Xenoblade Chronicles started as a niche title on the Nintendo Wii, but it's turned into a massive series for Nintendo. Ten years after the original game's release and Nintendo has featured its main character, Shulk, in Super Smash Bros. and the series is once again returning to Nintendo Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a remastered version of the original game, updating the experience in multiple ways to make it fall in line more with modern gaming. The original launched in 2010 on the Nintendo Wii, and at the time saw a very limited release only through GameStop.
While the Definitive Edition may initially appear to be a simple visual upgrade, there are a lot of changes Nintendo and Monolith Soft made under the hood. Here's every change in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition.
Quality-of-Life Changes in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition makes a wealth of small changes to improve quality-of-life, and streamline the overall experience. Of course, the biggest change to speak of is the upgraded graphics, which fall more in line with the look and style of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. There is also a wide array of other changes, which can be seen below.
- Newly arranged soundtrack. Not every song has been re-recorded but most have. There's an option to switch between remastered and original soundtrack.
- Combat arts now have markers that show when the player is in the right position for them, like Back Slash.
- Auto-run has been added
- The UI, in general, has been updated to make navigating menus easier.
- Sidequests now have markers that lead players to required areas or items.
- Colony 6 Reconstruction has been made easier, and money and materials for each category can be checked at any time on the menu.
- Fashion equipment lets players change a character's clothing without sacrificing stats.
- Casual Mode lowers difficulty even more.
- Expert Mode allows players to stockpile XP and freely choose what level their characters are at, helping to make the game even more difficult.
- An Event Theater allows players to rewatch cutscenes.
- Time Attack Mode lets players take on new challenge battles with a time limit.
- Anyone with save data for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will get 100,000 Gold upon starting the game.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected
The biggest change in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition comes with the brand new epilogue, Future Connected. The epilogue takes place one year after the events of the main game, and it follows Melia and Shulk as they track down the imperial city of Alcamoth. The story takes roughly 15-20 hours to complete and takes place on the Bionis' Shoulder, an unused map from the original game that was cut content. Gameplay in Future Connected remains mostly the same, but Shulk and Melia are accompanied by Nopon party members and instead of Chain Attacks there's a new special attack system. Future Connected isn't an entirely new experience, but basically a continuation of the main game.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is available on Nintendo Switch.