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. kdkade
    Apr 10, 2015
    10
    Beautiful, artistic, deep, interesting. I never played it on Wii, but for 3DS standards, we just got an amazing, long game with a load of exploration and quests to do. A lot of mechanics to master. A lot of skills and strategies to check out. A lot of cutscenes to watch, a lot of amazing music to listen to... A lot of goodness embedded into that small catridge.

    Game is, long story    Beautiful, artistic, deep, interesting. I never played it on Wii, but for 3DS standards, we just got an amazing, long game with a load of exploration and quests to do. A lot of mechanics to master. A lot of skills and strategies to check out. A lot of cutscenes to watch, a lot of amazing music to listen to... A lot of goodness embedded into that small catridge.

    Game is, long story short, about a conflict between organic and mechanical races, that both live on huge, lifeless giants that used to fight long time ago. The setting of the game juggles epicness, jrpg-like cuteness and... a little bit of shocking, grim atmosphere here and there, since the machines' favourite food are organic races.

    What is amazing about this game is the number of side-quests and their meaning. You actually get access to a map of people you talked to, and upon discovering connection between them they get connected on the grid with specific relation. You can change/enhance that relations by doing different quests, and those sometimes offer you a choice. Upon doing quests more and more of them are coming. Just finding every npc in the game is challenging task.

    Areas you're about to explore are vast, interesting, and filled with strong monsters. Music is amazing, and the battle system is easily the best I've ever seen in jrpg.

    I could go on. The thing is, if you don't have Wii, just go and get this game, it's worth it. I can't think of a single thing that's wrong with it, unless you hate doing a lot of side-quests and reading a lot of equipment/skill details.    … Expand
  2. Sepian
    May 29, 2015
    10
    Not as good as the original, but still one of the best JRPGs you will ever play. If the game wasn't a billion dollars on Wii I'd recommend playing the original, but this is a fine way to enjoy a great game. The port isn't great, but its acceptable. The rating is mostly for the game being ported, and not for the port itself.
  3. luyangyang23
    Apr 25, 2015
    10
    Beautiful, artistic, deep, interesting. I never played it on Wii, but for 3DS standards, we just got an amazing, long game with a load of exploration and quests to do. A lot of mechanics to master. A lot of skills and strategies to check out. A lot of cutscenes to watch, a lot of amazing music to listen to... A lot of goodness embedded into that small catridge.
  4. Sloppystarfish
    Jun 1, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I went into this game expecting a very generic JRPG, and at first, the over-sized weapons and ridiculous art concepts for enemies almost steered me away. I'm glad that I stayed for the ride however, because this is a refreshing game to play. The combat system is extremely fluid and starts off simple, but slowly gets more and more complex and fun as the game goes on and is easily the best thing about this game, AND THE MUSIC... it's nothing short of phenomenal, "Mechanical rhythm" and "Gaur plains" are songs that I can listen to outside of the game and enjoy. The only complaints I have is that the story can become a bit ridiculous at times and there's waaaay too much grinding near the end game, I honestly felt nauseous from the repetitive Mechon grinding I had to do to beat one of the bosses later in the game(it amounted to 5 hours in total, ouch).
    So My overall ratings are
    Music: 9.5, outstanding
    Gameplay: 10, revolutionary
    Story: 7, a bit generic at times
    Fun factor: 8, would be a 10 if not for the late game grinding.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. amstans
    May 11, 2015
    10
    I played the original and ended up putting it down. I really love this in 3D as it makes you feel like you are more part of the action. The atmospheres are immersive and the story is deeply emotional. There are enough cut scenes to make a short mini series (with all of the heart-to-hearts!) And the attack system feels so much cleaner than the Wii version. The controls are amazing,I played the original and ended up putting it down. I really love this in 3D as it makes you feel like you are more part of the action. The atmospheres are immersive and the story is deeply emotional. There are enough cut scenes to make a short mini series (with all of the heart-to-hearts!) And the attack system feels so much cleaner than the Wii version. The controls are amazing, especially with the c-stick. It's the only game I've managed to play long enough to kill my batteries!… Expand
  8. krugman25
    May 13, 2015
    10
    Great graphics, complex, challenging and a mature storyline. I have around 20 hours into the game so far. For the standard of a typical Nintendo handheld game, this port is leagues above it. I have seen people being upset that the game wasn't ported to the 3DS because of the c-stick. I highly doubt the decision to not port to the 3DS had a lot less to do the with c-stick and a lot moreGreat graphics, complex, challenging and a mature storyline. I have around 20 hours into the game so far. For the standard of a typical Nintendo handheld game, this port is leagues above it. I have seen people being upset that the game wasn't ported to the 3DS because of the c-stick. I highly doubt the decision to not port to the 3DS had a lot less to do the with c-stick and a lot more to do with how computationally expensive this game is and that it needed the extra CPU core that the N3DS has over the 3DS. Don't be upset about that, just get the N3DS.… Expand
  9. saxo27
    Apr 23, 2015
    9
    Not sure how so many people wrote reviews on day one of this massive game...I am about 25 hours in, level 31. This game is an absolute charm. The world is big (but not in the annoying sandbox version of big), the characters are lively and vibrant, and the battle system is very fun and unique. There is so much to love about this game. For example, let me note the affinity system. It remindsNot sure how so many people wrote reviews on day one of this massive game...I am about 25 hours in, level 31. This game is an absolute charm. The world is big (but not in the annoying sandbox version of big), the characters are lively and vibrant, and the battle system is very fun and unique. There is so much to love about this game. For example, let me note the affinity system. It reminds me of Majora's Mask where you meet people and do things for them. In this instance, a chart develops that shows how everyone is connected and their sentiments towards one another. Very nice touch and adds to the depth of the world building in this game. Now, graphics... If you enjoy 3DS games or have played a few 3DS games, then you know already that graphics really don't matter (for they arn't next gen). This game looks quite good and every zone has its own flare and appeal. Any graphical displeasure will be completely forgotten about as you battle, travel, quest, meet new people, craft gems, run away from level 82 monsters, equip new weapons and armor (that actually change apperance!), get to know your travel-mates, and so on. If you like RPGs, then this game will please you. Enjoy!… Expand
  10. IxSaru
    Aug 21, 2015
    9
    Well I had played this game for 150 hour and I can tell that Its a good game. Amazing story, amazing world, amazing music and regular graphics, but Its a 3ds game, apart of that, the cities are lives, each city has NPC, NPCs with name, with story, that make you a sense about you re not walking for a hollow path, you are in a world where if something happens that affect the life of theWell I had played this game for 150 hour and I can tell that Its a good game. Amazing story, amazing world, amazing music and regular graphics, but Its a 3ds game, apart of that, the cities are lives, each city has NPC, NPCs with name, with story, that make you a sense about you re not walking for a hollow path, you are in a world where if something happens that affect the life of the people. In conclusion a RPG in his definition.… Expand
  11. osmarrm
    Apr 30, 2016
    10
    Un juego verdaderamente hermoso, cuando lo jugué se convirtió en uno de mis juegos favoritos para siempre. Lo recomiendo bastante si, como fue mi caso, aún no haz jugado la versión original de wii. Una obra maestra sin duda a mi parecer, solo que la verdad si fastidia un poco que tenga gráficos, que podrían ser de gamecube, siendo un juego que salio en 2012
  12. o0oXTCo0o
    Apr 27, 2017
    10
    I spent over 100 hours on the Wii Version of Xenoblad Chronicles, so when I picked up the 3DS version i thought that it was going to be a downgrade. Visually, yes it was, but the immersion I felt in the game world and with the characters was even better. I could explore the Bionis on the go and bring a staggeringly huge world with me in my pocket. Fluid gameplay, great voice acting,I spent over 100 hours on the Wii Version of Xenoblad Chronicles, so when I picked up the 3DS version i thought that it was going to be a downgrade. Visually, yes it was, but the immersion I felt in the game world and with the characters was even better. I could explore the Bionis on the go and bring a staggeringly huge world with me in my pocket. Fluid gameplay, great voice acting, beautiful scenery, interesting story. Totally worth a **** if you have some time.… Expand
  13. Billy-Goodfear
    Jan 16, 2018
    9
    Good port to an already classic game. A good way to new players who didn't get the chance to experience its greatness on the wii. Unfortunately it's exclusive to the "new 3ds" models but it's understandable knowing the scope of such port
  14. iMustang
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    After finishing this game, it became one of my favorite of all time. This game consumed over 132 hours of my life out of pure enjoyment, and I still have not 100%'d it yet. It has been a long time, since I think I have played such a perfect game. Every member of the party was perfect and had such amazing character development, the story was engrossing and compelling from beginning to end,After finishing this game, it became one of my favorite of all time. This game consumed over 132 hours of my life out of pure enjoyment, and I still have not 100%'d it yet. It has been a long time, since I think I have played such a perfect game. Every member of the party was perfect and had such amazing character development, the story was engrossing and compelling from beginning to end, the extra content was so fantastic I refused to progress to the next area without doing EVERYTHING possible at the time, and the music gameplay and scenery completed the masterpiece and made this game perfect in every respect. I wouldn't change a single thing about it, and I fully intend to get a 100% file. Truly this game is a mark of perfection.… Expand
  15. VincentStoker
    Apr 11, 2015
    9
    So far I have read many reviews which are complaining/moaning that the games graphics are alot worse than the original/bad textures/character models etc. There is something these people need to bear in mind.....this is a handheld game not a home console game. You cannot fit the full detail of the original into something like this. The game is beautiful by 3DS standards and a very big gameSo far I have read many reviews which are complaining/moaning that the games graphics are alot worse than the original/bad textures/character models etc. There is something these people need to bear in mind.....this is a handheld game not a home console game. You cannot fit the full detail of the original into something like this. The game is beautiful by 3DS standards and a very big game too (3.6GB) I never got the chance to play the original but have been hearing lots about it and I can honestly say it is exceeding my expectations and I have been nothing but impressed. The game plays very well on the new 3DS, the controls work very well and the games runs smooth as can be. The level of detail in the environments is impressive but I would suggest it's best played on the Xl as I don't know if it would look a little cluttered on the smaller system. There is one part of this game which outright deserves a 10 out of 10 and that is the soundtrack, one of the finest I have heard on a game in quite a while.

    Overall this is a top notch rpg with a wealth of options, story, side quests and fun to keep you very well entertained. The voice acting is fun and made me laugh many times at the banter between characters. Definitely worth a purchase if you are an rpg fan, ignore the "bad graphics" reviews and let yourself in for a fun romp!    … Expand
  16. 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
  17. Gotohellcadz
    Apr 15, 2015
    8
    This game has virtually everything anyone would want in a game: content, gameplay, story, characters, atmosphere and graphics. Had the game just been that must more accessible for newer players this game would be rated higher. But otherwise it's worth a buy for any rpg fan. But that still doesn't mean it's worth buying a whole new system for it, even if the wii port has a ridiculous price.
  18. Kingpinn02
    Sep 12, 2016
    10
    SHORT VERSION: This game is amazing! Every RPG fan should give it a try.

    I never played the Wii version (why spend $65 on it when I can spend $40... plus an extra $200 for a New 3DS). I have two younger brothers that use the Wii U a lot for multiplayer games giving me little time to play a long RPG, and since I really wanted to play, I saved up the money to buy a New 3DS. Much like    SHORT VERSION: This game is amazing! Every RPG fan should give it a try.

    I never played the Wii version (why spend $65 on it when I can spend $40... plus an extra $200 for a New 3DS). I have two younger brothers that use the Wii U a lot for multiplayer games giving me little time to play a long RPG, and since I really wanted to play, I saved up the money to buy a New 3DS. Much like everyone else, I first found out about it through Shulk's inclusion in Super Smash Bros.

    GAMEPLAY: This is my first RPG that isn't turn based. The real time combat is really fun and not that hard to get used to. Shulk's foresight ability allows him to look in to the future and see if an ally is about to get severely wounded allowing you enough time to plan a counter attack. When the party gauge is full, you can perform a chain attack to severely damage your opponents.

    You can't have a review without mentioning the large and breath taking overworld. It's huge and magnificently gorgeous at times. It can take anyone hours to explore.

    STORY: I tried to go in to this game knowing as little as possible. I won't say any detail about the plot other then it's absolutely fantastic with lovable characters. It's serious, funny, sad, and very complex with it's themes.

    FINAL THOUGHTS: This is an amazing game that I recommend to anyone that hasn't played yet. If you already own the Wii version, I've heard from others on the internet that it's basically the same game without any major chamges.    … Expand
  19. DarkLordGig
    Apr 11, 2015
    10
    I am probably going to get a bit of flack for this for sating this but, I never played the Wii version. So this was the only way I could get a chance to play the game without breaking the bank to get the original Wii version. I can saftly say that this is a really good game and I am very glad the nintendo is now giving the very few people who havn't played this game a chance to experienceI am probably going to get a bit of flack for this for sating this but, I never played the Wii version. So this was the only way I could get a chance to play the game without breaking the bank to get the original Wii version. I can saftly say that this is a really good game and I am very glad the nintendo is now giving the very few people who havn't played this game a chance to experience the world.

    This is one of the greatest RPG's ever made, The gameplay is very solid and the visuals look very great on the New 3DS. I like the fact that gaining experience and levels is very easy in this game so you won't have to do to much grinding. The battle system is very inventive, Think of a cross between action oriented combat and strategic MMO gameplay.

    The world is one the most beautiful things about this game, I mean I wasn't expecting the world to this massive in scope, and I was pleasantly surprised. There are some truly beautiful scenes in this game

    All in all this game is definitely worth a purchase    … Expand
  20. 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
  21. poyumaps
    Jun 16, 2015
    10
    Although I enjoyed the Wii controls better.

    ITS THE SAME GAME

    If you are complaining about about the new 3ds then go f**k yourself

    Great game 11/10 pepperonies
  22. TemplarGR
    Sep 10, 2016
    0
    One of the most overrated and overhyped games of the last generation, now on the New 3DS!

    This is final fantasy wannabe with mediocre story and bland, boring gameplay. I can understand how this scored highly on the Wii, after all Wii had no good RPGs (or games in general), so in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king and all that. But this doesn't mean that the game was good, it    One of the most overrated and overhyped games of the last generation, now on the New 3DS!

    This is final fantasy wannabe with mediocre story and bland, boring gameplay. I can understand how this scored highly on the Wii, after all Wii had no good RPGs (or games in general), so in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king and all that. But this doesn't mean that the game was good, it wasn't. The only really cool thing about the game was the setting, but a setting can't carry a 80hour slog on its own.

    The port is mediocre, as expected, and requires a New 3DS for no reason. The original 3DS is more than capable of playing this, as evidenced by other games playable on the O3DS, like the Monster Hunters. Nintendo used the lame excuse of "needing more power to run it" in order to sell more consoles. Which is disgusting, but that is Nintendo greed for you.

    The good thing is that we didn't need to play this anyway. Skip it. If you just don't value your life and your time, play it on PC using Dolphin. Thank me later.    … Expand
  23. Valdor
    May 15, 2018
    0
    I'm still confounded by the amount of hype this game got. The combat is a terrible combination of the worst that every F2P Korean MMO has to offer and the story and characters are bland and predictable.

    This game is a prime example of why you should never go quantity over quality. - There's hundreds of sidequests, BUT they're all the same kill x monsters, collect y items, ad infinitum.    I'm still confounded by the amount of hype this game got. The combat is a terrible combination of the worst that every F2P Korean MMO has to offer and the story and characters are bland and predictable.

    This game is a prime example of why you should never go quantity over quality.
    - There's hundreds of sidequests, BUT they're all the same kill x monsters, collect y items, ad infinitum.
    - The world is massive, BUT there's little to no reason to explore any of it. That cranny over there? Has the same items and monsters as everywhere else.
    - The game is long. You'll put in about 80 hours or so to finish the story, BUT it's all due to the horrible pacing and the game's forced marches across it's broad landscapes. It stretches itself incredibly thin in order to claim that long play time. The game really doesn't have any right to be longer than 30 hours with what's in it.

    Your time is better suited to playing anything else, really.    … Expand
  24. Leon_90
    Nov 29, 2016
    0
    Bad gameplay, bad story, bad character, bad world setting, this is one of the worst games I played in my life, going to sell it cuz its such a waste of time and money
  25. goschke
    May 4, 2015
    3
    Fairly good game, but what makes me mad is that it ONLY WORKS ON NEW 3DS! You don't need the C-Stick! You might as well stick with the Wii version because most people don't need it for this system too.
  26. okamimiyazaki
    Sep 3, 2020
    0
    Can't believe the 3DS version is so well received... This is an awful version. Do NOT buy it. Game is great, but the 3DS version looks like complete trash. I'm not even picky about graphics, but this is a blurry mess. Avoid at all costs. Waste of money. Get the Switch.
  27. 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
  28. dregojax
    Apr 30, 2015
    9
    Simply put: It's Final fantasy VII with better combat, better story line, better character relation, better world consistency, better character progression and better artistic direction. A new sherif in town. The JRPG reference.
  29. b00lpr0p
    Jan 21, 2019
    3
    Very unbalanced enemies. The combat is full of blablabla which Japanese people use to love, but it's annoying. The combat system doesn't help, it's long and boring. Graphics look worse than a Nintendo DS game.
  30. jcolin
    Jan 8, 2017
    4
    This is a great game, on the wii, however they had to dumb down the graphics even further to run it on a system with "updated hardware". Now it looks like a playstation one game. The wii graphics were already terrible and this really makes the game unplayable. Add an extra small screen in the mix and the thing is just a mess. Bought this as soon as it came out, returned it the next day.
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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.
    Read full review
  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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