Nintendo provided an in-depth look at the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in a dedicated direct presentation which was broadcast on June 22.

The presentation was about 25 minutes in total and showed off a lot of what to expect out of the upcoming JRPG. We got a look at the main characters, the basis of the plot and some of the combat mechanics.

The game takes place in Aionios, a land where two colonies Keves and Agnus are constantly warring. By killing, people fill a clock and extend their lives which perpetuates the conflict. The main characters come from opposite sides of the conflict but a mysterious figure gives them a joint purpose.

The entire cast of main characters was shown off in the presentation. There’s Noah, the red-jacketed “off seer”, the blunt gun-wielding Eunie, Lanz, the beefy sword-swinger, the dual-wielding “off seer” Mio, the cerebral magic-wielding Taion and the tiny Sena who possesses enough strength to wield a giant hammer. The English version of the game will once again feature primarily British accents.

Xenoblade’s map looks massive. The presentation showed off some of the views the player can expect to see. Dotted around the map are rest spots where you can cook, craft and discuss recent events with your party members. There will also be fast travelling mechanics so you’ll be able to go to previously visited locations quickly. Finally, you won't have to worry about running into a dead-end anymore because there is functionality for a red line on the ground that will show you the correct route to your destination.

Combat was also a decent chunk of what was showcased during the presentation. Combat will feature ‘Arts’, abilities that are mapped to each of the four main buttons on the Switch. You will also be able to combo arts giving extra damage and other effects when executed correctly. 

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will feature a class system. These classes are optimised to provide different roles in combat, for example, the Swordfighter class wants to get up close to melee their enemies. By increasing your class rank you will be able to learn master arts which can then be transferred over to another class, creating hybrids. 

In addition to the six main characters, there will be heroes to recruit that can act as seventh party members. You can only use one of these additional characters at a time, however. There are also mechs called Ouroboros which are formed by a fusion of two characters, you can activate this ability mid-combat to summon the mech to devastating effect.

Nintendo also announced a $30 purchasable expansion pass where content will be gradually added until December 2023. 

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be released on July 29 on Nintendo Switch