I’m a bit of a sucker for Switch 2 editions, especially when they’re for games that I just couldn’t get enough of during their original launches. I’ve already upgraded my copies of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder to their respective Switch 2 editions, but now one of the best JRPGs from 2017 is about to receive its own, and I’m more than prepared to throw down the money yet again to get it. That game is none other than Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and while it might not be the highest-rated game in the series, it’s an excellent JRPG that will finally and officially be worth replaying once its Switch 2 edition launches on July 30, 2026.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 wasn’t my first game in the series, but it was the first one to hook me. When it launched in 2017, it quickly became one of those games that could easily carry me into the after-midnight hours, with me willingly losing sleep despite needing to be up early the next day for work. Don’t get me wrong—I understand why it’s one of the series’ more polarizing entries, and I’m not here to argue against any points of criticism. However, as a JRPG, it’s still one of the most memorable I’ve ever played, with a world I loved exploring, a cast I grew genuinely attached to, and a story that only became more rewarding the further I got into it. Now, with the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch 2 edition promising to give the game the technical treatment it always deserved, returning to it feels like the perfect opportunity to appreciate it all over again.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Was Already Great in 2017
For me, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was memorable, first and foremost, because Alrest was such a fascinating world to explore. Entire civilizations live on the backs of enormous Titans drifting through an endless Cloud Sea, and each one feels different enough that reaching another never became routine. I could be wandering across the wide fields of Gormott one minute and then exploring the narrow streets and industrial machinery of Mor Ardain the next, and I was constantly stopping to see what was hiding somewhere off the obvious path.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Monolith Soft also knew exactly how to make those areas feel far bigger and more dangerous than they initially appeared. High-level enemies would casually wander through places I had no business being yet, so exploring could go from peaceful to terrifying the moment I noticed something enormous staring in my direction. Finding new landmarks, secret locations, treasure, and routes I had missed made returning to older Titans worthwhile long after the story had moved on.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s Blade system gave me another reason to keep experimenting. Every Driver could equip different Blades that changed their weapons, roles, abilities, and elemental options, which meant putting a party together involved much more than choosing three characters I liked. I could spend an embarrassing amount of time rearranging my setup, working through affinity charts, and trying to figure out how to chain attacks together without completely ruining whatever had been working five minutes earlier.
For me, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was memorable, first and foremost, because Alrest was such a fascinating world to explore.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s combat admittedly takes a while to reveal why it’s so good. Early battles can feel slow, the tutorials aren’t always especially helpful, and anyone expecting immediate action might wonder why Rex seems so committed to standing around between attacks. Once Driver Combos, Blade Combos, elemental orbs, and Chain Attacks start fitting together, though, battles become far more satisfying than they first appear.
The cast did plenty of the heavy lifting as well. Rex may not be everyone’s favorite Xenoblade protagonist, but his optimism made sense beside characters carrying far more baggage than he initially understood. Pyra, Mythra, Nia, Tora, Mòrag, and Zeke gradually became a group I genuinely cared about, which made the story’s later chapters hit much harder than I expected them to when the journey began.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 received generally positive but somewhat polarized reviews at launch, earning an aggregate score of 83 on Metacritic. Critics celebrated its massive world, deep combat, and excellent music, but heavily criticized its unintuitive tutorials, overly cluttered UI, and controversial anime character designs.
Of course, some of the character designs, voice direction, comedy, and overly anime moments made Xenoblade Chronicles 2 an easy target for criticism. I understand every one of those complaints, and there are definitely scenes I would rather nobody walk into the room while I’m watching. Still, the emotional moments landed for me, the soundtrack was outstanding, and the final stretch rewarded the enormous amount of time I had invested in reaching it.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s Switch 2 Edition Makes It Worth the Replay
The biggest thing holding Xenoblade Chronicles 2 back was never its ambition. The original Switch simply struggled to present Alrest as cleanly and smoothly as it deserved, especially when playing in handheld mode. A world built on giant living Titans shouldn’t look blurry enough that I occasionally feel like I misplaced my glasses, so the Switch 2 edition’s visual and performance improvements are doing a lot to tempt me back.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch 2 Edition Features
- 4K RESOLUTION in TV mode
- FULL HD RESOLUTION in handheld mode
- 60 FPS performance
- SMOOTHER AND SHARPER CUTSCENES during gameplay
- NEW RARE BLADE and accompanying Blade quest
- NEW ACTION BATTLE MODE involving mercenary squad battles
- NEW EQUIPMENT DESIGNS for Pyra and Mythra
Honestly, 60 frames per second might be enough by itself. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has busy environments, enormous enemies, flashy Blade Specials, and battles that can fill the screen with effects, so doubling the original target should make practically everything feel better. Combining that with 4K output on a television and 1080p in handheld mode means Alrest should finally look as good away from the dock as it does in my memory.
The improved cutscenes are another bigger deal than they might sound. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is packed with lengthy story scenes and massive action sequences, so smoother and sharper presentation should make replaying its more cinematic moments much more enjoyable. I already remember several late-game scenes looking incredible despite the hardware, and I can’t wait to see what they look like after the upgrade.
A world built on giant living Titans shouldn’t look blurry enough that I occasionally feel like I misplaced my glasses, so the Switch 2 edition’s visual and performance improvements are doing a lot to tempt me back.
Nintendo is also giving returning players something genuinely new to do rather than relying entirely on technical improvements. The new rare Blade comes with another quest, while the action battle mode lets players directly control Blades sent on mercenary missions during mercenary squad battles. I’ve already spent an entire game watching Blades support their Drivers, so getting to control them directly sounds like the exact sort of strange bonus mode that could keep a second playthrough from feeling too familiar.
Even Pyra and Mythra are receiving new equipment designs exclusive to this edition. New outfits are obviously not going to transform a game I’ve already spent dozens of hours playing, but I’m never going to complain about another reason to change how party members look. In fact, cosmetics are a massive deal for me in RPGs, simply because I feel I can immerse myself all the more when my party looks the way I want them to.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country is a highly acclaimed standalone action RPG and prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Released by Nintendo and developed by Monolith Soft, it takes players 500 years into the past to explore the tragic events of the Aegis War and the downfall of the Kingdom of Torna.
Torna: The Golden Country is getting some attention as well. Its digital and physical versions will support 4K and 60 frames per second in TV mode and 1080p and 60 frames per second in handheld mode on Switch 2, although Expansion Pass owners will need the main game’s upgrade pack to access those improvements. Considering Torna is already one of the strongest pieces of Xenoblade content Monolith Soft has made, having the entire story running more smoothly makes revisiting it even easier to justify.
I probably didn’t need much convincing to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 again. This is a game that kept me awake long after I should have gone to bed, and nearly nine years later, I still remember its world, music, characters, and biggest story moments. The problem was finding a reason to commit to another massive JRPG playthrough when so many new games are already fighting for that time.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s Switch 2 edition is officially giving me that reason. Alrest will look sharper, combat should feel smoother, cutscenes are getting cleaned up, and there will even be new quests and battles waiting for players who already know the journey. I lost plenty of sleep to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in 2017, and once July 30 arrives, it looks like I am about to make the exact same mistake all over again.
- Released
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December 1, 2017
- ESRB
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T For Teen due to Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
