Overview
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is an open-world role-playing game, remaster of the 2015 Wii U game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo, released in 2025. I played it on Nintendo Switch.
It's truly a very good Xenoblade.
Story and world
In 2054, Earth is destroyed by a conflict between two alien races. Part of humanity flees aboard huge space arks, one of which crashes on an unknown planet, Mira. The survivors found the city of New Los Angeles there, and the player, a customisable avatar, joins BLADE, the organisation tasked with exploring the planet and recovering the wreckage of the ship.
The story is fairly well crafted. This Definitive Edition also adds new chapters to the story.
Gameplay
I loved travelling through and exploring this world, especially since, unlike the other Xenoblade games, you can also explore it vertically thanks to the you can add to the Skells, pilotable mechs.
There are really a lot of characters to recruit, and plenty of side quests.
One of the things I liked least is the special companion quests. Once one of these quests has started, you can no longer decline it or put it aside to take on another one. So you have to be sure you can finish it, that your level is high enough, etc., otherwise you stay stuck on that quest.
Graphics and music
In this vast open world, you can see very far, and without any framerate drop on a machine like the Switch. Personally, I find that crazy, especially when you compare it with Pokémon Legends: Z-A or other Switch games.
The soundtrack is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano.
Verdict
A very good Xenoblade, with a vast, impressive open world to explore, including vertically, a lot of characters to recruit, plenty of side quests and a fairly well-crafted story. My only gripe: companion quests that you can no longer abandon once they've started. I really enjoyed this game.