The Switch 2 performance upgrades for Nintendo’s flagship role-playing game series are coming thick and fast, with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 now following its predecessors Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X in offering a dedicated “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” that bumps up the resolution and framerates of this adventure of titanic proportions.
Each entry in this increasingly important series for Nintendo has its pros and cons, but despite their differences, the high quality of every release means there isn’t really an out-and-out consensual favourite among fans. Still, it can be argued that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was a step back from what came before.
A gorgeous overworld was beset by a tedious battle system that was rife with tutorials, an inconsistent character art style, and a drawn-out narrative that culminated in questionable post-credits events. The expansion content improved upon many of the core game’s flaws, but this Switch 2 upgrade gives a new reason to look at Xenoblade Chronicles 2 afresh, while seeing if the extra bits and pieces warrant the purchase.
If Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was bounced off before, it is unlikely that anything introduced in this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition will change minds. The obvious visual upgrade brings the grandiose world of Alrest to life, and characters are smoothed out with a much-needed dose of anti-aliasing. Whether the game is truly outputting a 4K resolution is debatable, but there is no denying the clarity over the original Switch version.
The jolt in framerate makes for a friendlier time exploring the Cloud Sea; however, there is something strange going on during cutscenes. Most of everything seems to play out at 60fps, but when characters turn around on the spot, they seem to do it at half the framerate, looking completely out of place in the moment. It’s an unusual sight that only continues the trend of these Xenoblade upgrades all having some kind of odd issue.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 suffered immensely in the Nintendo Switch’s portable mode and was a big reason why many were looking forward to this Switch 2 version. Thankfully, it massively rectifies things to deliver a far more comfortable experience that is easier on the eyes. Even though there is a noticeably softer image that clearly loses the crispness that is apparent when played on the TV, there will be no more squinting at pixellated character models and text now. Hoorah!
As with Xenoblade Chronicles’ Switch 2 upgrade, some gameplay features are added in this pack. Rare Blade characters such as Pyra and Mythra can now be controlled directly in Merc Assault. This separate mode allows players to tackle missions that Blades normally must be sent out on in the background, where they had to wait real-time minutes and hours to complete tasks. By choosing to take on missions directly, they can be completed much faster and with higher rewards for doing so, all while being able to use fan-favourite Blades with their own combat mechanics.
It is a rather basic button mashy battle system but can be a good time waster while waiting for other quests to complete. The caveat is that not all missions can be completed in this manner, with only a select number able to be chosen for Merc Assault battles. A couple of new costumes for Pyra and Mythra will be obtained as a reward for taking part.
Some quality-of-life updates include faster item pick-up actions for points of interest, and the game now pulling from within the full collection of obtained Blades to activate a field skill instead of only what is currently equipped, which previously led to a lot of menu shuffling. Xenosaga fans will also find MOMO appears as a rare Blade character, featuring multiple forms and is unlockable through a new, voiced quest.
It would have been nice to get some other finer improvements, like items automatically being collected when nearby, and a better navigation system since the compass is useless at the best of times. An in-game fast-forward feature would have done wonders for main character Rex’s running speed and to help with traversing huge lands during side quests. Xenoblade Chronicles – Switch 2 Edition’s hover crafts certainly alleviated the issue in that game, so a gameplay speed booster would have been welcome here.
If Xenoblade 2 has yet to be played, though, should this be the place to jump in? Truthfully, each game is very much its own thing, so starting here would not be a problem, but the original game may still be the better option. The scope of Xenoblade 2 is something to be admired, and the concept of humans inhabiting ancient Titans across this endless cloudy sea, many of which deliver the kind of jaw-dropping scenery that has come to be expected by this series, is still a fascinating one.
Furthermore, it can’t be understated how appreciated the range of accents is for Alrest’s characters. How often can a game claim to feature Welsh, Scottish, American, Northern English and more dialects, applied logically to races from all corners of the in-game world, in a single localisation? There is some corniness here and there, but it isn’t half refreshing to play as a Welsh catgirl and Mancunian sea scavenger.
The flaws rear their head a bit too often, however, as anime tropes steer the story’s direction away from the original title’s more grounded style. Xenoblade 2 goes down a more stereotypical path, which goes hand-in-hand with some of the character designs, and the overly long cutscenes only continue to become more problematic as the adventure goes by, especially in the final third. The tonal shift makes this game what it is, but if it’s too much, the expansion storyline featured in Torna – The Golden Country gets things back on track.
This prequel offers a lot of additional contexts for key characters and events from Rex’s quest, while going in on a darker tone that has a more consistent quality to its narrative. It isn’t without its own issues, with side quests plaguing events that only serve to distract from even more cutscenes, but the battle system improvements are enough to entice anyone that feels like the core game’s combat needed enhancements.
