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WithXenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, Nintendo and Monolith Soft have managed a remarkable feat: All four games in the Xenoblade series thus far are available on Nintendo Switch. Backwards compatibility on the Switch 2 ensures that the existing library, as well as anything fresh on the horizon, will be right there for any newfound fans.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a great way to begin your Xenoblade journey. It largely stands alone from the numbered titles, and really, there’s just so much about it that’s decidedly different. But are there benefits to experiencing any of the other games first? Well, sort of. Do read on!
Familiarity WIth More Traditional Xenoblade
First, there’s something to be said forrecognizing just how different Xenoblade Chronicles X truly is. While X does share many things with its numbered brethren, it also stands apart in just as many ways, if not more so.
Most strikingly,Xenoblade Chronicles X takes place in what is effectively a separate universe.Now, you’ll not see the ways in which Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 connect until - naturally - Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but X issubstantiallyisolated.
That’s all well and good. But from a gameplay perspective, distinct differences abound.Xenoblade Chronicles X is a fully open-world installment, whereasthe other Xenoblades are divided into regions.
They’re all vast and grand in this regard, but sufficiently segmented so as to feel quite different, indeed.
Thesci-fi toneof Xenoblade Chronicles X is alsosubstantially heavier than such elements in the other entries. Science fiction certainly plays a role in those, but by and large,their settings slant more toward a fantasy angle. Put another way,space opera factors into X in myriad ways that don’t quite apply elsewhere.
Your cast of characters isfar largerin X. What’s more,the main storyline is shorter hereto a noteworthy degree, although Definitive Edition’s added chapter is beefy enough to make up for things somewhat. Instead,X prioritizes world building through side missions galore.
The result, then, is thatthe core narratives of Xenoblades 1-3 are more intricate, with a higher number of cutscenes, and a greater degree of characterizationacross the board. All these changes combine to providea more traditional Xenoblade experiencein the eyes of fans.
Late-Game Connections
But what about something more concrete? Well, in true Tetsuya Takahashi fashion, “concrete” is a rather subjective term, but sure enough,the content newly-added via Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition does connect a bit more with the numbered games.
We’ll keep things rather vague, but aspoiler taghere still feels terribly important.
Right before the conclusion of these new main quests,quick flashes of other Xenoblade Chronicles games can be seenthrough the perspective of a certain major character.
Furthermore, the very end of Definitive Edition showcases an event which haspotential- jury’s out big-time here - ties to something seen inXenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed.
What’s it all mean? Amultiverseis afoot, to the delight of some Xenoblade diehards, and the severe trepidation of others. Multiverses, after all, can be rather hit-or-miss across fictional entertainment.
But the important part for the purposes of this article is thatloose ties have been forgedin ways which simply were not present when Xenoblade Chronicles X first arrived, back when the only preceding game in the burgeoning series was the original. We’ll see where it all goes, if indeed it goes anywhere, in the years to come.
In Conclusion: No, You Don’t Really Need To Play The Others
As you’re able to see - even if you skipped past that second section -there’s no real “need” to play Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, or 3before firing up Xenoblade Chronicles X. It’s the “black sheep” of the franchise for good reason, but it’s well worth playing, regardless.
You’ll not miss any story beats, nor will you lose anything contextual. It’s just that all four games are excellent, so, you know, play ‘em all.Just be sure to play theotherXenoblades in orderfor the best possible experience!
