Developer: Monolith Software Inc.
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Switch 2
Tested on: Switch 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Switch 2 Edition – Review
Full disclosure: this reviewer is an unapologetic fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles games… with one major exception. Way back in 2017, we were locked in, ready to fall in love with Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Both the original Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X had set a very high bar. We managed to preorder XC2’s Limited Edition and even snagged the special edition Pyra-themed Switch Pro Controller. When we finally got to grips with the game though, it simply didn’t live up to our expectations. Roughly 11 hours in, we simply gave up on the game and moved on. The release of the Switch 2 version of XC2 gave us an excuse to give the game another chance, nearly a decade on. Was XC2 able to redeem itself?
Story
A quick note before we get into XC2’s story: when we review Switch 2 Editions, we typically look at them from the perspective of a returning player if we played the original version of the game. While this would certainly apply in this case, we never actually published a review for XC2. Because of that, you’re getting a full-fledged review this time around. With that out of the way, on to the story! Like every other Xenoblade game, the story is entirely standalone, with only tenuous connections to other series entries. XC2 takes us to the world of Alrest, where humanity survives atop colossal Titans that roam the vast Cloud Sea. The Titans are dying out, however, and available living space is shrinking as a result. Rival nations stand on the brink of war over remaining territory. Against this background, we follow our young protagonist Rex and his companions on their quest to reach Elysium, a legendary paradise atop the World Tree, from which humanity was banished in ancient times.
Graphics
Before we get into the technical side of things, we need to talk about XC2’s shift in visual style, as it is probably the most controversial aspect of this entry in the series. XC2 abandons the semi-realistic visuals of previous titles in favour of a more cartoonish anime style. In addition, XC2 dials the series’ fan service up quite a few notches, with female character designs that feel needlessly sexualized, undercutting the seriousness of the game’s narrative. Had this been a standalone RPG with no ties to the Xenoblade series overall, this wouldn’t be as much of an issue but it feels jarring and out of place here. With that out of the way, the Switch 2 Edition in particular delivers the kind of polish we’ve come to expect from previous releases. Resolution has received a noticeable bump, and the game now targets 60 fps, although frame drops do occur during heavy combat, intense alpha effects, or sudden camera turns.
Sound
Nine years on, the orchestral soundtrack remains our favourite thing about XC2. The swooping score provides memorable companion pieces to both exploration and boss fights, while cutscene music varies from subtle but emotional underscoring to light-hearted silliness when needed. The game also features full English voice acting, with the series’ distinct British regional accents adding personality and a sense of identity to the cast.
Gameplay
Like its series siblings, XC2 is an open-world RPG that sees you in control of a party of characters that join you at various points in its story campaign. The standout feature in XC2 is that each character in your party can have up to three so-called Blades attached to them, elemental warriors that lend their skills to the party’s combat prowess. Combat is fought in real-time and makes use of the series’ signature fighting system, combining auto-attacks with arts and combo chains. Add in a massive open world, a wide variety of Blades to customize your party with and a well-written story, and you should have a recipe for success, right? So what gives?
There are two major issues with XC2’s gameplay. The first, and probably most prominent, is just how poorly the game is paced. Although Alrest is presented as an open world, progression is often gated by needing specific Field Skills, or having levelled those same skills enough if you do have them. XC2 also manages to keep feeling like a tutorial for the first few dozen hours, as new mechanics keep getting introduced and layered on top of one another. However, the explanation of these mechanics is typically limited to a very brief pop-up that you see exactly once. The second, and more infamous, gameplay flaw is in its Core Crystal system, which is used to obtain new Blades for your party. The issue here is that the Core Crystal system is, for all intents and purposes, a Gacha mechanic. While you don’t need to spend real money on your ‘pulls’, rare Blades more often than not require opening dozens of crystals, resulting in long, repetitive awakening cutscenes that make collecting feel like a tedious grind.
It’s a shame that these issues undermine what is otherwise a fantastic JRPG, even if it falls short of the standards set by its series siblings. The combat system itself remains as fantastically engaging, and the world of Alrest is a joy to explore, with lots of fun secrets and jaw-dropping vistas. Unsurprisingly, XC2 is a massive game too, with a story that will easily take you past the 50-hour mark. The Switch 2 Edition expands on the base game too, by adding a new rare Blade in the form of Xenogears’ Momo, alongside the new Merc Assault mode, which sees you take direct control of your blades. It’s very different from the standard combat system, and we’d be happy to see this form the basis of a Xenoblade spinoff in the future. This new mode is tied to one of two new sidequests that have been added, making XC2’s Switch 2 Edition the most feature-packed Xenoblade upgrade yet, and making the €9.99 price tag well worth it for returning players, even if the base game falls short by comparison.
Conclusion
While the Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 doesn’t fix what we consider fundamental gameplay flaws, we weren’t as annoyed with the game as we were back in 2017. Whether that was because we had an idea of what to expect this time around, or simply because the game stood the test of time better than our memories of it did is up in the air. Although we’d pick any other Xenoblade Chronicles title over XC2, that’s more because the bar the series has set for itself is astronomically high. As far as JRPGs are concerned, you could do far, far worse. We’ll be here again in December with the Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
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