Here Are the Details From the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Nintendo Direct

The first Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii was a game that was not planned for a Stateside release—however, after a relentless fan campaign called Operation Rainfall, the JRPG eventually did make it across the Pacific. After a follow-up on the Wii U, a proper sequel titled Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is now heading to the Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo unveiled some new details about the game in a Direct presentation today.

The expansive open-world role-playing game will take players to Alrest, “a world full of living lands known as Titans and the fabled paradise of Elysium.” The protagonist is what the game calls a “Driver” named Rex. Drivers like Rex can utilize “Blades,” which are artificial lifeforms that can lend their weapons and powers—the character of Pyra is the most prominent Blade featured in the game.

Blades are described as having a vast array of support abilities, some which can increase the number of items that the player can collect or open new paths to travel through, amongst other abilities. Selecting different Blades will provide the player with different possible strategies during the real-time combat.

As with the previous Xenoblade installments, the massive open world is host to a variety of large and sometimes savage creatures, including what the game calls “Unique Beasts.” As the player explores these Titans that make up the world, they can find “Collection Points” for valuable items and use them as fast travel points.

A big news item involves the season pass (or “expansion pass”) for the game, which will go for $29.99 and provide players with DLC that will launch between the December launch of the game and the fall of 2018. DLC will include a “challenge Battle Mode,” quests, support items and a new side story. Nintendo promises that more details will come for the game’s downloadable content in the future.

Finally, Nintendo fans will be happy to learn that a pseudo-crossover between this game and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will occur. Starting Nov. 9, players of either the Wii U or Nintendo Switch version of Breath of the Wild will be able to play a new Side Quest that will allow them to obtain a Rex costume for Link. Xenoblade developer Monolith Soft previously assisted in development of Breath of the Wild.

The colossal Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will release on Switch this Dec. 1. Check out the full 16-minute Direct presentation below.