Nintendo’s fans have been anxious for news regarding a Nintendo Direct event arriving in June, following similar events from PlayStation and Xbox. The announcement of aXenoblade Chronicles 3-focused Nintendo Direct this past week took many by surprise, but understood given it’s one of the Switch’s biggest upcoming exclusives. The Nintendo Direct has since come and gone, delivering a variety of new information aboutXenoblade Chronicles 3’s upcoming release including an exciting new story trailer.
The three-and-a-half-minute trailer forXenoblade Chronicles 3focuses entirely on theaction-RPG’s characters and narrative. As such, it’s entirely cinematic, with no gameplay showcased. It does cover a lot of ground, though, introducing a council of mysterious masked villains, soldiers from two countries at war, and hinting at themes of what it means to be alive and the struggle to do so.Xenoblade Chronicles 3is a massive game, so this is just a glimpse, but it’s a compelling one nonetheless.
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In the trailer’s opening, there’s a strange sequence in a large movie theater. A council of armored individuals, each named with a single letter, argue over their efforts in battle. Another figure then appears, one with bright purple energy cracked throughout the skin of its face. The rest of the council then disappears one by one, as if the entire scene is a hologram. It’s unclear who these armored figures are. They could be the leaders of one side of the war effort, or they could be a third party with unclear investment in the war. They could even bereturning characters fromXenoblade’s past.
After the council disappears, the main cast ofXenoblade Chronicles 3is shown. These characters are “off-seers,” soldiers with a lifespan of just 10 years made purely for battle. On one side,protagonists Noah, Lanz, and Eunie represent the mechanical nation of Keves. On the other side, Mio, Taion, and Sena represent the magical forces of Agnus. The trailer shows moments from both sides, as well as times when they’re interacting together.
What’s clear from the glimpses shown of the off-seers is thatXenoblade Chronicles 3will have a lot of tragedy. Not only are theprotagonists ofXenoblade Chronicles 3at war, where they face death battle to battle, but they have very limited lifespans. Mio also mentions “extending” her life at the expense of another’s, hinting at some very troubling scenarios.
In addition to sharing more information aboutXenoblade Chronicles 3’s story, the Nintendo Direct also included details about the game’s upcoming retail release. There are plans for aXenoblade Chronicles 3expansion pass, for example, which will offer post-launch story content for the action RPG. There will also be amiibo support forXenoblade Chronicles 3, allowing Shulk amiibo owners to wield the Monado in the new game. Expect further details closer to launch.
