Xenoblade Chronicles 3, like the Final Fantasy series, is a game that stands on its own as far as the story is concerned. It opens with a huge battle between two warring nations, each trying to steal the lives to soak into their giant mechs. Players follow the role of Noah, a young officer who is struggling with his place on the battlefield.
Upon running into a rival trio of soldiers, Noah and the others find themselves at a crossroads. They make enemies of the world thanks to some eye magic from a villainous creature with no name. That is the basic setup for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and here are some tips to make the beginning hours of gameplay easier.
7 It Takes Three Hours To Get Going
This is standard for the series, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 locks away a lot of the content. Tutorials will keep popping up even into the twenty-hour mark. However, the main set of mechanics will be unlocked about three hours into the game when all six playable characters will join together.
This will make it easier to explore the world as the party will be bigger and will thus give players a better RPG tactical advantage in battle. It might be a good idea to rush through the story until this happens.
6 Combat Is Complex; Try Easy
Players can choose between three difficulties at the start of the game, and these can be switched in the options later. For starters, players should try out the Easy mode first. The combat system is less complex than in the last game, but there is still a lot to learn, and more stuff gets added as the game goes on.
Until all six main party members are recruited and the class system is also unlocked, it might be a good idea to practice with Easy. Once players get the hang of combat, then they can turn up the difficulty if they wish.
5 Keep Autobattle On
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is set up like an MMO, which has been the standard since the first game. Players run into monsters in the field, and then they start attacking automatically. Players can switch targets, move around, and use abilities that run on cooldowns too for a little more interactivity. Turning on autobattle will make life a lot easier, though.
When things get dicey, like when the team is about to fall, then it might be a good idea to switch this autobattle system off. As an overall statement, the AI generally knows what it is doing. If players wish to take a hands-on approach to things, then they certainly don’t have to try this mode out.
4 Pay Attention To Class Experience
After all six party members are gathered, it will take about an hour or two more to unlock class customization, which is a new feature for the series but a standard one for RPGs. Characters can learn each other’s classes, which will then allow them to apply skills in other classes. This cross-class system is important to utilize as soon as possible.
Grinding hours for normal experience will seem like a waste once this feature is unlocked. Get to this point as soon as possible as well, and also pay attention to how these classes are leveling up. The overall tip is to master a class and then move on to the next one.
3 Have Everyone Learn Healing Abilities
The first healing class will be the Medic Gunner, which is what Eunie starts with. About ten hours into the game, players will meet a side party member, Valdi, who is a War Medic. Whenever a character is introduced who has a healing-based class, everyone should master that class as fast as possible. Don’t have everyone be a healer in the party, though, as that will throw the balance off.
Of the six main heroes, two should be healers at all times. Mastering these classes should give characters at least one healing ability that should always be equipped. The healer is one of the most important roles in an RPG, which is why this tip is so important in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as the game doesn’t use items.
2 Soul Tree Tips
One of the cooler additions to this game is the mech-like forms characters can fuse into. This is the first set of mech-like abilities since Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U. Getting to these forms will also unlock the Soul Tree.
As the name might suggest, this is like a skill tree in a typical RPG. There are two things players should focus on leaving up in the Soul Tree. One, get to as many Heat Gauge relievers as possible, as this will extend the amount of time these forms can be used for. Two, the purple eye-like icons are passive abilities, as they are better to get than offensive or support skills.
1 Save Often
The most important thing to emphasize to new players in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is to save often. Dying in battle will not result in the loss of anything like experience or money, but if players go into a boss battle that results in several deaths, things could get complex.
It is a good idea to always save before getting to a red exclamation point so that if a boss battle, or series of them, do erupt, players can go back to older saves and not feel stuck. Players can save anywhere in the game, so they may as well use this feature as often as possible.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was released on July 29, 2022, and is available on Switch.