Christi Junior on Nostr: Xenoblade 3 Writeup: Epilogue Prologue: ...
Xenoblade 3 Writeup: Epilogue
Prologue: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjOZdaQg6QbRd1EXtg
Chapter 1: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjQTcjhzuEOUi2SwO8
Chapter 2: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjSiYohTIDnuf0jEzA
Chapter 3: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjUd1czlgC4vLbYsoi
Chapter 4: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjWnoeNNeXJsPU1bNY
Chapter 5: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjYrfVPSPPsq7xoLYm
Chapter 6: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjasdsFszFuGfn2XEu
Chapter 7: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjdAKZn7b9aLOgSA3U
1/4
Oh, we’re not done quite yet – either with the writeup or Xenoblade 3 as a game. As I mentioned back in Chapter 3, any entry in the Xenoblade series will still give you a lot of stuff to do even after beating the final boss, with various locations essentially being postgame content due to being filled with enemies stronger than the final boss – and if anything, XB3 offers more such areas than past Xenoblade games. It also handles Superbosses better – sure, Xenoblade 2 had more of them, but most were shockingly weak and ultimately underserving of the Superboss title. Not only are the ones in XB3 tougher (on Hard Mode at least), but they also come with the amazing bonus feature of adjustable difficulty, as you after defeating a Superboss for the first time become able to fight it at a higher level – and the strongest Superboss can potentially be fought at LEVEL 200! This is the kind of option that Xenoblade 2 would kill for – even before all the overpowered DLC Blades dropped, the Tyrannotitan Kurodil had essentially become a punching bag rather than something resembling a threat.
But of course, none of this counts as a “proper” postgame, since it isn’t actually unlocked by beating the final boss. Xenoblade games don’t actually tend to offer much in the way of pure postgame content – but Xenoblade 3 proves to be an exception. After beating the game, you gain access to not one, but two brand new Heroes, boasting unique, fun and powerful Classes – but it’s WHO these Heroes are, and the sidequests related to them, that truly turn these phenomenal females into such absolute standouts. Simply put, any true Xenoblade fan absolutely freaked out when learning that these two specific characters could join you as Heroes, and honestly, Monolith Soft/Nintendo could EASILY have made them Paid DLC (again, Xenoblade games really don’t tend to go all out with major postgame content like this), and it’s to their eternal credit that they didn’t.
Now, I didn’t want to say it in the opening couple of paragraphs in order to avoid drive-by Spoilers, but OBVIOUSLY the final two Heroes are Melia and Nia. Again, considering how we went into Xenoblade 3 thinking the two queens might well either be villains or fakes, having these characters join the party as Heroes was *such* a wonderful surprise. Moreover, their sidequests turn out to contain THE most overt references to and acknowledgement of the prior Xenoblade games found anywhere in XB3, even briefly showing footage of some past party members. Sure, it’s still way less than I had expected and hoped for prior to XB3’s release, but after just how tightly legacy Xenoblade references had been rationed during XB3’s main story, I was still delighted by being granted these sips of Wotah in a scorching desert (and of course, Future Redeemed then basically turned out to be the equivalent of an Oasis filled with naked anime girls).
It also helps that both Nia and Melia both enjoy PERFECT characterization. Really, from the very first time Nia spoke in Chapter 6, my reaction was basically just “Yes, yes, exactly right!”. And while underutilized in the main story, Queen Melia is greatly fleshed out in the postgame. Everything about how these ladies are written rings true, no false note is ever struck – and keep in mind, these are not characters that have remained static, they have indeed changed and responded in believable ways to their new positions of authority: Nia, true to her nature, initially tries to present herself as something she’s not, a wise, dignified queen, but reflecting her Xenoblade 2 character development, she’s now far easier to coax out of her shell than before. Melia meanwhile takes to her new role (one she was literally born for) like a fish to water, acts with confidence and conviction, and finally gets to be the active Peoples’ Queen that she clearly wished to become back in Xenoblade 1, conventions be damned.
Hell, Monolith Soft has even acknowledged some of the more overlooked aspects of these characters – like Nia’s relatively low intelligence being reflected in her having only 15 TP in Chain Attacks, when I doubt the majority of Xenoblade 2 fans even picked up on Nia being kinda dumb. Clearly, these writers truly *get* their characters – which to be fair, you’d think was a given, but like common sense not being so common, writers understanding their own characters is way rarer than you’d think. Do I have to recite my list of famous heroes from Western media franchises that have been ruined over the year, or bring up Isayama’s godawful take on Eren Yeager? Nia and Melia (as well as Shulk and Rex in Future Redeemed) get treated SO WELL in Xenoblade 3.
Prologue: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjOZdaQg6QbRd1EXtg
Chapter 1: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjQTcjhzuEOUi2SwO8
Chapter 2: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjSiYohTIDnuf0jEzA
Chapter 3: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjUd1czlgC4vLbYsoi
Chapter 4: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjWnoeNNeXJsPU1bNY
Chapter 5: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjYrfVPSPPsq7xoLYm
Chapter 6: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjasdsFszFuGfn2XEu
Chapter 7: https://detroitriotcity.com/notice/AjdAKZn7b9aLOgSA3U
1/4
Oh, we’re not done quite yet – either with the writeup or Xenoblade 3 as a game. As I mentioned back in Chapter 3, any entry in the Xenoblade series will still give you a lot of stuff to do even after beating the final boss, with various locations essentially being postgame content due to being filled with enemies stronger than the final boss – and if anything, XB3 offers more such areas than past Xenoblade games. It also handles Superbosses better – sure, Xenoblade 2 had more of them, but most were shockingly weak and ultimately underserving of the Superboss title. Not only are the ones in XB3 tougher (on Hard Mode at least), but they also come with the amazing bonus feature of adjustable difficulty, as you after defeating a Superboss for the first time become able to fight it at a higher level – and the strongest Superboss can potentially be fought at LEVEL 200! This is the kind of option that Xenoblade 2 would kill for – even before all the overpowered DLC Blades dropped, the Tyrannotitan Kurodil had essentially become a punching bag rather than something resembling a threat.
But of course, none of this counts as a “proper” postgame, since it isn’t actually unlocked by beating the final boss. Xenoblade games don’t actually tend to offer much in the way of pure postgame content – but Xenoblade 3 proves to be an exception. After beating the game, you gain access to not one, but two brand new Heroes, boasting unique, fun and powerful Classes – but it’s WHO these Heroes are, and the sidequests related to them, that truly turn these phenomenal females into such absolute standouts. Simply put, any true Xenoblade fan absolutely freaked out when learning that these two specific characters could join you as Heroes, and honestly, Monolith Soft/Nintendo could EASILY have made them Paid DLC (again, Xenoblade games really don’t tend to go all out with major postgame content like this), and it’s to their eternal credit that they didn’t.
Now, I didn’t want to say it in the opening couple of paragraphs in order to avoid drive-by Spoilers, but OBVIOUSLY the final two Heroes are Melia and Nia. Again, considering how we went into Xenoblade 3 thinking the two queens might well either be villains or fakes, having these characters join the party as Heroes was *such* a wonderful surprise. Moreover, their sidequests turn out to contain THE most overt references to and acknowledgement of the prior Xenoblade games found anywhere in XB3, even briefly showing footage of some past party members. Sure, it’s still way less than I had expected and hoped for prior to XB3’s release, but after just how tightly legacy Xenoblade references had been rationed during XB3’s main story, I was still delighted by being granted these sips of Wotah in a scorching desert (and of course, Future Redeemed then basically turned out to be the equivalent of an Oasis filled with naked anime girls).
It also helps that both Nia and Melia both enjoy PERFECT characterization. Really, from the very first time Nia spoke in Chapter 6, my reaction was basically just “Yes, yes, exactly right!”. And while underutilized in the main story, Queen Melia is greatly fleshed out in the postgame. Everything about how these ladies are written rings true, no false note is ever struck – and keep in mind, these are not characters that have remained static, they have indeed changed and responded in believable ways to their new positions of authority: Nia, true to her nature, initially tries to present herself as something she’s not, a wise, dignified queen, but reflecting her Xenoblade 2 character development, she’s now far easier to coax out of her shell than before. Melia meanwhile takes to her new role (one she was literally born for) like a fish to water, acts with confidence and conviction, and finally gets to be the active Peoples’ Queen that she clearly wished to become back in Xenoblade 1, conventions be damned.
Hell, Monolith Soft has even acknowledged some of the more overlooked aspects of these characters – like Nia’s relatively low intelligence being reflected in her having only 15 TP in Chain Attacks, when I doubt the majority of Xenoblade 2 fans even picked up on Nia being kinda dumb. Clearly, these writers truly *get* their characters – which to be fair, you’d think was a given, but like common sense not being so common, writers understanding their own characters is way rarer than you’d think. Do I have to recite my list of famous heroes from Western media franchises that have been ruined over the year, or bring up Isayama’s godawful take on Eren Yeager? Nia and Melia (as well as Shulk and Rex in Future Redeemed) get treated SO WELL in Xenoblade 3.