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Xenoblade Chronicles 2, known in Japan as Xenoblade 2 (Japanese: ゼノブレイド2, Zenobureido Tsū), is a role-playing video game published by Nintendo and developed by Monolith Soft for the Nintendo Switch. The game was announced during the Nintendo Switch Presentation on January 12, 2017. The game was released on December 1, 2017 in Japan, North America, Europe, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Voice Over is available in English on International cartridges and Japanese on Asian cartridges and free downloadable content for International cartridges, while text is offered in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian on International cartridges, Korean as free downloadable content for International cartridges; and Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese on Asian cartridges.

It is the second main entry in the Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy.

Categories[]

Characters Quests Enemies NPCs Places
Items Drivers Blades Accessories Aux Cores

Gameplay[]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 uses a similar approach to gameplay mechanics as Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X, such as the freedom to explore the world of Alrest, the ability to run to virtually anywhere seen in the distance, and the return of a Arts battle system which involves both auto-attacks and a cooldown timer for each Art. In this installment, playable characters are called Drivers, and they are supported by weaponized lifeforms called Blades, which determines their currently wielded weapon and available arts. Blades appear as characters on the field, although they cannot be controlled directly, and establish a tether to their Driver while supporting them during combat.

Unlike in the previous games, Arts must be built up over time through auto-attacks. Arts are divided into Driver Arts and Blade Arts. Executing Arts, in turn, will fill up the Special gauge. These Specials deliver a powerful attack and feature four levels of intensity (from I to IV). Instead of an Art palette, Arts are assigned to the face buttons of the controller. A Driver can have up to three Blades equipped and may switch between them in battle as the situation warrants. The game introduces the new Driver, Blade and Fusion Combos battle mechanics.

A mechanic called Blade Resonance allows Drivers to resonate with Core Crystals to awaken new Blades, with some being rarer than others, and increase their possibilities. The Blades created cannot be anticipated, however, the Rare Blades are unique while the Common Blades are randomly determined. Each Blade is associated with a type of weapon and element affinity. It is possible to switch Blades in order to obtain more combinations allowing more playstyles. A Driver can bond with multiple Blades, enabling flexibility for encountering enemies while on the field.

XC2-battle-screen
  • XC2-bullet-1 Party Gauge: A three-bar gauge filled as the party characters fight together. The energy gathered in a full bar is necessary to revive an incapacitated member, and the full gauge is necessary to initiate a Chain Attack, where each member attacks in succession with one of their Blades.
  • XC2-bullet-2 Party: Names, levels, and HP of the Drivers in the party.
  • XC2-bullet-3 Blades: The Blades currently driven and mapped to the corresponding buttons of the controller.
  • XC2-bullet-4 Arts Palette: The Arts the Driver controlled accessible from the current Blade, each one mapped to the corresponding button of the right controller.
  • XC2-bullet-5 Special Art Effect: The duration effect of the Special Art inflicted to the enemy. During this time, other Special Arts can be used for Blade Combos.
  • XC2-bullet-6 Blade Combo Tree: The Special Arts available to be chained together to continue the Blade Combo.
  • XC2-bullet-7 Enemy Info: The enemy's level, name, HP bar, and elemental weakness.
  • XC2-bullet-8 Available Elemental Arts: Icons displaying another Driver using a Blade, here Nia driving her Water Blade Dromarch, who can continue the Blade Combo with "Venom Water". When this move is charged and available, a controller button will appear inside the icon.

Story[]

Main article: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (plot)

Characters[]

Main Characters
Rex pic Pyra pic Mythra-portrait Nia-portrait Dromarch-portrait Tora-portrait Poppi-a-portrait
Rex Pyra Mythra Nia Dromarch Tora Poppi
Vandham XC2 Portrait Roc Portrait Zeke-portrait Pandoria Portrait Mòrag Portrait Brighid Portrait XC2-Jitchan
Vandham Roc Zeke Pandoria Mòrag Brighid Azurda
Rare Blades
Adenine Portrait Agate Portrait Azami Portrait Boreas Portrait Corvin Portrait Crossette Portrait Dagas Portrait
Adenine Agate Azami Boreas Corvin Crossette Dagas
Dahlia Portrait Electra Portrait Elma Portrait XC2 Finch Portrait Fiora Portrait XC2 Floren Portrait Godfrey Portrait
Dahlia Electra Elma Finch Fiora Floren Godfrey
Gorg Portrait Herald Portrait Kasandra Portrait Kora Portrait KOS-MOS Portrait Newt Portrait Nim Portrait
Gorg Herald Kasandra Kora KOS-MOS Newt Nim
Perceval Portrait Perun Portrait Poppi Buster Portrait Praxis Portrait Sheba Portrait Shulk Portrait XC2 T-elos Portrait
Perceval Perun Poppibuster Praxis Sheba Shulk T-elos
Theory Portrait Ursula Portrait Vale Portrait Vess Portrait Wulfric Portrait Zenobia Portrait
Theory Ursula Vale Vess Wulfric Zenobia

Downloadable content[]

Updates[]

For the full patch notes, see [How to update Xenoblade Chronicles 2].

Several free updates have been released for the game on Switch. These are downloaded automatically when the game is launched if the console has a working internet connection. Each update can expand the game content or fix bugs and glitches.

Version 1.1.0[]

The version 1.1.0 update was released on December 1st, 2017. It included the following changes:

  • "Events Theater" function to watch cutscenes
  • "Expansion Pass" function added to the main menu.
  • Game balance adjusted
  • Various fixes to improve gameplay

Version 1.1.1[]

The version 1.1.1 update was released on December 22nd, 2017. It included the following changes:

  • Bug fixes
  • Easy mode for Tiger! Tiger!
  • By pressing the X Button, the Skip Travel screen will open the map to the current location. This will make it easier to spot Skip Travel locations and Salvage Points on the map.
  • An additional 1:1 zoom on the mini map will be displayed by pressing the L Stick. This will allow improved visibility of your surroundings and make it easier to check quest locations.

Version 1.2.0[]

The version 1.2.0 update was released on January 18th, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • Bug fixes
  • "New Quests Pack 1" and "Helpful Items Pack 3" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass
  • Voiced segments in menus can be skipped
  • Although not mentioned in the official update notes, this update changes some of the battle dialog of Ardainian Soldiers:
    • "Think you can take me?" becomes "Take this!"
    • "Don't forget me!" becomes "Don't forget!"

Version 1.3.0[]

The version 1.3.0 update was released on March 2nd, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • "Helpful Items Pack 4" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • Bug fix on Chapter 7 brought by Patch (Ver.1.2.0) concerning a Blade not displayed on list afterwards.
  • Five updates can be applied to first playthrough or second one, the New Game Plus:
    • A locking mechanism to lock certain Blades in the party from the menu so that they cannot be released, and to make them more visible. This feature will be useful in a variety of situations, such as if a 4-star Common Blade is obtained.
    • The option to skip the Blade resonating scene.
    • While expanded, the mini-map can display the same icons set up on the Skip Travel screen.
    • The "Easy Mode" is added to the game difficulty. The original game difficulty level is "Normal Mode". The difficulty level can be changed at any time with the in-game options.
    • New sorting options for Accessories, Aux Cores, and Blade lists.
  • The second playthrough New Game Plus elements:
    • Many elements carried over to New Game Plus such as Driver levels, awakened Blades, Driver and Blade equipment and Affinity Charts, acquired items and Gold, Development Level status and Merc Group level, status of Events Theater and defeated unique monsters, and play time.
    • While Quests, Merc Missions, Heart-to-Hearts, and Skip Travel points are all be reset. Saving after beginning a New Game Plus playthrough overwrites the save data in which the game was initially cleared.
    • All Blades can be dispatched on Merc Missions. This means that Blades like Pyra, Mythra or Dromarch that could not be disengaged from the party during an initial playthrough can now be dispatched.
    • Level 4 Specials of certain Blades can be unlocked.
    • New Drivers' Skills by adding further growth factors to unlock in the hidden Drivers' Affinities, such as Zeke's "Eye of Shining Justice" skills.
    • Drivers' level can be decreased at inns, and will likewise gain bonus experience according to their decreased level. This bonus experience can be exchanged for special items, including an item that increases the number of Accessory slots available to a Driver, obtainable by trading with the bards who appear on each Titan.
    • Ability to recruit Blades from Torna.

Version 1.3.1[]

The version 1.3.1 update was released on March 30th, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • "New Quests Pack 2" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • Fixes the bug that was introduced in Ver.1.3.0, in particular, some Common Blade disappearance during New Game Plus.
  • Many remaining issues fixed.
  • The new DLC NPC, Momoni has been added to chapter 1 of New Game Plus, to restore the money one time. He will help when the party is unable to buy an Abyss Vest or unable to send funds due to lack of money on-hand.
  • The difficulty is adjusted of some of the Boss battles in Chapter 10 of New Game Plus reflecting Rex's level.
  • The currently held and maximum number of accessories, Aux Cores, and Poppi parts in menus and shops are now displayed.
  • The notification page containing information about the Expansion Pass is added to the menu. If the Expansion Pass is removed or deleted from the console, "Continue" can no longer be selected to resume Expansion Pass save data. "Continue" can be selected again once the Expansion Pass is downloaded.

Version 1.4.0[]

The version 1.4.0 update was released on April 27th, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • "New Rare Blade Pack" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • Several issues fixed
  • A new blade, T-elos, is available. After having cleared the game's main story, once a star appears next to the current money in the menu, T-elos can be obtained from Core Crystals at random.
  • Numerous Traveling Bards have been added that will exchange bonus EXP for Poppi's rare Parts when playing New Game Plus.
  • Added the sorting categories "Driver", "Trust", and "Field Skill" to the Blade List.
  • Added the sorting category "Type" to the list of Accessories.

Version 1.4.1[]

The version 1.4.1 update was released on May 24th, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • "New Quests Pack 3" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • Several issues fixed.

Version 1.5.0[]

The version 1.5.0 patch was released on June 14th, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • Some issues fixed.
  • "Challenge Battle Mode Pack" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass
  • Shulk and Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles join the fight as Blades.

Version 1.5.1[]

The version 1.5.1 patch was released on July 27, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • New Shackle Blade Resist Skill RAMs.
  • Changes made to Challenge Battle Mode.
  • "New Quests Pack 4" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • "New Rare Blade Pack" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • New difficulty levels added.

Version 1.5.2[]

The version 1.5.2 update was released on August 24, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • Changes made to Challenge Battle Mode.
    • New challenge battles available from Nopon Archsage.
    • Elma from Xenoblade Chronicles X can be obtained as a usable blade if she is beaten in the challenge battle Otherworldly Fighter.
    • New items available from Nopon Archsage.
  • "New Rare Blade Pack" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.

Version 2.0.0[]

The version 2.0.0 update was released on September 14, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • Fixed a bug which could prevent completion of quests in certain cases.
  • Main title screen updated to add Torna ~ The Golden Country for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • "Final Item Distribution List" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
  • Elma’s Overdrive ability can now be used if switching from auto-battle to manual controls during battle.
  • Elma can join your party as a Blade during the Challenge Battle "Nopondemonium" in the Expansion Pass.

Version 2.0.1[]

The version 2.0.1 update was released on October 18, 2018. It included the following changes:

  • Bug fixes

Version 2.0.2[]

The version 2.0.2 update was released on December 2, 2018. It included the following changes:

Version 2.1.0[]

The version 2.1.0 update was released on September 2nd, 2020. It included the following changes:

  • Korean text is now supported.

The text can be changed to Korean by setting the Nintendo Switch language setting to Korean. (Korean voices are not supported).

Japanese-voice Pack Free DLC[]

  • December 1st, 2017: A free day-one DLC adds the Japanese-voice Pack. Exclusive to International cartridges.

Expansion Pass[]

An Expansion Pass was made available upon the release of the game. Currently, it requires 600MB of space.

Helpful Items Pack 1[]

December 1st, 2017: A series of adventure support items:

Helpful Items Pack 2[]

December 22nd, 2017: A series of adventure support items:

  • Driver Essentials Set: 10 x Rare Core Crystal, 1 x Legendary Core Crystal, 3 x Overdrive Protocol
  • Upgrade Parts for Poppi: 30,000 ether
  • Pyra's Favourite Things: 5 x Jenerossi Tea
  • Nia's Favourite Things: 5 x Ardainian Bear Carving

Helpful Items Pack 3[]

January 18th, 2018: A series of adventure support items:

New Quests Pack 1[]

January 18th, 2018: A series of additional quests for the main game:

Helpful Items Pack 4[]

March 2nd, 2018: An incoming series of adventure support items.

  • Upgrade Parts for Poppi QT: 30,000 Ether
  • Driver Essentials Set 3:
  • Legendary Core Crystal x 8
  • Overdrive Protocol x 3

New Quests Pack 2[]

March 30th, 2018: A series of additional quests for the main game:

New Rare Blade Pack[]

April 27th, 2018: An incoming additional Rare Blade for the main game:

  • A Blade called Poppibuster appears in the game. The rare Blade Quest Shiny New Power must be completed to a certain point before Poppibuster can be engaged.

New Quests Pack 3[]

May 24th, 2018: A series of additional quests for the main game:

Challenge Battle Mode Pack[]

5:00, June 15th, 2018 (UTC): An incoming new challenge battle mode against powerful enemies.

  • Nopon Summons
    • New Challenge Battle Mode gives players many chances to test their skills, plenty of loot to earn, and some minor story elements that show the characters in a new light.
    • Battle hordes of enemies in Waves to complete each challenge.
    • Shulk and Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles join the fight as Blades!
  • Extra Game Options

New Quests Pack 4[]

July 27th, 2018: A series of additional quests for the main game:

New Rare Blade Pack 2[]

July 27th, 2018: An incoming additional Rare Blade for the main game:

Helpful New Features[]

July 27th, 2018: Adds two difficulty levels, "Bringer of Chaos" and "Custom".

New Rare Blade Pack 3[]

August 24th, 2018: An incoming additional Rare Blade for the main game:

New Challenge Battle Mode Features[]

August 24th, 2018: Adds two new challenge battles, "Otherworldly Fighter and "Poisoned Paradise."

Final Item Distribution List[]

September 14, 2018: The final set of adventure support items:

Torna ~ The Golden Country[]

Main article: Torna ~ The Golden Country
Xenoblade 2 Torna box art full with logo

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country

September 14th, 2018: Torna ~ The Golden Country: An incoming brand-new story and adventure about the past of the Kingdom of Torna. A physical version will be available on September 21st.

"Guide a group of legendary warriors on a journey through the tragic history that doomed a kingdom and drove a hero down a dark path 500 years before the events of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Defend yourself from Malos and his forces using all the fury of this refined battle system, allowing you to fight as both the artificial lifeforms known as Blades and their masters, the Drivers. Available September 21st!"
— Torna ~ The Golden Country announcement

Merchandise[]

Several tie-in products have been or will be released. These include:

  • A limited special/collector edition of the game with the following extras:
  • A special Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
  • A limited time X-shaped pin like the one in the chest of Rex.
  • A 1/7 scale Pyra figure made by Good Smile Company and based on a concept art designed by Masatsugu Saito.
  • A 1/7 scale Mythra figure made by Good Smile Company and based on a concept art designed by Masatsugu Saito.
  • A 1/7 scale Siren figure made by Kotobukiya.
  • A 1/7 Nia figure made by Good Smile Company and based on her blade form.
  • Three versions of the Xenoblade 2 Original Soundtrack on May 23, 2018:
    • Standard Edition, a 5 discs pack containing the 105 tracks.
    • Deluxe Edition, a 6 discs pack containing the 105 tracks plus 21 extras, with limited copies.
    • USB Deluxe Edition, a Core Crystal-shaped USB stick containing the 105 tracks and 21 extras; limited to 2,000 copies.

Nintendo Switch Online Icon Elements[]

From June 9th, 2023 to June 16th, 2023, Nintendo Switch Online Icon Elements of characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country were made available, as part of the elements based on Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

List of Icon Elements[]

Games Collaboration[]

XC2-BotW-side-quest

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 side quest triggered

A DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild bringing Rex's costume to Link was released on November 9th, 2017. It offers the new side quest [Xenoblade Chronicles 2] where Link has to discover three red treasures across Hyrule, containing the Salvager Headwear, Vest and Trousers. These three pieces of Rex's costume, when worn together, grant Link the bonus effect Swim Speed Up.

Event[]

Monolith Soft announced on April 27th, 2018 an Illustration Contest in Japan in which artists could submit their own artwork up until June 22nd.

On October 22nd, 2018 the winners were published in Monolith Soft's website (the artworks may contain spoilers).

Gallery[]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2[]

Torna ~ The Golden Country[]

Videos[]

Reception[]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 received an aggregate score of 83/100 based on 92 critic reviews on Metacritic.[1]

External links[]

Nintendo Japan[]

Nintendo of America[]

Nintendo UK[]

Other links[]

References[]

  1. Metascore for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Metacritic, Retrieved March 11, 2020
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