Xenoblade Chronicles X Review: Mechs, Mira, and Combat Tips

As a reviewer who’s sunk 300+ hours into big open-world RPGs on the Wii U and elsewhere, here’s my quick take: this thing is a massive science-fantasy sandbox with wild systems and mechs that actually feel heavy. When I talk about xenoblade chronicles x, I picture Skells swooping over Mira, New Los Angeles buzzing at night, and BLADE terminals spitting out tickets like a very nerdy casino. It’s odd. It’s rich. And it rewards people who like to poke at systems.

Why I still boot it up on a dusty Wii U

In my experience, I stick with games when they make me curious. This one does that every hour. I’ll be planning a simple probe run. Then I spot a level 60 tyrant napping in a flower field and, well, I make bad choices. That loop never gets old for me.

If you want the kind of long-form, warts-and-all breakdown I usually write, I’ve tucked this in with my other RPG reviews. Short version here though: the highs are sky-high, the lows are UI and grind flavored, and the middle is where the magic happens.

The world: five continents, zero chill

Primordia is wide and friendly. Noctilum is a glow-stick jungle. Oblivia is a photo mode with hazards. Sylvalum is a haunted screensaver. Cauldros is lava for breakfast. I’ve always found that the tone shift between regions keeps the brain fresh. And FrontierNav gives the map an actual job, not just fast travel.

If you’d like a clean fact dump without my grumbling, there’s always the Wikipedia overview. It lists the devs, dates, and all the proper nouns I usually butcher.

Does the story land?

What I think is: the main plot is interesting, not amazing. The mystery around the Lifehold works. The themes hit. But the real soul shows up in Affinity Missions. I remember laughing at an errand that turned into a culture clash debate between aliens I could barely pronounce. That’s the good stuff.

If you want me to stop being vague and actually show the route for stuck chapters (hello, Chapter 6 license wall), I keep clean step-by-steps in my walkthroughs. Saves a lot of backtracking and grumbling.

Combat that looks busy but makes sense

I’ve taught friends the battle system in ten minutes. Auto-attacks build tension points. Arts fire on cooldowns. Positioning matters. Combos feel like a rhythm game you play with your eyes. It’s loud, but readable. Overdrive flips the table later and lets you go turbo if you time it right.

Early game build pointers (that won’t ruin your fun)

Pair a fast ranged art with a high-impact melee art. Keep the loop tight.
Slot augments that boost accuracy and beam damage early. Cheap gains.
Don’t chase perfect. Chase “good enough to keep moving.”

Skells: the dream and the bill

Mechs always feel cool at first. Then you forget insurance exists and wake up broke. I learned to park the Skell before poking tyrants I didn’t know. On foot deaths are “whoops.” Skell wipes are “there goes my week.” Flight comes later than you want, but when it hits, the whole map changes. For me, worth the wait.

For lore gremlins who want to untangle BLADE divisions, alien factions, and those weird ruins in Sylvalum, I’ve filed notes under game lore. It helps the Affinity Missions make more sense.

Mini-guides inside the guide (quick answers)

How do I unlock flight without crying?

Do the license quest beats as soon as they appear. Keep cash for Skell parts. Drop probes on high-Miranium spots early. And don’t over-upgrade ground gear right before the license chain. I’ve done that. Felt smart for nine minutes.

How to explore without wasting hours

I like to pick a direction, set a probe goal, and push a line across the map. One line. Not five. Grab treasure icons that sit on the route. If a monster growls, mark it and run. Come back later with a bigger stick. It’s okay to bail.

I’ve got step-by-step routes for early probe grids and safe sightseeing in my adventure guides. Makes the world less scary and more “let’s poke that.”

UI quirks you can outsmart

Favorite your go-to Arts pages. Less menu soup.
Rename gear sets with dumb names you remember. “Beam Boom” beats “Longsword C.”
Set Squad Tasks that match what you already do. Free rewards, zero effort.

My quick-build cheat sheet

Here’s how I plan characters across the game. It’s not “meta.” It’s simple and safe. And it won’t get you yelled at in voice chat you’re not using.

Stage	Focus	Skell/Gear	Notes
Early	Accuracy + survivability	On-foot beam set, basic shields	Hit things first. Live second. Damage later.
Mid	Arts synergy + TP gain	Entry Skell with cheap missiles	Build TP fast to revive and Overdrive more.
Late	Specialization (evasion or burst)	Flight Skell, tuned weapons, augments	Evasion builds carry bad hands. Burst builds delete good ones.
Postgame	Tyrant hunting and experiments	Custom Skell loadouts	Try Ghostwalker memes. Laugh when it works. Cry when it doesn’t.

Where it ranks for me in the open-world pile

I’ve played the usual giants. This one sits high because exploration feels like play, not chores. The landforms are art. The verticality is a puzzle. And the music? Specific. Sometimes I love the combat rap. Sometimes I mute it and hum. But I respect the swing.

If you’re shopping around for more big maps to get lost in, I keep a running list in my open-world rankings. Yes, I argue with myself in those. No, I won’t apologize.

Online squads and the “MMO-ish” bit

Online is there, sort of. You join a squad. You knock out group tasks without thinking. Sometimes you tackle a big target together. It’s chill. Don’t expect a full MMO. Expect bonus loot and the feeling that other people are also farming bugs at 2 a.m. Respect.

For official details, trailers, and the basics they actually explain cleanly, hit the official site. Then come back and I’ll tell you what the menus forgot to say.

Who will like this most

If you’re the kind of player who screenshotted every weird rock in Oblivia and named it, you’re in. If you want a fast, linear story that never stops to breathe, maybe not. And if you love systems that can be bent until they squeak? Yeah. That’s the vibe.

A few rapid tips I wish someone told me

Plant probes early. Money troubles vanish later if you start right now.
Don’t fear switching classes. The game wants that. It opens arts combos.
Keep a “cheap Skell.” Use it for errands and gathering. Save the big one for fights.
Mark tyrants you can’t beat. You’ll loop back. It’s satisfying to erase them later.
Talk to your crew in NLA between chapters. Affinity Missions sneak up on you.

Stuff I nitpick because I care

The UI needs a day at the spa. The inventory naming scheme was invented by a committee that never met. The economy feels harsh until FrontierNav blooms. And, sure, some story beats land like a shrug. But when I glide over Sylvalum at dawn, all that fades. That’s where this game wins for me.

I still remember the first time I face-planted into a level 70 bird after finally earning flight. That was the moment I realized this game loves you, but it also laughs at you. I can respect that. And I keep coming back for it. That and the mechs, obviously. Also the sunsets. And the dumb jokes the crew tells when you idle too long.

I’ve said “xenoblade chronicles x” twice already, so I’ll stop before I summon the SEO police. You know what I mean though. It’s that Wii U epic with the mechs and the map that never quits. I’m still poking at it. You might, too.