'Xenoblade Chronicles 2' release date, gameplay news: Battle system's difficulty unraveled

Screenshot of Rex, Pyra and the rest of party of "Xenoblade Chronicles 2." Nintendo

For those that have seen the preview of the video game "Xenoblade Chronicle 2" and think that it's a bit complicated, Nintendo is about to clear up a couple of things.

In a blog post, Nintendo Treehouse, the video game company's development division, focused on "Xenoblade Chronicles 2." The post highlights the upcoming video game's battle system since it seems to be complex for some.

The post starts off with a clarification about "Xenoblade Chronicles 2's" Driver and Blade system. In the video game, the playable characters, Drivers, can form a three-man party that can accessorize themselves with three Blades. Each Driver will start with one specific Blade when a battle commences and will have to wait for a short while to be able to use another Blade. So, the selection for the primary Blade will be essential for survival.

The video game's combat system is separated into several layers of increasing difficulty. The first is basic attacking wherein characters staying in one place can hit their foes with their equipped Blade. This will hit the gauge for the next layer, which is called ARTS. This has a myriad of effects; the potency of the ARTS can be increased and can be joined together with other ARTS to form a combo.

Nintendo Treehouse also discussed the specials. As players use their ARTS, it will level up. When deactivated, it can impact with massive damage and also leave an elemental status on the opponent depending on the Blade's element. Specials can also be joined together to form Blade Combos. After figuring out the correct combination of specials, the players can unleash a colossal attack that can inflict damage over 10 times compared to a normal attack.

Nintendo's video game development unit also hinted at what could be a new system called "cancelling," but said that it will be discussed in detail in a later post.

"Xenoblade Chronicles 2" is set to drop on Dec. 1 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

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