The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 news isn’t dying down anytime soon! And, at the time of writing this, we’re only 23 days away from the release of the upcoming JRPG.
The official Japanese Twitter account has been sharing more tidbits from the game, both new and returning from previous entries. And, as always, Perfectly Nintendo has been compiling them and translating them for us all to enjoy, so thank you once again Perfectly Nintendo!
This time, we have a handful of different things to cover. First up is something called Colonies, which are multiple “bases” or places throughout both Agnus and Keves. These Colonies are all assigned different ranks — either Gold, Silver, or Dirt (clod). That last one seems a bit harsh!
Next is a bit more info on the game’s Combo system, a key feature in both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. These are key to weakening and defeating your enemy quickly and are what help to bring the big numbers.
This time, there are two ways you can Chain enemies into a Combo this time, both inspired by the previous games. Both combos start with a Break and a Topple but then branch off in two different directions. You can either Daze the enemy after toppling them, and then use a skill with ‘Burst’ to cause a lot of damage and also make enemies drop items. Alternatively, you might want to Launch your toppled enemy off the ground and then Smash them back down to earth. You can also instruct your team to focus on a particular type of combo!
Another new aspect in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the Fusion Arts system, and we’ve now got a bit more clarity — and a bit more control over what we can fuse together. You can only fuse arts from classes that are from different countries. So, for instance, the Swordfighter class arts can’t fuse with the Heavy Guard class arts, but it can with the Zephyr class.
And just in case you need even more bells and whistles with your combat, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 also introduces Ouroboros. Two characters can Interlink in battle to create their Ouroboros, which can also be powered up with Fusion Arts.
While your characters are Interlinked, you can use more powerful Ouroboros Arts. But the key is when you decide to use your Interlink. Don’t forget, only certain pairs of characters can Interlink with each other — Noah and Mio, Lanz and Sena, and Eunie and Taion.
The most recent update we’ve had from Monolith Soft is around the returning Unique Monsters, everyone’s favourite challenge! These more-powerful monsters roam the wilderness and are much stronger than your standard encounters.
If you decide to take them on, you’ll notice a little line on their HP gauge — this is called a “Rage Line”, and if the UM’s health goes below it, then they’ll go into enrage, which means you’re in for a lot of hurt unless you can get some big-damaging chains in.
One last returning feature covered is rested EXP. While you’ll still accumulate experience in battle as normal, just like in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, you’ll get bonus EXP from finding landmarks and completing quests.
You can spend this at any of the game’s rest spots, and also choose whether to get immensely over-levelled or store some for a more challenging experience. You’ll also now get Class Points which will allow you to raise your Class’ level and gain more Master Arts.
As we creep ever closer to 29th July, we’re sure we’ll be hearing more about the complexities and beauties that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has to offer. For now, we’re just basking in the excitement after last month’s Xenoblade-focused Direct, where we found out we’ll be getting an Expansion Pass with brand new story content!
What do you think about these updates coming to Xenoblade Chronicles 3? Let us know how you’re really feeling in the comments!
