Today, Nintendo announced the imminent release date of the fourth and final Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC. Titled 'Future Redeemed', it will be released on April 25th, featuring a new story scenario set before the events seen in the main game. According to the press release, the plot will somehow connect events in all three Xenoblade Chronicles installments, featuring both new and returning characters. On the gameplay front, a new battle mechanics called Unity Combo has been added, allowing two characters to perform a combined attack.
As with the three previous Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC, Future Redeemed is only available as part of the Expansion Pass, priced at $29.99. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launched as a Nintendo Switch exclusive in July 2022, selling around 1.81 million units by the end of the year. The game received a perfect score in Wccftech's review.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is one of my best video games of all time. While the game has issues, those issues are by far minimized with the game’s production values and gameplay mechanics. The fact that I was so obsessed with playing the game to the point where I was so engaged with its characters and world that I completed nearly every sidequest and even did some of the more demanding game-long ones (like the Dorrick redeployment quest, which has 10 phases) says more than enough about how genuinely fantastic this game is.
The story is one of the most beautiful and engaging game stories I have ever seen in a video game, easily trouncing Xenoblade Chronicles 1’s story. At the same time, its characters are deeply layered and complex. While the story can get a little bit predictable, most twists and turns are downright guaranteed to catch you off guard and even reach deep into your emotions. I was moved by the more dramatic moments in the game; that means a lot to me.
The combat is one of the most fun RPG experiences I’ve ever had. Its easy-to-learn but hard-to-master nature, alongside its versatility, is a noteworthy highlight that shows how great the game can be when you start diving deep into your character’s customization. Paired with unique boss battles that mixed up their game to make every encounter feel like it was its climactic battle, you will be surprised at how long you’ll spend battling, feeling like fights are going too fast.
I could delve deeper into aspects like the reworked Chain Attacks, the game’s themes, and how smoothly it implements mechanics and qualities found in previous entries in the series, and even then, I would feel like I wouldn’t be able to do the fantastic attributes of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 any justice. Again, while it may have flaws, it still is a worthy adventure to be remembered, and because of it, it deserves my highest recommendation and score.