Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles is an open world action RPG developed by MonolithSoft and published by Nintendo for the Wii. Initially released in Japan in 2010, it was later released in the PAL regions in 2011 and then in North America in 2012.

## Gameplay:

The gameplay within the *Xenoblade Chronicles* series uses a real-time action-based battle system, where the player manually moves a character in real-time, and party members will "auto-attack" when enemies enter their attack radius. Manually input attacks, called "Arts", may also be performed, but in a limited fashion. Battle Arts are only available after a "cool down" period that occurs after every use, while character specific "Talent Arts" only become available after enough auto-attacks are executed. Both party members and enemies have a finite number of health points, and attacks deplete this value. Combat is won when all enemies lose their HP, but the game is lost if the player's character loses all their HP and has no means of being revived. Health may be restored by the player by using healing Arts in battle, or the player may let characters' HP regenerate automatically outside of battle. Winning battles earns the player experience points, which allows the characters to grow stronger by leveling up and learning new Arts. Arts for each character must be set by the player on their respective set up, called a "Battle Palette", outside of battles. Additionally, exploring large environments is a defining aspect of gameplay.

## Setting:

While the *Xenoblade* games do not share any setting directly, its universes are directly linked, except for the case of *Xenoblade Chronicles X* which is regarded as a spiritual successor. Two colossal titans known as the Bionis and the Mechonis serve as the setting for *Xenoblade Chronicles*; with the *Future Connected* epilogue taking place in a smaller area, the Bionis's shoulder. *Xenoblade Chronicles X* takes place on an alien planet known as Mira. In *Xenoblade Chronicles 2* and its prequel *Torna – The Golden Country*, the world of Alrest contains several titans which house many different nations.

## Chronology:

In the series's fictional chronology, *Xenoblade Chronicles* is the first game to take place. Its epilogue, *Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected* is set one year after the events of the first game. *Xenoblade Chronicles 2* takes place in a parallel universe, occurring simultaneously to the events of *Xenoblade Chronicles*. Its prequel, *Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country* is set 500 years before the events of the game. *Xenoblade Chronicles 3* takes place an unspecified amount of time after the previous games, and will depict the future of the worlds of *Xenoblade Chronicles* and *Xenoblade Chronicles 2*.

*Xenoblade Chronicles X* is considered a spiritual successor to the original game with no direct ties to other universes. However, it is represented as a single episode in the overall universe.

## Games:

There are four main games under the *Xenoblade Chronicles* series. Each game depicts a single episode within the flow of a larger time and space. Despite the loose connections between each entry, they each feature their own cast of characters, setting, and story.

*Xenoblade Chronicles*
Shulk and his friends embark on a quest to get revenge against the Mechon for the assault on their home. As they journey along the backs of the titans, they unravel the secrets of a powerful weapon known as the Monado. It was originally released on the Wii and later ported to the New Nintendo 3DS as *Xenoblade Chronicles 3D*, and remastered as *Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition* on the Nintendo Switch.
*Xenoblade Chronicles X*
An interstellar war forces humanity to flee a destroyed Earth. After crashing on the uncharted planet Mira, Elma and her team race against time to retrieve the Lifehold, a structure that contains thousands of lives. It was released on the Wii U.
*Xenoblade Chronicles 2*
In a world of dying titans, Rex meets the living weapon Pyra and promises to bring her to the fabled paradise Elysium. It was released on the Nintendo Switch.
*Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country*
Set 500 years before the events of *Xenoblade Chronicles 2*, Lora and Jin fight against Malos and his army before the inevitable fall of their kingdom, Torna. It was released on the Nintendo Switch as both a standalone game and as an expansion for *Xenoblade Chronicles 2*.
*Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected*
Set one year after the events of the main story in the original *Xenoblade Chronicles*. Taking place on the Bionis' Shoulder, an area not explored in the original game, *Future Connected* follows Melia, Shulk, and Riki's daughter Nene and adopted son Kino as they seek to reclaim the city of Alcamoth. It was released on the Nintendo Switch as part of the remaster *Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition*.
*Xenoblade Chronicles 3*
*Xenoblade Chronicles 3* takes place in the world of Aionios, with two warring nations: Keves and Agnus. It features a narrative depicting the respective futures for the worlds of *Xenoblade Chronicles* and *Xenoblade Chronicles 2*. Main protagonists Noah from Keves and Mio from Agnus must put aside their differences in order to face the larger threat. It will be released on the Nintendo Switch.