Here’s what’s new in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (So Far)

by

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is set to debut approximately a month from now, on March 20th. Over the past decade since its initial release, there have been significant developments, such as two subsequent Xenoblade series, an upgrade of the original Xenoblade, and additional content for each of these installments.

It’s logical that the standalone sequel without a number would be up next for a remastered version. Given it’s a remaster, you might anticipate numerous alterations and enhancements compared to the initial game version. Even if you haven’t experienced the Wii U release of Xenoblade Chronicles X, you might still be curious about these changes. This page aims to shed light on some of them for you.

At RPG Site, we’ve embarked on a journey with the Definitive Edition, and here are some major modifications you’ll notice. As of now, before its release, we’re unable to reveal all the innovations in the Switch version, but allow us to share what we can for now. Keep in mind that this page will be updated once the game goes live.

One last thing to mention: Xenoblade Chronicles X is a game packed with numerous interwoven systems and mechanisms. It’s quite probable that there are additional features yet to be discovered, beyond what we’ve outlined here. Let’s get started now…

Improved Visuals and Cleaner User Interface

Beyond upgrading certain character designs slightly, the graphics of Xenoblade Chronicles X have received an enhancement in this Definitive Edition. Although we’re uncertain about the exact number of pixels, the overall appearance has been refined so significantly that it boasts one of the crispest presentations among all Xenoblade games available on Switch. To our eyes, it appears to be almost native resolution in both handheld and docked modes, with a 30 FPS target being achieved more frequently than not. Monolith Software has a reputation for pushing Nintendo’s portable hardware to its maximum potential, and this version is no exception.

You Can Change Your Party Any Time 

In contrast to traditional Xenoblade series games that usually limit your party size, Xenoblade Chronicles X boasts almost twenty characters who can join your team. Originally, after recruiting these characters in New Los Angeles, you had to seek them out in their designated areas within the city to add them to your squad. Unfortunately, you couldn’t just summon them at will, and you were unable to swap party members during battles – you needed to return to NLA to make adjustments. Furthermore, party members weren’t visibly marked on the map, so if you didn’t recall their locations, you had to search New Los Angeles thoroughly to find them.

In the Definitive Edition, you have the flexibility to swap characters in and out of your active party roster anytime, directly from the “Active Members” menu. This feature allows for party changes regardless of your current location within Mira – what an incredible convenience!

Change The Time Whenever You Want

Similar to other games in the Xenoblade series, this installment features a 24-hour time system that influences aspects such as quests, collectibles, and monster appearances. Unlike the original Xenoblade Chronicles X, you didn’t have the freedom to adjust the game time freely; instead, you could only modify it manually at specific red benches in New LA or at bases scattered across the map.

In the updated version of Mira, benches and other time-altering structures remain as they were, but now players have the freedom to adjust the time at their own convenience directly from the System Menu. This feature comes in handy when you’re out exploring and need to wait for a time-sensitive monster to appear for your quest, allowing you to do so instantly.

Quick Cooldown

In the Xenoblade series, there’s a new feature called the Quick Cooldown bar that appears during battles. If you have this meter, you can bypass the usual cooldown period for Artes (special skills) by simply pressing the Y button. However, using an Arte will deplete some of your Quick Cooldown meter. The catch is that Arts that require TP (Technical Points) still need the necessary TP.

At the conclusion of each fight, the Quick Cooldown meter is completely recharged. Additionally, it refills slowly with each auto-attack you perform. By scanning Mira (a new feature in the Definitive Edition), you can expand your Quick Cooldown reserve, which means the more time you spend exploring Mira, the more opportunities you’ll have to use the Quick Cooldown ability during a battle.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed that tweaking the combat mechanics might have some substantial impacts on the game’s balance, especially towards the later stages (it’s quite overpowered to be able to rapidly spam 8 Back Slashes in succession). However, this change seems to make combat more fluid and faster during the early hours, which should help newcomers grasp the basics more easily.

New Characters

If you’ve experienced Xenoblade Chronicles X in its original form and caught a glimpse of the trailer for the Definitive Edition, you might have noticed some unfamiliar faces. Moreover, if you took a look at the updated party menu in the new version, you will discover there are indeed fresh characters to play as in the Definitive Edition. But for now, that’s all we can share with you.

New Story Content

For a second time, fans of Xenoblade Chronicles X got a glimpse of previously unseen footage in the latest trailer for the Definitive Edition. This suggests potential new story elements that could offer insights into the original game’s conclusion.

Absolutely, I’m afraid we can’t discuss this specific content at the moment, but let me clarify that unlike some Xenoblade games where you access additional content via a separate menu or launcher, this new content is integrated within the main Xenoblade Chronicles X game. To experience it, you’ll simply need to progress through the game itself.

No BLADE Levels or Division Points

This one is a bit more mechanical, so bear with us.

In the initial version of Xenoblade Chronicles X, there was a feature known as BLADE Level that influenced several aspects. It decided which fundamental missions you could undertake, boosted your maximum number of Reward Tickets (utilized for obtaining resources), and enabled you to enhance your Field Skills for unearthing treasure. Your BLADE Level advanced by accumulating Division Points, earned by finishing quests, vanquishing foes, and accomplishing tasks related to the Division selected at the start of the game.

Well, long story short, BLADE Level doesn’t exist anymore – same with Division Points alongside it.

Consequently, the removal of BLADE Levels affects the gameplay in a significant way. Previously, increasing your Field Skills through BLADE Levels enabled you to collect loot from higher-level treasure spots. For instance, if your Biological Field Skill was at Level 1, you wouldn’t be able to gather loot from Level 2 Biological treasure spots until you upgraded. However, with the abolition of BLADE Levels, field skill levels are essentially obsolete… almost. There remain a few hidden treasure items that can only be unlocked by completing certain late-game quests. But there’s no such thing as an “Archaeological Field Skill Level 4” anymore. In essence, this means that *most* (not all) treasures on Mira can now be collected immediately.

This game appears to have limited your initial missions based on the advancement of the main storyline. Additionally, you are allowed to possess an unlimited number of Reward Tickets from the start; however, it may take a considerable amount of time before you accumulate enough to reach the maximum capacity.

FrontierNav is now accessed via Menu

Back in the day, when I played the original FrontierNav, I had to control everything using the Wii U gamepad, even if I had a Pro Controller and preferred playing on a single screen. Now, with Xenoblade X Definitive Edition, they’ve completely overhauled it so that everything works seamlessly on one screen. It feels like a breath of fresh air!

Other Additions

These recent updates might not have dedicated sections on this list-style article, but rest assured, they are substantial changes. In fact, certain ones can drastically alter the overall dynamics of the game.

  • Affinity Levels with Party Members Fill More Quickly. This allows you to access Affinity Missions more easily.
  • Party Members not in the active party will still gain EXP and remain roughly around your main character’s level. In the original version, you had to level up each party member separately (and there are a lot of them).
  • You now gain rewards for completing your survey of Mira, based on the percentages tracked through your map menus. Rewards usually come in the form of money, Rewards Tickets, or Energy Clips (which increase the Quick Cooldown meter, allowing you to use it more often per battle.)
  • More Defined Quest Tracking: Xenoblade X’s side quests often require a lot of scrounging for resources, and to match the standards of modern games quest tracking on the map has been updated.

Note: There are some other additions that have been made to the Definitive Edtion that we aren’t allowed to talk about yet. Also, Online Features for the Definitive Edition have yet to be activated, so we cannot see how these compare to the original implementation. However, it is worth noting that these require a paid Nintendo Online account, while paid accounts were not an option for the Wii U version.

Read More

2025-02-19 17:29