I missed out on Xenoblade Chronicles X when it first came out on the Nintendo Wii U. Probably because while the Wii U had a plethora of great games, it just didn't stay around long enough for me to make the jump to another platform. Whatever the reason, for a while I was worried I'd never get a chance to experience this chapter of the series.

Happily, Nintendo continues to impress with their game conservation, and Xenoblade Chronicles X has returned with a definitive edition that lives up to the title. Included in it are all the DLC from previous versions, some much-needed graphical updates, and a decent helping of accessibility options that make for a great experience even by modern standards.

Story & Gameplay

Set on the planet of Mira, Xenoblade begins with humanity in dire straits. A great intergalactic war has destroyed the Earth, leaving the survivors scattered across the planets. Your character – a mute amnesiac without personality – wakes in the outskirts of an overwhelming wilderness, and it's not long before that a simple rescue mission turns into something far grander and melodramatic.

True to its origins as an anime and film -influenced series, Xenoblade Chronicles X is big on emotion and cheese, and far less on subtlety. That's fine, though, as this is the enjoyable kind of hammy storytelling that lives on going too far. Everything from the environments to character emotes are overblown, and eventually you either go along with it, or don't.

Which is fine, as the gameplay itself is deeply immersive and rewarding. At least after you get into it a little bit. For the first few hours, Xenoblade Chronicles X feels like a daunting prospect even for genre veterans. There are menus upon menus, the world is massive, enemies can wipe you out in seconds, and most of the skill systems require more than one visit to the tutorials to understand.

On top of that, the turn-based active time combat is hectic, with supporting characters shouting instructions and battle plans on a constant basis, while enemies can attract other stragglers into the fray, causing a singular encounter to turn into a massive ruckus. It took me a good few hours to really understand the flow and rhythm of what Xenoblade wanted from me, but once I did the overall experience became far more enjoyable.

Apart from the main story, the world of Mira is full of things to do. Side-quests range from the typical "find x amount of items" and "kill monsters in region b" to goofball stories and heavily film-referenced plots that always put a smile on my face. Sadly, even if it's necessary for the story, the main character being a blank slate is a bummer, and their doll-like demeanor puts a damper on the fun.

The mammoth world is split into five distinct regions, each with sub-areas and boss battles that you can tackle on at your own pace. You can move between regions relatively easily through the map menu once the game reaches a certain point, and it's a welcome change of pace from the frenetic main story. Sometimes it's just fun to be a virtual tourist in a gorgeously rendered world.

Accessibility

Xenoblade Chronicles X has some smart accessibility options included that shouldn't be taken for granted for an older niche title like this. The basics are there, like camera options for axis changes, responsiveness and height, but even more welcome are the options to change the tracking speed and auto-reset functions.

UI elements can also be adjusted, which is a lifesaver in a game that doesn't always scale perfectly on a bigger TV. You can toggle both field and battle UI elements separately, including subtitles, notifications, mission markers, objective elements, and NPC identifiers. Sound cues can be adjusted as well, and there are volume sliders for music, sound effects, voice, and system sounds all split into separate categories.

It's not the best we've seen, but it's certainly a noted improvement from many other older titles that barely have subtitle options available. For what it is, Xenoblade Chronicles X makes a great effort to bring accessibility to a decade old title.

Technical Aspects

For a game that's ten years old, Xenoblade Chronicles X looks gorgeous, and the revamped character models and updated textures help plenty.

The world of Mira is absolutely gorgeous and the game runs surprisingly smoothly in docked mode, even when the battles get really hectic. Once the big mech battles become a staple of the gameplay, I did notice some dips in the frame rates, but only in few and far between sections.

I only got to play the handheld mode for a little bit before my trusty Switch Lite finally died after years of valiant service, but during that time I was happily surprised how well the game ran. Naturally, the UI elements are a little bit difficult to parse on the smaller screen, and it's not the ideal way to play a title this involved, but it is possible!

Who's It For?

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a fantastic – if occasionally dated – entry into the Xenoblade series. It's not my favorite of the lot, and it's no Xenogears, but it is a thrilling and inventive RPG yarn that has a plethora of things to do.

The world is the highlight, as are the grand battles that grow with each encounter towards the end, and there wasn't a single moment that I didn't walk away impressed over the technical feats this game pulls off.

The main character takes some getting used to, as do the fiddly combat mechanics, but the tutorials are surprisingly helpful and comprehensive, and the pacing allows for players to learn as fast or slow as they like, all of which make Xenoblade Chronicles X an easier game to recommend than some of its competition from the same era.

If you're a fan of big robots, melodrama, and love exploration, Xenoblade Chronicles X should be right up your alley. It's a wonderful time capsule from a console that barely got its due, and a terrific example of how well some of these almost forgotten games have stood the test of time.