Nintendo just revealed the two Nopon party members that players will be spending so much of their time with in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on July 29, 2022. The company has been slowly but steadily releasing information about the upcoming title over the course of this past month on its Japanese Twitter account.
The translations in this particular case come courtesy of Perfectly Nintendo. The two party members in question, Riku and Manana, will be accompanying players into combat, but rather than fighting separately, the pair will apparently be teaming up to take down enemies.
Riku is described as “a Nopon from Colony 9 in Keves (like Noah and his friends) who sports some rather thick eyebrows. Back at the colony, he’s a mechanic in charge of both item crafting and the maintenance of the Iron Giant. He’s a keen Nopon who always keeps his cool no matter the situation and the advice he provides Noah and the others is well worth heeding.” Colony 9 was a location of significant importance in Xenoblade Chronicles.
When it comes to Manana, Nintendo describes the character as “a Nopon who hails from Agnus and a companion of Mio and the others. If her chef toque wasn’t clear enough, her specialty is cooking. Her skills are without pair which is why it’s no big surprise she was in charge of cooking back at her former colony.” The company added that “Manana is bound to brighten your travels with her cheerful personality.”
Nintendo previously revealed a cutscene, some information about the combat mechanics, and a good look at two of the regions in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Millick Meadows and Eagus Wilderness.
While the game is going to be rated “T for Teen,” Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will apparently feature "deep cleavage" and "partially exposed breasts," according to a statement released by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. “This is a role-playing game in which players follow fighters through a conflict between two nations,” the group explains. “From a third-person perspective, players complete quests and engage in melee battle against enemies (e.g. animals, creatures, human boss characters). Combat is highlighted by impact sounds, explosions, and cries of pain. Cutscenes depict further instances of violence: characters impaled by sword, a character shooting herself off screen, a man stabbing himself off screen. A handful of scenes depict blood (e.g. droplets falling from a wounded character, drips of blood on a character's face).”