Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC?

[sweetwana]

Hi friends!!!

So I recently finished Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and had a fantastic time. I really enjoyed the main cast, and some of the major plot beats were so good. (Especially the finale of chapter 5! I couldn't stop crying at that!)

HOWEVER... I've jumped straight into the Future Redeemed DLC immediately afterwards, and I feel like I just can't get into it. I'm a couple of hours in (I've just reached a boss fight in which a couple of very recognisable characters have joined the story). I don't know what it is! It just isn't clicking with me, and I can't really figure out why because I can see that all the ingredients of something great are here.

My question: Have any of you played the DLC? How did you enjoy it? Do you think, as a big fan of the main game and the series as a whole, I am likely to enjoy the DLC if I stick with it?

(I know the real way to find out is to just play it and see! But as a parent my gaming time is very limited. Even this short DLC will likely take me a very long time to play...)

SIDE NOTE: Doesn't Xenoblade Genesis look amazing?! 

[fairyrune]

i watched my girlfriend play XBC1-3, and all the DLCs! i thought they were so fantastic. 2 was a bit of a low point for me, i think i just... didn't enjoy the characters as much, but i still found the plot fairly engaging.

i think, especially as you've played the other games, the DLC may potentially be very worth it. i found it was a very interesting conclusion to the plot threads carried through the whole numbered series. but if you aren't enjoying it, then you're not enjoying it! if you want, you can always come back to it later.

this is all so vague, but i don't want to spoil anything!

[sweetwana]

i watched my girlfriend play XBC1-3, and all the DLCs! i thought they were so fantastic. 2 was a bit of a low point for me, i think i just... didn't enjoy the characters as much, but i still found the plot fairly engaging.

i think, especially as you've played the other games, the DLC may potentially be very worth it. i found it was a very interesting conclusion to the plot threads carried through the whole numbered series. but if you aren't enjoying it, then you're not enjoying it! if you want, you can always come back to it later.

this is all so vague, but i don't want to spoil anything!

I appreciate your vague response!! I’m definitely interested in it as a conclusion to the trilogy, and want to find out more!

I think maybe I’m just a bit burned out after XBC3. When I started playing the DLC and was faced with more mobius boss fights… it was just hard to care. They’re some of my least favourite bosses ever!

However, I’m super intrigued by the character A, and I think her design is so so cool. I’m going to try playing the DLC again after cooling off for a while!

[Zero Kirby]

I think having had a break between the main game and the DLC helped me get absorbed into it but I think it was pretty dang good, overall. It's probably my favourite out of the extra campaigns for the Xenoblade trilogy, but it's really only competing with Torna for that, to be honest (I really didn't like Future Connected from Xenoblade 1)

I will say it definitely leans much heavier into Xenoblade 1 nostalgia whereas I think the base campaign did a better job of balancing between 1 and 2? I say this even as somebody who doesn't really like 2 that much (the Torna DLC being a big exception, I thought that was excellent) but if you're a 2 fan it may be a bit lacking in that regard

It does also drop the massive amount of variety that the base game has in favour of a tighter, more streamlined gameplay experience, which I can appreciate, but 3's marriage of game mechanics from 1, 2, and X felt so well-done to begin with that it can feel like more of a side-step than a step forward

Ain't nothin' wrong with not vibin' with it, though

[fairyrune]

I appreciate your vague response!! I’m definitely interested in it as a conclusion to the trilogy, and want to find out more!

what you say about burnout makes sense. DLCs usually come out a fair bit after the main game. i think that giving yourself a break would be beneficial! as i watched someone else play, i can't really comment on the gameplay aspect with the bosses, but it makes sense that more of the same would wear on you.

i love A a lot as a character. but unfortunately i can't talk about A all that much without massive spoilers! the contrast between matthew and A was really fun and i loved how the characters interacted in the DLC, particularly A and another character i'm not sure if you've seen yet (hint: he is blonde!). just so you know, A actually doesn't use any pronouns at all! i thought that was really fun too. i'm nonbinary and while A's situation is a bit more complicated i definitely felt very seen.

I will say it definitely leans much heavier into Xenoblade 1 nostalgia whereas I think the base campaign did a better job of balancing between 1 and 2? I say this even as somebody who doesn't really like 2 that much (the Torna DLC being a big exception, I thought that was excellent) but if you're a 2 fan it may be a bit lacking in that regard

ah, i also don't think i resonated with 2 as much as i did 1 and 3, but yeah, torna was really fun! i really loved lora and jin especially, and addam and mythra were also enjoyable to watch interact and navigate their respective flaws together.

[sweetwana]

what you say about burnout makes sense. DLCs usually come out a fair bit after the main game. i think that giving yourself a break would be beneficial! as i watched someone else play, i can't really comment on the gameplay aspect with the bosses, but it makes sense that more of the same would wear on you.

i love A a lot as a character. but unfortunately i can't talk about A all that much without massive spoilers! the contrast between matthew and A was really fun and i loved how the characters interacted in the DLC, particularly A and another character i'm not sure if you've seen yet (hint: he is blonde!). just so you know, A actually doesn't use any pronouns at all! i thought that was really fun too. i'm nonbinary and while A's situation is a bit more complicated i definitely felt very seen.

ah, i also don't think i resonated with 2 as much as i did 1 and 3, but yeah, torna was really fun! i really loved lora and jin especially, and addam and mythra were also enjoyable to watch interact and navigate their respective flaws together.

WAIT I DIDN’T NOTICE A WAS NONBINARY!!! (ME TOO!!!!)

Okay, A continues to be a major motivator for me to eventually play this DLC. I’ve decided to wait a while rather than feel like I HAVE to play it right now. I know I’ll enjoy it when the time is right!

I’m grateful for your thoughts!! Thank you for sharing with me :)

[sweetwana]

I think having had a break between the main game and the DLC helped me get absorbed into it but I think it was pretty dang good, overall. It's probably my favourite out of the extra campaigns for the Xenoblade trilogy, but it's really only competing with Torna for that, to be honest (I really didn't like Future Connected from Xenoblade 1)

I will say it definitely leans much heavier into Xenoblade 1 nostalgia whereas I think the base campaign did a better job of balancing between 1 and 2? I say this even as somebody who doesn't really like 2 that much (the Torna DLC being a big exception, I thought that was excellent) but if you're a 2 fan it may be a bit lacking in that regard

It does also drop the massive amount of variety that the base game has in favour of a tighter, more streamlined gameplay experience, which I can appreciate, but 3's marriage of game mechanics from 1, 2, and X felt so well-done to begin with that it can feel like more of a side-step than a step forward

Ain't nothin' wrong with not vibin' with it, though

I think the break between main game and DLC is what I’m missing! I’m excited about the Xenoblade 1 stuff. I played far enough to hear some very familiar music, and it definitely was very exciting.

It’s a very special series overall! I’m excited to see what awaits us in Genesis