Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles brings a massive, open-world JRPG experience to your hands, letting you dive into the epic tale of Shulk, a young guy who wields the Monado, a mysterious sword that grants him visions of the future. The story is all about revenge, destiny, and the clash between organic life (Homs) and mechanical beings (Mechon). It’s got all the feels: friendship, betrayal, and some mind-blowing twists. The world is HUGE, with sprawling environments like the Bionis and Mechonis, two titanic beings frozen in battle. You’ll explore, fight, and uncover secrets while building a party of unique characters with their own skills and personalities.

This is basically the Wii version but shrunk down for the New Nintendo 3DS (yeah, it only works on the New 3DS because it needs that extra oomph ). The core game is the same, same story, same combat system (real-time with auto-attacks and Arts), and same killer soundtrack. But, obviously, there are some trade-offs when you go portable.

Let’s be real, the New 3DS can’t compete with the Wii and Switch’s visuals. The environments and character models are downgraded to fit the smaller screen. It’s still impressive for a handheld, but if you’re used to the Wii or the later Definitive Edition on Switch, it’s gonna feel a bit rough. The draw distance is shorter, and textures are less detailed. But hey, it’s still Xenoblade, and the art style holds up.

Anyway, the game runs surprisingly well on the New 3DS, but there are occasional frame drops, especially in busy areas or during intense battles. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s noticeable if you’re picky about performance. Plus, it includes the Collector’s Edition quests from the Wii release, which is a nice bonus.

Download

Xenoblade Chronicles (English dub)

Xenoblade Chronicles (Japanese dub)