Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Walkthrough

Hello, and welcome to Nintendo Life's Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition: Walkthrough Guides hub! While this game is 10 years old, it should go without saying, but please be aware that the following guides contain huge spoilers for every aspect of the game!

In this walkthrough, we've got Beginner's Tips and Tricks and a full guide to basic combat, plus we look at the Fastest Way to Get A Skell, FrontierNav Optimisation, All Playable Characters & How To Unlock Them, and All Sightseeing Spots, with plenty more to come. So make sure to stick with us for the long haul.

Ready to "bring them all to their proverbial knees?" Let's get stuck in!

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Story Missions Walkthrough

Note: This guide is currently a work in progress and we're in the process of updating it with all the helpful tools and tips you need.

In this section, we take you through all the main story missions. We'll cover all the critical path info you need to fight enemies, reveal new areas of the map, and progress through the narrative, including the new sections added in the Definitive Edition.

• Chapters 1-12 - Coming soon!
• Chapter 13 - Act 1
  This all-new chapter for the Definitive Edition introduces new lore and details (and enemies!) you won't want to miss.

Getting Started

If you're looking for help in the early hours, we've got you covered on your big, burning questions:

• Combat Explained - Xenoblade Battle Basics
  If you're coming to this expecting Breath of the Wild with mechs, you might be flummoxed by the battle system. Fear not: our combat guide will help you understand the battle mechanics.
• Fastest Way To Get A Skell
  We all want one as quickly as humanly possible, and in this section we show you how. A full guide to the quests you'll need to complete in order to deck yourself out in Mira's finest mecha-gear.
• FrontierNav Optimisation
  It may look a bit boring, but the FrontierNav is an essential component in your adventure. Check out this section to explore best setups, probe types, and everything else you need to know!

Character, Equipment, Skill Unlocks

There's a lot to dig into Xenoblade Chronicles X, so we've got info on all the characters you'll meet and recruit, sightseeing spots, Skells, and more to come!

• All Playable Characters & How To Unlock Them
  A massive roster of characters, including a bunch of new ones, this guide shows you how to unlock them all!
• All Skells
  Looking for a list on every single Skell in the game, including new ones? Here's a rundown of all of the Mechs you can pilot in-game.
• All Sightseeing Spots
  Sightseeing Spots boost your FrontierNav numbers, so it's essential you seek them all out. Use this guide for all their locations.
• Best Combat Builds For All Characters
  With a full party under your belt, you'll want to know which characters are good at what, and how to build them, We've got you covered on all aspects of character building for combat.
• Boost Your Skell Art Damage By 90%
  Once you've got a Skell, there's a free augment you can pick up in a distant corner of the map which adds 90% opening art damage, giving your offence a big boost.
• Unlock Treasures With Field Skills
  One of the many changes in Definitive Edition comes in the form of Field Skills. While the difference isn't huge, you'll want to unlock these as soon as you can to open all of those treasure chests.

FAQs and How-To Guides

Here, you'll get some answers to the most frequently asked questions about Xenoblade Chronicles X and the Definitive Edition updates.

• Everything New in Definitive Edition
  In the decade since the Wii U game released, a lot has changed in the industry — and for the Xenoblade series in general. The Switch version brings plenty of upgrades, and we've got details on all of them.
• How Long Does It Take To Beat?
  Do you need to take a year's sabbatical to beat this long RPG? Probably not, but we've got you covered on just how much time you'll need to sink into the game.
• How To Remove The HUD And Take Clean Screenshots
  Did you know you can remove the UI to take screenshots? We'll cover the very simple way you can take some beautiful shots of the planet Mira.
• How To Change Your Character's Appearance
  Hours into the game but can't find a way to customise your avatar without restarting? Worry not, for there is a way to change how your character looks! It's just a little complicated...
• How To Level Up Quickly
  You can now reach level 99 in Xenoblade Chronicles X, but if you're struggling to gain levels fast, we've got the best grinding spots listed for you in this guide.
• How To Start Chapter 4
  You wouldn't believe how many people get stuck on this bit. We show you how to start this story mission.
• What's The Best Division?
  Need help picking a Division when you join BLADE? Well, it's a much easier choice than you'd think! Have a look at what each Division stands for, and whether it will impact your game.

Beginner Tips & Tricks

Need help getting off the ground? Here are some rapid-fire tips and tricks we think will make your time on Mira much smoother.

#1 Don't rush it

A simple one to get started, it's not even something you have to actually do, more a state of mind. As we mentioned in our review, the best thing you can do when approaching this game is to take your time.

Enjoy every last little hexagon on that grid-based world map. Indulge in side missions and take time to do your Affinity quests to add all available characters to your party.

The mistake with XCX is to rush for the Skell. Don't do it! You'll get there in time, and be all the more prepared — and excited — for it when you finally suit up in sexy mecha and open Mira up properly.

#2 Spend time educating yourself in the new Tutorials

Xenoblade has never been the most approachable of series. However, with the Switch version of X, we reckon we've got the most accessible to date, especially now that it's got all these fancy new tutorials.

Where before, we may have been a little lazy to look up how everything works, now you've got no such excuse, as it's all explained in detail, and even demonstrated by videos at points.

These new tutorials are a godsend for newcomers, giving you the ability to get a handle on any new mechanics that went over your head. Hey, it happens.

And if you're struggling to parse the battle mechanics specifically, check out our combat guide which takes you through the basics:

#3 Time of day can be crucial

It's now as easy as jumping into your menu to switch the time of day at any point, so make sure to do so, as you'll find some monsters, and even quests, only activate at night time, or other particular points of the day.

#4 Become one with the Overdrive mechanic

Xenoblade is quite easy on players in early encounters, but it's best to get au fait with how different skills add to your Tension Points (TP), and how TP allows you to engage your Overdrive (OD) gauge, ensuring you have your most powerful moves to hand when needed.

Overdrive comes into things much more down the line, so keep switching out skills, using augments and levelling up gear, then experiment with builds to find an OD sweet spot.

#5 You don't have to level all characters, so choose whichever ones you like for exploring & scrapping

Back in 2015, you had to make sure to spend time levelling up your entire squad in Xenoblade Chronicles X.

This time there's no such stress, as unused characters still earn skill points automatically. How refreshing!

#6 On-foot fighters are more powerful than Skells in certain scenarios

Yes, Skells may have an enormous arsenal of devastating weaponry, but getting out and on foot to take on even the biggest of foes has its place.

For us, this mainly comes down to fight situations where you need healing and Overdrive pressure to succeed.

For Overdrive, Elma, as an example, can be built into a machine that can sit in a perpetual state of OD later in the game, so she comes into her own, when set up properly and when the chips are down.

The Skells can be unwieldy, they are prone to run out of gas, and can be disabled badly by debuffs. Sometimes the only way is with your swords and feet, my friends.

#7 Accept Side Quests and Affinity Quests ASAP

These are where the real meat of the story is hidden, and where the main thrust of the story missions throws you into lots of big scraps, the side stuff is where you'll find lots of the best world-building magic.

We are repeating ourselves, we know, but TAKE. YOUR. TIME.

#8 Probe Mine Research

Make sure to get probes down everywhere you can, and do it as soon as you can, too. The faster you have a constant source of cash and Miranium, the easier things will be down the line when it comes to refueling mecha and buying swish gear.

There's nothing worse than reaching some battle where a bigger gun or juicier mech could make all the difference, so make sure you have the funds to keep things as maxed as you can on the attack power front.

#9 Don't buy all party members a Skell as soon as you can

It's tempting to kit your pals out in the very latest Skell tech ASAP. However, unless you already have a vast network of finely tuned probes, you're gonna bankrupt yourself with repairing mistakes made by AI in battle. Trust us, this tip alone will save you a fortune.

Where to buy Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

If you're reading this and you haven't picked up the game yet, well you're in luck. We've got a list of the best prices and deals so you can hop in your Skell and explore Mira yourself.

If you need more convincing, we loved our time with Xenoblade Chronicles X; In our review, we gave the game a whopping 10/10 in our review, concluding that; "This is X streamlined and modernised, carefully recast and reset in order to play better than ever."