Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Everything We Know So Far About Xenoblade Chronicles 3

 Video games  3 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Mar 092022
 

Ah, now those are words I’m delighted to be able to write!

In the middle of our romance celebration in February, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was announced for the Nintendo Switch.

Not only that, but it already has a release window: September 2022.

That’s right, the next Xenoblade game is coming out this year!

I’m still hoping we get a Xenoblade Chronicles X sequel someday (with a Xenoblade Chronicles X port as a likely first step), but I’m thrilled to get any Xenoblade game.

(As excited as I am for Bayonetta 3, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 vaulted into the top spot as my most-anticipated game of the year as soon as it was revealed.)

And in what is very interesting news, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a sequel that brings together the future of both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. In fact, the trailer actually shows that, with some familiar locations popping up in the gameplay segments.

So let’s start by watching the trailer.

The trailer is exciting and teases many intriguing details about this new game in the series, especially the glimpse of two masked characters near the end who are widely believed by fans to be Melia and Nia.

It also shows us a world filled with conflict, a reference to people being used as fuel, and a puzzling line in which a character asks, “What good’s filling up these flickering clocks in our eyes?” Some intriguing story elements are definitely being set up.

The protagonists, as detailed on Nintendo UK’s official Xenoblade Chronicles 3 page, are Noah and Mio, two “off-seers” who mourn for soldiers who lose their lives (which seems to have something to do with the flutes that they play).

Joining them in the main cast are Lanz, Eunie, Taion, and Sena. Curiously, character details translated from the official Japanese Xenoblade Twitter account revealed that all 6 main characters are age 18, except for Mio, who is 19. Yes, even the High Entia and Machina (?) characters, even though they shouldn’t age like Homs, are 18. What does this mean? I have no idea. A popular theory is that enough time has passed for the genetics to have diluted to the point of giving them Homs-like lifespans.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 deals with a war between two nations called Keves and Agnus. Noah, Lanz, and Eunie are from Keves, while Mio, Taion, and Sena are from Agnus, so it seems as though their groups will come together despite the conflict between their countries. Interestingly, “Keves” means “sheep” in Hebrew and “Agnus” means “lamb” in Latin. Is this significant? It can’t be a coincidence.

Eagle-eyed fans have also caught a lot of tiny details in the trailer that I would have missed on my own, such as a shape that might be the Conduit on the machine at 1:10, a symbol that appears on the bodies of the three Keves characters, and ouroboros symbols on the party’s weapons (which is especially interesting since the character who might be Melia says, “Ouroboros abhor this world”). Noah and Mio also appear to exchange flutes at some point in the story.

Finally, let’s talk about the art at the very end of the trailer, which shows the sword of the Mechonis from Xenoblade Chronicles alongside the Urayan Titan from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. This is a puzzling scene if this is the future of both worlds.

Click for Xenoblade Chronicles 1 & 2 spoilers
The Mechonis’s sword was destroyed during Xenoblade Chronicles, and Uraya merged into the landmass at the end of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. So why are both intact in the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

What makes this even more interesting is that in a message from Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi about Xenoblade Chronicles 3, he brings up this key visual as an important point and says that the image of the Mechonis sword alongside the wounded Urayan Titan was first thought up between the development of Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

So whatever this visual means, whatever this is all building up to, they actually had it in mind before they made Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Knowing this has been planned for so long makes me even more excited for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I’ve tried to cover everything we know about it at this point, but if I missed anything, let me know in the comments! Are you looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

Mitsuda’s New Project Could Be Announced Next Month

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Jan 242022
 

Back in August, we talked about composer Yasunori Mitsuda’s work on an unknown project that felt consistent with rumors of an upcoming Xenoblade announcement.

Well, now the rumors have reason to fly once again.

In a recent tweet, Mitsuda said his new project could be revealed as early as next month.

Naturally, this has sparked new hopes of a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 announcement, especially since it’s common for a Nintendo Direct to be held in February.

Another popular possibility is the rumored Chrono Cross remaster, which I thought might be announced at the Game Awards due to how credible the rumors seemed at the time. Mitsuda was the composer for Chrono Cross, so it’s likely he’d be involved with a remaster.

That then ties into the rumors that there will be a State of Play in February.

So which will it be? A new Xenoblade game revealed at a Nintendo Direct, or a Chrono Cross remaster revealed at a State of Play? Of course, it could be neither, and since his tweet says it’s the earliest the project could be announced, it might not happen in February even if it is one of the two.

For that matter, it might not be a video game at all.

What do you think Mitsuda’s project is? Do you think we’ll get a Xenoblade announcement this year?

More Music-Based Hints of a Possible New Xenoblade

 Video games  5 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Aug 302021
 

Not too long ago, rumors of a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 circulated due to Jenna Coleman (who plays Melia) saying in an interview that she thought a third Xenoblade was in development.

Maybe yes, maybe no – it didn’t sound to me like she necessarily knew for sure.

Something that definitely makes me hopeful we might see a new Xenoblade soon, though, is the recent work of composer Yasunori Mitsuda.

Mitsuda has worked on a lot of games, not just Xenoblade, but the more details come out, the more hopeful it seems. Several months ago, there were tweets that suggested Mitsuda might be working on a project with ACE, a group that also worked on Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, although it wasn’t clear.

A couple of months later, the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra posted about recording music for a Japanese video game, to which Mitsuda replied saying it was a great recording session. The Bratislava Symphony Orchestra previously worked with him on Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

And now, Mitsuda is remotely recording with someone from Ireland. Another group that contributed to Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s music is the Irish choral group Anúna. When asked if they’re the ones he’s recording with now, they just replied “Aha…”

Is this related to Xenoblade Chronicles? Who knows? It’s certainly not confirmed. However, a composer who worked on Xenoblade in the past seems to be doing several collaborations with groups that also worked on Xenoblade… so it’s starting to feel likely.

(I still hope we see a Xenoblade Chronicles X sequel someday, though.)

Do you think we’ll see a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 announcement soon?

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