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 2017 on January 12th. 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; and Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese on Asian cartridges.
Categories
| Characters | Quests | Enemies | NPCs | Locations |
| 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.
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.- Party: Names, levels, and HP of the Drivers in the party.
- Blades: The Blades currently driven and mapped to the corresponding buttons of the controller.
- Arts Palette: The Arts the Driver controlled accessible from the current Blade, each one mapped to the corresponding button of the right controller.
- 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.
- Blade Combo Tree: The Special Arts available to be chained together to continue the Blade Combo.
- Enemy Info: The enemy's level, name, HP bar, and elemental weakness.
- 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
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| Rex | Pyra | Mythra | Nia | Dromarch | Tora | Poppi α |
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| Vandham | Roc | Zeke | Pandoria | Mòrag | Brighid | Azurda |
Downloadable content
Updates
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:
- "Event 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 Poppy 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.
- Poppibuster can be obtained after completing the new Blade Quest Shiny New Power.
- 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.
- Some issues fixed.
- New items available from Nopon Archsage.
- "New Quests Pack 4" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
- "New Rare Blade Pack" added for purchasers of the Expansion Pass.
- Crossette can be obtained
- 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.
- Corvin can be obtained
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:
- Added the ability to receive the new Massive Melee Mythra Aux Core, which changes the appearance of Mythra in both Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country.
- It can be received in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 by speaking to Brobro near the Salvage Deck in the Argentum Trade Guild anytime after Chapter 3 has been completed.
- It can be received in Torna ~ The Golden Country by speaking to the Nameless Wanderpon in the Feltley Village in the Kingdom of Torna.
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:
- War Chest Contribution from Bana: 50,000 G
- Super-Useful Pouch items Sample: 3 x Cream Orange Parathas
- Gift from Mr. Rurui: 10 x Silver Cylinders
- Newbie Driver's Core Crystal Set: 5 x Common Core Crystals
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:
- Driver Essentials Set 2:
- Rare Core Crystal x 10
- Legendary Core Crystal x 1
- Overdrive Protocol x 1
- Tora's Favorite Thing: Juicy Samod x 3
- Poppi α's Favorite Thing: Fizz Juice x 3
- Charming Driver Gear: Auto-Balancer x 1
New Quests Pack 1
January 18th, 2018: A series of additional quests for the main game:
- Passion of the Artisan (available from chapter 2)
- M.I.A. Nopon (available from chapter 3)
- Industrial Sort of Tour (available from chapter 5)
- Midnight Feasting (available from chapter 7)
- The Lone Watchman (available from chapter 10)
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:
- Nopon of Good Tastes (available from chapter 2)
- Cleared of All Charges (available from chapter 5; Rare Blades Perun, Godfrey and Perceval required)
- Beneath the Aurora (available from chapter 6)
- Upgrades and Tinkering (available from chapter 8)
- Most Awful News?! (available from chapter 10; Rare Blade Finch required)
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:
- A Smith's Pastime
- A Hat Fit for a Lady (available from chapter 5)
- Making Love Source (available from chapter 7; Poppi QT required)
- A Mercenary's Honor (available from chapter 10, after completing "Beneath the Aurora")
- Merclibay's Mightiest (available from chapter 10; Rare Blades Electra, Zenobia and Herald required)
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:
- Sunken Boosters
- The Trendy Patissier (available from chapter 8; Rare Blades Gorg and Boreas required; after completing "Follow Your Passion")
- Artisanal Accessories (available from chapter 7)
- Hot Spring Bonanza (available from chapter 10; Rare Blades Sheba, Kora and Kasandra required)
- Mystery Launch Codes (available from chapter 10; Rare Blades Adenine and KOS-MOS required)
New Rare Blade Pack 2
July 27th, 2018: An incoming additional Rare Blade for the main game:
- A Blade called Crossette appears in the game. The Key Item A Firecracker of a Gal must be obtained to receive a Core Crystal guaranteed to awaken Crossette.
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:
- A Blade called Corvin appears in the game. The Key Item A Boy of Two Swords must be obtained to receive a Core Crystal guaranteed to awaken Corvin.
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:
- Legendary Core Crystal ×15
- Overdrive Protocol ×3
- Love Source ×10
Torna ~ The Golden Country
- Main article: Torna ~ The Golden Country
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:
- The Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Collected Works, an artbook containing concept art and game illustrations.
- A Steelbook(TM)/Special Metal Game Case.
- The Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Sound Selection CD
- 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.
- 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.
Games Collaboration
Collaboration: 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 Collaboration: 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
External links
Nintendo Japan
- Official Xenoblade 2 website
- Torna ~ The Golden Country
- Production notes:
- Upcoming updates by Tetsuya Takahashi
- Pyra figure announcement
- Theory and Praxis designs by Mr. Kohichi Muya (CHOCO)
- Ver.1.2.0 bug to be fixed in Ver.1.3.0 by Tetsuya Takahashi
- Ver.1.3.0 update by Tetsuya Takahashi
- Xenoblade 2 Original Soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda
- Kunihiko Tanaka's design work on KOS-MOS and Finch
- Ver.1.3.0 bug
- Mythra figure announcement by Takahashi Sokantoku
- Ver.1.4.0 update and "New Rare Blade Pack" by Tetsuya Takahashi
- Ver.1.5.0 update and "Challenge Battle Mode"
- Q&A Note about the Ver.1.3.1 update and future "Expansion Pass" contents
Nintendo of America
- Official Xenoblade Chronicles 2 website
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Expansion Pass
- How to Update Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (includes details of what's in each update)
- Behind the story development by Yuichiro Takeda
- Message from Director Takahashi
- Director Takahashi on the first post-launch update
Nintendo UK
- Official Xenoblade Chronicles 2 website
- Expansion Pass
- Masatsugu Saito discusses main character design – part one
- Masatsugu Saito discusses main character design – part two
- An introduction to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 from director Tetsuya Takahashi
- Upcoming updates by Tetsuya Takahashi
- Tetsuya Takahashi reveals new update information
- Note about the Ver.1.3.0 defect which is fixed in Ver.1.3.1
- Tetsuya Takahashi interview revealing more on Torna ~ The Golden Country
Other links
- 4Gamer interview of Tetsuya Takahashi (Japanese)
- Xenoblade 2 Soundtrack official website
- Tetsuya Takahashi and Katsura Hashino interview by Den-fami Nico Gamer
- Partial translation about the development by Siliconera
- Illustration Contest announced by Monolith Soft in order to design and release a new Rare Blade
- Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 article on Wikipedia