The world of Aionios is in a perpetual state of war, endlessly engulfed in flame and littered with corpses. Countries Keves and Agnus love to hate each other, and both factions' armies pay the price. To make matters worse, these seemingly mass-produced soldiers are cursed with short, 10-year lifespans. The goal, then, is to endure front-line service and be forever immortalized in the Homecoming ceremony, an honorable send-off for Aionios' most tenacious survivors.
I meet Noah, Eunie, and Lanz, during the latter stage of their lifespans (or terms). The leading trio has slain their fair share of Agnusians and watched many beloved comrades fall in turn. So, when they join forces with Agnus operatives Mio, Sena, and Taion during the final minutes of Chapter 1, it feels as if all bets are off the table. In a time when one "lives to fight and fights to live," the six leads seek out a more meaningful, fulfilling destiny.
Narratively, I'm immediately reminded of Tales of Arise – two races are pitted against one another, blinded by trauma and rage, unable to question the hateful rhetoric at the crux of their bloody conflict. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 tells a grim story. While its opening hours suffer from a few jarring momentum shifts and unconvincing plot beats, I've generally enjoyed learning more about Aionios and its youthful cast of characters.
However, I've enjoyed using the JRPG's various quality-of-life features even more. Intricate but overly-complex menu interactions bogged down past games in the franchise. The third entry is tailored for a modern audience. I'm talking in-game GPS routes, a customizable shortcut hotbar with button mapping, more concise pause menus, and player-character orientation icons for position-based combat arts. These might be minor inclusions for the Xenoblade uninitiated, but this newfound level of accessibility is a welcome change that makes exploration and battles less intensive.
