Nintendo has revealed plans to produce a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Special Edition, or the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Collector’s Edition as it will be known in Europe.
This will be made available exclusively from the My Nintendo Store, and will include package artwork from Masatsugu Saito, a full-colour, more than 250-page hardcover concept art book and a SteelBook case for the game card.
Set in a new world that will “connect the futures” of Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 you will play as protagonists Noah and Mio “amid turmoil between the hostile nations of Keves and Agnus.” There will be six characters from those nations that will join you in a grand tale with “life” as its central theme, who search for the truth behind their conflict and set their sights for Swordsmarch – a land pierced by a giant sword.
This week saw the publisher share a new trailer that reveals the background to the group’s journey in Aionios, a vast and sublime natural world, and reveals new details of the battle system:
- Battle with up to seven characters: Like in previous Xenoblade Chronicles games, battles start by facing enemies directly in the field. Players can control Noah’s party of six as well as additional characters they’ll meet during the adventure. Each character has their own role in battle, which allows for diverse strategies.
- Class change: Noah is a Swordfighter, specializing in close range attacks, while Mio is a Zephyr, drawing enemy attention while evading their strikes. Thus, each character has their own class with their own strengths. Progressing in the adventure, players can change characters’ classes, creating a customised party.
- New Interlink system: Each of the tag-team pairs, Noah and Mio, Lanz and Sena, Eunie and Taion can make use of the Interlink system if certain conditions are met. They will then combine into a giant form called Ouroboros. Each Ouroboros has its own powerful move set, and deciding when to transform can be the key to winning a battle.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will release at retail and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide on 29th July 2022.
