Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – New Trailer Reveals Story Details and Gameplay Enhancements
A fresh trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition offers deeper insights into the game's narrative and characters. The original game's cliffhanger ending is addressed, with the new edition promising additional story content to potentially resolve this lingering mystery. Originally a Wii U exclusive (2015), the Definitive Edition brings the expansive JRPG to the Nintendo Switch.
The trailer, titled "The Year is 2054," features Elma, a key protagonist, recounting the events leading to humanity's arrival on the planet Mira after Earth is caught in an intergalactic war. The footage showcases gameplay adapted for the Switch, addressing the absence of the Wii U's GamePad functionality.
The Xenoblade Chronicles series, created by Monolith Soft's Tetsuya Takahashi, has gained significant popularity since its debut. The original Xenoblade Chronicles, initially slated for a Japan-only release, reached Western audiences thanks to the fan-driven Operation Rainfall campaign. The series' success has spawned three sequels: Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and the spin-off Xenoblade Chronicles X. The XCX: Definitive Edition completes the series' availability on the Nintendo Switch.
The trailer emphasizes the 2054 setting, where a desperate escape from Earth's destruction leads a group of survivors aboard the White Whale ark to Mira. The loss of the Lifehold, a crucial stasis technology, during the crash landing forms the core of the player's mission – to locate it before its power depletes.
Expanded Narrative and Streamlined Gameplay
The Definitive Edition introduces new story elements, aiming to provide closure to the original's unresolved plot threads. The game’s scope is considerable, tasking players with exploring Mira, deploying probes, and engaging in combat against both native and alien lifeforms to secure humanity's new home.
The Wii U version heavily relied on the GamePad for mapping, in-game interactions, and online multiplayer. The Switch adaptation seamlessly integrates these features. The GamePad's map is now a mini-map in the upper-right corner of the screen, consistent with other Xenoblade titles. Other UI elements have been repositioned to the main screen, maintaining a clean and uncluttered interface, although this adaptation may subtly alter the gameplay experience compared to the original.
