STACK #245 March 2025

GAMING FEATURE

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MECH IT MINE! This month sees the arrival of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch, the last of the series of four games to make its way to the console. Here’s a taste of what’s new. T he 2015 game was a Nintendo Wii U exclusive and made extensive use of that console’s gamepad. As such, gameplay has now been tweaked accordingly, with a special GENRE: Action RPG MULTIPLAYER: Yes menu allowing easy access to features, with other UI functions now appearing on the main screen. Beyond such practical changes, the FORMAT:

developers have grabbed the opportunity to bring enhanced visuals to the party, including textures and character models, with what we’ve seen so far looking a veritable treat. There’ll even be a new character, as well as a new Skell, Hraesvelg. This ties in with additions being made to the story, with an expanded narrative promising to expand upon the post-credits scene of the original, featuring Lao Huang and a mysterious hooded figure. A new mechanic, attached to the ‘Y’ button, called Quick Recast will speed up cooldowns for Arts. Coupled with a timed gauge, you won’t be able to spam it, but it will certainly come in handy in tight battles. All these improvements expand upon the

• Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is out Mar 20

base game, which sees the return of popular co-operative multiplayer functions such as Global Nemesis Battles. So, BLADE member, get ready to head into 2054 and do your best to save humanity – we’re counting on you! Amy Flower

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XENOPLAYED

The game’s soundtrack was crafted by noted anime composer Hiroyuki Sawano, originally creating over 90 tracks, which were whittled down to 55 for the final release.

GENRE: RPG MULTIPLAYER: No

FORMAT:

WALKING THROUGH THE RUNES In 1995, Konami released Suikoden on the PlayStation. It was the beginning of what was to become an influential RPG series, with a sequel following soon after. Now the two games are back, bigger and better than ever, with remasters based on the 2006 PSP updates. T he politically charged fantasy games head to the Konami have upgraded all the background graphics in both games to high definition, as well as updating animation effects for the gorgeous pixel art. • Suikoden I & II HD

latest consoles with a lot of love lavished upon them utilising the latest technology, and catering to today’s gamer expectations. At first glance, the most obvious embellishment is on the graphics side of things. The PlayStation was no graphical slouch, but that was 30 years ago now.

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The sonic side of things also gets a lick of modern HD paint, with the entire sound library improved, as well as the addition of new environmental sounds. Under the bonnet, niceties such as auto-save, the ability to dash right from the start of the game, and battle fast forward will be welcomed by fans, as will a new conversation log, and improved UI. The music in both games was a highlight, and now we have galleries that let us dive into the 200-plus tracks. There are also now galleries for the cinematics, as well as a handy event viewer. The team working on these remasters appears to share the reverence for the games, deftly improving without reinventing. Now we can fall in love with the Suikoden universe all over again. Amy Flower

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The first two Suikoden games had light novel adaptations released in Japanese, while Suikoden III was adapted into a manga by noted artist Aki Shimizu.

48 MARCH 2025

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