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No one would blame you if you foundXenoblade Chronicles, as a series, intimidating. What else can you call such a sprawling collection of RPGs with their complicated, interconnected stories? It’s not just that the mainline series is massive, either — their DLC expansions have the tendency to have the size and scope of most regular games. Luckily, this is nothing but good news if you’re already into Xenoblade Chronicles.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3is the close of the trilogy, with its DLC, Future Redeemed, acting as something of a grand finale. If you’re at all invested in the world of Xenoblade, you likely want to see how this decade-long saga ends, but you still might wonder whether the price of admission is worth it. That’s why we’re here to review Future Redeemed’s merits, its cost, and how much time you can expect to spend on it.
Updated May 15, 2025 by Quinton O’Connor:Further insights have been added, and additional context in a few key places!
Review (By Keitha Sims-Korba)
While Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has itsown review by Jade Kinghere at TheGamer, Future Redeemed has no such luck. As such, I’ll provide some brief thoughts on my experience with the DLC.
I’ll be frank: I’m not a big Xenoblade person. The series has always been an intimidating one to me, and my backlog of games is ever-growing. Still, when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 came out, I decided I wanted to be a part of the moment. I read up on enough of thelore and timelinesto feel up to speed, and then, with some hesitation, I dove in.
And I’m so glad I did. As Jade King said in her review, this entry in the series is palatable to the uninitiated. So, for people like me, whose only touchstone to the series is Shulk’s inclusion inSuper Smash Bros, it’s not a bad place to jump in. I took my time in this seemingly unending world, filled with stories and things to explore. I had grown so attached to my party - to the world.
So, of course, as soon as Future Redeemed came out, I was there, and I was ready.
Future Redeemed sees the return of Shulk and Rex but gives you an entirely new cast to play with. Not only that, it is set hundreds of years before the events of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, tying it to the overarching lore of the series — it’s a story out of time that builds on everything that came before it. You know something’s going right when even a novice like me can grasp the series-sprawling plot threads.
Your party consists ofsix characters total, led by the DLC’s protagonist, Matthew, a young man seeking revenge for the murder of his grandfather. While all these characters are interesting, and the two returning characters will definitely make you feel nostalgic, being unable to change classes is a little bit of a letdown. However, Future Redeemed makes up for it byincluding Affinity Growth, which provides a skill-tree-like upgrade map for each playable character.
The world is a smaller one, though it is no less fun to explore. It feels intimate, in a way, yet still full of things to do, people to meet, and monsters to fight. Filling out your Collectopedia and Enemypedia is satisfying on its own — though they also serve vital functions regarding Affinity Growth. Future Redeemed doesn’t rush you, and it doesn’t overwhelm you — it’s a balanced experience that uses its scaled-down status to its advantage.
The only issues I found with Future Redeemed are due to my lack of familiarity with the overarching arc of the series. Future Redeemed is the connective tissue between the games, acting as a sequel, prequel, and finale. It brings old characters and plot points back to the forefront. I found it a little difficult to grasp as someone who has only played Xenoblade Chronicles 3. But, of course, this is my own fault. It wasn’t anything a few lore videos and explainers couldn’t fix, though it definitely made me want to play the series in its entirety.
Future Redeemed is a great piece of DLC that will surely make long-time series fans happy. Revisiting it after beating the other games will be a rewarding experience.
Time Expenditure
Xenoblade Chronicles is already a behemoth of a game, so it makes sense that its DLC expansion would follow in its footsteps. Of course, if you’re invested in this world, sinkinganother 17 or so hoursinto the game is nothing — and that’s only if you’re sticking to the main quest line.
If you’re playing at a more leisurely pace, then you’re looking at upwards of20 hours.Why play any kind of RPG if you’re not going to indulge in side quests, relationship building, and collecting things, after all? There’s no reason to take the fast track when there’s so much to explore.
Now, if you want to wring every piece of content out of Future Redeemed and go for that coveted 100 percent completion, it will take you an average of33 hours.It is one beefy DLC and one you’ll be chewing on for a long, long time.
Cost
It goes without saying that you’ll need Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to play Future Redeemed. The base game costs around $60 (when it’s not on sale), and you can purchase the Deluxe version, which comes bundled with the Expansion Pass, including Future Redeemed, for $90.
If you’re just buying the Expansion Pass on its own, it costs around $30.
What People Are Saying
An Exceptional Ode To Longtime Fans - Quinton O’Connor
Future Redeemed’s primary purpose is to enhance the narrative of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and it does so nicely. But what really blows me away about it is how wonderfully it ties in with the first and second titles. You don’t need to have played them to enjoy this, but you’ll be that much happier if you have. Future Redeemed features fun characters new and old, an ambitious amount of fresh gameplay content, and even some noteworthy nods to the old Xenosaga trilogy. Don’t skip this.
A Fitting End For The Trilogy - Rebecca Phillips
If you played base Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and enjoyed it, then Future Redeemed is definitely worth playing,especiallyif you’ve played 1 or 2 as well. It adds much-needed context to the events of 3, but it’s a great story in its own right too. New and returning characters are a delight, and it simply ties up the trilogy into a neat bow. The DLC is worth it just for Future Redeemed alone, so it’s just a bonus that you get to have a few new Heroes and costumes in the base game on top of it.
It Brings Everything Full Circle - Bobby Mills
Future Redeemed ties a bow of finality on the Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy that 3’s main campaign wasn’t quite able to do. Instead of merely teasing the fates of characters like Shulk and Rex, and how their stories tie into the world of Aionios, they take centre stage as grown-up playable heroes. Revelations about existing protagonists are made, lingering lore questions are addressed, and it brings everything full circle – to say nothing of its generous length and nostalgic world design! An essential part of the Xenoblade 3 package.
