Xenoblade Chronicles 3

[ryodi]

The book was sealed but the box was not and like you I got a dent in the corner because it was very tightly packed, they didn't even use the Mario branded cardboard I've had in the past when ordering from them. 

[Ninja Doctor]

How big was the box? Mine hasn’t arrived yet and I won’t be in when it comes so it needs to fit in the secret hidden security cupboard. 

[ryodi]

The box it came in is roughly 27cm x 34cm x 6cm. Its a few cm smaller than the Xenoblade 2 LE. 

[Keyboard Koala]

5 hours ago, ryodi said:

The book was sealed but the box was not and like you I got a dent in the corner because it was very tightly packed, they didn't even use the Mario branded cardboard I've had in the past when ordering from them. 

 

Same here. They're defo cutting corners it seems.

And they also seem very aware of shady delivery services. I've never had a package with a piece of text that says to contact NoE asap on the slightest suspicion of tampering with the package.

 

Glad I got it though. I really cut down on limited editions as it was getting a bit silly over the last 5 years, but Xenoblade Chronicles is one of the very few games I'd still like the limited edition of.

[Professor Puzzles]

If all the pretend swear words in this game were real swear words, it would be a snuffin' Tarantino movie. Love Eunie the bird girl though; she might have replaced Nia from the second game as my favourite foul-mouthed part-animal anime rpg character (a remarkably populated field.)

[scottcr]

I was not prepared for

 

(Around lvl 50 spoiler)

 

Spoiler

How long it would be from getting to the prison to I actually got to do anything again!!! Holy shit, just defeated N and the robot queen appears - it’s felt like a big long interactive cut scene for about 4 hours

 

[scottcr]

Ooo!

 

late game character spoiler

 

Spoiler

Nia!!!

 

[scottcr]

And it’s DONE

 

the last 1/3 of the game is fantastic and the whole end sequence is probably the most epic I’ve ever seen.

 

an amazing ending to a wonderful trilogy of games. The story in this one takes a bit of time to kick in but by the end it’s brought all the games together and the finale is beautiful. 
 

wonderful

[scottcr]

Can’t stop thinking about that whole ending…

 

it’s my 2023 GOTY.

[Stanley]

7 hours ago, scottcr said:

Can’t stop thinking about that whole ending…

 

it’s my 2023 GOTY.

Mine too, absolute masterpiece IMO. 

[scottcr]

1 hour ago, Stanley said:

Mine too, absolute masterpiece IMO. 

to think across the three games I’ve probably put in about 400 hours! Whether or not he had this story planned out since day one - dunno, but it was a great way to bring it all together.

 

now I’m away to find all the heroes and shard’s for upgrades… there’s loads of the map I haven’t seen yet.

[Alexlotl]

I didn’t feel like picking this up on launch, but after finding myself inexplicably hankering to play XC2 for a third play through last week, I thought the healthy thing to do would be to pick up a used copy from my local CEX.

 

Put an hour or so in last night, and enjoying it. It’s certainly the most dystopian world of the three, but the concept of competing for actual life force is kind of fascinating, in a boil-war-down-to-it’s-base-principles kind of way. As a veteran of the first two it’s fascinating to see the different design languages mixed up in the enemies and settings. I was worried the characters looked a bit generic, but they seem to have plenty of personality. Eunie is my favourite so far, interesting how she seems much more at home in this existence than Noah.

 

It all generally feels more XC1 than XC2 so far. I hope the combat doesn’t get too complicated though; XC2 was perfect for me, but Torna lost me completely.

 

My favourite British localisation team touch so far - finding a collectible called “Razzle Basil”. 

[Ninja Doctor]

Was it found in a bush or some railway sidings?

[deerokus]

On 15/01/2023 at 12:30, Alexlotl said:

 

 

My favourite British localisation team touch so far - finding a collectible called “Razzle Basil”. 

Later on someone says "I don't what to mither, but".

[Alexlotl]

Quick check on combat - in XC2, your auto attacks came in a combo pattern, with the last move in the combo being more powerful. If you cancelled into an art from that last move, it gave you a bigger damage boost than cancelling in from an earlier move in the combo.

 

As far as I can tell, at least for Noah, the auto attacks are all identical this time? So presumably I may as well cancel into arts straight away rather than waiting a few hits.

 

Still in the early stages, just got to the Alfredo Valley or whatever it's called. Enjoying sort-of-recognising the scenery. Took down my first unique just to prove I could, I was L6 to its L5. My wife is already tired of hearing "You hear that Noah? Lanz wants something a bit meatier."

[Kevvy Metal]

10 minutes ago, Alexlotl said:

Quick check on combat - in XC2, your auto attacks came in a combo pattern, with the last move in the combo being more powerful. If you cancelled into an art from that last move, it gave you a bigger damage boost than cancelling in from an earlier move in the combo.

 

As far as I can tell, at least for Noah, the auto attacks are all identical this time? So presumably I may as well cancel into arts straight away rather than waiting a few hits.

 

Still in the early stages, just got to the Alfredo Valley or whatever it's called. Enjoying sort-of-recognising the scenery. Took down my first unique just to prove I could, I was L6 to its L5. My wife is already tired of hearing "You hear that Noah? Lanz wants something a bit meatier."

 

"I'M THE M. V. P. !"

[Strafe]

My favourite bit of this game is playing a forlorn flute song over the corpses off fallen comrades just as Lanz breaks into his air squat idle animation.

[Ste Pickford]

Annoying, receptive stuff like that is why I always switch to Japanese VO when it's available.

However, I wish I'd switched back to English earlier because everything the cockney girl says is hilarious with her accent (in a good way). 

[shynra]

39 minutes ago, Alexlotl said:

As far as I can tell, at least for Noah, the auto attacks are all identical this time? So presumably I may as well cancel into arts straight away rather than waiting a few hits.

 

That's correct in this all auto attack's are identical. 

 

One thing i didnt use till later is after an auto attack if you press Left stick (like L3 on PS clicking the stick in) +direction you do that quick move/dodge which will let you quickly move/reposition and the next autro attack will come out right after that movement.

[Alexlotl]

Ta. Tried the left stick thing, but I'm not sure I'm allowed to use it yet (just like I wasn't allowed to use tactics until the game told me about them). Fairly sure no-one told me about chucking rocks at enemies to goad them into fight, but the muscle memory from XC2 still worked. Not sure how I'd be coping with the waves of information the game throws at me if I hadn't played the first two, TBH.

 

I like the way the talent art only gets charged if you correctly use the positional/conditional bits of your regular arts. Like the game rewards you for playing it in the way it was designed.

[Alexlotl]

Holy shit, this thing is meta. Very early game spoilers.

 

Spoiler

Just got to play as the Agnus party, and realised:

 

The Keves party is composed of a Homs, a High Entia and a Machina, who fight using XC1 styles.

The Agnus party is composed of a Human, a Gormotti and a Blade, who fight using XC2 styles.

 

It's literally XC1 and XC2 crashing into each other.

 

Mio also made me belatedly realised that Nia's name (Niyah in Japanese) is a pun on Nyan, the Japanese onomatopiea for the noise cats make. Mio/Meow, Niyah/Nyan. Sharing this in the hope that I'm not the last person who worked it out.

 

Anyway, basically at the either-playing-it-or-thinking-about-it stage with this game already, which is a good sign.

[shynra]

On 18/01/2023 at 15:56, Alexlotl said:

Ta. Tried the left stick thing, but I'm not sure I'm allowed to use it yet (just like I wasn't allowed to use tactics until the game told me about them). Fairly sure no-one told me about chucking rocks at enemies to goad them into fight, but the muscle memory from XC2 still worked. Not sure how I'd be coping with the waves of information the game throws at me if I hadn't played the first two, TBH.

 

I like the way the talent art only gets charged if you correctly use the positional/conditional bits of your regular arts. Like the game rewards you for playing it in the way it was designed.

I picked it up last night after my "Persona 5 break " Its actually R3! You may have to unlock it - if not give it a go!

[MikeBeaver]

5 hours ago, Alexlotl said:

Holy shit, this thing is meta. Very early game spoilers.

 

  Hide contents

Just got to play as the Agnus party, and realised:

 

The Keves party is composed of a Homs, a High Entia and a Machina, who fight using XC1 styles.

The Agnus party is composed of a Human, a Gormotti and a Blade, who fight using XC2 styles.

 

It's literally XC1 and XC2 crashing into each other.

 

Mio also made me belatedly realised that Nia's name (Niyah in Japanese) is a pun on Nyan, the Japanese onomatopiea for the noise cats make. Mio/Meow, Niyah/Nyan. Sharing this in the hope that I'm not the last person who worked it out.

 

Anyway, basically at the either-playing-it-or-thinking-about-it stage with this game already, which is a good sign.

Worked it out before I did... and I finished the game months ago 😛 😛

[Alexlotl]

Slowly progressing through the desert area, learning the systems and mopping up the uniques. A bit sad that the gem crafting isn't the "To me! To you!" of XC1, but I guess the removal of randomness is probably welcome.

 

What a lot of systems there are. When I first changed class and unlocked the left-hand-side arts pallette, the game banged on about Fusion Arts, which made me think that was the only way of using them. I only discovered by accident that you can just trigger them using the left d-pad!

 

I currently have that problem I tend to in games with job schemes, where I'm constantly running my team in various inefficient line-ups in return for the promise of greater power down the line, which isn't that satisfying. That said, the formations menu (which I had to discover for myself) is pretty neat for this - I can keep a formation full of powerful maxed-out classes (the base classes) with good secondary arts/skills in slot one, then my current work-in-progress classes in slot 2. If I meet a unique I want to take down, I switch over to the power formation and wallop them, then switch back for taking on the rank-and-file mobs.

 

The jury is out on the chain attacks, I can see there's a lot of strategy, but it doesn't feel like part of the battle flow in the same way they did in XC1 & 2.

 

My wife is watching LOTR with my ten year old daughter at the moment, and Noah's voice gives me serious Frodo vibes. That same odd transatlantic accent and sense of warm intelligence.

[GokouD]

1 hour ago, Alexlotl said:

Slowly progressing through the desert area, learning the systems and mopping up the uniques. A bit sad that the gem crafting isn't the "To me! To you!" of XC1, but I guess the removal of randomness is probably welcome.

 

What a lot of systems there are. When I first changed class and unlocked the left-hand-side arts pallette, the game banged on about Fusion Arts, which made me think that was the only way of using them. I only discovered by accident that you can just trigger them using the left d-pad!

 

I currently have that problem I tend to in games with job schemes, where I'm constantly running my team in various inefficient line-ups in return for the promise of greater power down the line, which isn't that satisfying. That said, the formations menu (which I had to discover for myself) is pretty neat for this - I can keep a formation full of powerful maxed-out classes (the base classes) with good secondary arts/skills in slot one, then my current work-in-progress classes in slot 2. If I meet a unique I want to take down, I switch over to the power formation and wallop them, then switch back for taking on the rank-and-file mobs.

 

The jury is out on the chain attacks, I can see there's a lot of strategy, but it doesn't feel like part of the battle flow in the same way they did in XC1 & 2.

 

My wife is watching LOTR with my ten year old daughter at the moment, and Noah's voice gives me serious Frodo vibes. That same odd transatlantic accent and sense of warm intelligence.

The what!? Would have been good to have discovered that myself before I finished the game! 

[Alexlotl]

Just got to the end of the desert bit. I enjoyed the boss figh, mainly as I'm starting to get the hang of the chain attacks now. Interesting that the base TP is done by character, not by class - Taion has 35 because he's a tactical genius, even if you've got him holding a really big hammer. Some googling revealed how the Role Match and Force Match TP bonuses work, which helps a lot. I haven't managed to use an Oruboros form in a chain yet though, might try that this evening.

 

Spoiler

The reveals of the other Oruboros forms were neat, and the terrifying vastness of the rolling colony was impressive. I find the whole Lucky 7 blade background story a bit weird, though. "Nopon say this strongest blade in history of Aionios. Will give to random 14 year old.". No doubt it'll be revealed Riku is all part of some larger masterplan.

 

Is it just me who gets major Power Rangers vibes from the campness of the Moebius enemies/consuls? I'm assuming it's a sort of known trope in Japan.

 

I coincidentally hit L20 at the end of the boss fight, so after the cutscenes the game just flooded me with new options - extra skills, extra gems, Soul Tree, etc. Spent about half an hour last night merrily tweaking things. I was surprised to see that once you craft a gem, everyone can equip it - as if you're discovering the tech rather than making a physical thing that goes into a weapon. But then I guess the weapons aren't terribly physical either, so shrug.

[Alexlotl]

Whee, the Flash Fencer class is a lot of fun. I've basically been exclusively maining Noah since I got it.

 

While it's better than XC1 & 2, this game still has a bit of a tit problem. It's tricky - I look at this game and I see a 50:50 male/female core cast, with female characters getting to be fighters, tanks, generals etc instead of just healers, mages or princesses in distress, and not having to act sexy all the time. In that sense it's pretty progressive as JRPGs go.

 

My wife, however, just sees the bits of their clothing the female characters have cut out to emphasise their tits, and she's not wrong. Last night I had my first encouter with Commander Sideboob from Colony Iota, who was a bit much. "One stab there, and she's toast."

[Yasawas]

On 25/01/2023 at 13:55, Alexlotl said:

What a lot of systems there are. When I first changed class and unlocked the left-hand-side arts pallette, the game banged on about Fusion Arts, which made me think that was the only way of using them. I only discovered by accident that you can just trigger them using the left d-pad!

 

I currently have that problem I tend to in games with job schemes, where I'm constantly running my team in various inefficient line-ups in return for the promise of greater power down the line, which isn't that satisfying. That said, the formations menu (which I had to discover for myself) is pretty neat for this - I can keep a formation full of powerful maxed-out classes (the base classes) with good secondary arts/skills in slot one, then my current work-in-progress classes in slot 2. If I meet a unique I want to take down, I switch over to the power formation and wallop them, then switch back for taking on the rank-and-file mobs.

 

The jury is out on the chain attacks, I can see there's a lot of strategy, but it doesn't feel like part of the battle flow in the same way they did in XC1 & 2.

 

This is exactly me right now. I thought it was a bit too sparse in terms of mechanics at first, the the combat became a bit more complex and interesting, and then there was a couple of hours where it doubled my party and deluged me in new systems all called Art Skills, or Fusion Chains, or something equally meaningless. I genuinely don't know if I like it after 15 hours. 

 

I don't know if I'll ever escape the feeling that the party is too large (combat always looks messy and confusing) and that I'll constantly be grinding new roles to the detriment of making a fixed team I'm happy playing with and tweaking slightly as I progress. Is any of that valid?

[scottcr]

8 minutes ago, Yasawas said:

 

This is exactly me right now. I thought it was a bit too sparse in terms of mechanics at first, the the combat became a bit more complex and interesting, and then there was a couple of hours where it doubled my party and deluged me in new systems all called Art Skills, or Fusion Chains, or something equally meaningless. I genuinely don't know if I like it after 15 hours. 

 

I don't know if I'll ever escape the feeling that the party is too large (combat always looks messy and confusing) and that I'll constantly be grinding new roles to the detriment of making a fixed team I'm happy playing with and tweaking slightly as I progress. Is any of that valid?

I played the whole game with the default roles, the roles are just there if you want to play about with them. You can pretty much ignore the whole party other than your character. The AI handles it all well.

 

 

[Alexlotl]

Making slow and steady progress, just got to Colony 30.

 

Spoiler

The tone of this whole section has been completely off. We've gone from gritty, fight-for-survival stuff in Colony 4, to a 13 year old colony commander who fights the team one second, then makes friends with them the next, and suddenly gets sad when he realises the 30ft high monsters with laser cannons and giant razor claws he's been building might be used for violence. The dialogue seemed to just be... stuff, no sense of it meaning anything. Like it had been translated so each sentence was coherent English, but strung together they meant almost nothing.

 

Is the Consul dead? It's not clear. I then smash the flame clock with my half-Agnus team and destroy everyone's way of life without warning, and they're all "Oh well, we'll see what happens. Let's collect lucky flowers".

 

Then I suddenly get the ability to climb walls, for no reason whatsoever. Couldn't Valdi at least have given me some techno-gadget for the sake of the plot?

 

Hopefully it's just a brief misstep, but this whole section felt very phoned-in. Nice to have an extra class, anyway.

 

Am I right that you have to actively have someone acting as a given class for other people to unlock that class? I shifted Noah off Flash Fencer once he mastered it, but then everyone else's progress seemed to stop. I put it back on to beat a unique and then Sena finished unlocking it.