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Spoiler The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Postgame & Spoiler Discussion Thread
OP
OP
Deleted member 2
Guest
What's going on
It was just a response to the previous post.
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
I’m excited for the story DLC. At first I felt utter apathy towards it after being left disappointed by the base game. But, unless they go completely off the rails, I reckon the expansion might give me the connective tissue I thought was missing in XC3.
I also managed to snag myself the CE last week, so I’m excited to see the art in all its glory when it arrives.
I also managed to snag myself the CE last week, so I’m excited to see the art in all its glory when it arrives.
JR436
Probably looks better in a dress.
- Pronouns
- He
It's a shame Harry Lloyd didn't really get much of a chance to strut his stuff as Z right until the very end.
He has a great villain voice, and can ham it up where required. Casting him as a mostly stoic and static character seems like a waste.
He has a great villain voice, and can ham it up where required. Casting him as a mostly stoic and static character seems like a waste.
OP
OP
Deleted member 2
Guest
I personally have the gut feeling we'll be left with more questions than answers
Unless it truly is cut content that is as always meant to be in the original game, like Torna was.
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
I think, either through a prequel or epilogue, we'll get something that more directly ties into XC and XC2. I don't know what that will be or how much it will give us, but I'm hopeful.
I always bring up Torna in this sense because I wanted to know what happened to Addam before it released - and the game doesn't really tell us, but it gave us enough across the board to feel satisfied.
I don't really expect the DLC to solve my issues with XC3, but as its own thing - either as a prequel filling in some of the blanks or as an epilogue rounding out the story and setting the stage for the future, I think there's reason to be optimistic.
My presumption is that this DLC will feel even more standalone than Torna, which XC2 spent some time laying the groundwork for. Giving how standalone and lacking in real history (or future) XC3 is, this could very much be a streamlined JRPG that stands on its own... even more so than Torna.
After thinking about it for a while
Basic expectations for expansion:
Prequel featuring the founders as main party, with notShulk, notRex and 7th mystery dude as a simplified hero system
Past events such as Nimue's Colony liberation will feature in the plot but probably not too much
Consul A will appear here
N as the main antagonist
Will feature past versions of "important" characters who didn't have much screentime like Crys
Plot is basically Vandham gathering his JRPG party and going to kick N's ass and making a new better City with blackjack and hookers
No wacky crossover shenanigans, just a relatively simple and straightforward story like Torna
Basic hopes for expansion:
Hopefully not all of them are teenagers this time
Ouroboros can dash now
Consul A is there and is marginally better than his peers (hopefully not just a filler buffoon before the focus shifts to N)
Chain attacks are rebalanced to be shorter, less overpowered, and maybe more connected to regular gameplay somehow
Smash is nerfed, debuffs can actually land now
No lucky seven equivalent (one party member mogging everyone else so hard that you wonder why they even bothered with the rest)
Reid looks like Shania and has the same voice (The Niall-Hugo special)
Basic expectations for expansion:
Prequel featuring the founders as main party, with notShulk, notRex and 7th mystery dude as a simplified hero system
Past events such as Nimue's Colony liberation will feature in the plot but probably not too much
Consul A will appear here
N as the main antagonist
Will feature past versions of "important" characters who didn't have much screentime like Crys
Plot is basically Vandham gathering his JRPG party and going to kick N's ass and making a new better City with blackjack and hookers
No wacky crossover shenanigans, just a relatively simple and straightforward story like Torna
Basic hopes for expansion:
Hopefully not all of them are teenagers this time
Ouroboros can dash now
Consul A is there and is marginally better than his peers (hopefully not just a filler buffoon before the focus shifts to N)
Chain attacks are rebalanced to be shorter, less overpowered, and maybe more connected to regular gameplay somehow
Smash is nerfed, debuffs can actually land now
No lucky seven equivalent (one party member mogging everyone else so hard that you wonder why they even bothered with the rest)
Reid looks like Shania and has the same voice (The Niall-Hugo special)
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DenkeyKong
banana
I wish there was overworld Ouroboros exploration. Imagine being able to run around as an Ouroboros in the huge overworld
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Imagine if they could fly like mechs!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I was actually expecting this as soon as I saw them in battle.
I was really jonesing for this game to be like X
DenkeyKong
banana
And jump very high to easily scale mountains
DenkeyKong
banana
It would've been a neat secret reward for completing all the mapsI was actually expecting this as soon as I saw them in battle.
I was really jonesing for this game to be like X
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
DLC hopes/dreams -
My hopes and dreams are quite small, I think. I don't care how much of the above I get but I'd like to see my bullet points realised in some capacity. A compelling villain is something I'm desperate for. N could fit the bill if used correctly because I don't think he featured enough in XC3.
The meaningful connection part could be anything - no matter how big or small. Knowing what happened in the immediate aftermath of the creation of Aionios would be enough. But something about how we ended up where we are at the start of XC3.
Melia having the Monado Rex, Poppi being sealed away in the Cloudkeep, Nia wielding the Aegis swords... there's stories behind all these things and while I'm not sure the DLC would answer all of these, or even one of these, you suspect they do all correlate with the end of Rex and Shulk's journey in some capacity.
All of these things could weave into a story that also gives us a little bit more on Lucky Seven, explains the origins of Ouroboros and so on.
I'm quite easy though, nothing above has to happen, but I'd appreciate it. The Monado Rex and Aegis Sword artwork creates an expectation that I hope they deliver on - but I must confess, after XC3, I don't feel quite as confident in Monolith Soft delivering on it.
And this is also presuming it's a prequel - an epilogue could be anything.
- Older Rex and Shulk - I need to see my salvager boy turned beef cake and our martial arts master in their primes. Alternatively, their descendants would do (though I'd be less enthused).
- A strong antagonist - I want to see someone with a little more charisma/personality take on the villain job this time round.
- Meaningful connections to XC/XC2 - just in the sense that the story fills in some of the blanks left open by XC3.
My hopes and dreams are quite small, I think. I don't care how much of the above I get but I'd like to see my bullet points realised in some capacity. A compelling villain is something I'm desperate for. N could fit the bill if used correctly because I don't think he featured enough in XC3.
The meaningful connection part could be anything - no matter how big or small. Knowing what happened in the immediate aftermath of the creation of Aionios would be enough. But something about how we ended up where we are at the start of XC3.
Melia having the Monado Rex, Poppi being sealed away in the Cloudkeep, Nia wielding the Aegis swords... there's stories behind all these things and while I'm not sure the DLC would answer all of these, or even one of these, you suspect they do all correlate with the end of Rex and Shulk's journey in some capacity.
All of these things could weave into a story that also gives us a little bit more on Lucky Seven, explains the origins of Ouroboros and so on.
I'm quite easy though, nothing above has to happen, but I'd appreciate it. The Monado Rex and Aegis Sword artwork creates an expectation that I hope they deliver on - but I must confess, after XC3, I don't feel quite as confident in Monolith Soft delivering on it.
And this is also presuming it's a prequel - an epilogue could be anything.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
SpaceGodzilla
Did You Get that Thing I Sent You?
- Pronouns
- him
Because then a majority of the discussion would be on the latter and not the former
A major point of the game is about not dwelling in regret/inertia/pessimism/defeatism/fear/paralyzing mental poisons in general and learning to trust the future no matter how uncertain it is, very succinctly displayed by the visual metaphor of N's paths where the "correct" choice that ends his misery is taking the path that is completely empty
In other words if you want a comforting victory lap epilogue that assuages your worries you are basically moebius. Don't blame me, blame Takahashi for writing this
In other words if you want a comforting victory lap epilogue that assuages your worries you are basically moebius. Don't blame me, blame Takahashi for writing this
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Getting flashbacks to when launch XC2 used the wrong model for a character in one cutscene at the end of Chapter 7.
- Pronouns
- he/him
Her Chain Order still makes me crack up because the lead up is so dramatic "Ether Absolute", "this is all I am!" And then it's just Starlight Kick
Zeal543
Paratroopa
Wait what I don't remember this
OP
OP
Deleted member 2
Guest
I straight up lol'd when I saw that, I yelled into the other room "it's Starlight Kick!!!!"
JR436
Probably looks better in a dress.
- Pronouns
- He
...wait, is the hair considered a problem in this game? I know it clips a lot - especially the longer styles - but I thought it looked okay.
Maybe I'm biased because I thought Mio's hair was amazing, it was so bouncy! I love Melia's look as well.
Maybe I'm biased because I thought Mio's hair was amazing, it was so bouncy! I love Melia's look as well.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
For the most part it's great, but when some of the longer-haired characters look down, it becomes kinda obvious that the hair is a modelled mass as it sticks straight back instead of staying down like gravity would normally have it do.
I dunno if I explained that well
SpaceGodzilla
Did You Get that Thing I Sent You?
- Pronouns
- him
Another major point about the game is fighting for the future you want (actually, it's the message of the entire series), and we know that despite not remembering each other, they do want to meet again, so I don't see how an epilogue would go against one of the many messages of the game
If anything a prequel is the moebius way of doing things. Stuck in the past and unwilling to move forward with an uncertain future makes you moebius. The correct choice for this dlc is a epilogue.
linkwashere
Space Warrior
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Future Connected was an epilogue
Torna The Golden Country was a prequel
The correct choice for DLC is prequel
I'm mostly joking, not trying to toss fuel on an argument
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
Torna was, for a variety of reasons, A LOT better than FC though, so the point stands. 
SpaceGodzilla
Did You Get that Thing I Sent You?
- Pronouns
- him
counter point, child senaTorna was, for a variety of reasons, A LOT better than FC though, so the point stands.
WideAwake5
A Humble Hom
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I saw others doing this earlier in the thread and wanted to make my own:
Characters: 3 => 1 > 2 > X. The main cast of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are among my favourites across any games, essentially equal or slightly greater than the first game. I love that we meet the team very early, and never introduce characters that replaces them in gameplay, but instead use Hero characters. It also has some really compelling sidequest characters and a few great villains, though Z being a concept as opposed to an actual villainous character serves the story well, but leaves the villains in the first game and 2 to be more memorable. The cast of the first game is about as great as 3s, though I think the writing quality in general is better in 3.
Story: 1> 3 > 2 > X. 3's story is something I really appreciate. The characters are so much in the unknown, that they fail to analyze something that the player comprehends instantly. And this isn't a flaw, but a tool to breakdown the ideas of fear, failure, moving on, and one's future to its core. This grows and grows until the end of chapter 5/early chapter 6 that blows the doors down on the history of our characters previous lives. I think this leads to a great ending, where the characters truly push past any fear of moving on by defeating Z, which of course means our characters will be separated from each other. It doesn't match the first game, which was an exciting revenge plot from the start, with great reveals doled out throughout the game. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has some higher moments than 3, and honestly feels more like the first game than 3 does, but I think the story paid with the characters of 3 raise it above 2.
Worldbuilding / Lore: 2 >1 > X > 3: This games worldbuilding is somewhat underwhelming consider how well Xenoblade Chronicles series as handled this in the past. I think there wasn't as much to understand when it came to core concepts, unlike 2's Blade and Cloud Sea and 1's History and two Titans. Our characters knowledge of the world are limited to what Mobeus wants them to know. The world here is just a world. It's closest comparison in this case would be X. The first game and 2 rely on Titan's, which are somewhat characters in themselves, and each of those games stories can only occur with the worlds and lore in those games. 3 could occur on any other landscape, as it doesn't require the world or provide lore that really utilizes their landscapes as well as others in the series. That being said, outside of the Xenoblade series, the worldbuilding and lore of 3 is pretty good.
Exploration: X > 3 > 1 > 2. While it lacks worldbuilding, the world itself is really well designed and fun to explore. The use of field skills in this game is an improvement from 2, and of course has more to offer then the first game. The exploration reminds me of X, where we are let loose in a big biome that provides different smaller biomes within it, and the world just keeps going. I was constantly surprised to find caves, climbable areas, somewhere to drop down to, etc. On top of that, the Erythia Sea was a huge surprise with many fun islands to check out. That being said, X still offers are more exciting world to explore, and since exploring Mira is part of X's story, it fits well.
Gameplay: 3 > 2 > X > 1. The gameplay is a combination of the first game and 2s, leaning more towards the first game. This is a simpler and more understandable, while still combining in multiple skills, abilities, and Chain Attack. I think the strength of this series is that each game has some form of uniqueness to its battle system, which I appreciate, and I found 3s to be the most fun. I do wish the game challenged our methods more in the second fight, by having boss fights have requirements or targeted parts to change up the flow of battle. 2s battle system from chapter 3/4 onward is great, but it starts slow. X is 1 on steroids, but 1 still has the Monodo.
Music: 1 = 2 > 3 > X. The soundtrack feels more like background, environment music than prior games. Still a ton of great tracks, and compared to games outside of this series, it's fantastic, but the first game and 2 just offer a lot of variety, and just some many bangers. The remixes of battle tunes for the unlockable heroes are an example of how well those older songs are written and stand out among the original songs in this game. Also, X has a unique soundtrack that fits the game so well, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.
Overall: 1 > 3 > X > 2. This game series is amazing, and this game keeps that same quality. It doesn't reach the first games completeness and harmony, but it certainly has its own strengths and I think it has a part of every prior game in its design. X and 2 are also great and deserve a little more love.
I'm so happy to see how far this series as come. Since Operation Rainfall, us Xeno fans have been winning. If X can grace Switch, then it'll be the ultimate Xenoblade console. Glad Nintendo has faith in Monolith Soft, and I hope this continues after the Switch.
Characters: 3 => 1 > 2 > X. The main cast of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are among my favourites across any games, essentially equal or slightly greater than the first game. I love that we meet the team very early, and never introduce characters that replaces them in gameplay, but instead use Hero characters. It also has some really compelling sidequest characters and a few great villains, though Z being a concept as opposed to an actual villainous character serves the story well, but leaves the villains in the first game and 2 to be more memorable. The cast of the first game is about as great as 3s, though I think the writing quality in general is better in 3.
Story: 1> 3 > 2 > X. 3's story is something I really appreciate. The characters are so much in the unknown, that they fail to analyze something that the player comprehends instantly. And this isn't a flaw, but a tool to breakdown the ideas of fear, failure, moving on, and one's future to its core. This grows and grows until the end of chapter 5/early chapter 6 that blows the doors down on the history of our characters previous lives. I think this leads to a great ending, where the characters truly push past any fear of moving on by defeating Z, which of course means our characters will be separated from each other. It doesn't match the first game, which was an exciting revenge plot from the start, with great reveals doled out throughout the game. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has some higher moments than 3, and honestly feels more like the first game than 3 does, but I think the story paid with the characters of 3 raise it above 2.
Worldbuilding / Lore: 2 >1 > X > 3: This games worldbuilding is somewhat underwhelming consider how well Xenoblade Chronicles series as handled this in the past. I think there wasn't as much to understand when it came to core concepts, unlike 2's Blade and Cloud Sea and 1's History and two Titans. Our characters knowledge of the world are limited to what Mobeus wants them to know. The world here is just a world. It's closest comparison in this case would be X. The first game and 2 rely on Titan's, which are somewhat characters in themselves, and each of those games stories can only occur with the worlds and lore in those games. 3 could occur on any other landscape, as it doesn't require the world or provide lore that really utilizes their landscapes as well as others in the series. That being said, outside of the Xenoblade series, the worldbuilding and lore of 3 is pretty good.
Exploration: X > 3 > 1 > 2. While it lacks worldbuilding, the world itself is really well designed and fun to explore. The use of field skills in this game is an improvement from 2, and of course has more to offer then the first game. The exploration reminds me of X, where we are let loose in a big biome that provides different smaller biomes within it, and the world just keeps going. I was constantly surprised to find caves, climbable areas, somewhere to drop down to, etc. On top of that, the Erythia Sea was a huge surprise with many fun islands to check out. That being said, X still offers are more exciting world to explore, and since exploring Mira is part of X's story, it fits well.
Gameplay: 3 > 2 > X > 1. The gameplay is a combination of the first game and 2s, leaning more towards the first game. This is a simpler and more understandable, while still combining in multiple skills, abilities, and Chain Attack. I think the strength of this series is that each game has some form of uniqueness to its battle system, which I appreciate, and I found 3s to be the most fun. I do wish the game challenged our methods more in the second fight, by having boss fights have requirements or targeted parts to change up the flow of battle. 2s battle system from chapter 3/4 onward is great, but it starts slow. X is 1 on steroids, but 1 still has the Monodo.
Music: 1 = 2 > 3 > X. The soundtrack feels more like background, environment music than prior games. Still a ton of great tracks, and compared to games outside of this series, it's fantastic, but the first game and 2 just offer a lot of variety, and just some many bangers. The remixes of battle tunes for the unlockable heroes are an example of how well those older songs are written and stand out among the original songs in this game. Also, X has a unique soundtrack that fits the game so well, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.
Overall: 1 > 3 > X > 2. This game series is amazing, and this game keeps that same quality. It doesn't reach the first games completeness and harmony, but it certainly has its own strengths and I think it has a part of every prior game in its design. X and 2 are also great and deserve a little more love.
I'm so happy to see how far this series as come. Since Operation Rainfall, us Xeno fans have been winning. If X can grace Switch, then it'll be the ultimate Xenoblade console. Glad Nintendo has faith in Monolith Soft, and I hope this continues after the Switch.
EtherPenguin
Koopa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Z/Moebius aren't stuck in the past, they're stuck in the comfortable present. If anything the past is portrayed as good as rescuing the monarchs of the old worlds is important to victory and in beating Z, we restore their empires. It's especially noteworthy if we view FC as a companion piece to 3. in FC, it's the good guys who state "you will not so easily refute our history!" to a villain who is overeager to bring on the future.
Joran is a mixed bag as a character.
But the voice acting for him was pretty great honestly. His “reveal” was pretty great in terms of acting.
And he voiced Milton in torna! Got that kid voice down lol
But the voice acting for him was pretty great honestly. His “reveal” was pretty great in terms of acting.
And he voiced Milton in torna! Got that kid voice down lol
Dunban
Riki may well be the softest of all Nopon
- Pronouns
- He/him
His reveal was great, but like many Moebius he didn't make a strong villain and they didn't really need to let him have so many appearances. I would've loved it if they could've let his end with D be at Keves Castle instead. There's so many other Moebius that could've been fought at Cloudkeep. Or even vice versa, let us fight a different Moebius at Keves Castle and save Joran for Cloudkeep.
I think it would’ve helped if we got to play with Joran in the team. Regulated to flashbacks just hurt the impact since it became expected.
Tho worst is just the resolution happening instantly lol. Never felt it was a accumulation of the storyline but rather “D needs to die now” lol.
EtherPenguin
Koopa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
For a while now I've been thinking it might've worked better to have a prologue chapter where you play as the younger version of the characters leading up to the attack where Joran died and Ethel saved you. It might hurt the pacing to add another chapter with just the Keves group but on the other hand, having a half hour long cutscene after just the tutorial battles was already not doing the pacing any favors.
Zeal543
Paratroopa
Game needed an extra chapter towards the end if anything
EtherPenguin
Koopa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
For sure, I thought that went without saying lol. The game really feels like they had more ideas than they could fit/had time and budget for but still tried to stuff as much in as possible, from frontloading the early chapters with long flashbacks that could've been a playable prologue, underbaked characters like Crys, and of course, how rushed the final chapter and a half feel.
Dunban
Riki may well be the softest of all Nopon
- Pronouns
- He/him
Joran could've worked as a Hero after the reveal for sure, he would've been a character playing both sides. They even could've had a similar setup to Ethel if they didn't want to have a permanent Hero missing after his death. A Keves-Moebius healer would've been cool.
That would've been a cool approach as well, though it would've required them to make gameplay for the kids and maybe they didn't want to put more work into something that's temporary.
EtherPenguin
Koopa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Right, I was thinking they would just have the same stuff and it would work like Dragon Quest V where your experience/levels/abilities just carry over as is after the timeskip. Maybe start the characters' classes at rank 1 and after the timeskip, automatically raise it to 5 if it was lower. Most of the work would probably be rigging the child models to use all the same animations without looking weird.
I guess another problem is that it would be a long time to stay in the default classes, and then it would be even weirder how little time you play as the Agnus crew in their default classes by comparison. Seriously, it's funny to me how Mondo is very special to Taion and seems almost sentient but the only time you're really going to play as Taion with Mondo is the walk from the Alfeto cave to the Millick hulk without wasting CP.
- Pronouns
- he/him
So what you're saying is that it should've been Mwamba
- Pronouns
- He/Him
¿por qué no los dos?
And Hackt
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
Malos, Jin and Amalthus are still the best villains in the series for me.
D had a lot of potential. He's like Metal Face... if after his introduction he was used incorrectly throughout the entire game. Such a waste.
Z, X Y, Joran... awful.
N is the best villain in XC3 for me. And even he feels a touch lacking, more down to screen time than a fault in his portrayal.
D had a lot of potential. He's like Metal Face... if after his introduction he was used incorrectly throughout the entire game. Such a waste.
Z, X Y, Joran... awful.
N is the best villain in XC3 for me. And even he feels a touch lacking, more down to screen time than a fault in his portrayal.
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