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Spoiler The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Postgame & Spoiler Discussion Thread

We are temporarily locking this thread while we deal with a number of inappropriate posts. We will re-open it when we have had a chance to catch up.
 
Staff post
Thanks for bearing with us while we sorted out the reports in the thread!

As we reopen, so we can try to avoid having to do this again (for your sake and ours), please remember that it's fine to discuss all aspects of the game as long as we do so maturely, especially on sensitive topics. You don't have to directly engage with any aspects of the topic you don't feel comfortable or equipped to, but in that case please respect that other people will and don't dismiss their concerns.

In the case of That One Screenshot that made the thread blow up - again, feel free to keep discussing it if you so wish, but please respect that a number of people have legitimate grievances with several aspects of it. Please also respect that everyone's comfort levels on this differ and people are still allowed to be excited about the game. A game's flaws and merits do not cancel each other out to just reach a final objective conclusion of only "it's good" or "it's bad".

- paranoodle, Aurc, hologram, Harina
 
I want to be clear and say to everyone here that my comment (regarding the spoiler) was wrong and done in poor taste. I wanted to put in a sarcastic joking manner but it was a total misfire. So I apologize for the comment, learn from it and I promise to do better in the future.

As for the spoiler itself, I don't feel particularly invested since it is one part of a what I already know to be a huge game and it probably has no impact in any way gameplay wise. I will be playing the game but I do understand people having concerns with representation.
 
I don’t have a ton to say, except this: I just wish that this series, which Nintendo is pushing hard for and obviously resonates with fans going all the way back to Operation Rainfall, didn’t have so much problematic stuff in it. I know there’s so much good stuff in these games - there must be, otherwise they wouldn’t have so many passionate fans. And if you are one of those fans who are eagerly awaiting this game, then I’m happy for you. I’m sure it’s gonna be great. I just wish that I could enjoy it, too.
 
I think ultimately unless you're one of the big three JRPG series (DQ, PKMN, FF), it becomes more and more likely for your IP to include pandering to otaku just because these corporations want to see constant growth in revenue and JRPGs tend to have a sale ceiling. But they can make money off the whales who buy gacha and figures and merch, so there's a financial incentive to sexualize the female characters and portray them in a way that caters to male power fantasies.

The photo tucked away enough in the game though that outside of internet forums it'll barely resonate, I would imagine. It's sorta weird that the main game moved slightly away from overly sexual designs though and then ends with... that.

also: if you google xenoblade 3 that pic is one of the first results lmfao
 
I think ultimately unless you're one of the big three JRPG series (DQ, PKMN, FF), it becomes more and more likely for your IP to include pandering to otaku just because these corporations want to see constant growth in revenue and JRPGs tend to have a sale ceiling. But they can make money off the whales who buy gacha and figures and merch, so there's a financial incentive to sexualize the female characters and portray them in a way that caters to male power fantasies.

The photo tucked away enough in the game though that outside of internet forums it'll barely resonate, I would imagine. It's sorta weird that the main game moved slightly away from overly sexual designs though and then ends with... that.

also: if you google xenoblade 3 that pic is one of the first results lmfao
Legit the game has a cutscene where the only thing that happens is two women discuss how they want to go to the bathhouse but are worried about people peeking, then they decide they should go anyway because it'll be fine and that's the end of the scene and it never mentioned again. It the anti-otaku game until the end credits lmao
 
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I hope this isn't seen as disrespectful, but
what does the screenshot seem to be suggesting that people are objecting to? Is it thought that Rex is the father of all three kids?
I'll let people fill in any blanks I don't cover, but the main points I've run into are
  • Most of the comments are based on the assumption that Rex is the dad, since that's how the picture comes off, but I don't know if that's been confirmed/denied or not. Either way, it's what most people are running with
  • Rex is explicitly a minor in XBC2 (he's 15 iirc?) whereas the three girls it's implied he had kids with explicitly don't have canon ages (and from what I understand of XBC2, have a mostly servant-master relationship with him? But I don't want to get into that part since I'm not familiar personally) so it comes off as super skeevy on that front depending on how old you think everyone involved is
  • The entire "wow the guy gets all the girls" misogynistic vibes (which gets worse if compounded with the above)
  • The part where major female characters get transparently relegated to And Then They Had His Babies because (usually male) writers can't imagine women getting to do anything else with their lives, and that part is nasty to begin with but hits extra hard after the recent political events in the US

Big disclaimer that the only game in the series I've played is XBCX and I'm working off (a lot of) osmosis for what I know of the other two games, and I'm mostly basing myself on comments I've seen my friends make after their reaction to the spoiler picture was variants on "jesus fucking christ".
 
I'll let people fill in any blanks I don't cover, but the main points I've run into are
  • Most of the comments are based on the assumption that Rex is the dad, since that's how the picture comes off, but I don't know if that's been confirmed/denied or not. Either way, it's what most people are running with
  • Rex is explicitly a minor in XBC2 (he's 15 iirc?) whereas the three girls it's implied he had kids with explicitly don't have canon ages (and from what I understand of XBC2, have a mostly servant-master relationship with him? But I don't want to get into that part since I'm not familiar personally) so it comes off as super skeevy on that front depending on how old you think everyone involved is
  • The entire "wow the guy gets all the girls" misogynistic vibes (which gets worse if compounded with the above)
  • The part where major female characters get transparently relegated to And Then They Had His Babies because (usually male) writers can't imagine women getting to do anything else with their lives, and that part is nasty to begin with but hits extra hard after the recent political events in the US

Big disclaimer that the only game in the series I've played is XBCX and I'm working off (a lot of) osmosis for what I know of the other two games, and I'm mostly basing myself on comments I've seen my friends make after their reaction to the spoiler picture was variants on "jesus fucking christ".
oh wow, that makes sense

I took it as just a weird family portrait
 
I'll let people fill in any blanks I don't cover, but the main points I've run into are
  • Most of the comments are based on the assumption that Rex is the dad, since that's how the picture comes off, but I don't know if that's been confirmed/denied or not. Either way, it's what most people are running with
  • Rex is explicitly a minor in XBC2 (he's 15 iirc?) whereas the three girls it's implied he had kids with explicitly don't have canon ages (and from what I understand of XBC2, have a mostly servant-master relationship with him? But I don't want to get into that part since I'm not familiar personally) so it comes off as super skeevy on that front depending on how old you think everyone involved is They are not so much master-servant as they are partners throughout their journey. Rex in XC2 is 15 while the other 3 don’t have canonical ages due to spoiler reasons. Unless it was mentioned with that sceeenshot we are not sure when this may have happened but due to his appearance it is in somewhat in the future
  • The entire "wow the guy gets all the girls" misogynistic vibes (which gets worse if compounded with the above) I think this was always going to have a visceral reaction just due to how XC2 was structured story wise & how the game ended with Rex, Pyra, & Mythra. Putting Nia in definitely doesn’t help but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a reaction to people calling her the new Melia.
  • The part where major female characters get transparently relegated to And Then They Had His Babies because (usually male) writers can't imagine women getting to do anything else with their lives, and that part is nasty to begin with but hits extra hard after the recent political events in the US

Big disclaimer that the only game in the series I've played is XBCX and I'm working off (a lot of) osmosis for what I know of the other two games, and I'm mostly basing myself on comments I've seen my friends make after their reaction to the spoiler picture was variants on "jesus fucking christ".
At least that is all I had to add
 
I hope this isn't seen as disrespectful, but
what does the screenshot seem to be suggesting that people are objecting to? Is it thought that Rex is the father of all three kids?
In addition to what people have mentioned,

the whole body language of the scene is not “guy in a wholesome balanced poly relationship” but “guy who claims ownership over women as baby makers.” It’s very off putting in a way that definitely gives it harem-like tendencies to the point of becoming comical that the socially awkward Rex is now this master of women.
 
Yeah the framing of the pic definitely did not do it any favors

Having them all standing up in a group, showing actual emotion, Rex holding one of the kids or something would’ve at least made it a bit better, though not perfect by any means.

Mythra, Pyra and Nia are all very expressive characters, and Rex is a goofball. Him just towering over them looking like this big dominant figure as they sit demurely is offputting for what it means and it sucks the life out of the characters themselves.
 
I think ultimately unless you're one of the big three JRPG series (DQ, PKMN, FF), it becomes more and more likely for your IP to include pandering to otaku just because these corporations want to see constant growth in revenue and JRPGs tend to have a sale ceiling. But they can make money off the whales who buy gacha and figures and merch, so there's a financial incentive to sexualize the female characters and portray them in a way that caters to male power fantasies.

The photo tucked away enough in the game though that outside of internet forums it'll barely resonate, I would imagine. It's sorta weird that the main game moved slightly away from overly sexual designs though and then ends with... that.

also: if you google xenoblade 3 that pic is one of the first results lmfao
DQ has its fair share of "pandering to otakus".

As for the pic in question, I think the easiest way to deal with this is to just patch that shit away. It's just in the end-credits (as far as I know), so a small patch shouldn't be too hard for Nintendo...
 
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DQ has its fair share of "pandering to otakus".

As for the pic in question, I think the easiest way to deal with this is to just patch that shit away. It's just in the end-credits (as far as I know), so a small patch shouldn't be too hard for Nintendo...
Im not denying that, but it’s definitely not to the extent of series like Persona, Tales, Xenoblade, etc.

As for patching out the pic… I wouldn’t hold my breath lol.
 
it wouldn't be in the game if they didn't want it to be in the game. it an easter egg for fans of xenoblade 2 to give closure on the story, there no way it getting patched.
unfortunately I have to agree
 
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I think if they limited it to just kids with Pyra and Mythra and had a more casual photo like from the end of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood it wouldn't have caused such a stir. I do agree with the current photo tho, it's creepy as fuck. The positioning of him over the three of them is almost skin crawling.
 
Been playing through the game so far and surprisingly, the game is nowhere near as lecherous or otaku-pandering as XC2. Not that surprising since Torna was also not as plagued, but my god, if I hadn't known about THAT, I would've said Monolith have cleaned up their act.

Like previous games, the gameplay kinda takes a while before it gets really good, it's a little bit boring I might say, til you get the ouroboros forms.
 
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I hope this isn't seen as disrespectful, but
what does the screenshot seem to be suggesting that people are objecting to? Is it thought that Rex is the father of all three kids?

I have to admit, my immediate reaction to the picture was laughter because of how ridiculous it looks. But I think what's happening is this:

It's difficult to look at the picture and not interpret it as Rex being the father of all three. In Xenoblade 2 it's at the very least heavily implied that there's romantic feelings between Rex and the three mothers, to varying degrees. If we approach it with the assumption that Rex is indeed the father of all three children it just comes off as extremely skeevy and gross, no two ways about it. XBC2 leans heavily on harem anime tropes and here we have an actual harem (or at least the pop culture depiction of them).

What adds another layer of weirdness is that said assumption should also be inconsistent with Xenoblade 2's lore. I'm almost 100% sure that canonically it doesn't even make sense for Rex to be the father, at least not biologically. Blades aren't shown to reproduce the way other lifeforms do. I want to say it's hermaphroditic reproduction but I think some form of cloning fits better. Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence but given how XBC2 goes into various ways of how humans and blades co-exist, including marriage but not procreation, I think it's safe to assume that humans can't have children with blades.

In conclusion, the most charitable interpretation is that this is just a really awkward "family photo" where nobody stopped to think about what kind of message it sends. There's still some problematic imagery there but not "MC fucked the three main female characters at around the same time". This is a case where more "context" could make it worse. If it turns out that Rex really is the biological father of all three, and all the implications that come with it, then hooooo boy...

edit: slightly changed the wording in some parts
 
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I have to admit, my immediate reaction to the picture was laughter because of how ridiculous it looks. But I think what's happening is this:

It's difficult to look at the picture and not interpret it that Rex is the father of all three. In Xenoblade 2 it's at the very least heavily implied that there's romantic feelings between Rex and the three characters, to varying degrees. If we approach it with the assumption that Rex is indeed the father of all three it just comes off as extremely skeevy and gross, no two ways about it. XBC2 leans heavily on harem anime tropes and here we have an actual harem (or at least the pop culture depiction of them).

What adds another layer of weirdness is that said assumption should also be inconsistent with Xenoblade 2's lore. I'm almost 100% sure that canonically it doesn't even make sense for Rex to be the father, at least not biologically. Blades aren't shown to reproduce the way other lifeforms do. I want to say it's hermaphroditic reproduction but I think some form of cloning fits better. Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence but given how XBC2 goes into various ways of how humans and blades co-exist, including marriage but not procreation, I think it's safe to assume that humans can't have children with blades.

In conclusion, the most charitable interpretation is that this is just a really awkward "family photo" where nobody stopped to think about what kind of message it sends. There's still some problematic imagery there but not "MC fucked the three main female characters at around the same time". This is actually a case where more "context" would make it worse. If it actually turns out that Rex really is the biological father of all three, and all the implications that come with it, then hooooo boy...
Yeah, to be clear, I doubt the developers were like, consciously thinking "we're going to signal that these women are breeders for Rex." It's not too dissimilar to traditional Japanese family photos of men standing and women sitting, but with the overall context of these games playing into fanservice elements, it's hard to not feel like it is leaning into male power fantasy tropes that are commonplace in this genre. This sort of thing usually perpetuates because the culture behind production of these titles remains insular, trending to familiar tropes overtime. That doesn't prevent it from coming off very awkwardly though.

I will say this much - I don't think the thought of rising Christofascism in the United States over the last few years factored into this game's development whatsoever, especially as the Roe verdict was only just handed out. Which makes it feel more like awkward timing than anything else.
 

I want to stress that while I still hold a degree of amusement for the sheery audacity of that screenshot, I don't want that to be mistaken for ignoring the problematic aspects of it There absolutely are.

Tbh, along with everything else, I'm sorta annoyed that this might dominate discussion around the game going forward - it seems like an unnecessary own goal.
 
Imagine Xenoblade would have a highly realistic PS4 style artstyle instead of a cute anime artstyle... everybody should realize how disgusting the implications really are. When they revealed Xenoblade 3 I really thought they grew up a bit or at least took into consideration that stuff like this is offensive to some.

The image might not be a big part of the game but it just cemented that the series will never be for me because of all the problematic things in it.
 
Imagine Xenoblade would have a highly realistic PS4 style artstyle instead of a cute anime style... everybody should realize how disgusting the implications really are. When they revealed Xenoblade 3 I really thought they grew up a bit or at least took into consideration that stuff like this is offensive to some.

The image might not be a big part of the game but it just cemented to me that the series will never be for me because of all the problematic things in it.
I feel the exact same way. Too many things in this franchise are not for me.
 
Sadly, I got a spoiler...


The first companion (probably Hero?) is a mastermind.(betray?)

Can you just say yes or no if this is true? (Pls, Don't reveal the hero's name.)
 
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DQ has its fair share of "pandering to otakus".

As for the pic in question, I think the easiest way to deal with this is to just patch that shit away. It's just in the end-credits (as far as I know), so a small patch shouldn't be too hard for Nintendo...
0 chance that happens lol
 
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I want to be spoiled a bit, does anyone know if Pyra/Mythra/Rex will appear or will even be mentioned in the game love those characters tbh.
Since I'm guessing you don't want full details, I will leave it as: yes, they appear and/or are mentioned.
 
Uhhhh…

maybe just read this thread

you’ll get your answer although I’m not sure you’ll want it
just saw it while threading carefully, really quite dig it actually and made me even more excited to play the game just not sure i thought that blades are incapable of procreation???. or maybe i missed something and it will be explained in the game lol
 
just saw it while threading carefully, really quite dig it actually and made me even more excited to play the game just not sure i thought that blades are incapable of procreation???. or maybe i missed something and it will be explained in the game lol
I'm pretty sure the photo is their only appearance.
 
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Literally just1 got the kids to bed and can really start.

At the beginning of the game where

The third party is introduced, and I am immediately struck with a sense of the...... Mundane? Which is strange and fantastical, alien here. Cast iron parts, rivited together, very advanced, sci Fi, but sci Fi from recognizable earth technology to me. Pops out mechs, and they have visible hydraulics for movement again, immediately reminded of advanced earth world tech .... And then They start shooting BULLETS. Bullet bullets, not ether bullets.

What an intriguing start.
 
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In the end I guess there's no vehicle outside the boat which was probably made to make this eryth sea more palatable.
The game seemed very large at glimpse but it's based on unlocking and finding routes to progress.Since the beginning you can see they gonna use that "how do I get up there" a lot.
 
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I opened YouTube and the first video for some reason was a video about a son. How big of a spoiler that is, is it far? That's all I know please don't spoil me further
 
I opened YouTube and the first video for some reason was a video about a son. How big of a spoiler that is, is it far? That's all I know please don't spoil me further
It is and it's quite far into the game. But it isn't what you're thinking it is. So rest assured, you will still be surprised despite knowing about a son
 
I finished this last night and while I think it’s an excellent game with some truly unforgettable moments, I was left unsatisfied.

I think the game loses its way towards the end and as a sequel to XC and XC2, I think it doesn’t quite manage to justify itself.

It’s difficult to know where to start because I’ve got so much to say, but I will start by saying that I really enjoyed the main cast, the story setup and the drama.

Mio is arguably the best character in the series, let alone this game. She confronts her mortality and chooses to push on in hopes of creating a better future for the people she leaves behind. She had some badass moments, good banter, lots of heart-rending scenes and generally carried the emotion of the game for the majority of its runtime. In fact, once the game resolves her personal plight, it becomes far too focused on ideas, rather than people. She is the character who ultimately allows for the world to begin a new, thanks to M’s sacrifice setting in motion the events that would finally allow time to begin moving once more. Noah is fine in this game, nothing special and a bit too flat for me, but Mio is the star.

The fact that’s she’s thought to be, based on a certain picture and some post game content, the daughter of Rex and Nia is cool, but I’ll get to all that later.

As I said, I enjoyed the story setup and drama too. Aionios is a cruel world and from the opening scenes through to the final confrontation with Z, Monolith Soft does a great job of creating an oppressive world full of heartache and struggle. It’s a completely different tone to that found in XC and in XC2. It‘s the perfect backdrop to explore some really poignant human emotions. The never-ending cycle of violence, what it does to us, the world it creates and how we should to try to move past it - with hope. From the comfrontation with N and M at the end of the prison escape sequence, to the tear-jerking homecoming and eventual twist, XC3 is peak Xenoblade in that period. It’s got everything. Seeing the cast marvel at the sight of a baby as the true nature of humanity is revealed to them was a super special moment too (and of course Mio takes the lead in that scene as well, as she does in most of them).

I think the game does a good job of balancing its cast and everyone is likeable to a degree. I think Noah is a weaker leading man than Shulk and Rex, but he’s alright. He’s more of an ideal, a mouthpiece for Takahashi’s musings than a character for large chunks of the game, but that’s okay. Taion and Eunie are great, and Lanz and Sena fulfil their role, even if the latter feels a little left behind.

I said in the other thread that it’s the best Xenoblade - as a game. The UI, the sorting options, the environmental traversal, the beefed up mini map, the polished game feel and…for the lack of a better term, the modernisation of the series. The banter while out in the wilds, the refinement of many ideas from previous games and smart design choices - it feels like the ultimate Xenoblade game. A real evolution of the format.

But despite the quality of the game, the fantastic realisation of its world and some of the best characters in the franchise… the narrative is just such a mixed bag. And those problems come into sharp focus at the end, which is unfortunate.

Forgettable villains, a loss of narrative drive after the prison escape sequence, flashbacks to characters no one cares about, too much philosophical weight given to the narrative at the expense of its characters and a haphazard bittersweet ending, which calls into question what was the point of making it a sequel to XC and XC2 at all.

XC has always toyed around with and reinterpreted bits and pieces from Gears and Saga - but a balance has always been maintained. I think it was lost here and as a huge fan of the XC series, I think this game in particular was used as a vehicle to explore ideas from those games, rather than deliver what I think many would want and expect from a sequel to XC and XC2.

I look back at the likes of Jin, Malos, Amalthus and Egil… even Zanza, and I compare them to the assortment of nondescript power rangers we face off against here and I can’t help but be disappointed. They’re just, mostly, faceless goons with no real personality. Wild Ride had his moments but generally speaking, they’re all just so forgettable. Z as an endgame boss just felt so hollow. Him representing the fear of humanity is fine, but he’s not a character in and of himself. He just exists, which I know is the point, but it’s unsatisfying. N is the exception here (I don’t consider M a villain). And while his best moments are great, it’s just not enough for me. The villains just lack character.

The game does a good job of setting up a clear goal early on and then as the group grow closer it very much becomes a story about Mio, with the crew doing what they can to ensure her final wishes are fulfilled. Her imminent fate gives the narrative a tension that the game never really manages to replace once the issue is resolved. It also doesn’t help that you piece everything together very quickly. There’s no late game twist that shifts your perspective or recontextualises the journey. The notion that humanity is being used as fuel in a never ending cycle of death and despair is established early on, as is the idea of people being grown in tubes to facilitate this. Origin is a cool idea, but that’s explained in a five-minute cutscene that essentially just directs the team to the end of the game. That’s your big, this is how it all went down moment, and it just feels like not enough. The City does house some cool lore titbits, as does some postgame content… but this game feels so tonally divorced from XC and XC2, it might as well not be a sequel to those games at all. The connections feel forced and while some of the themes explored in XC3 are extensions of those in previous games, they’re delivered in such a different way, it’s hard to reconcile XC3 as a follow-up. There’s no reverence given to past locations and few hints to even suggest this world has anything to do with the old ones.

Though I will say, ascending to Cloudkeep to be met by a rearranged version of Drifting Soul brought a tear to my eye. It felt like the first time in the game Monolith Soft put a hand on my shoulder and said ‘thanks for playing those earlier games, this is for you‘ in a meaningful way,

Joran, Crys… does anyone care about these characters? When the former was revealed to be a consul, I couldn’t decide whether I thought that it was so silly it was brilliant, or so silly it was the most ridiculous thing in the game. We are told these characters are meaningful and important, but they get so little development and screen time, I couldn’t care less about them. The fact that the former was incorporated into the main story in some big moments left me bemused, while the latter getting a mandatory hero quest slot right at the end game felt contrived.

I can easily understand people arguing this cast - the party - is the best we’ve had. But everything surrounding them is just… well, it exists.

I also spoke about philosophical musings overriding the characters and the plot, and I think that’s because in the end, the game becomes largely built on ideas at the expense of those involved. Cast members fade into the background to facilitate this. The prison escape sequence I mentioned earlier is pretty much the crescendo of the entire game because it masterfully combines the themes of the game with character drama the game has built up for 30/40 hours. And it does all of that while giving us a really cool twist, a bunch of meaningful flashbacks, a new power for Noah and so on.

The game’s ending pivots back to this a little bit and I was delighted to see Mio and Noah kiss, but even this conclusion is subservient to the themes of the game, refusing to offer up a plainly satisfying ending. It’s essentially the ending of XC2 if Takahashi had decided the glow of the core crystal was enough and had decided not to make a more outrightly positive ending because he felt like players deserved it.

And speaking of XC2, well… where do I start. The rearranged Drifting Soul track got me and it was great to see Nia and Poppi. There’s some good lore in there if you look for it and overall, I think the cast from that game was given a little bit more love than the XC cast. And then there’s that picture. I don’t, on a surface level, have an issue with it and don’t share some of the gripes I’ve seen expressed. That said, I want to know how it happened and why. To finish XC2, then play all of XC3 to get to the final cutscene and see that image… it’s a bit of a curveball. Pyra and Mythra, fair enough - but Nia too? Is it too much to expect the DLC to actually explain some of this? It’s so casually thrown in there too. You wait all game for something truly meaningful to show what happened to our old heroes, then the team just hand you that picture after five years of hoping for an answer, then they end the game. See you in a year for the DLC, maybe?

Nia fights with the ghostly remnants of Pyra’s sword behind her too, what’s that about?

From what I understand, Shulk and Rex fought as the original ouroboros and eventually helped create The City… or at least, that’s the suggestion. But you’re left scratching around for a bit more.

All of these questions just also highlight one of the big issues I have with the game - there’s just so much not explained. So many story threads or ideas that are introduced or teased, but ultimately go unexplored. Or if they are explored, they feel underdeveloped and unsatisfying. I could list them, but I’d be here for another hour.

And I’ll throw in one more grenade while I’m at it - the world itself is nowhere near as interesting as the ones in the previous game, XC2 in particular. I think of Argentum, a trade guild, floating on a sea of clouds and attached to a giant living being, I think of the dream-like environment of Leftheria, it’s islands suspended in the air, or looking up in Gormott to see the head of the titan moving around. XC3 has scale and smart design, but no wow factor to me.

The towns, with one exception, are a massive step back too.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed the game. I still have a lot to do and I think it’s excellent. But I feel very conflicted over parts of it. There‘s no anger, no bitterness and I have a lot of respect for Monolith Soft for this game. It’s their best game in many ways…

… but I think they sacrificed a bit of Xenoblade’s soul to get there.
 
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Well I just finished it and it's my favorite Xenoblade game. The thing everyone here is talking about was absolutely unnecessary though.
 
In fact, I think the reason why some people think prior games can manage to justify themselves is that they think Zohar can manage to do everything.
For me ,I don't think XC3 failed to justify itself, just like prior games.
 
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So, about the fog king in FC, it seems that caused the worlds to collide, and they not are moebius. Another thing, moebius not like fog.
 
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The story start strong then it devolve into unentertaining melodrama with unfocused character development , mostly predictable plot twists and some hollow philosophical speeches springled here and there

The gameplay carries this game IMO
 
I've never seen so many spoiler boxes in a spoiler thread that allows open spoilers

Also I haven't played XC2 or 3 and have little context for that screenshot past a cursory knowledge of the relevant characters but it reminds me of how I assume porn games end, lol.
 
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I beat the game. But one thing that bother me so much was Noah‘a kid lol

Like. He had a kid in a different life and no one seemed to care lol.

Doesn’t have to be important kid, just never acknowledge by him. Only loved Mio I guess.
 
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The game is great overall, and I've definitely enjoyed playing it, but the plot honestly kind of feels like it runs out of steam in chapter 7, with a lot of things kind of just happening, and the connections to 1 and 2 feeling like kind of an afterthought. The ending is also highly ambiguous even by Xenoblade standards. Hopefully the DLC addresses at least some of this.
 
Just finished the game and i feel like the relationships between the main cast are a bit underdeveloped.

Edit: I enjoyed this moren than the prev. xeno overall though cant wait for the dlc
 
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I feel pretty satisfied with the overarching setting and story, because with a bit of reflection it all makes sense.

I do still however have some hanging threads that are bothering me.

Below, I will detail my full understanding of the game having beaten it a couple days ago.


Colliding universes
The disappearance of the Conduit caused the events of Xenoblade 3.
Shulks universe was created (or forked, if you will) from our own universe by the Conduit during Klaus' experiment.
The Conduit was entirely responsible for powering and stabilizing Shulk's universe.
The disappearance of the Conduit destabilized Shulk's universe and doomed it to collapse back into our own.
Ultimately, it was theorized that the collision of universes would result in a halt of matter through spacetime, leaving only light and (anything moving at c) to continue its existence.

Language of Light
Upon learning of the imminent collision of universes from the rifts it was causing, members of either universe discovered they could communicate to the other universe by sending data and radio signals (language of light) through these rifts.
This discovery allowed the members of either universe to collaborate on a method of surviving the collision of universes and the stoppage of time, effectively resulting in an "Ark" of sorts called Origin.

Origin
Origin was a supercomputer created in two halves - one half was created in Shulks universe, and the other half was created in our universe.
The purpose of Origin was to house as much data about their respective universes as possible, including the minds of everyone who existed at the time of Origin's creation, so it could continue on surviving past the collision and through the "stoppage of time".
The goal was to allow the universes to collide and die, but to continue life in Origin, as a proxy universe containing data from both universes.
Almost like an "ark" of sorts.
After the universes collided, everyone who was alive in either universe at the time of the collision was "awakened" inside Origin and continued to experience the passage of time, making Origin a success... until it was quickly taken over by Moebius.

Moebius
This is where things get hazy for me. Everything up to this point is pretty well explained, but I'd like some thoughts on this part.
At some point after Origin's creation, something took it over.
Was it the remnants of Zanza?
Was it a being from a higher dimension using the rifts caused by the universes colliding as a means to gain power in our domain?
Or was it truly a "glitch" in Origin where the fears and pain of all the minds stored in it coagulated into a manifestation?
Whatever Moebius was, it represented the fear of no longer existing, of the futility of life, of having no control.
And it manifested itself as a being who called itself Z.
Z took control of Origin and claimed it as his own universe to rule.
Why? Well, I guess if you fear no longer existing, the futility of life, and having no control, seizing control of a universe whose rules you weren't enslaved to might assuage that.
Beyond that, Moebius' existence and motivations are a mystery to me.

Moebius' power and "the flow"
Moebius was not beholden to Origin's continued flow of time, since Moebius did not technically come from Origin, or from either of the collided universes, and possibly didn't even come from our plane of existence at all.
His set his figurative throne in the frozen moment - the endless now - of the collided universes, while he ruled over all of Origin and its inhabitants still experiencing the flow of time.
He enjoyed watching the lives of those inside Origin suffer the passage of time from his throne of endless now, because it meant that he didn't have to suffer. Truly a megalomaniacal and vain figure.

Consuls
Consuls were simply inhabitants of Origin that Moebius (Z) felt could relate to him in his fears.
He selected these people because he needed an audience to his power, as any vain ruler would.
He gave these Consuls a part of his own power - the ability to exist outside of Origin's flow of time.
That's why the Consuls are referred to as Moebius - they were granted the ability to exist outside of Origin's flow of time.
They were granted Moebius' power, and due to their very nature which earned them this power, they became cruel and looked down on those who still suffered from the fears of existence that Moebius no longer needed to fear.
Enough time passed that the Consuls essentially saw the lives of those in Origin as nothing more than data (technically true), and pawns in their game.

Origin's life cycle
Since all existence and matter in Origin is data, when someone dies they can simply be brought back to life using the same data profile as before.
Since the new life is technically a new iteration of the same data profile, memories are not carried over across lives.
However, each data profile's lives are stored somewhere in Origin.
I personally think the enormous matrix of cubes found inside Origin is supposed to be data containers for each living being stored inside Origin and the memories and data from each of their life cycles.
This is how they were able to receive all their past lives' memories once becoming Moebius - they gain access to Origin and all its stored data that they didn't have access to as a participant.
As for how Eunie remembered her past life - I'm not sure about that one yet. Maybe it's a "Neo in the Matrix" type scenario. There's a lot of The Matrix in this game.

Keves vs Agnus
The eternal war between Keves and Agnus was purely a construct by Moebius with two purposes:
1. The churning and creation of life data gave Moebius power.
2. The constant distraction of war kept anyone from learning about Origin and potentially threatening Moebius' power.

Ouroboros
I'm completely stumped on what Ouroborus is.
I know Melia and Nia created it as a means to destroy Moebius, but what is it?
If you had to explain the power of Ouroborus to someone who knew nothing about the game, how would you describe it?
What was special exactly about the members of Ouroborus? Were they incarnations of the same people in each cycle? Or were they truly random people each time?
Does becoming Ouroboros "free" you from anything? If so, why were the main characters still fearing the end of their 10th term?

N and M
My favorite aspect of the game. Will update this section later with my thoughts.
 
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So… Xenoblade 3… it was a wild ride, that passage of fate…

Too soon?

Whatever you think about the game, it gave us Mio and for that we should be thankful.

I’m hopeful that brick shithouse Rex can save the XC3 story for me with the power of friendship answers in the DLC.
 
As much as the plot and setting left me feeling cold, not sure how I'd feel about locking the true end or the answers behind DLC. Seems healthier to accept 3 for what it is, as a game interested in delivering its themes and messages first and foremost.

As long as the party isn't just 6 teenagers again, I'm good.
 
Please read the threadmarked staff post before posting.
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