Monolith Soft is adding a wave-based survival mode to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for its Switch 2 Edition, which arrives on December 3. The mode is called Heroes’ Vault, and it has players fighting through waves of enemies in Aionios, with each victory unlocking a choice between enhanced abilities or additional allies before the run ends against a powerful final foe. That loop reads a lot like Xenoblade’s take on a survivorslike, and as someone who has lost a frankly unreasonable amount of time to bullet heaven games through the years, it’s the mode I didn’t know I needed in a JRPG.
The other addition is Shimmer, a new Hero who joins the roster with rapid-fire combos, heavy strikes, and an ability called Foresight that lets her see the future. Nintendo is keeping who she is under wraps, and so am I, since anyone who finished the game will have their own theories the moment they see her. A new Hero quest comes with her, and the Switch 2 Edition also adds newly voiced event scenes, which were first mentioned when the three Xenoblade Chronicles Switch 2 Editions were revealed in June. An upgrade pack for existing Switch owners launches the same day.
I said in my Future Redeemed review that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 sits on my list of the best games I’ve ever played, with the strongest cast of the three, and back in 2023 I was openly hoping Nintendo and Monolith Soft would give it a proper remaster once better hardware showed up. Between the new mode, a new Hero, and the 4K and 60 FPS presentation the other Switch 2 Editions have delivered, this is the version I’ll be replaying from the start when it arrives. December 3 puts it a week before the holidays get busy, which is either perfect timing or terrible timing depending on how many hours you’re willing to give it.
