Do you want to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3 but haven’t played Xenoblade Chronicles 2? Well, with JRPGs specifically, it’s often difficult to know whether you can dive straight into the latest instalment or spend over 200 hours catching up with the story, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is no different. Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the finale to the current trilogy of the series, does share a lot of similarities with its predecessors, so do you need to play Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition or Xenoblade Chronicles 2 before playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3?
- Did you know you can use any amiibo with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to get rewards? Here’s how to do that.
Do You Need To Play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Before 3?
As someone who loves these games, my direct answer would be to experience at least one of these games before diving into Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Not only will you be experiencing a fantastic game no matter which one you pick, but you will also be able to get some level of familiarity with core concepts and mechanics present in all three games. In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the two regions, Keves and Agnes, are based on races from the first two games.
Keves, features ideas from the first Xenoblade Chronicles, as the combat for the starting classes uses traditional skill cooldowns from the first game, and the characters use similar weaponry at the beginning of the game. Likewise, Agnes takes inspiration from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, with skills regenerating by using your auto-attacks, and weapons that look identical to those from its predecessor. Aside from these smaller references, there are story beats that will please players with knowledge of the previous games.
To summarise, no you don’t need to experience Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition or Xenoblade Chronicles 2 before playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3. However, if you’re wanting to be an expert on all-things Xenoblade or are interesting in playing some of the best JRPGs available on Nintendo Switch, then go ahead and start a long journey that could easily take over 300 hours to complete.