Xenoblade Chronicles 3D

 3DS
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 367 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 312 out of 367
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 367
  3. Negative: 24 out of 367
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  1. pikachuyann
    Dec 11, 2015
    5
    The 3DS port of this game suffers from both the UX problems that the Wii version already had (difficult to browse menus, for example), with the added malus that the developers did not take enough advantage of the touch screen to make it more readable.

    It's a mess to get the right angle for the camera in combat, these combat are clunky with forced mechanics on you (especially against the    The 3DS port of this game suffers from both the UX problems that the Wii version already had (difficult to browse menus, for example), with the added malus that the developers did not take enough advantage of the touch screen to make it more readable.

    It's a mess to get the right angle for the camera in combat, these combat are clunky with forced mechanics on you (especially against the Mechon). These things really hinder the experience.    … Expand
  2. birdman3
    May 6, 2016
    5
    Maybe I didn't have the endurance necessary for this game. After putting 35-40 hours into it, it seemed like the game was still just trying to gain its footing. After having dealt with the repetitive combat for hours and hours, I decided that it wasn't worth doubling my investment in order to finish the game off. One thing that really surprised me (and also intimidated me) was the numberMaybe I didn't have the endurance necessary for this game. After putting 35-40 hours into it, it seemed like the game was still just trying to gain its footing. After having dealt with the repetitive combat for hours and hours, I decided that it wasn't worth doubling my investment in order to finish the game off. One thing that really surprised me (and also intimidated me) was the number of different quests and side projects there were to do in the game. There are seemingly hundreds (thousands?) of quests, but almost all of them are meaningless. Go to a place, find a glowing orb or kill a certain number of creatures. There is no efficient way of tracking these quests either- you have to simply remember when and where you're supposed to perform the quests, or you're forced into searching for them in your menu, which can be tedious. Additionally, there are too many side features in this game that can be very distracting. There's a crafting system, a unit relationship system, conversations unlocked by returning to points in the game once certain conditions have been met, far too many different types of loot, a system for tracking relationships between NPCs, all of which opens up so so so many things to do, but yet none of it feels rewarding. Why should I bother to figure out how to unlock new conversations between my characters? Why would I bother paying attention to how unit synergy builds up between my characters when the buffs they receive are so small? How can I possibly figure out the all of the different debuffs that there are in this game? Frankly, it became far too complicated for me, and I got tired of it. I made it roughly halfway through, and decided I would have more fun playing Fire Emblem or Smash Brothers instead.… Expand
  3. Rtheom
    Apr 12, 2015
    7
    Overall, pretty good so far. Like others, I never played the Wii version since it became the price of 2+ DS games, but I'm glad I got the chance now.

    It seems pretty expansive with a lot going on. I actually wish that I had more time to give this game proper attention, because I feel like there's a lot to be taken in here. I'm curious about the world and I find it neat that they've    Overall, pretty good so far. Like others, I never played the Wii version since it became the price of 2+ DS games, but I'm glad I got the chance now.

    It seems pretty expansive with a lot going on. I actually wish that I had more time to give this game proper attention, because I feel like there's a lot to be taken in here. I'm curious about the world and I find it neat that they've given the townsfolk interactiveness beyond the usual two-phrase statement (although they still have this), but unfortunately there's so much of a web of interaction that I just can't spend the brain power to keep up with it. Not when I only have 20-30 minutes in between things during my day to play. Oh well, not the game's fault, it's mine for slipping further into adulthood.

    My one big complaint is the camera. Half the time I can't see what I'm fighting and having to manually swing the camera around to keep track of things is really getting old. I'd probably rate this game a 9 if it weren't for that, but honestly it may cause me to quit before the end. Perhaps I'm not doing something correctly, or there's an option I haven't found, but it sure is bugging the crud outta me.    … Expand
  4. Turrican
    Apr 12, 2015
    7
    A Masterpiece on the WII - A blurry experience on the NEW 3DS

    I was seriously exited to play the NEW 3DS Release of Xenoblade but after the first 2 Hours, I can say that it is a bit of a let down. Compared to the Visuals on the Wii, the Graphics are unsharp, blurry and (which is why i bought it again in the first place) the 3D is not very impressive. This is mainly because the whole    A Masterpiece on the WII - A blurry experience on the NEW 3DS

    I was seriously exited to play the NEW 3DS Release of Xenoblade but after the first 2 Hours, I can say that it is a bit of a let down. Compared to the Visuals on the Wii, the Graphics are unsharp, blurry and (which is why i bought it again in the first place) the 3D is not very impressive. This is mainly because the whole World is supposed to fit on a bigger Television and looses much of its appeal on such a small screen.

    While impressiv that such an Openworld Game is available "on the Go" it feels too big at times. Playability is great, the C Stick Movement is a welcome substitue for a Controller and the FPS delivery is solid. Audio Quality didnt suffer much and the Interface was customized for the 3DS / doesnt clutter the upper Display. You can save anytime you want but that is possible on the Wii too.

    Xenoblade itself is still a 10 out of 10 but this Version only gets a 7 out of 10 because of the above mentioned flaws. If you can, play it on the Wii.    … Expand
  5. Dynel
    Apr 29, 2015
    5
    Xenoblade for Wii was a pleasant surprise and a very good and interesting game.

    For the 3DS, not so much. Slapping the fact that you cannot play this in a "old" 3DS console, and that you need to buy the "new" 3DS console just so you can play this game is a demerit. Seems more of a money grab than any other thing. And no, I'm not going to waste 230+taxes dollar on a "new" console that    Xenoblade for Wii was a pleasant surprise and a very good and interesting game.

    For the 3DS, not so much. Slapping the fact that you cannot play this in a "old" 3DS console, and that you need to buy the "new" 3DS console just so you can play this game is a demerit. Seems more of a money grab than any other thing. And no, I'm not going to waste 230+taxes dollar on a "new" console that won't come with a charger while having to sell my "old" console. Then, buy this game...

    yeah... NO.    … Expand
  6. Daitor
    May 15, 2017
    6
    Nintendo players must be REA-A-A-ALLY hungry for rpgs if they think that this game deserve 10. Well, we all love rpgs for deep story lines, possibilities to make of playable character whatever we want and exploration.
    Let's start with story. It is there, it exists?.. Feels like the story line was written as a placeholder, because game needs a story and no one cares if it's intersting or    Nintendo players must be REA-A-A-ALLY hungry for rpgs if they think that this game deserve 10. Well, we all love rpgs for deep story lines, possibilities to make of playable character whatever we want and exploration.
    Let's start with story. It is there, it exists?.. Feels like the story line was written as a placeholder, because game needs a story and no one cares if it's intersting or not. But, that's the trouble of most nintendo games.
    Levelling. Yeap, you can level your party here. And nope, there's not many routes to do it.
    Exploration. It's nice. The world in which the game takes place is intersting an big enough to spend some time exploring it.
    Also, i'd like to write about battle system. It's great advanatge is in lack of random encounters, so player can pick any enemy he wants to fight and engage it. Another intersting point - positioning. Some attacks cause special effects if used from side or from behind. That makes battles more dynamic.
    In conclusion, the game is fine. It's not very good, it's not bad. It's just fine.    … Expand
  7. BurtKocain
    Jan 25, 2021
    7
    Xenoblade Chronicles 3D released in 2015 as something of a pilot for Nintendo's New 3DS and Amiibo lines, both of which never fully lived up to their potential. And while there certainly is something to be said about giving an overlooked Wii game a second chance in full stereoscopic 3D, the visual shortcuts and downgrades of the New 3DS port often beg the question of whether it was worthXenoblade Chronicles 3D released in 2015 as something of a pilot for Nintendo's New 3DS and Amiibo lines, both of which never fully lived up to their potential. And while there certainly is something to be said about giving an overlooked Wii game a second chance in full stereoscopic 3D, the visual shortcuts and downgrades of the New 3DS port often beg the question of whether it was worth attempting in the first place. If the 3DS line is your favorite (or only) series of systems, this is still a decent way to experience one of the best RPGs of the Wii era. Otherwise, the remaster available on Nintendo Switch now makes this version largely obsolete.… Expand
  8. MoofiaBossVal
    Dec 26, 2021
    6
    The actual gameplay is meh. The real time, hybrid MMO hotbar combat is unexciting and boring. You're very dependent on AI party members to do combos or to heal but half the time they're stupid and not using the abilities they should be using at the right time. There are lots of sidequests but they're mediocre "fetch X" quests with no real interesting stories.

    The game's main claim to    The actual gameplay is meh. The real time, hybrid MMO hotbar combat is unexciting and boring. You're very dependent on AI party members to do combos or to heal but half the time they're stupid and not using the abilities they should be using at the right time. There are lots of sidequests but they're mediocre "fetch X" quests with no real interesting stories.

    The game's main claim to fame is its cutscenes. They're very well directed, and help carry an incredibly stereotypical and rather meh JRPG plot by distracting the player with the sheer spectacle of it all. About half of the main cast is likeable, while the other half are deadweight duds. The direction of the English voice acting is very good, though.

    The setting is interesting on paper (what if the world was giants?), but in game you don't really get to see that. You mostly see your typical fantasy RPG environments. That said, the art direction is good enough to make them visually nice to look at.

    Music is a mixed bag. There are some really great tracks, a lot of duds, and then a lot of really bad music that makes you want to mute the game or turn down the volume. Also, during battle, there is a cacophony of voicelines going off. You get used to it but that doesn't make it any less unenjoyable to listen to.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best 3DS Game of 2015
4
#4 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2015
3
#3 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 63
  3. Negative: 0 out of 63
  1. GamePro Germany
    Aug 12, 2015
    79
    The game has suffered by being ported to the 3Ds. It's still a great game, but I would only recommend the Wii version.
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  2. CD-Action
    Jul 27, 2015
    80
    A truly huge RPG with nice visuals, enjoyable combat system and a lot to do besides the main storyline. [08/2015, p.78]
  3. RPGamer
    Jun 29, 2015
    90
    Xenoblade Chronicles is a phenomenal RPG that hasn't been given the most extensive port that one would hope for, but is still impressive for being scaled down to a handheld.
    Read full review
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