Should you return to Mira?
Rebuild humanity on the mysterious planet Mira in this action RPG The year is 2054. Earth has been destroyed by an intergalactic war between two alien races, and humanity is on the brink of annihilation. A small number of survivors, aboard the USS White Whale, crash land on the vast and untamed planet Mira—and now it falls to you, as a member of BLADE, to help bring humanity back from the edge of extinction…with the aid of powerful giant robots called Skells!
I reviewed the original Xenoblade Chronicles X when it launched and really enjoyed it, even if it wasn’t a mainline Xenoblade sequel. This Definitive Edition doesn’t just add a new lick of paint and smoother framerate but has some essential quality of life changes and even new content.
The original game ended on a cliffhanger, but the Definitive Edition adds a new chapter to resolve some of the loose ends. You do need to complete the main game to access it though, but it does unlock a whole new area called The Floating Continent that is worth the price tag for alone if you have played the original. If not, then you’re in for a treat.
New quality of life changes include new things like better party management, time control is easier to initiate, more streamlined combat and exploration to name a few perks. It definitely feels like they’ve learned what could do with a fix and they are all very welcome, including the new improved UI.
The visuals are definitely a nice upgrade from the Wii U version. It runs smoothly and I didn’t come across any glitches during my playthrough.
The Verdict
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition does exactly what I had hoped for. Streamline the exploration and combat through QoL and more importantly, add a new chapter to the story. It does leave things open, so maybe we’ll get a proper follow-up on Switch 2…