Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

 Switch
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1336 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,179 out of 1336
  2. Mixed: 58 out of 1336
  3. Negative: 99 out of 1336
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  1. OldAndCynical
    Nov 30, 2020
    6
    There are JRPGs that age well, and then there are those that don't. Xenoblade is one of the latter.
    This game might have been mighty impressive on Wii, and pretty neat on WiiU.
    But its well past its prime on Switch. The tired level design, the lack of interesting detail, the endless fetch quests that give no real rewards and so on. Its all just too PS2 era, and not in a good way. And    There are JRPGs that age well, and then there are those that don't. Xenoblade is one of the latter.
    This game might have been mighty impressive on Wii, and pretty neat on WiiU.
    But its well past its prime on Switch. The tired level design, the lack of interesting detail, the endless fetch quests that give no real rewards and so on. Its all just too PS2 era, and not in a good way.
    And the 'acclaimed' music is pretty horrid, and far cry from the great soundtrack Baten Kaitos had. And the remastered soundtrack manages to be even worse!
    But I think the worst bit is the lack of atmosphere in the game world, and the unconvincing, cliche'd characters that lack depth.
    This is one of those 'essential' JRPGs that you can safely pass without having missed anything essential.    … Expand
  2. CompleteIdiot
    Dec 7, 2021
    7
    I think the game was overhyped for me. I played the second instalment first, and when this was announced as a remake I had a lot of excitement for it. While the visuals and world design is fantastic, I did find the combat and characters rather lacking. Some story plot points were definitely inspired, but overall it felt like a much weaker game than the second one. If anything, afterI think the game was overhyped for me. I played the second instalment first, and when this was announced as a remake I had a lot of excitement for it. While the visuals and world design is fantastic, I did find the combat and characters rather lacking. Some story plot points were definitely inspired, but overall it felt like a much weaker game than the second one. If anything, after playing this one it has made me want to replay the sequel even more! I still haven't fully finished it (have like 2 more hours based on what I read on wiki) but its so hard to pick it up as the core gameplay loop simply is not as enjoyable as it was in the sequel.… Expand
  3. Anatoma
    Jul 16, 2021
    5
    Was great at the beginning but got boring later .Didn't like the combat mechanic which is very complicated. Sometimes complicated fighting mechanics get good later on in the game but not in this case.common cliches like power of friendship, gods, not killing any enemy really got on my nerves
  4. Xemnios
    Mar 29, 2021
    5
    One of the best story in videogame history in a terrible and boring game...
  5. RCAVHS
    Sep 1, 2021
    5
    I saw lot of people suggesting playing this after BOTW to get another epic adventure but with RPG mechanics. I wanted a better story since BOTW is lacking in that area, and obviously this game gets high praise for its story. I generally enjoy RPGs and recently played FF XII: The Zodiac Age and it really grew on me, so I was open to this more MMO-type battle system.

    I was impressed by    I saw lot of people suggesting playing this after BOTW to get another epic adventure but with RPG mechanics. I wanted a better story since BOTW is lacking in that area, and obviously this game gets high praise for its story. I generally enjoy RPGs and recently played FF XII: The Zodiac Age and it really grew on me, so I was open to this more MMO-type battle system.

    I was impressed by the world, and the strategy of the combat intrigued me. The voice acting and cutscenes were pretty impressive, and the story seemed quite interesting. Unfortunately, on my second session of playing the game, I found myself dozing off while playing. I figured I was just tired, but then it happened during another session, and then another.

    I still haven't figured out what was so boring about this game. The quests just feel like running from checkpoint to checkpoint on your map. There is no rewarding feeling of discovery from the quests or in the items you get. I would get new weapons/armor and it would make me stronger but there was nothing exciting about getting a new weapon. Sometimes it felt like they were too OP. One weird thing for me right away was that I couldn't use a potion or anything to heal myself in or after battle like a typical game. Your health just restores completely about 5 seconds after battle. So the game seems to be less about using resources to surviving your journey, but rather just about surviving each individual battle encounter. I don't know, this was just weird to me and took away a lot of the challenge.

    I put this game down about 15-20 hours in. I know people say that you have to give certain games more time than that, but I just didn't have the patience. Nothing hooked me.    … Expand
  6. Jinouga
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    An all time classic upgraded + new content.

    An already great game from the Wii era, which many players claim to be their favourite JRPG or even favourite game of all time, is brought to the Nintendo Switch with updated graphics, quality of life changes and new extra content in form of a small story that takes place after the events of the main story and on an area that we couldn't visit    An all time classic upgraded + new content.

    An already great game from the Wii era, which many players claim to be their favourite JRPG or even favourite game of all time, is brought to the Nintendo Switch with updated graphics, quality of life changes and new extra content in form of a small story that takes place after the events of the main story and on an area that we couldn't visit before. The main game is already a must play, but the new content is also a great adition.

    Future Connected, the Epilog to the main story:
    The map is as beautiful and grand as expected from monolith soft. The music, as immersive as expected from a Xenoblade game. The quests, as fun as aspected and the story, not as grand because it's (naturally) only a fraction of a Xenoblade game in terms of length (DLC size, about 10 hrs or 15 if want to do every quest), but you can see the love that went into this. It's great. Play it.    … Expand
  7. Nintendist
    Jun 29, 2022
    10
    this game is SO GOOD. one of the best game on Nintendo Switch and the BEST from Nintendo overall
  8. lucinhagamer
    Aug 26, 2022
    10
    this game is very good, with so many good things to do i love it so much yes i love it
  9. Thinner187
    Sep 25, 2022
    10
    One of my absolute favourites. I love this game. Great character deaign, overwhelmingly size and beautiful storyline.
  10. dharma
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is the best way to play this classic RPG. The high definition graphics, updated from both the Wii and 3DS are the highlight, along with its remastered soundtrack. I have to admit that back in the old days, I never really finished this JRPG, thanks to its endless grinding and sharp difficulty. However, many quality of life improvements has made thisXenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is the best way to play this classic RPG. The high definition graphics, updated from both the Wii and 3DS are the highlight, along with its remastered soundtrack. I have to admit that back in the old days, I never really finished this JRPG, thanks to its endless grinding and sharp difficulty. However, many quality of life improvements has made this game more playable than ever. Modern gamers can enjoy this classic: surprisingly released near PS4's controversial 'blockbuster', The Last of Us part 2. Both are similar in that they are narrative driven games, albeit in a different genre. Yet, audiences loved this game more whole heartedly. Why? In this era of 'Covid 19' pandemic, Nintendo games give you a sense of hope and joyfulness: of seeing epic environments now brought to true HD; of optimistic 'heroes' such as Shulk and Dunban. That is why Nintendo (and Monolith software), despite its 'creaky' graphics seemingly triumph over its competitors.… Expand
  11. JRice
    Feb 8, 2021
    8
    This is a massive, ambitious and beautiful game, but also a remaster, that didnt manage to leave its outdated nature completely behind.
    Since everybody else is talking about its greatness, i will focus on those weaknesses:
    - The resolution in handheld mode is unbearable - The game is very grind-heavy, while at the same time, grinding doesnt feel especially rewarding, and is generally    This is a massive, ambitious and beautiful game, but also a remaster, that didnt manage to leave its outdated nature completely behind.
    Since everybody else is talking about its greatness, i will focus on those weaknesses:

    - The resolution in handheld mode is unbearable
    - The game is very grind-heavy, while at the same time, grinding doesnt feel especially rewarding, and is generally too slow
    - The story is pretty clichee (personal oppinion), and didnt catch me
    - The world feels sterile: You cannot enter houses, collectables are just blue balls, and enemies just stand or walk around, and wait for you
    - The presentstion is too "asian", and not mature
    - Most important: The character developement and the battle system are uninteresting, and become repetitive fast

    In the end, it is a good remaster of a (once) very good, but very clunky game.
    It absolutely is a game worth playing, but it still leaves too many weaknesses, to be the true definitive version of the game...

    Personally, i didnt enjoy it to the end, and just beat the game to finish the journey. And, although i absolutely am a completionist, i skipped many quests and exploration, and wont do a new game+...

    Im rating XCDE with 8.4/10 points    … Expand
  12. n_dhruvo
    Jun 20, 2020
    9
    Significant visual improvement over the 1st release. On top of that there is a dlc which is over 15 hrs long. This bonus contest some what gives some hint about their upcoming games.
  13. smahlt
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    I tried playing the original version on Wii for the first time in 2017 or so, and the graphics were so muddy and the menus were so awful I couldn't get into it. I was excited to try an updated version, and my expectations were met. It is a fantastic game with great gameplay, story, characters, locations, music, etc. I loved XCX, and also loved XC2, though I prefer X, but I think this is myI tried playing the original version on Wii for the first time in 2017 or so, and the graphics were so muddy and the menus were so awful I couldn't get into it. I was excited to try an updated version, and my expectations were met. It is a fantastic game with great gameplay, story, characters, locations, music, etc. I loved XCX, and also loved XC2, though I prefer X, but I think this is my new favorite Xenoblade Chronicles game.… Expand
  14. shado474
    Jul 7, 2022
    8
    8.5/10
    This game does a lot of things awesomely. The story is powerful, the characters are well developed and the soundtrack is very good! Environments are also often very beautiful, although the graphics are dated mainly due to the fact that it is an upgraded version of a Wii title.
    Where the game did not shine for me is in the combat. I have to say I am not a big fan of the MMO-style    8.5/10
    This game does a lot of things awesomely. The story is powerful, the characters are well developed and the soundtrack is very good! Environments are also often very beautiful, although the graphics are dated mainly due to the fact that it is an upgraded version of a Wii title.
    Where the game did not shine for me is in the combat. I have to say I am not a big fan of the MMO-style combat to start with, but here in the mid-to-late part of the game, there is just too many enemies and combat becomes extremely tedious. The main character also essentially stops learning new arts pretty early on so it feels mostly like more of the same for a very large chunk of the game. The foresight moments are also too frequent and break the battle momentum. Luckily this version of the game has a Casual Mode that can be selected if things start feeling too tedious and it greatly helped for me.
    I would overall recommend!    … Expand
  15. DinoBeam
    Feb 11, 2023
    8
    Some amazing unique fantasy landscapes that big fantasy fans will not want to miss. Fun auto based combat. Cool enemies that sadly repeat in new areas alot. Some bosses you need to grind for, with the last boss being one you will most likely need to turn "casual mode" on for, even if you have a solid team that has gotten you easily though the whole game up the that point [and no they doSome amazing unique fantasy landscapes that big fantasy fans will not want to miss. Fun auto based combat. Cool enemies that sadly repeat in new areas alot. Some bosses you need to grind for, with the last boss being one you will most likely need to turn "casual mode" on for, even if you have a solid team that has gotten you easily though the whole game up the that point [and no they do not let you teleport away to grind for that one]. Half the writing is good, half is extraordinarily cheesy bad anime/ 80's kids cartoon level writing. Lots of plot twists. 8 overall.… Expand
  16. jelikey
    Mar 3, 2023
    8
    El problema con este juego es la resolución, pero fuera de eso gráficamente es mucho bastante mejor al de Wii.

    Al ver esto, instantaneamente querrás jugarlo en NS y creo que jamás debió que existir en Wii, los gráficos en este remaster tienen estilo de dibujo, el pobre intento de Wii era hacerlos ver de carnes y hueso, era imposible que eso envejeciera bien. Sobra decir lo demás,    El problema con este juego es la resolución, pero fuera de eso gráficamente es mucho bastante mejor al de Wii.

    Al ver esto, instantaneamente querrás jugarlo en NS y creo que jamás debió que existir en Wii, los gráficos en este remaster tienen estilo de dibujo, el pobre intento de Wii era hacerlos ver de carnes y hueso, era imposible que eso envejeciera bien.

    Sobra decir lo demás, porque ya habrás leído reseñas.

    Ah si... otro problema para mi es el precio, debería bajarse por el tipo de resolución que entrega, y ya teniendo consolas que vana ser el triple de potentes que NS a la vuelta de la esquina no se me hace tan justo que valga lo mismo a otros juegos que si están más acordes al estándar actual.

    Porque lo que se vende podría ser un juego de PS3 iniciante, no va ni a 720p, es casi un juego del 2004 ,guau... es demasiado retrasado en ese aspecto, ¡¡¡16 años!!!!    … Expand
  17. zeven
    Jun 8, 2020
    8
    Content-wise, it is a real good piece of JRPG.
    The only bad comes from the hardware limitation of nintendo.
  18. krulemuk
    Jun 6, 2020
    10
    It's my first time playing Xenoblade Chronicles and what can I say: It's one of the best JRPGs I have ever played. This is surprising due to the fact that I didn't like Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
  19. Master_Haar
    Jun 26, 2020
    10
    Have you ever played a game and you were so fascinated by the story and wished that more people can watch it and enjoy it?
    Well Xenoblade is one of them
    What a beautiful story that takes you on a unforgettable unique journey. The imagination of the creator is mind blowing! The World of Xenoblade is captivating each area you visit have its own speical sight. Am pretty sure that if this    Have you ever played a game and you were so fascinated by the story and wished that more people can watch it and enjoy it?
    Well Xenoblade is one of them
    What a beautiful story that takes you on a unforgettable unique journey.
    The imagination of the creator is mind blowing!
    The World of Xenoblade is captivating each area you visit have its own speical sight.
    Am pretty sure that if this would be adopted as an anime, people would fall in love it with it.
    All the characters are amazing and enjoyable.
    The races and the conflicts they have between
    One another and the twist plots and soo many more will never make the audience grt bored.
    If you like the gameplay (cuz its an issue to some) then you must definitely give it a try and enjoy this game❤️.

    The soundtracks am pretty sure almost everyone will love them And i really like how you can work on your bonds with your other teammates
    Love how you can glamour how you look and the vast choices of weapons and armors you chose from!
    They game overs a lot of things and I don’t want to write more and make this boring just go ahed and see it for yourself.    … Expand
  20. Kri
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    A masterpiece done even better. Best JRPG of all time. I've never enjoyed replaying a game so much until this one.
  21. qwerm
    Aug 31, 2022
    9
    Story with many twists is what made this game great. Unfortunately combat, on the other hand, is not that great...
  22. btthead
    Mar 28, 2022
    10
    A beautiful remaster of one of the best games of all time, with extra content to boot!
  23. Manzor
    Jun 10, 2020
    9
    The main game is an amazing jrpg, with beautiful locations, great music and an amazing twist in the story. The characters are nothing special but decent, at least the main character is better than Rex in Xenoblade 2. There are many new features, like a time challenge, a better ui, more options, skins, etc., however, the best feature is A future connected, a new story that works as anThe main game is an amazing jrpg, with beautiful locations, great music and an amazing twist in the story. The characters are nothing special but decent, at least the main character is better than Rex in Xenoblade 2. There are many new features, like a time challenge, a better ui, more options, skins, etc., however, the best feature is A future connected, a new story that works as an epilogue. A future connected is NOT a good story, the explanations are poor and there are not twists. The only interesting character just disappear to die in an absurd way during a sidequest, something that makes no sense for me. Despite of that, A future connected is a promise since it clearly teases Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a game that obviously will CONNECT Xenoblade 1 and 2. I am honestly really excited about it.… Expand
  24. Joenightwalker
    Feb 14, 2022
    10
    the several small QoLs they added in this version adds up to make the experience significantly better, and this version indeed is a window into Monolith Soft bright future ahead with the Xenoblade franchise. Hopefully they get enough money to give Xenoblade X the same treatment!
  25. Cougargames
    Aug 4, 2022
    10
    The best JRPG of all time, definetly on my top 3 games of all time. Music is a masterpiece, story is incredible (sort of reminds me of lotr), the Word is incredible and the combat is great!

    If youve got a nintendo switch, love jrpgs and havent played this yet then you are really missing out.
  26. Afenger
    Dec 13, 2020
    9
    Uma obra de arte dos Jrpgs está de volta, agora com músicas mais refinadas e uma upgrade nos gráficos. Porém o baixo desempenho na resolução mantém o mesmo defeito que tínhamos em Xeno 2, talvez este seja o maior motivo para não dá um 10. A Dlc é um show a parte, nos garantido mais de 20h de aventura extra.
  27. Qwertyleo
    Jul 9, 2020
    10
    This is one of the best jrpgs I've ever played, they story is compelling, and had good twists and turns.
  28. Lone_Wolf_Sones
    Jun 24, 2020
    9
    The original Xenoblade was and is one of the most highly regarded jprgs of its generation. It arrived at the tail end of the Wii's lifecycle and extended its longevity. Being on a standard definition console, the game always felt like it was trapped in time on a platform that itself was past it's prime. It made up for it with a compelling story and characters and top-notch art direction.The original Xenoblade was and is one of the most highly regarded jprgs of its generation. It arrived at the tail end of the Wii's lifecycle and extended its longevity. Being on a standard definition console, the game always felt like it was trapped in time on a platform that itself was past it's prime. It made up for it with a compelling story and characters and top-notch art direction.

    The game saw a port to the 3DS which was a technical showcase but ended up feeling like it was in the same boat as it's Wii predecessor. It was on a platform that was on in years and being exclusive to the "new" 3DS limited it's audience somewhat.

    The definitive edition arrives on Switch with new character models, improved textures, and remixed soundtrack. But do all of these bells and whistles truly make it the definitive version?

    Visually the game is an improvement, however, being stuck with a dynamic resolution that is sub HD in portable mode kind of detracts a bit. You're going to have a resolution between 378-540p. In docked mode, the resolution can range from 504p-720p.

    The remixed soundtrack is great but never fear, the original is here too if you prefer.

    Gameplay has seen some notable improvements. Abilities that have positioning requirements now alert you with a blue exclamation point when in place. Quests are far easier to track now as well which makes the game flow much better.

    One of the additions I appreciate the most is the inclusion of an event theatre to watch all the gorgeous cutscenes over again. This allows you to experience the story again in a more passive fashion without having to replay it all. It also allows you to refamiliarize yourself with the story should you have to come back to the game at a later date.

    With the resolution being the only discernable drawback? It never looks particularly bad on the portable screen. The art direction is still on point here and with all the enhancements, it truly does make for the definitive edition...or at least until Nintendo decides to re-release it again.    … Expand
  29. jocariba
    Mar 2, 2023
    9
    Un juego maravilloso, la historia es un poco enredosa, pero es un clásico instantáneo, envejeció bien, aunque tiene sus detalles sobre todo en el sistema de combate, una vez que lo dominas, la dificultad baja radicalmente, el remake me parece muy bien hecho
  30. Khalei27
    May 29, 2020
    10
    im gonna be honest. This game is a masterpiece and it deserves nothing but praise. The quality of the remaster/remake/port whatever you want to call it is something that we can discuss and i totally understand if youre complaining about certain quality performances, because i share those feelings too, and i think this game could've pushed the swtich to its limit way better. Despite that,im gonna be honest. This game is a masterpiece and it deserves nothing but praise. The quality of the remaster/remake/port whatever you want to call it is something that we can discuss and i totally understand if youre complaining about certain quality performances, because i share those feelings too, and i think this game could've pushed the swtich to its limit way better. Despite that, the game is the same as the original and they added an epilogue which is something that i really appreciate it. Its one of the best jrp ever made, and i love the fact that a lot of people will play this masterpiece for the first time.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Switch Game of 2020
3
#3 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 92 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 88 out of 92
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 92
  3. Negative: 0 out of 92
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Oct 26, 2020
    100
    This has been a delight in a dark time in humanity's history. [Issue #48 – September/October 2020, p. 74]
  2. GameMAG
    Sep 14, 2020
    90
    Xenoblade Chronicles is still one of the best games of the genre, which 10 years later continues to delight and surprise with a unique world, luxurious epic landscapes, an incredible sense of freedom, beautiful music and a really interesting story. Of course, it is a pity that the Definitive Edition has a technical limitation in terms of resolution, which does not allow the image to really shine in 2020, but otherwise it is a chic project that every fan of the genre of adventure and Japanese role-playing games should play.
    Read full review
  3. App Trigger
    Jul 20, 2020
    95
    It’s hard to believe this is a game that released in 2012 and not more recently. Though there are some dated and heavy systems, the atmosphere and a combat system that gives freedom and depth make Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition an RPG for the ages.
    Read full review
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