Xenoblade Chronicles X

Did You Know?

• The game was first announced in 2013 under the working title 'X'.
• The localization was handled by Nintendo Treehouse and 8-4, undergoing changes for its Western release.
• An expanded remaster, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, was released in 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.

Gameplay

Xenoblade Chronicles X is an action role-playing game where the player controls a customizable avatar, adjusting gender, facial features, build, and voice. From the home hub of New Los Angeles (NLA), the avatar explores the five continents of the open world planet Mira alongside companions. Quests include story quests, affinity quests that strengthen bonds, small-scale missions rewarding money and features, and side quests from NLA citizens. Accessible quests depend on how much of Mira has been explored, tied to main story completion. Experience points come in two types: standard EXP raises general statistics, while Class EXP raises the avatar's assigned Class. The avatar can adopt different BLADE roles, such as Pathfinders opening new locations, Interceptors defending research teams, Harriers seeking hostile lifeforms including Tyrants, Reclaimers retrieving wreckage, Curators collecting data, Prospectors gathering rare resources, Outfitters developing gear, and Mediators resolving conflicts. Exploration begins on foot, but later the avatar gains access to transformable Skell mechs after completing specific quests. Skells have bipedal walking and vehicle driving modes, limited fuel that must be replenished, and are kept in a hangar where they can be customized or loaned to party members. Three Skell types exist with increasing armor and fuel levels, and Skells have Insurance for repair and maintenance. Multiple Skell models can be bought and upgraded.

Synopsis

Xenoblade Chronicles X stands apart from earlier Xeno metaseries titles, though it nods to them through themes and visuals. Earth gets caught in the middle of an alien conflict, forcing humanity to flee on spacecraft. Only a handful escape, among them the White Whale, which carries the city of New Los Angeles. The story unfolds on Mira, a mysterious planet where the White Whale crashes, and NLA becomes the hub of human survival. Mira splits into five regions: Primordia, with its Earth-like terrain; Noctilum, a forested zone glowing with bioluminescent creatures; Oblivia, a desert scattered with ancient structures; Sylvalum, a pale, misty expanse of giant flora and rock; and Cauldros, a volcanic area ruled by the Ganglion. Players design their own avatar, choosing body type, appearance, and voice. This character joins BLADE, an organization whose name stands for Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth. Key allies include Elma, BLADE’s leader and commander of NLA’s Skell mech forces; Lin Lee Koo, a young engineering prodigy who builds and maintains the Skells; and Lao Huang, a composed former U.S. Army officer. In 2054, humanity abandons Earth to avoid annihilation between two warring alien species. After two years of flight, the White Whale gets attacked by one of those species, then pulled to Mira. During the crash, the Lifehold—which holds most human colonists—detaches, and escape pods scatter across the planet. The avatar wakes from a pod with no memory, is found by Elma, and joins BLADE to retrieve pods and locate the Lifehold. Along the way, BLADE meets various aliens and discovers the Ganglion coalition, led by the Ganglion race, is bent on wiping out humanity.

Development

Xenoblade Chronicles X was developed by Monolith Soft, with Tetsuya Takahashi forming the original concept and serving as executive director. Production was supported by Nintendo Software Planning & Development. After completing Xenoblade Chronicles in 2010, Takahashi asked Nintendo producer Hitoshi Yamagami about developing a new science fiction RPG built on that game's systems. Yamagami and Nintendo agreed, and discussions turned to what Monolith Soft could do on the Wii U. Directors Genki Yokota and Koh Kojima returned in their original roles. Producers were Shingo Kawabata and Hitoshi Yamagami. Discussions about realizing the game lasted around six months. The planned early release in the Wii U's life cycle was pushed back due to development issues. Fitting the entire game onto a single 32-gigabyte Wii U disc was a challenge, with Kawabata commenting it barely fits. This was Monolith Soft's first high-definition game, so the team avoided cutting-edge technology and set self-imposed limitations, including not using middleware to speed production.

Reception

Xenoblade Chronicles X landed with an aggregated score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic, and critics had plenty to say about its story, world, and sound. Some reviewers praised the narrative for its plot twists, nuanced depth, and strong pacing, with special attention given to the affinity missions and localization. Others found the main story forgettable or serviceable but drawn-out, and several noted that while the story eventually became interesting, it was held back by a slow start. The characters drew mixed reactions, with some calling them shallow and lacking engaging personalities, while one critic was particularly negative about the lack of compelling narrative or the philosophical elements seen in earlier Xeno games. The side quests and environments were widely praised for their worldbuilding, and the opening missions were noted for their scale and tension. Visuals earned strong praise across the board, with many lauding the varied landscapes and excellent design, though one reviewer found most story scenes boring despite cinematic cutscenes. Voice acting received both praise and mixed reactions, while the soundtrack was a point of division: some called it noise or dotted with low-rent tracks, others praised its science fiction tone, and a few noted it lacked the variety of the original game. Technical performance was widely commended, and creature designs were also highlighted positively.