Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a lot more gruesome than I thought.
The true nature Aionios, where the people of Keves and Agnus fight endlessly to fuel their nations with the essence of their victims.
NintendObs Daily. Wednesday, June 22.
So the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct just aired, packed full of details on the story and the gameplay to set the foundation of this upcoming epic experience. Ouroboros fusions have two forms rather than one depending on which character is leading, Hero characters may stay in the roster permanently (akin to Rare Blades in Xenoblade Chronicles 2) while teaching their specific classes to the six playable characters of the team, and for the first time in the series each of these six can all be selected on the fly during combat. The presentation is a must-watch for anybody interested in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, especially for those who've already made the commitment to be there day one come July 29.
Equipped with this new footage, when they said the core theme of this title is life, I believe death is what they truly meant. Noah's mantra that introduced Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to the world — "Fight to live and live to fight" — makes so much sense now that we are exposed to the true nature Aionios, where the people of Keves and Agnus fight endlessly to fuel their nations with the essence of their victims. Meanwhile, it really feels like the shady organisation shown in the teaser trailer is pulling all the strings with the deep understanding that both countries should always stand at a stalemate, because complete downfall of one would guarantee extinction for the other. As much as I'm surprised by how dark this story is, I noticed I saw it coming with this quote I wrote last year:
Whereas Xenoblade Chronicles 2 starred a kid in 2017 with Rex, and Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition featured a boy in 2020 with Shulk, a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on Nintendo Switch could pursue that trend with a man at the helm in a more gritty, serious and realistic realm.
But even though I anticipated correctly, I was still not ready for this.
Source: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct - Nintendo Switch. (+ French, Japanese)
Additional sources:
Nintendo unveils Xenoblade Chronicles 3 direct presentation packed with new footage and details. (+ Business Wire)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 official gamepage. (+ Nintendo of Europe)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass official gamepage. (+ Nintendo of Europe)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Direct Teaser Trailer. (+ French, Japanese)
NintendObs Thinks: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or Xenoblade Chronicles X 2?
Acompanying screenshots from the official Japanese Twitter account. (+ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
【ゼノブレイド ノート vol. 6】「ゼノブレイド3 Direct 2022.6.22」が公開。追加コンテンツ「ゼノブレイド3 エキスパンション・パス」も予約開始。
Tales of a similar atmosphere.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country (Nintendo Switch).