When Mass Effect Andromeda expanded the series into large, open-world planets, it delivered scale but lost something vital: immersion. Despite the promise of exploring uncharted territory in another galaxy, its maps often felt hollow, repetitive, and built more for traversal than discovery. BioWare’s efforts to prioritize surface area came at the cost of atmospheric storytelling. The potential solution to this came before Andromeda released: Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Nintendo WiiU.
The recent release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for Nintendo Switch proves that open-world design doesn’t need dozens of planets to feel galactic. Mira, the game’s alien world, is one of the most intricately constructed sci-fi environments in RPG history. Its vertical landscapes, dynamic ecosystems, and emergent hazards offer the kind of handcrafted danger and wonder that Mass Effect 4 could use as a template for its planetary settings.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Gets New Update
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition receives a new update, improving the game for those playing on the Nintendo Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Builds Worlds Vertically and Logically
Mira’s world design thrives on elevation and danger. Instead of spreading content flatly across a map, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition layers it vertically. Massive plateaus loom over deep sinkholes, and flying mechs known as Skells, unlocked mid-game, turn prior obstacles into new routes. Unlike Mass Effect Andromeda’s mostly flat terrain, Mira feels alive with topographical strategy. Exploration is never just about distance, but about height, timing, and survival.
This verticality is functional, not cosmetic. Players are encouraged to scale cliffs, navigate tunnels, and sneak past high-level beasts far above their own capabilities. Unlocking Skells doesn’t trivialize this challenge—it expands it, letting players reach new threats hidden in forgotten corners of the map. It’s the kind of rewarding progression that Mass Effect rarely offers in terms of environmental storytelling.
In the Definitive Edition, Nintendo has added improved UI and travel options to reduce downtime without diminishing exploration. Skell deployment is smoother, fast travel is more accessible, and pathing markers reduce frustration without reducing risk.
This approach could dramatically benefit Mass Effect 4, especially if BioWare shifts to semi-open maps like Mass Effect 1’s planetary drops. Imagine needing upgraded jetpacks or alien tech to explore a cliffside base or enter a collapsing ruin. The verticality alone would make each zone feel like its own evolving challenge.
Fewer Planets, More Depth on Each Planet in Mass Effect 4
One of the biggest problems with Mass Effect Andromeda was its fixation on quantity. There were several planets to visit, but each had a narrow biome and limited interactivity. By contrast, Xenoblade Chronicles X focuses entirely on a single planet, Mira, and still feels more diverse and alive than Andromeda’s galaxy.
Each of Mira’s five continents (Primordia, Noctilum, Oblivia, Sylvalum, and Cauldros) contains multiple micro-biomes. Forests give way to swamps, glowing crystal fields hide beneath rocky cliffs, and ancient structures lie buried in deserts scorched by weather effects. The blend of natural terrain and alien architecture creates spaces that beg to be explored from multiple angles.
Mass Effect 4 doesn’t need to chase scale to impress. It could do more with two or three planets, as long as each one contains evolving environments and biome diversity. Noctilum alone transitions from neon-lit marshes to underground fungal networks, and even revisiting early areas later in the game feels fresh with new traversal tools and enemy movement patterns.
The Definitive Edition also rebalances enemy placement and mission flow to encourage biome hopping, nudging players to re-engage with earlier areas after unlocking new tools and mounts.
A smaller galaxy but deeper zones could give Mass Effect the focus it needs. Instead of reusing the same outposts and corridors across multiple planets, BioWare could invest in ecosystems that change based on weather, politics, or enemy occupation, making the world feel like it's reacting to the player’s presence.
Mass Effect 4 Waiting Room Playlist
With no news about Mass Effect 4 on the horizon, fans might be starved for similar experiences; luckily, there are several great options.
Mira’s Creatures and Hazards Make Exploration Risky
Mira doesn’t just look alien, it behaves that way. In Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, every journey through the wilderness is shaped by a reactive world. (It’s a good thing Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition has a forgiving fast travel system). Toxic rainstorms, sudden biohazard alerts, and daylight-sensitive predators turn mundane exploration into survival puzzles. The player is always on edge, even in places they think they’ve mastered.
Unlike Mass Effect Andromeda, which featured basic environmental hazards and scripted encounters, Mira’s world is unpredictable. A docile herd of mammalian creatures might be harmless during the day but become aggressive at night. In Oblivia, players might run into a level 80 Tyrant while exploring a level 15 zone, forcing them to stay alert or reroute.
BioWare could revive this tension in Mass Effect 4 by reintroducing environmental mechanics from the original game, like radiation levels or heat exposure, but giving them dynamic layers. A volcanic region might require specific suits or cooldown times. Fauna could respond to tech emissions or biotic powers. These additions wouldn’t just make travel harder - they’d make it feel alive.
In the vast cosmos of sci-fi RPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition reminds us that worlds don’t need to be many, they just need to matter. Mira doesn’t spread itself thin across the stars; it digs deep into the soil, into the sky, into the bones of its beasts. If Mass Effect 4 dares to chase meaning over mileage, it might just find that the most alien thing of all is a world that feels real.
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen // Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
