I Was So Wrong About The Colonies In Xenoblade Chronicles 3
In my review for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I said that progressing the five-star rankings belonging to each individual colony felt largely superfluous. Turns out I was wrong, and there’s so much more to these disparate homesteads than meets the eye.
Reviewing JRPGs is hard. I had a month with Monolith Soft’s latest before the embargo date, meaning there was more than enough time to experience everything the game had to offer before committing to my final score. But you still miss things in that rush to the finish line, something I’ve come to discover as I continue to explore the magical world of Aionios.
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During my 60 hour playthrough I tried my best to complete all the hero quests that crossed my path, mostly to unlock new classes and give my core party a greater level of versatility in battle. But I didn’t rank them up, or get the chance to reach Level 20 and unlock further skills and abilities only made possible by seeking out certain story quests. None of these are accessible unless you’re willing to dig deep into colonies and all they represent, which isn’t something the game ever tells you is the case.
Colonies are Xenoblade Chronicle 3’s equivalent of towns. Agnus and Keves are two individual factions spread across the land, with their colonies often residing under towering mechs that hold their flame clocks and ruling consul members. All the soldiers can do is gather resources and try to survive on the basic amenities provided to them. These boil down to little more than small tents, a measly canteen, and perhaps a room for the commanding officer to call the shots if they’re lucky enough to spare such a luxury. It’s a rough life.
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