Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Europe (Nintendo Switch)

About the Game

Set after the events of the other games of the same name, this one takes place in the fantasy realm of Aionios where the Keves and the Agnus are locked in a war. Keves are technological geeks who use mechs, advanced weaponry and many vehicles to get about and succeed. On the other hand, the ether-based Agnus people use magical technologies which they have learned to gather from the ether and use.

The game is based around off-seers, who are soldiers who carry a flute and play music to mourn the souls that have been lost. Off-seers can be found on both sides, and you can choose which you want to be: Noah, a Keves, who is accompanied by child-hood friends Lanz and Eunie; or Mio an Agnus, who is accompanied by soldiers Taion and Sena. (See more below about the playing characters and their allies.)

You will play in cities and in the countryside, travelling over (or through) water by swimming and boating, and you will also perform hair-raising grinds and other stunts over open canyons.

The Nitty Gritty

Like its predecessors, the game is set in a large open world: but, unlike its predecessors, you are no longer limited to just three players. Rather, you can play in groups of up to 7 – consisting of six main party members and one alternate character which changes depending on where you are.

As you play you will earn upgrades that allow you to change your character’s class. Some of the pairs of main characters can team up to make an Ouroboros which in this game is a larger playing character with impressive powers – this is called Fusion.

The user interface has the Tactics, Chain attack, Fusion, and different skills’ buttons mapped to four face buttons making it easy and intuitive to change your customisations on the fly.

Fusion works on all the characters: for example, combine two Noah and Mio into a single, very powerful unit in battle. But also create purple, hybrid versions of the various characters, such as Eunie and Taion morphing into a feminine but fierce form that attacks with winged weapons, and Lanz and Sena combining into a hybrid beast that has truly massive gauntlets that help it/them to deal high melee damage with devastating effect.

Chain Attacks are a useful ploy to master, bringing all the party members together to attack a target in unison. Keep an eye on the stats to see how much extra damage this attack is doing – and perhaps even boost it further by earning Completion Bonuses.

The game is single-player only so far, but perhaps multiplayer or co-op play will come along with future upgrades.

The game will provide a glimpse into the futures of the world depicted in the previous two games respectively, so if you have ever wondered what happened after the games ended, now is your chance to find out.

Keves troops are largely in combat vehicles, manned by soldiers who drive them and man their small weapons: Angus are similar, but their weapons are, small, autonomous and ether-based and use more magical means. You will battle renegade mechs as well as dragon beasts as you play through.

Playable Characters and Allies

A quick run-down of who’s who in the game.

• Noah: One of the two main protagonists and a solider of Keves. Noah is an off-seer who mourns for soldiers who’ve lost their lives on the battlefield. He carries a distinctive crimson blade

• Lanz: An ally of Noah’s who wields a great sword that doubles as a shield, he sticks by Noah’s side in battle. His gigantic muscles allow him to wield the hefty sword/shield hybrid to great effect

• Eunie: A childhood friend of Noah and Lanz who has a sharp tongue and rough personality. She specialises in healing her allies in battle with a Gunrod, a cane-like weapon with healing capabilities. She has feathered wings sprouting from the top of her head

• Mio: The other protagonist of this story, Mio is a soldier of Agnus and an off-seer like Noah: he uses hoop-shaped weapons and favours speed over power

• Taion: A tactician who fights alongside Mio using his smarts and insight, quirky Taion is a soldier of Agnus who utilizes magically infused origami in the midst of battle – as everything from drones to stepping stones – with his high intelligence allowing him to act as a strategist for the group

• Sena: This soldier is an ally of Mio and Taion. Despite her petite figure, Sena’s favourite hobby is bodybuilding, which allows her to wield a gigantic hammer to crush her foes. She is, as you might expect, tremendously powerful!

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for PC is available for purchase on Instant Gaming for a fraction of its retail price. You will receive an official key and be able to play the game in seconds. Play smart. Pay less.