New screenshots give gamers a better look at the cast of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition— the Switch remaster of the Wii classic.
New Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition screenshots have emerged on Xenoblade’s official Japanese Twitter account showing off the game’s central cast of characters.
The photos give gamers an in-depth look at just how much of a graphical upgrade the Switch remaster is, over the eight-year-old Wii version.
Graphics aren’t the only thing getting an overhaul, as the game’s music and controls are also being revamped as well as a few other quality of life additions.
『ゼノブレイド ディフィニティブ・エディション』では、グラフィックもリニューアルしているんですも!
主人公のシュルク(ボイス:浅沼晋太郎さん)はこんな感じ。モナドを構える姿、かっこいいですも!#ゼノブレイド pic.twitter.com/h3CFRaDolr— ゼノブレイド総合 (@XenobladeJP) April 27, 2020
Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles is a Japanese RPG (JRPG) initially developed by Monolith Soft as a Wii exclusive. The game made its debut in Japan on June 10, 2010, and later received a European release on August 19, 2011. The North American version would arrive on April 6 of the following year.
The game’s expansive plot revolves around the main protagonist Shulk and his group of friends as they travel across a massive open-world comprised of two immobile titans called the Bionis and the Mechonis.
Xenoblade Chronicles was met with critical acclaim from critics and gamers alike on account of its innovative combat system and non-linear gameplay.
The game took a different approach to combat compared to traditional JRPGs by drawing inspiration from Final Fantasy 12’s Zodiac system and throwing in additional mechanics that rely on character positioning.
Battles were fast-paced and always kept gamers on their toes.
The #XenobladeChronicles cast's original artwork from 2010 and the new renders for Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition in 2020!
Which new one is your favorite? I like Sharla's new render the most 🙂 pic.twitter.com/2ra3pTXns5
— Aero (@ActualAero) April 27, 2020
Gameplay and exploration also took a few nods from Final Fantasy 12’s non-linear quest system and open-world nature.
This was more commonly featured in Western RPGs and was a welcome new direction for JRPGs to take compared to Final Fantasy 13’s far more linear gameplay and story-line.
The only criticisms that the game received were regarding its rather unremarkable overall story arc and the game’s unpolished graphics which struggled to keep up with other high-profile JRPGs at the time.
In spite of its minor flaws, Xenoblade Chronicles is still widely regarded as the greatest RPG on the Nintendo Wii console and one of the best JRPGs of all time.
The Switch Remaster
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a complete remaster of the Wii title of the same name and is set to release on the Nintendo Switch. The upcoming remaster was announced in September 2019 during the Nintendo Direct event.
???? Kick back and enjoy the remastered Colony 9 theme from Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, coming to Nintendo Switch on 29th May! pic.twitter.com/bpMGpWFBVe
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) April 23, 2020
Reworked graphics, controls, and quality of life additions aside, the Switch version will also include a brand new epilogue called “Future Connected” which fans of the series will definitely want to experience.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is scheduled for release on May 29.
Image courtesy of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition/Nintendo