Editing Xenoblade Chronicles (universe)

{{Title|''Xenoblade Chronicles'' (universe)}}{{ArticleIcons|ssb4=y|ssbu=y}}

|caption          = [[File:XenobladeSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]

|designer          = {{iw|wikipedia|Tetsuya Takahashi}}

|latestinstallment = ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed}}'' (2023)

{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Tetsuya Takahashi}} was an employee for Squaresoft (now [[Square Enix]]), known for working in the {{uv|Final Fantasy}} series as an artist, starting in ''{{iw|wikipedia|Final Fantasy IV}}''. He has worked on the opening scene of ''{{iw|wikipedia|Final Fantasy VI}}'', and as a graphic designer for ''{{iw|wikipedia|Chrono Trigger}}'', the latter where composer {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Yasunori Mitsuda}} would join him later in the ''Xeno'' franchise. While deciding potential scripts for what would eventually become ''{{iw|wikipedia|Final Fantasy VII}}'', Squaresoft decided against a script written by Takahashi on the basis of it being "too dark and complicated" for the company's vision of ''Final Fantasy''; however, Square and {{iw|wikipedia|Hironobu Sakaguchi}} allowed him to start the project as a new property instead. Takahashi, working with a subteam within Square, became the director of what was released in the Americas as ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenogears}}'' for the PlayStation in late 1998. The game, a science fiction JRPG featuring traditional combat that sometimes involves humanoid combat robots called "gears" - in accordance with various recurrent concepts in mecha genres - was a critical and commercial success in both Japan and the Americas, and received recognition for its ambitious approach to incorporating major themes into its storytelling and characterization, examining both the principles put forth by reputed philosophers and the theological concepts and devotional practices of several real-world religions.

Though ''Xenogears'' was conceived as the fifth episode of a series of six, Square decided against devoting resources to further works related to ''Xenogears'' in favor of focusing on their flagship ''Final Fantasy'' series, which prompted Takahashi and much of the ''Xenogears'' staff to leave the company and form what would become [[Monolith Soft]] with the financial backing of [[Bandai Namco]]. Due to the legal rights of ''Xenogears'' remaining with Square, Takahashi could not create games that were direct extensions of the ''Xenogears'' continuity (despite what the end credits originally indicated), so he proceeded on a project that could more accurately be described as a reboot that shared thematic similarities: the ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenosaga}}'' trilogy (which was originally intended to be six games), published by Bandai Namco from 2002 to 2006 on the PlayStation 2. Set millennia in the future where Earth is no longer the primary homeworld of a space-faring humanity, the games feature different combat systems between each installment, all of which are mechanically separate from their spiritual PlayStation predecessor. References to other IPs from Namco were also present throughout this series, such as {{uv|Tekken}} with [[Kazuya Mishima]] in the first game. The series' reception was generally favorable, though review outlets tended to express more mixed opinions when comparing them with ''Xenogears'', finding fault with elements such as a much more lopsided cutscene-to-gameplay ratio and the removal of some of the acclaimed philosophical elements.

In May 2007, Namco sold its stake in Monolith Soft to [[Nintendo]], and Monolith Soft soon became a first-party developer for the company. Takahashi began work on a different IP for the [[Wii]], which over the course of four years of development was unveiled at E3 2009 under the title ''Monado: Beginning of the World''. It would later be renamed ''{{iw|xenoseries|Xenoblade Chronicles}}'', by then-president Satoru Iwata, once again following the convention of including ''Xeno-'' in the title to honor the director's previous, though otherwise unconnected, work. Involving himself in every aspect of the game's development, Takahashi worked to separate it from its forerunners in both gameplay style and theme, with the relationship between humans and machines as one of the carryovers. The original concept of the game came from the idea of giant godlike titans serving as the basis for the world and story, with the gameplay coming later. Once the concept was presented to the team, morale was bolstered and development kicked off. The game would eventually be released in Japan on June 10, 2010, and then in PAL regions on August 19, 2011; however, the game's American release would only take place on April 6, 2012, which led to an interim period where concerned gamers took part in a fan campaign called "{{iw|wikipedia|Operation Rainfall}}" to persuade Nintendo of America to localize the game and two other Japan-exclusive Wii RPGs, ''{{iw|wikipedia|The Last Story}}'' and ''{{iw|wikipedia|Pandora's Tower}}''. This campaign was successful and all three games eventually received limited releases throughout 2012. This release did come with some compromises, particularly with ''Xenoblade.'' An estimated 100,000 units were distrubted for all of North America through Nintendo's store and GameStop. The game sold out very quickly, and the original release is now considered a somewhat rare collector's piece. Also, since an English dub was already created in Europe, Nintendo of America simply used it for the North American release, starting the tradition of a majority of the English cast in every ''Xenoblade'' game since having thick European accents.

''Xenoblade Chronicles'' received overwhelming critical acclaim across the board. It was lauded for revitalizing and reinventing the otherwise stagnant Japanese role-playing genre and bringing it into the twenty-first century, with a sense of freedom instilled by a massive open world that has been compared to the size of the real-world Japanese archipelago. Many unique landmarks and hundreds of side missions of varying lengths are peppered across this world, with someone leading to unique interactions and cutscenes, officially titled "Heart-to-Heart." This encourages exploration in hopes of finding new content that would be of great benefit later. The gameplay style of the combat closely resembles that of ''Final Fantasy XII'', but with elements indicative of MMO titles. Battles are not turn-based and instead take place in real-time, with enemies roaming about the overworld, able to be engaged at the player's discretion. Enemies can direct their attention, or "aggro", to certain party members, and it is actively encouraged for particular techniques. Certain creatures are also "uniquely named" and act as overworld mini-bosses; it is not uncommon to find a unique monster roaming about in an otherwise tame landscape. Combat has an emphasis on chained group attacks and allowing some characters to strategically divert enemy attention away from other party members. The game introduced the concept of character specific abilities called Arts, which are governed by a cooldown system that does away with the traditional magic points, and became a staple of the series moving forward. Closely tied in with the game's theme is a "Visions" system where the lead character can see glimpses of critical or even fatal enemy attacks, which can allow the player to either avoid or prevent an incoming attack. Especially praised were the characters, both for their writing and voice performances and for the integration of their relationships into core aspects of the gameplay both inside and outside of battle. The game sold over 800,000 units globally and, as a first-party Nintendo property, its main character Shulk was included in the roster of ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' in 2014 and returned in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.

After the success of the seminal entry, Monolith Soft sought out to develop a new entry in the series. This new entry was teased with the codename "X" in early 2013. The successor's title was finalized during E3 2014 as ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles X}}'' and released for [[Wii U]] in Japan on April 29, 2015 and on December 4, 2015 overseas. While not a direct sequel to the first entry, this game is instead a spiritual successor with an unrelated story that utilizes similar gameplay mechanics. However, their are some subtle connections to the first entry found in-game implying a shared universe, which was confirmed in later entries. Gameplay is largely similar to the first entry, with its major gimmick being characters can use both melee and ranged weapons and can pilot humanoid mechs called Skells to fight and traverse the game's enormous world, complete with smaller supplementary tools to aid in exploration and discovery. ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' received mostly positive reviews and is generally received as a solid entry in the series with enough differences to play it over the others, although some elements like the soundtrack and obtuse user interface can be hard to swallow at times. The game sold roughly 400,000 copies, which was significantly less than the previous entry, though this can partially be attributed to the overall poor sales of the Wii U. This game did receive some controversy after release. Fans outside of Japan noticed that some content was removed during the localization process, including scantily clad costumes for canonically underage characters and a character creation slider for breast size. This caused some outrage that international players were getting an inferior product, though Tetsuya Takahashi has claimed that he personally does not mind these changes.<ref>[https://kotaku.com/xenoblade-chronicles-xs-director-on-localization-change-1796157409 Xenoblade Chronicles X's Director On Localization Changes: 'I Didn't Mind Much At All']</ref> The game was also the largest first party Wii U game ever made at 23 gigabytes, which was inflated even more with DLC packs that existed solely to fix performance issues, outright preventing many potential players from playing the game.

A port of the original Wii title, titled ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 3D}}'' was developed by Monster Games and released for the [[Nintendo 3DS|New Nintendo 3DS]] on April 2, 2015 in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and on April 10, 2015 in the Americas. The handheld port was lauded for preserving the scale and frame rate of the original game while also including additional side content such as a jukebox and character model viewer, but skepticism was cited for the port's considerably downgraded visuals. The original Wii version was made available for digital download much later on the Wii U eShop in Europe on August 5, 2015 and in the Americas on April 28, 2016.

Tetsuya Takahashi understood the criticisms that fans had about the previous entry on Wii U regarding the shift away from a rich story, among other complaints, and thus strove to address them in the next title. During the [[Nintendo Switch]] presentation in January 2017, Takahashi revealed this titled as the next numbered entry in the series titled ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 2}}'', which would release for Nintendo Switch worldwide on December 1, 2017. This entry reverts back to the fantasy settings of the first game with heavier emphasis on gameplay and world building, concepts ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' deviated from to mixed reception. Gameplay is again mostly similar, with the main gimmick being {{iw|xenoserieswiki|driver}}s and {{iw|xenoserieswiki|blade}}s, the former being able to control and swap between the latter in combat. This allows for many more playable characters than previous games, all with unique dialogue and quests. The game was seen as a return to form for the series and a must-have for an early Nintendo Switch title, though criticism was given towards not being designed with beginners in mind, as this game was likely the first taste of the series for many. The game has sold nearly 3 million copies sover its life time, far more than any previous entry in the series.

This game received a downloadable expansion in 2018 titled ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country}}'', which is a prequel story that explains how many character are in their positions by the events of the main game. Other small downloadable content was released after the main game, notably Shulk and [[Fiora]] as blades. This particular pack confirms that previous games exist in alternate universes and an event that could destroy them all is coming.

 

In between mainline entries, a full high-definition remake of the game with added story content, titled ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition}}'', was released for the Nintendo Switch on May 29, 2020. This version included a slightly different artstyle to fit better with its sequel, re-recorded music, and a new time attack mode. However, the lack of feature introduced in ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3D'' like the juke box drew some criticism and prevented the game from truly being the definitive edition of the game. This release also include a new campaign titled ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected}}'', which is available from the start. This campaign reintroduces content cut from the original release, and adds more teases to the shared universe concept introduced in both ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' and ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2''.

 

During the Nintendo Direct of February 9, 2022, Monolith Soft made the official announcement of ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 3}}'' for Nintendo Switch and originally set to be released for September 2022. However, the game was finished ahead of schedule and released on July 29, 2022. This game is the final installment in the Klaus saga, and fully realizes the shared universe concept with the worlds of the previous numbered entries combining into one, with the goal to undo this damage or at least bring peace. Gameplay is largely similar to previous entries, with the main gimmick being a greatly expanded battle party, now containing six active members instead of the typical three at a time. This allows for more strategies and customization, which leads to more unique battle scenarios. The game once again received overall positive reception and was praised as the culmination of what made previous games great in the first place. There was criticism levied towards a divisive ending and performance issues caused by aging Nintendo Switch hardware, but most reviews admitted that these complaints were either minor issues or up to personal tastes.

 

This game received a downloadable season pass that introduced new content into 2023. The final installment is a story expansion titled ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed}}''. This story acts as an interquel between all three numbered ''Xenoblade'' titles, but also hints of connections with the remaining ''Xeno'' games (''Xenoblade X'', the ''Xenosaga'' trilogy, ''Xenogears'') and ties up all loose ends in the series. The developers have confirmed the next entries will contain a new storyline.

 

On October 29, 2024, Nintendo and Monolith Soft announced ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition}}'', a visually enhanced port of ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' with added story content set to be released for the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2025. With it, the entire ''Xenoblade'' collection is now available on a modern hardware, being the Nintendo Switch.

 

The ''Xeno'' franchise has also received a few crossovers, largely in other games that Monolith Soft had a hand in development. The most prominent is the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, which contains Shulk from ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' in the base game of both ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' alongside the stage [[Gaur Plain]], and {{SSBU|Pyra}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}} added as downloadable fighters in ''Ultimate'' in 2021 alongside the stage [[Cloud Sea of Alrest]]. Other additions include music tracks, [[trophies]], [[spirit]]s, and [[Mii Costume]]s, including a special [[Rex]] costume for purchasing the ''Ultimate'' Fighter Pass 1. To commemorate the launch of ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'', Rex's Salvager Armor Set was also released as [[zeldawiki:Salvager Armor Set|free equipment]] for [[Link]] in ''{{iw|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}'', which Monolith Soft helped develop. Outside of first-party titles, the game ''{{iw|wikipedia|Namco x Capcom}}'' and its spiritual successor ''{{iw|wikipedia|Project X Zone}}'' series, all developed by Monolith Soft contain {{iw|xenoserieswiki|KOS-MOS}} and {{iw|xenoserieswiki|T-elos}} as playable characters characters alongside Bandai Namco, [[Capcom]], [[Sega]], and Nintendo characters in ''{{iw|wikipedia|Project X Zone 2}}'', as it is also containing Fiora.

*[[File:GaurPlainIconSSB4-U.png|75px|right|link=Gaur Plain]]'''[[Gaur Plain]]''' ([[Starter stage|Starter]]): An expansive stretch of wilderness located on the {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Bionis' Leg}}. The lifeless body of Mechonis can be seen in the background of the stage. Many platforms, some of them being walk-offs, are strewn about haphazardly. Gaur Plain appears in both versions of ''SSB4'', although it is larger in the Wii U version, with more platforms and two usable springs. The stage in both versions features a day-night cycle starting in the daytime and when nightfall comes, [[Metal Face]] may arrive and attack any nearby fighters while verbally taunting them.{{clr}}

*'''{{SSB4MusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Xenoblade Chronicles Medley}}''': The only ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' remix on the soundtrack, this track is a medley of "Gaur Plain (Day)", "Mechanical Rhythm", "You Will Know Our Names", and "Engage the Enemy". It plays on Gaur Plain^{(<span style="color:#004DFF">Wii U</span>)}.

*'''{{SSB4MusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Engage the Enemy}}''': This music plays during special story events in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' and is featured on Disc 2 of ''[[A Smashing Soundtrack]]''. It plays on Gaur Plain^{(<span style="color:#004DFF">Wii U</span>)}.

*'''{{SSB4MusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Gaur Plain (Night)}}''': This is the music that plays in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' on the Bionis' Leg during the night. It plays on Gaur Plain^{(<span style="color:#004DFF">Wii U</span>)}.

*'''{{SSB4MusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Time to Fight!}}''': This is the music that plays in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' during regular battles on Bionis. It plays on Gaur Plain^{(<span style="color:#004DFF">Wii U</span>)}.

*'''{{SSB4MusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|An Obstacle in Our Path}}''': This track plays during most boss battles, usually against Faced Mechon. It plays on Gaur Plain^{(<span style="color:#004DFF">Wii U</span>)}.

*'''{{SSB4MusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Mechanical Rhythm}}''': This is the music that plays in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' during the regular battles on Mechonis. It plays on Gaur Plain^{(<span style="color:#004DFF">Wii U</span>)}.

In the base game, the series has received a massive boost in representation with the addition of elements from the two ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' games released between ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', primarily in the form of Mii Fighter costumes, music tracks, and Spirits. Otherwise, all of the previous representation has been maintained in the transition. One of the Mii Fighter costumes is also featured as a bonus for purchasing the first Fighters Pass. Then in March 2021, Pyra and Mythra from ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' were added as downloadable fighters, bringing with them a new stage and even more music tracks and Spirits.

 

Much later in January 2024, a new combined spirit from ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3'' was added to the game, completing the representation of the trilogy in this branch of the wider ''Xeno'' franchise.

:*79. [[File:PyraIcon(SSBU).png|50px|right|link=Pyra (SSBU)]]'''{{SSBU|Pyra}}''': The fiery half of the Aegis appears alongside Mythra as the fourth downloadable newcomer in the Fighters Pass Vol. 2. Pyra falls into the slow-but-strong archetype, boasting high KO power and flame effects when dealing damage. However, her attacks are significantly slower than her counterpart's. Her Final Smash, [[Burning Sword]], can catch multiple opponents in a whirlwind of fire before launching them.{{clr}}

*[[File:GaurPlainIconSSBU.png|75px|right|link=Gaur Plain]]{{GameIcon|SSB4}}'''[[Gaur Plain]]''' ([[Starter stage|Starter]]): The large plain within greater Bionis' Leg area returns, based on the larger version from {{forwiiu}}. The colors on the stage are now much brighter and defined, and the stage overall is less shadowy. [[Metal Face]] returns as a [[stage hazard]].{{clr}}

The ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' universe has games represented throughout the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series with a total of 5 games. The latest game represented in this universe is ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 3}}'', released on July 29, 2022.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Mecha-Fiora}} is added into Shulk's Final Smash.

**{{gameIcon|SSB4-WIIU}} Metal Face, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Mechonis}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Bionis}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Fiora}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Reyn}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Sharla}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Melia}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Bronze Face}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Face Nemesis}}, Mecha-Fiora, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Jade Face}}, and {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Yaldabaoth}} appear as trophies.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} Fiora, Mecha-Fiora, Reyn, Sharla, Dunban, Melia, Riki, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Mumkhar}}, and Metal Face appear as spirits. Their spirit artwork are sourced from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Elma}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Lin}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Lao}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Tatsu}}, and {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Formula}} appear as spirits. Their spirit artworks are sourced from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} Nia, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Dromarch}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Tora}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Poppi α}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Mòrag}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Brighid}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Zeke}}, and {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Pandoria}} appear as guest cameos on the normal form of Cloud Sea of Alrest.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Argentum}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Gormott}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Uraya}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Mor Ardain}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Tantal}}, and {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Indol}}, which are titans from the game, are seen travelling in the background of Cloud Sea of Alrest.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} Pyra and Mythra appear as fighter spirits.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} Rex, Pyra, Mythra, Nia, Tora, Poppi α, Mòrag, Zeke, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Lora}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Amalthus}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Jin}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Malos}}, {{iw|xenoserieswiki|Pneuma}}, and Rex (Master Driver) appear as spirits. Aside from Lora and Pneuma, their spirit artwork is sourced from this game.