The game gives you endless time to bond with the characters and level up your party before choosing to progress the story. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 makes you question if you really know what the game is about. It’s refreshing, especially with how many RPGs lay out a clear “ end goal” at the beginning of the game.

Just when I think I have the narrative formula figured out, something totally unexpected happens. There’s a new twist waiting at the end of every chapter too. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 isn’t afraid to tackle how meaningless life is without survival instinct and purpose. We all lose people important to us and feel lost when things don’t go as planned. Characters may be in a completely different world, but I could easily relate to their struggles. The game tackles themes of loss, grief, and purpose. Were I grading Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on story alone, it would be a 10 out of 10. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 goes into enough depth for you to understand a character’s motivations and pain, enough that every story beat feels earned.

Even the banter between characters isn’t wasted, as it builds the relationships between characters. You might feel put off at first due to all its lengthy cutscenes, but they all feel necessary and meaningful to the story. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has a daunting runtime and a massive story, but its pacing is perfect. Just brace yourself for some complicated combat, overly tedious item hunting, and lacking exploration that might put off players who aren’t already bought in on the series.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has what my friends lovingly refer to as the “Xenoblade problems,” but they’re worth it for the game’s top-tier RPG story. Each character seems to know the consequences, despite making the choice to ally with rebels. The common thread of survival makes it believable. Many games use the “enemies turned friends” trope, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is different. The catch? The Consuls, the Big Bad organization behind the scenes, wants to get rid of them. Our heroes share a surprise encounter that blesses (or curses) them with the power to defy that world order with an alternate form. The world of Aionios employs soldiers who fight to fuel “Flame Clocks,” which run on the life force of fallen enemies. In Nintendo’s latest RPG monolith, Noah and his childhood friends, Lanz and Eunie, team up with Agnus special ops members Mio, Sena, and Taion to find the reason they were given the power of Ouroboros.

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