On Tuesday morning, Nintendo released a 16-minute Nintendo Direct completely focused on Xenoblade Chronicles 2, providing more details about the story, characters, and battle system. Additionally, an expansion pass was announced that will provide access to five pieces of DLC over the next year.
The game and its expansion pass are bundled and available for pre-purchase on the Nintendo eShop for about $90, and according to the Direct, the DLC won’t be available for purchase a la carte. The first piece of content will be available at launch and provides “Support Items For Your Journey.” The other four will be released throughout 2018 and are as follows:
- New Quests for the Main Game, January 2018
- New Rare Blade, Spring 2018
- New Challenge Battle Mode, Summer 2018
- A Brand-New Story and Adventure, Autumn 2018
Part of the Direct featured a trailer that introduced a huge roster of characters in the game while providing some insight into the main characters’ motivations. A major section included what felt like a tutorial on how Drivers (like Rex) and Blades (like Pyra) interact to pull off effective combos in battle. A Driver’s abilities in combat are affected by which Blades are equipped on them, and up to three can be equipped at one time. With three Drivers in the party, that’s nine Blade slots to consider.
Another segment of the Direct showed off what the world exploration looks like. Like the prequel, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 features a seamless transition between exploration and battle in the world. Resources can be gathered at certain hot spots, some of which run the risk of encountering enemies. Different Blades can provide benefits outside of combat, such as unlocking different sections of the map or farming for resources more effectively.
In a small attempt at cross-promotion, owners of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will receive a side quest on November 9. The quest rewards Link with a costume similar to Rex’s, the protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
For more details on the upcoming RPG, check out the Nintendo Direct below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hb0KmH2WBQ]
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 releases exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on December 1 for 59.99 (affiliate link).
