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Pre-Release Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Pre-release Discussion Thread (Spoilers from leaks/early copies NOT allowed)

Which side are you on?

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Warlord said:
UNIQUE MONSTER SONG IS FINALLY HERE!!!
The name is "You Will know our names-Finale"
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I want to listen to this so badly, but I also want to hear it for the first time when a level 90 boss randomly strolls by as I’m wailing some trash mob in the beginning area.
 
EtherPenguin said:
This could mean the mace and shield aren't his and this would be the 23rd weapon possibly accounting for all classes in the selection screen we saw. That's assuming Vandham is a hero of course.
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The mace Noah uses has a gun-like handle. Particularly easy to see in the western Direct footage.
 
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I think it sounds awesome! The track has a very similar structure to You Will Know Our Names including the initial wailing guitar intro, early build-up, “low-key” mid section, and a catchy refrain. I can see this one getting stuck in my head for awhile.

Edit: based on the track name and how similar this is to the XC1 unique monster theme, I’m betting that this is the “Keeves” UM theme and that we end up with a second UM for Agnes that is similar to “You Will Recall Our Names.”

And Lategame we get a third totally unique UM theme!
 
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EtherPenguin said:
Okay so apparently you can have multiple ouroboros out at the same time. Was not expecting that. I don't think the player hit any prompt for it. Maybe it's like overdrive where allies will try to do it when you do it?









So using fusion arts increases interlink - though we've seen plenty of footage where that didn't happen. And the clip in the last tweet is the first time we've seen blaze as an actual status and not the field ring. The healthbars turn purple with bleed and blaze but not poison for whatever reason. Maybe the UI just wasn't finished in the clips where characters are poisoned?

First clip also confirms Valdi has a defense up field ring.
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Black fog spotted again in the background of that first twitter clip, the clearest look at it we've gotten so far.
 
AngryNopon said:
I didn't think i could get hyped by the name of a track but here i am
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"WOTAH!"
 
Welp, we finally have direct confirmation that this game will be the finale to the series. My hopes for their next game is getting Uncontrollable.
 
Man that sounds great! As expected. I also think there will be a "You Will Recall Our Names ~ Finale" song later on in the game too.
 
I think it sounds great though 1's unique theme is still my favorite. Admittedly I never liked 2's unique track, the driver battle theme always pumped me up more. Really, a problem I had with 2's battle tracks is they all sound samey and I found it hard to tell them apart, especially the normal and unique themes. I know people don't like Time to Fight but you have to admit it created a strong contrast with You Will Know Our Names.

I'm liking this track a lot though. I'm betting we get the Agnus battle theme this week too.
 
I'm not convinced this is going to hit for me in the same way the XC2 soundtrack did.

Of course, the context of when these songs are played is going to be crucial, but I don't vibe with the tracks in the same way.

I think it'll land alongside XC - an excellent soundtrack I enjoy, but one I feel was bettered by XC2.

Though I still need to hear much more before I make any real judgement.

I think today's track is probably the weakest version of the track across all three games. Still great though.
 
Mr.Fletcher said:
I'm not convinced this is going to hit for me in the same way the XC2 soundtrack did.

Of course, the context of when these songs are played is going to be crucial, but I don't vibe with the tracks in the same way.

I think it'll land alongside XC - an excellent soundtrack I enjoy, but one I feel was bettered by XC2.

Though I still need to hear much more before I make any real judgement.

I think today's track is probably the weakest version of the track across all three games. Still great though.
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I mean, the music in xb2 is really really really good.

I feel it's better than the music in xb1, which I thought was really really good.
 
If they can maintain the flute theme throughout the OST, then it’ll probably top XC1 and XC2 for me. Love both of those soundtracks, but they lack identity IMO. Had Torna gotten a full soundtrack, it would’ve been my favorite OST of the series by a wide margin, because it established its earthier jazz identity incredibly well and stuck to it throughout.

Speaking to the track itself, I don’t like it as much as XC1’s UM theme, but I think it’s a step up over both of XC2’s.
 
Mr.Fletcher said:
I'm not convinced this is going to hit for me in the same way the XC2 soundtrack did.

Of course, the context of when these songs are played is going to be crucial, but I don't vibe with the tracks in the same way.

I think it'll land alongside XC - an excellent soundtrack I enjoy, but one I feel was bettered by XC2.

Though I still need to hear much more before I make any real judgement.

I think today's track is probably the weakest version of the track across all three games. Still great though.
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I'm in the same boat right now, but I'll wait and see
 
I feel like the while it's all good and one of my favorite soundtracks, the field and cutscene tracks in the XB2 soundtrack outshine the battle tracks IMO. And if that's the case again for 3 then I can hardly complain.
 
Toad King said:
I feel like the while it's all good and one of my favorite soundtracks, the field and cutscene tracks in the XB2 soundtrack outshine the battle tracks IMO. And if that's the case again for 3 then I can hardly complain.
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Same here. With the exception of Gaur Plain, I prefer the field and event music of 2 by quiiite a bit. But the battle themes of 1 knock it clean outta the park.
 
In addition to The Weight of Life, I think the apparent Agnus battle theme and the track from the first half of the Ouroboros segment in the Direct sound really, really good, so I’d love to hear more of those.
 
I expect great things from the upcoming soundtrack, given the bigger budget and longer production time.

XBC2's music is consistently better than XBC1's, and the added selection from TTGC is the icing on the cake.
4.12 The Decision & 5.04 The Power of Jin are my highlights.

1 has a couple of very high peak, memorable + standout tracks, but the mid-to-late game music sags in quality.
The remaster of Colony 9 (Day) is a really nice reference track to use when I'm A/B-ing headphones and loudspeakers.

X's soundtrack is great, barring maybe 3-4 complete misfires. It was a bit cheap of the dude to throw his old compositions (pre-2010) into the game.
 
Harpoon said:
In addition to The Weight of Life, I think the apparent Agnus battle theme and the track from the first half of the Ouroboros segment in the Direct sound really, really good, so I’d love to hear more of those.
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These are the exact three tracks I said at the other place! And they sound more like traditional Xenoblade tracks to me.

It‘s cool to incorporate the flute, which has obvious significance in the narrative, into various tracks. But I don’t think I’ve heard anything and thought…

’Yep, this is it, this is why the flute is needed’

This latest track sounds better once the flute is gone in my opinion. I don’t much care for the introductory part of this newest song.

And while I’m making myself an enemy of the wider Xenoblade fandom, I don’t think the track people think could be the title theme is as good as XC and XC2.

The former goes crazy hard and I’ll take the simplicity of a piano over a flute any day.


I don’t want to sound negative. The music will be excellent, of that I have no doubt. And I appreciate that the flute will give this game a distinct musical identity for some. I’m in no way questioning the quality on display. Nothing I’ve heard so far is anything other than great…

… but I’m not sure I’m hearing much I’d listen to over XC and XC2. But on the other hand that’s not fair given the attachment I have to those games.

Maybe I’ll feel totally different in a month though!
 
This is supposedly the biggest project Mitsuda and co. ever did and seeing the game as a grand conclusion of the “Klaus Trilogy” I don’t believe they will drop the ball. We need to chill and wait until the whole OST is out/we finish the game before make claims or comparisons. Note that Takahashi is very picky with the music for his games. Yeah I had some reservations with the possibility of they reusing too many themes from the other games, but for now it seems it’s only a flavour (or motifs) on the songs we heard (and keep in mind the we didn’t heard the full songs yet).
 
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Mr.Fletcher said:
These are the exact three tracks I said at the other place! And they sound more like traditional Xenoblade tracks to me.

It‘s cool to incorporate the flute, which has obvious significance in the narrative, into various tracks. But I don’t think I’ve heard anything and thought…

’Yep, this is it, this is why the flute is needed’
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I still get a mental image of a way too enthusiastic Ron Burgundy when I hear the flute.

Oh. Hello Mia,
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my barracks nook smells of rich mahogany.
 
XC and XC2 have some of the best OSTs of any video game imo. XC3 even being comparable to those is a big win in my book.

I see great soundtracks as purely additive - more great music to put on my playlist! If game A’s OST is overall slightly better than game B’s, it’s not really a big deal to me since both game A and game B OSTs are still excellent regardless.

That said, everything I’ve heard so far from XC3 (particularly in the direct) has been great imo. I can understand some folks not liking the flute usage though, it’s a bit unusual for this type of music.
 
Mr.Fletcher said:
These are the exact three tracks I said at the other place! And they sound more like traditional Xenoblade tracks to me.

It‘s cool to incorporate the flute, which has obvious significance in the narrative, into various tracks. But I don’t think I’ve heard anything and thought…

’Yep, this is it, this is why the flute is needed’

This latest track sounds better once the flute is gone in my opinion. I don’t much care for the introductory part of this newest song.

And while I’m making myself an enemy of the wider Xenoblade fandom, I don’t think the track people think could be the title theme is as good as XC and XC2.

The former goes crazy hard and I’ll take the simplicity of a piano over a flute any day.


I don’t want to sound negative. The music will be excellent, of that I have no doubt. And I appreciate that the flute will give this game a distinct musical identity for some. I’m in no way questioning the quality on display. Nothing I’ve heard so far is anything other than great…

… but I’m not sure I’m hearing much I’d listen to over XC and XC2. But on the other hand that’s not fair given the attachment I have to those games.

Maybe I’ll feel totally different in a month though!
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Interestingly enough, I'm of the complete opposite opinion. Tracks like Weight of Life and the supposed Agnus Battle theme are probably the ones that I'm least interested in, while tracks like A Life Sent On and Keves Battle have been my jam leading up to the release.

Really, it's a testament to the composers that they can establish two distinct directions for the OST and end up pleasing both ends of the spectrum. They're covering a much wider range of genres and soundfonts, and yet nobody is leaving without something to like. Really great stuff.
 
Also, on the subject of favourite songs from prior games, I immediately loved "Still, Move Forward!" from 2 the first time I heard it. Really gets me pumped up whenever I listen to it.

 
Harpoon said:
Also, on the subject of favourite songs from prior games, I immediately loved "Still, Move Forward!" from 2 the first time I heard it. Really gets me pumped up whenever I listen to it.

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Oh yeah I love wasting hours fighting on the World Tree just to hear this while I’m breaking orbs like crazy 😍😍😍

This is other of my favourites basic battle themes and it usually gets no love, pretty underrated theme IMO:
 
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Mitsuda says it’s his magnum opus, I’ll take him at his word and remain hyped that this will exceed even 1 & 2!
 
They finally gave an explanation for the fire icon on boss's and unique's healthbars. It's not the rage status, it represents the threshold at which the enemy will enrage. It's an interesting way to go about it. I expect a lot of people will like the clarity although some enemies in 2 could have enrage triggers other than health loss so it's a bit of a simplification.

But more importantly, we got bonus EXP confirmed! There wasn't much doubt about its return but still nice to see it.

Leveling up is usually done by gaining "EXP" after battle, but you can also use "Bonus EXP" to level up by selecting "Level Up" at rest points. You can also level up using "Bonus EXP" if you choose to level up at a rest point.
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Button prompts seem to be:
A: Level Select
Y: Max Level
+: Level Up Everyone
ZR: View Background

No clear confirmation of leveling down yet. The exp curve is on par with 2 and X. Both those game require the same amount of experience to hit level 33. I think that's Lanz and Eunie sparring in the background.


Class ranks are raised by gaining class experience in battle, for example! Every class starts out with one mastered art, and as you advance in class rank, the number of arts and skills you can master will increase.
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The screenshot is taken from the direct but something of note about it: several characters have already mastered their classes here (you can see Mio doesn't earn any class points). So we'll master everyone's default class around level 17 probably not long after class changing is introduced also in Millick Meadows.
 
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I think the UI and all the menus look excellent so far - super clean. DE was great and this seems like another step in the right direction. Love the art on the EXP screen, as well as in the chain attacks and when interlinking.

I loved that XC2 took the bones of the XC combat system and added a bit more spectacle, and this looks to be a step beyond that even. Great stuff.
 
catonkatonk said:
The UI complaint I agree with is that the arts icons don't convey why information about the art, unlike in DE. Very strange choice.
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Yeah, I forgot about this, but I'd agree. I think the art icons were better in XC2. They were unique with slightly different designs indicating what each action did. They were also colour-coded too, so if you saw an art icon had green in it for example, you could be confident it would heal or provide health in some capacity.

And if you weren't sure, you could switch on the brief descriptions underneath each art (or vice versa).

In XC3, different arts share the same icon design and colour. And then when you add in fusion arts... you need all the words on the screen just to understand what everything is going to do.

I like how the colour scheme is united across the UI, but with all the classes, fusion options and the ability to swap in master arts - meaning my Mio might have a different art to yours, but it's the same icon and colour - it feels like an... interesting choice.

A lot of thought has gone into the UI - you can tell. And maybe it just works, but from someone looking in, it's questionable. Even XC had colour-coded arts.
 
Nice updates. I hope they included the possibility of leveling down in the base game (as in not only in NG+).

catonkatonk said:
The UI complaint I agree with is that the arts icons don't convey why information about the art, unlike in DE. Very strange choice.
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Mr.Fletcher said:
Yeah, I forgot about this, but I'd agree. I think the art icons were better in XC2. They were unique with slightly different designs indicating what each action did. They were also colour-coded too, so if you saw an art icon had green in it for example, you could be confident it would heal or provide health in some capacity.

And if you weren't sure, you could switch on the brief descriptions underneath each art (or vice versa).

In XC3, different arts share the same icon design and colour. And then when you add in fusion arts... you need all the words on the screen just to understand what everything is going to do.

I like how the colour scheme is united across the UI, but with all the classes, fusion options and the ability to swap in master arts - meaning my Mio might have a different art to yours, but it's the same icon and colour - it feels like an... interesting choice.

A lot of thought has gone into the UI - you can tell. And maybe it just works, but from someone looking in, it's questionable. Even XC had colour-coded arts.
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Yes, this is so far my very only complaint about the game. It's even stranger in light of the otherwise perfect UI design. I wonder what is the reason behind this choice. Perhaps they found out most people didn't find informative the icons in XC2? I don't know, but if that were the reason I'd say they overcorrected way too much.
 
Mr.Fletcher said:
Yeah, I forgot about this, but I'd agree. I think the art icons were better in XC2. They were unique with slightly different designs indicating what each action did. They were also colour-coded too, so if you saw an art icon had green in it for example, you could be confident it would heal or provide health in some capacity.

And if you weren't sure, you could switch on the brief descriptions underneath each art (or vice versa).

In XC3, different arts share the same icon design and colour. And then when you add in fusion arts... you need all the words on the screen just to understand what everything is going to do.

I like how the colour scheme is united across the UI, but with all the classes, fusion options and the ability to swap in master arts - meaning my Mio might have a different art to yours, but it's the same icon and colour - it feels like an... interesting choice.

A lot of thought has gone into the UI - you can tell. And maybe it just works, but from someone looking in, it's questionable. Even XC had colour-coded arts.
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I kinda agree with the character menu. The 3D models look great in this game but I'm also gonna miss the 2D character key art in the party menu like XC2 had.
 
Arynio said:
It's even stranger in light of the otherwise perfect UI design. I wonder what is the reason behind this choice. Perhaps they found out most people didn't find informative the icons in XC2? I don't know, but if that were the reason I'd say they overcorrected way too much.
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The main reason is probably that you can swap characters mid battle. There's simply too many arts available for most players to remember what each XC2 style icon means.

They broke down the icon into main function (atk, heal, field, debuff, etc), reaction icon and AOE icon. These are the basic and most important things you need to know.

While they could have extra icons to inform conditional effects, they probably thought it would take away some focus from the other icons.

Also, when you toggle fusion arts, the left sword icon merges into the right sword icon to indicate you trigger them with X, Y and B. So, if they have N main icons, they need to make NxN fusion icons, so even more reason to not go wild with them.

Personally, I'm warming up for this decision, my only problem is that I can't tell with a glance which reaction is it on my 6.8" phone through YouTube, hopefully that won't be the case in game. One thing it could be nice to add is the exclamation from DE to inform when conditions are met, as it would help with classes/arts player is not proficient yet.
 
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RennanNT said:
The main reason is probably that you can swap characters mid battle. There's simply too many arts available for most players to remember what each XC2 style icon means.

They broke down the icon into main function (atk, heal, field, debuff, etc), reaction icon and AOE icon. These are the basic and most important things you need to know.

While they could have extra icons to inform conditional effects, they probably thought it would take away some focus from the other icons.

Also, when you toggle fusion arts, the left sword icon merges into the right sword icon to indicate you trigger them with X, Y and B. So, if they have N main icons, they need to make NxN fusion icons, so even more reason to not go wild with them.

Personally, I'm warming up for this decision, my only problem is that I can't tell with a glance which reaction is it (on my 6.8" phone through YouTube), hopefully that won't be the case. One thing it could be nice to add is the exclamation from DE to inform when conditions are met, as it would help with classes/arts player is not proficient yet.
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Nice thoughts. I generally agree with you. Personally I thought the XC2 style icons were a bit too busy for me. However the XC3 icons could probably become more immediately distinguishable if they had at least different colours. In this regard, I feel like they got it right the first time around; XC1 hit the sweet spot.
 
Harpoon said:
Also, on the subject of favourite songs from prior games, I immediately loved "Still, Move Forward!" from 2 the first time I heard it. Really gets me pumped up whenever I listen to it.

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God that staccato intro is so hype, and it goes into overdrive when it pops up the octave.

All in the first like 10 seconds too
 
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LiveALive previews being today definitely would make it likely that that July 13th preview date for XC3 are on the money. I can't wait.
 
I definitely miss Xenoblade 1's elegant art icons that were able to convey all the necessary information with a simple set of symbols and color variety. I get this was done for the fusion mechanic but it was so much nicer to tell at a glance whether something was a back attack or whether the AOE is a circle or frontal cone. But I also just like each of your abilities having a unique icon to them like in X how every art has its own icon even though it doesn't convey info as well as 1. Makes arts easier to find in the set arts menu as well. 2's icons were kind of weird (why did back attack and evasion have the same symbol?)

But anyway, I mentioned the characters had maxed their classes in that screenshot. But looking at it again, I noticed the characters aren't in their base classes. So Mio was able to master Swordfighter at level 17. That's a lot sooner than I would expect to be able to master a second class.
 
Mr.Fletcher said:
I'm not convinced this is going to hit for me in the same way the XC2 soundtrack did.
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I still need to hear more field themes, they haven't shared any field music besides some really short segments in the twitter clips.

You spend lots of time exploring in the games, and even if I agree that the combat/cutscene songs we know so far don't seem to be as hype as Xc2's, if the game has killer field themes like Mor Ardain, Gaur Plain etc... the OST can be as good as the previous games.

And of course there will be lots of endgame battle themes and cutscene songs that will be potentially amazing.
 
AranPrime said:
Yeah but what makes you sure it'll be 13th and not later, maybe a few days after Live A Live releases.
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It’ll be dumb to have previews after Live A Live released since they’ll have Reviews by then.

Nintendo typically has previews 2 weeks priors. It’s been like that always.
 
AranPrime said:
What's the correlation between Live A Live's previews dropping today and the supposed XB3 preview dropping on the 13th?
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Just a matter of timing. LAL is out one week before XC3, previews are usually two weeks before and that holds true with LAL, therefore XC3 would be two weeks before it releases, AKA the 13th. Plus the 13th was already rumored a while back anyway.
 
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