Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was my first foray into the gigantic JRPG series from Monolith Soft. It’s a colossal game crammed with, perhaps, too many ideas for its own good. If you found yourself overwhelmed by the original release, then I have terrible news: the Switch 2 edition has even more content included. The visuals have gotten cleaned up, Pyra and Mythra have new outfits, and the cutscenes are improved, but yeah. This game is somehow even bigger than it was before, which is a preposterous bar to raise.
For anyone unfamiliar with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, you play a salvager named Rex in a world built on the backs of colossal flying titans. Rex teams up with a living weapon named Pyra, and the two of them set off to find a mythical paradise together. Along the way you acquire new allies, fight off a sinister organization named Torna, and get dragged through a main plot that’s somehow around 80 hours long. To be fair, it’s a great story! There’s just so much of it to be experienced.
Having recently played the Switch 1 version, I can confirm that the Switch 2 edition is razor sharp by comparison. The old visuals had this indefinite fuzziness about them on a proper 4k TV. On the other hand, everything looks super crisp this time around. This extends to the cutscenes as well as the actual gameplay. Character models, environments, and objects are all much improved. The visuals are the only improvement in the Switch 2 version, though. If you were looking for any other fixes, improvements, or upgrades, you won’t find them. To that end, this is a great time to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for the first time. There’s less value in revisiting the game – except for Merc Assault.
Back in the original release, you could send out a squad of your Blades on missions. Doing so earned you resources, but it wasn’t especially involved. Now, you actually go on the missions, instead of waiting for your squad to return. Every Blade has their own stats and specialties. You’ve got special moves to pull off and strategies to mess about with. Plus, you’re interacting with your Blades in a whole new way. Now, they’re not just summons or move sets. They feel more like real, fleshed-out characters. It totally rules, in other words.
Yeah, you spend a lot more time fighting those battles yourself. And the rewards are more limited than regular battles. But the stable of Blades in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is the coolest part of the whole game. Suddenly you’ve got a whole new level of access to these rad characters. I was using different Blades in new ways. I cared about each of them so much more. It’s such a simple change to a tiny slice of this game, but it really boosted my attachment to these living weapons.
But what else is cool about this version of Xenoblade 2? Honestly, that’s kind of it. You get access to a new Blade, which is nice. But there’s not much of a questline associated with their acquisition. Pyra gets a new outfit, but that’s pretty minor. Truly, the Switch 2 version is more of a temptation to potential new players. Anyone who’s rolled credits on the original should be in no hurry to run it back on the Switch 2. To the new players I say welcome! This game is enormous, but epic. The story is wild, the art is slick, and there’s an incredible amount of stuff to do. You’ll have a great time.
As far as upgrades go, the Switch 2 version of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is relatively minor. But that’s okay! If you’ve already got the game, the upgrade pack is only $10 USD. And if you’ve never played it before, this is more or less the perfect time to start. Merc Assault is awesome, the visuals are nice and crisp, and the price is right. There’s not a lot for returning players to mess with, but the new content is still a lot of fun. If you were looking for a reason to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2, again or for the first time, the Switch 2 version is a fine choice.
***A Nintendo Switch 2 code was provided by the publisher***
