming a mile away. The start of Chapter 4 makes it painfully obvious what's behind the mask of Consul "N" though. I'm just waiting for Consuls M, L, E, T, and S to show up now. 🙄

 

Unless they already have? It's hard to keep track of which letters they've used when the way I've played has resulted in the story cinematics being so far apart.

 

[Stanley]

How good is this game though, seriously. In many ways it feels old fashioned, and I mean that in a good way - it just has that sense of awe and wonder that I feel is missing from many modern games. 

[Alan Stock]

5 hours ago, revlob said:

I learned last night you can only hold 99 silver coins, and any extras you pick up are automatically sold. So don't be a hoarder like me, use them to rank up classes, it's probably the best use for them.

 

I've maxed out my gemstones, but I can't remember what they are used for? Anyone?

 

Edit - found out they are used for making gems. Duh. But what else can I use them for? They are coming out the wazoo but you only need a few for gem making.

[Alan Stock]

Also I have found nothing good to spend gold on. The main reason to have gold seems to be for shit accessories from vendors, that you already have a million of. Have I missed something or does gold come into play later in the game?

[Stanley]

36 minutes ago, Alan Stock said:

Also I have found nothing good to spend gold on. The main reason to have gold seems to be for shit accessories from vendors, that you already have a million of. Have I missed something or does gold come into play later in the game?

Yeah I haven’t really bought anything worthwhile, just accessories, and only for the sake of spending money! 

[MidWalian]

I'm level 63 and have 662k in gold. I'm rich! All thanks to not feeling the need to spend any.

 

This game is enormous, really opens up more after Chapter 4...then gets bigger still after Chapter 5.

 

Don't skimp on the hero quests, some are really worthwhile and will take you to some of the nicest areas in the game.

 

What to use my ether on though? Some is used on devices and upgrading gems but is there something I'm missing?

[revlob]

It sounds like there are no 'sinks' for most of the game's resources. I always assumed something would come along that needed mountains of ether or gold, but it doesn't sound like it. I've long stopped drawing ether as I approached the limit and there are no shortage of collection points. I'm not visiting every husk either now, but at least it seems I'll be needing affinity for a while longer.