Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Arrives on Nintendo Switch—A Comprehensive Review

After a decade of anticipation, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition has arrived on the Nintendo Switch, bringing one of Monolith Soft’s most ambitious RPGs from the Wii U generation into the hands of a new audience.

Following the widespread acclaim and strong sales of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (2020) and its two direct sequels on the Nintendo Switch, fans had eagerly awaited news of this celebrated spin-off making the leap to current hardware.

Nintendo’s official announcement came as a welcome surprise, especially so close to the anticipated launch of Nintendo’s next-generation system.

Now, with enhanced visuals, expanded content, and much-needed quality-of-life improvements, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition promises an experience that both honors its legacy and refreshes its appeal for returning fans and newcomers alike. Xenoblade Chronicles X stands apart within the broader Xenoblade Chronicles series, offering a gameplay experience defined by open-world exploration rather than a linear, story-driven structure.

Players take on the role of an avatar navigating the alien world of Mira, where survival, exploration, and resource management shape the core gameplay loop.

Key story missions unfold amid sprawling landscapes, pitting players against environmental challenges and narrative gatekeeping—such as survey completion requirements or level milestones—which can sometimes compress vital plot points into brisk intervals and reduce the avatar’s presence in story sequences, leading to occasional disconnects from the game’s unfolding drama. Where Xenoblade Chronicles X may lack some narrative cohesion compared to its mainline counterparts, it compensates with expertly crafted worldbuilding and a meticulously structured progression system.

The planet Mira is presented as a segmented map via FrontierNav, encouraging players to complete sidequests, plant data probes, recover resources, and defeat hostile creatures.

These segment activities not only unlock new regions and rewards but also offer opportunities for deeper player engagement and persistent progression across the vast open world. Character development receives a unique approach in X: Definitive Edition, as recruitable members join the party, each with their own set of Affinity Missions—side stories that foster bonds and open new abilities, compensating for their limited roles in the main plot.

Fans familiar with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 will recognize structural similarities in how these quests contribute to both narrative and gameplay depth.

Outcomes of side missions can have far-reaching consequences, such as recruiting new allies, unlocking new facilities in New LA, or even dramatically altering the fates of minor characters, increasing both the stakes and replayability of the title. Monolith Soft has rolled out substantial quality-of-life enhancements for the Nintendo Switch release.

The updated UI ensures easier navigation, the ability to change the time of day directly from the menu, streamlined party management, and more accessible quest tracking make exploration significantly more user-friendly.

Party members now gain experience even when inactive, affinity increases more quickly, and new playable characters are evenly paced throughout the story.

Though most of the new content is reserved for post-main story play, the improvements are evident from the outset. Significantly, the Switch version introduces additional story content, delivering closure and context for plot elements that were left unresolved in the original Wii U release.

Fans who found the original’s ending open-ended will appreciate the expanded narrative and a new area to explore, responding to longstanding feedback from the Xenoblade Chronicles community. Despite these improvements, some challenges persist.

The tutorial systems remain buried in menus and are not readily accessible, potentially making system mastery daunting for new players.

While adaptive difficulty settings are in place when failing missions, they don’t always fully alleviate frustrations for players struggling with certain encounters, especially when compounded by a lack of mechanical understanding. Performance on Nintendo Switch is generally stable, with vast vistas and impressive draw distances reinforcing Mira’s scale.

However, later-game areas with increased population density—specifically New LA—experience noticeable pop-in and longer loading times.

While visual enhancements are present, a consistent blur during cutscenes and camera movements sometimes detract from the otherwise polished presentation. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition succeeds in modernizing a unique JRPG adventure and delivering an accessible, content-rich journey for both loyal fans and first-time explorers.

Monolith Soft’s iterative refinements have brought the experience up to series standards, and despite a few lingering design and performance quirks, Xenoblade Chronicles X shines as one of the most innovative, rewarding open-world RPGs on the Nintendo Switch.

For those craving a vast alien frontier and intricate system mastery, this is an essential addition to the Switch library. Score: 8.5/10 Review copy of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition provided by Nintendo UK.

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