With Xenoblade Chronicles 3's story's epic scope, players may be wondering how long it will actually take to complete the Nintendo Switch JRPG. Following the release of the Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edtion remaster in 2020, Monolith Soft has finally returned with the highly-anticipated third entry in the Chronicles saga, and it's also the series' biggest game to date.
The popular JRPG franchise originally made its debut in 2010 with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles on the Nintendo Wii. Five years after the critically acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles 2 sequel landed on the Nintendo Switch, the saga continues with the launch of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in July. Although Xenoblade Chronicles 3's characters and story are new to the franchise, the game's plot ties back into the series' larger lore.
Just like previous entries, the 2022 JRPG features an epic story campaign that takes place across a variety of unique biomes and sprawling open-world maps. Because of its wide-ranging features and ambitious side quest system, players will be able to get lost in the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for many hours. Here is a breakdown of how long it takes to beat the third entry of the Xenoblade Chronicles saga.
How Long Is Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Story Campaign
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is set in the world of Aionios, where the two nations of Keves and Agnus are constantly at war with one another. After the game's storyline kicks off, players will be thrown into Xenoblade Chronicles 3's main story campaign, which can be beaten in 60 to 80 hours. Although the campaign is lengthy even for those who race straight toward the end, the JRPG is substantially longer for completionists, or for players who casually tackle the game's many side stories and content. While Xenoblade Chronicles 2's story also featured side quests, Monolith Soft has completely overhauled the feature in XC3 and made it more story-focused.
Throughout the JRPG's epic journey, players will encounter numerous quests that have to be discovered in each colony and unlocked through special investigations. The game's sprawling maps are also littered with diverse beasts to take down, rare items to collect, as well as the brand-new Skirmishes mechanic which brings mini group raid battles to the overworld. Players who set out to experience everything can expect to beat Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in 150 hours or more. Compared to previous entries, the Nintendo developer has gone to great lengths to make the JRPG heavily character-centric, which means the campaign is bursting with extra story content which can be unlocked throughout the campaign.
Although the game was initially set to launch in September, Nintendo moved Xenoblade Chronicles 3's release date up to Friday, July 29, 2022. Players planning to jump into the saga's latest adventure should prepare to spend a good amount of time in the JRPG, as its storyline is fairly lengthy. However, fans that want to get lost in the world of Aionios for hundreds of hours are in luck, as Monolith Soft has created an ambitious campaign that features a staggering amount of extra content that also fleshes out the story of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and its characters.