The issue of Xenoblade continuity is a complicated one, andXenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Editiondoesn’t make it any easier. With a far more grounded, arguably more contemporary setting,Xenoblade Xis incrediblydifferent from the mainline trilogy. Although all four games have a science fiction slant,X’s is by far the most pronounced, to the point that it could be called a spinoff instead of a sequel.
Still,Xenoblade Xis very clear about when it’s set- even if it’s not totally clear how it fits in with the rest of the timeline. Based on everything we know from the originalXenoblade X, andeverything introduced in theDefinitive Edition, here’s how it fits in on the widerXenobladetimeline, and what that means for the continuity as a whole.
What Year Xenoblade Chronicles X Takes Place In
In The Not-Too-Distant Future…
The action ofXenoblade Chronicles Xbegins in 2054 AD. according to it’s opening cutscene. In that year, two powerful alien forces clash in the sky above Earth, destroying the planet as collateral damage. In order to save humanity, a series of evacuation ships - called arks - were deployed from the surface, sent to explore the universe for other suitable planets to sustain human life. Most ships are destroyed as they exit the atmosphere, however, and only a select few (including the White Whale) survive.
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However,it’s strongly implied that the main action ofXenoblade Xbegins later. After all, it’d logically take years to exit the Milky Way galaxy and find another suitable planet in a different solar system, even if spaceflight technology is significantly more advanced by 2054. After the White Whale is destroyed above Mira, the protagonist is seen to be in stasis, but it’s unknown if they were in stasis the entire time they were aboard the ship, or only after they boarded the escape pod. Either way, we can assume that the majority ofXenoblade Xis set after 2054.
What Year Other Xenoblade Games Take Place In
Xenoblade 1 & 2’s Settings
If we were to try and put all theXenobladegames on a single timeline, it’d look likeXenoblade Xis set significantly earlier than the main trilogy. Only one of the otherXenobladegames provides an official start date, but with a little bit of calculation, we can place them pretty accurately. DLC forXenoblade 2is set in 3564, and said to take place 494 years before the events of the main game, so we can assumeXenoblade 2takes place in 4058- just over 2000 years afterX.
The firstXenobladeis supposedly set parallel to the second game, so it appears to take place around the same time. We don’t exactly knowwhenXenoblade 3takes place, but its plot suggests thatit’s set some years after the conclusion ofXenoblade 2. Exactly how many years isn’t totally clear, though.
Where Xenoblade Chronicles X Fits On The Timeline
A Complicated Question
Ultimately, it’s difficult to say whereXenoblade Chronicles Xfits on the timeline becauseXenoblade Xisn’t really part of the series timeline. Although we can fit the three mainline games together pretty neatly, there’s absolutely no guarantee that they use the same calendar asXenoblade X. Therefore, it’s impossible to say with any certainty that it’s set 2000 years before the other games, or anywhere else on the timeline for that matter.
Moreover,Xenoblade Chronicles Xtakes place on a different world - if not an entirely different universe - from the rest of the franchise. I won’t spoil the ending ofXenoblade 1, but it makes it pretty clear that the game is set in a universe entirely unlike our own, which means the same can be said for2and3.
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Xenoblade X, meanwhile, appears to take place ina futuristic setting based on the real world. Its opening cutscene quite literally starts on Earth, and the first city humans establish on Mira is called New Los Angeles. No characters from the other games appear or are mentioned in it. This is furthered by the fact that the player is directed to create their own avatar. This isn’t a fantasy story set in another unrecognizable world, but rather a high-concept sci-fi saga set in the very near future.
Therefore, the question of theXenobladetimeline is complicated by the existence ofXenobladeX. But instead of lamenting its lack of connections to the rest of the series,Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Editionshould be praised for its unique and immersive setting.
