Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

Ten years have passed since Xenoblade Chronicles X launched on Wii U. Eight years since the Nintendo Switch came into our lives and expanded Monolith Soft's franchise even further with two more main installments, a standalone expansion of the second game and a Definitive Edition of the Wii U original. Some would argue that fans of the Japanese studio's JRPGs have been well served throughout the Switch's lifecycle, and they'd be right. But there's always going to be that little bitter aftertaste, that slight emptiness in the heart that, as the years went by, seemed to remain like an annoying scar to be scratched. Because all this time, the vast majority of requests to Nintendo have been to bring back Xenoblade Chronicles X from Wii U so that the hybrid's huge current audience could enjoy it. And almost on the final whistle of the game, and with Nintendo Switch 2 practically upon us, Nintendo delivers it for everyone. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, the best way to enjoy the classic - or is it?

The first thing I'll make clear is that this review won't focus too much on reviewing Xenoblade Chronicles X, because we made that assessment ten years ago and its words are as valid then as they are now. The game's story, Mira's world, the exploration, the Skells, the characters, the plot.... Everything is as valid then as it is now. It would be easy to marvel again at how on earth Monolith Soft. managed to create such a great game then and not have the hardware explode in the attempt (although they've only improved themselves since then). If you need a brief quote that I'd add of my own making to the original review (which I recommend you read in conjunction with this one), I'd say that Xenoblade Chronicles X arguably remains the greatest "real" open-world JRPG I've ever enjoyed on screen and is an undisputed gem that raised the bar in its generation and here again marks its place as one of the kings of the genre. Almost perfect in 2015. But jewel though it is, even a diamond can be polished to bring it closer to perfection, and it's now where that Definitive Edition subtitle comes in that we're going to focus on.

I would like to make a correction to my own words. In my first impressions, which were limited to a minor percentage of the story and the expansion through Mira's world, I was neither exploring that much nor taking advantage of the true potential of the additions to this new version. But now I can freely review and talk about 99% of what you're going to find in a couple of days. I don't want to leave it at "I was wrong, it won't happen again", but the first few hours of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition are thick. Much of it is based around passing tutorials and conversations (which can't be shortened or skipped) and somewhat redundant explanations about the use of the different systems and locations within New Los Angeles, the core of humanity in Mira. But once past that barrier, the game blossoms beautifully into an explosion of adventurous exploration, character stories and endless alien wildlife hunts. I think it's only fair to give that small warning to first-time players, so that they don't get discouraged and really find the game's potential.

In fact, this Definitive Edition does improve some elements of the original by a lot. Some additions were to be expected, such as the customisation options for your avatar or the transmog system, which now has its own menu separate from the equipment menu so you can "dress up" both your avatar and your weapons as you please. It was a good thing in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and it's a good thing here. More importantly than that, there's now an option to auto-equip the optimal selection of weapons and armour with a single button. It seems like a no-brainer in 2025, but in this game it's a beastly quality of life improvement. There are many other small tweaks here and there to the menus and controls that are more than welcome. The camera in combat is just one of them. We will now have more and better explained tutorials on the use of NLA facilities, Skells and world activities and missions.

There are other improvements that, while welcome, would perhaps have required some deeper changes that the team did not want to undertake. For example, the time change, which used to be done from terminals, is now an option that is always available from the menu. But the terminals are still there, they still allow the time to be changed, only now they have become redundant. And it happens a bit with certain dialogues and situations with the BLADE Reward System and the different divisions of labour. Choosing a division is now no longer relevant, you can do the missions and get the rewards from any of them, and they have been left as a mere decorative element. Yes, by removing these "barriers" you avoid missing out on content within the game itself, but there is part of the narrative of how humanity is structured in Mira and how BLADE serves its purpose in that class system. I'm not complaining about the end result, but maybe I would have tried to add some subtle changes to the presentation of the organisation to make it make sense.

Exploration is now easier, thanks to the minimap integrated into the game screen and a clearer indication of where to go for the mission objective. It greatly speeds up the progression of the game, which is also more rewarding for the player, going from 60 levels to 99. The skeleton of combat hasn't changed too much for the most part, but there are important details. For starters there are a bunch of new weapons, armour, gear and characters to add to your squad. More customisation options for your Skell, and an improved and more dynamic Turbo System (the ultimate combo if you assist your allies in battle with your gear by listening to their "soul voices").

All in all, the more repetitive burden of going to specific locations or characters to make changes to your equipment has been greatly lightened, but I think it would have been a more welcome addition to have an option to fast forward through scenes and dialogue, or even skip them altogether. On the other hand, don't think that the time (which is quite a lot, if you put it in the perspective of the whole game) saved with the upgrades will cut down the 120 hours or so it can take to complete Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. Now you make up for it in getting closer to the new content or trying to get the new equipment.

Monolith Soft. has once again delivered for its fans, offering an expanded version that refreshes the classic and will live on alongside the rest of the series on Nintendo Switch. Let's just hope that this little gift that is Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition hasn't taken them too long to show us the next instalment of the series in the near future.