Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is finally out for the New Nintendo 3DS XL, and I have a feeling there are some players who will be experiencing this masterpiece for the first time thanks to the remake. After playing through the game twice on Wii, I feel at least a little qualified to offer a few words of wisdom for any newcomers out there.
Xenoblade Chronicles is a huge game. At first, it seems to bombard you with unrelenting tutorials that may last for the first 3-5 hours of the game, but you have to keep in mind that the whole experience can provide upwards of 100 hours of entertainment after. So tip #1 from yours truly is to carefully read and understand the tutorials. If you gloss over even one tutorial, you may end up in a world of hurt later. It helps to try applying what they describe directly after reading them.
You can accomplish a lot of important tasks through the game’s menus, like leveling up arts, changing your character’s skill trees, customizing your party, checking the quest list, and changing the in-game time. You can peruse the menu screens at your leisure, but I suggest doing it often. It won’t take too long for you to find your way around them with ease, and it becomes pretty fun after that.
Speaking of the menus, my next bit of advice in on quests. Quests are received from NPC characters. There’s no limit to the number of quests you can accept, so don’t hold back: take them all on! And don’t worry about remembering what every quest asks you to do. That’s what the quest list is for, and keep in mind you can change the order of this list to suit your needs. Many quests give experience points as a reward, so they actually serve as an alternative to your typical RPG “grinding”.
Ironically, one of the tutorials should explain my next point, but watch out for enemies in the game that are above your skill level! When you lock on to a monster, an information box will pop up with its name, an icon that indicates how hostile it is, and a color that shows what your odds of beating it are. Familiarize yourself with how these work; there will be powerful monsters you can’t hope to beat roaming the vast environments in the game from start to finish, along with the many you can cope with, of course.
If you’re playing Xenoblade Chronicles for the first time this weekend, you’re in for a treat. The game’s pacing is phenomenal. With the changing environments, engrossing storyline, and top-notch battle system, it’s a 100-hour adventure you’ll never get bored with.
