How long is Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and is it worth getting?

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is here, and Nintendo Switch players are undoubtedly wondering if it’s long enough to make it worth its sizable price tag. Those who want to get dozens of hours out of a game will definitely want to take a close look at this one.

One of the most hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch games of the year has landed and it’s received roundly strong reviews. Not only that but players can expect a sizable amount of content to arrive through the game’s Expansion Pass if they’re really feeling it.

But just how long is Xenoblade Chronicles 3 before getting the DLC, and is it worth picking up in the first place? Here’s what you need to know about the new Nintendo Switch RPG.

How long does it take to beat Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

Players can expect Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to last anywhere from 60 to 100 hours, depending on how thorough they are. 100% completing the game may take well over 150 hours.

Japanese RPGs are often lengthy and that is certainly the case here. Xenoblade Chronicles is one of the longest journeys Nintendo fans have had available to them in a long while. Even those who progress at a brisk pace will find themselves sinking dozens of hours into it.

A decent chunk of this is dedicated to story content. Part of the reason it’s so long is that there are cutscenes and dialog aplenty in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Not all players will be into that, but it’s nothing unusual for JRPG fans.

Is Xenoblade Chronicles 3 worth it?

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is definitely going to be worth it for players who are fans of this style of RPG. 

Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s battle system is in the same vein as Final Fantasy XII or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Combat is largely automated, with characters attacking automatically while players need to manually activate special skills. Players can focus on controlling just one character but have the ability to hop between each member of a six-man party. There’s a lot to focus on in battle, and that goes for outside battle as well as players need to put work into building their best party of characters.

Graphically, this is arguably the best-looking game on the Nintendo Switch to date. It’s unrealistic to expect a game on the Switch to match modern Xbox and PlayStation consoles in graphical fidelity. But this game 3 still manages to look great in action and has enough cinematic flare in its cutscenes to help ignore some of the more questionable facial expressions and animations.

Review aggregators have Xenoblade Chronicles 3 at around a 90% score, and combined with how long it is, it’s worth picking up based the value players can get out of it. This style of game isn’t for everyone, but for those who enjoy this style of RPG it’s a solid choice.