i finished xenoblade 3 recently and wanted to give my thoughts about it here for fun. here goes!
the story
i think this is monolith soft's hardest-hitting, most emotional xenoblade story so far. there were many moments in it where i was completely blown away, to the point where i needed to just sit for a while and let it roam about in my mind. it also maybe feels like the shortest one, compared to the previous two games, but it covers a LOT of ground in that time, and the game ultimately ends on a really good, very bittersweet note. if you asked me to, i wouldn't be able to pick a favourite character out of the main cast. i'm so attached to all of them at this point... the game's sidequests and hero quests are also really impactful, and help flesh out the world & characters a huge amount, enough so that i'd recommend going through as much of the side content as you can, or at least all of the hero quests.
the gameplay
xenoblade 3 combines the gameplay systems from the previous two games together, while also expanding on them and making a lot of improvements. before now, i would've said the gameplay in xenoblade 2's torna DLC was my favourite JRPG combat, but now i think xenoblade 3 has taken that spot. (but torna's still close behind!) i don't have a ton else to say about the combat system, now that i think about it. it's fun and satisfying and works really well. the most i can think of is i don't really find myself using the ouroborous powers in battles all that much, unless i need to suddenly revive a bunch of people while my healers are down. chain attacks are fantastic to pull off and i think they're the best they've ever been.
the class/hero system is really cool, and ultimately i think i like it more than the blade system in xenoblade 2 - there's no blade gacha or any random elements, instead you just get heroes through completing the attached hero quests. those quests as already mentioned are fantastic, and help make the hero characters feel a lot more important to the story & the party than the rare blades ever did in xenoblade 2. being able to give a hero's abilities to anyone in the party (once unlocked) is great, and gives a lot of potential for all sorts of different team compositions. (though really, i'm just finding what ones i like and then sticking to that.)
other things
the music is, of course, fantastic, especially some of the battle themes. the chain attack and unique monster battle themes keep getting stuck in my head. (as well as one postgame theme, but i won't spoil it. if you know, you know!) although if i had to compare this game with the last one, some of the soundtrack feels more forgettable to me than 2's did... i feel like there's a lot more i remember from 2 than this game. but maybe that's just because i've spent like a hundred hours more with 2 compared to 3... time will tell! either way, i'll absolutely try and pick up the CD release of this soundtrack when i can, because the stuff i remember is REALLY good. the environments in this game are gorgeous, and might be some of the best in the series so far. i keep finding myself taking screenshots of everything. it's super cool seeing the ruins & scattered remains of places from xenoblade 1 & 2 all around the place. i like the UI design a lot, it's detailed without feeling overwhelming. plus i'm a sucker for glowy orange stuff. also, i really, really appreciate the addition of a proper "take a screenshot without the UI" feature. that was something i kept wanting in the previous two games, so it's super nice to finally get the pretty screenshots i've been hoping for.
alright let's wrap this up
ultimately, i think this is monolith soft's best game yet. it's an amazing way to cap off a brilliant trilogy of games, and i can't wait to see what they do next. i'm especially curious about the expansion pass, given just how good xenoblade 2's was.
after all this, i think xenoblade might be my favourite game series now? i can't think of much else that tops it. anyways, that's as many words as i can think to say about xenoblade chronicles 3. go play this game, if you can! (but play xenoblade 1 & 2 first, if you want. it isn't necessary for 3 but it adds a lot to the experience)
thanks for reading!