Let's Speak About Xenoblade A Bit...
No story ever leaves such lasting emptiness in one's heart as that of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, not even its prequel. The writer's animate the story with a twist that leaves intense emptiness in its watchers (it's game cutscenes, not words); yet, (s)he must have thought really hard on how to leave lasting emptiness. Yes, excluding Xenoblade Chronicles X, which leaves a "???" and "wtf" with its final scene; be it the Xenoblade Chronicles 1's where the first characters' girlfriend being killed and taken away, not be seen until eons of chapters later (and hence makes here unplayable, sad), or the bringing away of the main character's girlfriend (again) by some guy his girlfriends knows a millenium ago plus the willingness for the girl to sacrifice herself to save the boy but immediately followed by a return and an empty lip that we never knows what they spoke to him (as the writer leaves the answer unique to each watcher, to his/her imaginations and expectations)...
You see, the background wasn't as depressing as it was. The first series was adventurous, which they boy doesn't just, in the future, have one wife but two; so while one is away, another quietly followed beside him and patiently look at him as an outsider, while herself is an insider. Plus, the later comeback of the first girlfriend proves a relieve to fellow watchers, despite the long no. of chapters in between.
The second series also similar. The growth path of the main character, the support from his partner and friends... sometimes, you just need to lose something before you really understand what things mean, and no one can share their experience with you, not unless you experience it yourself. While imaginations is wide, you really don't know how you would feel losing something, until you lose it; especially if you're skillful enough to put yourself in the main character's shoes, as if you are him... [1] Now, now, never watch Xenoblade Chronicles cutscenes without preparing a handkerchief. It's a 20 or so minutes cry with the final chapter; as if, you'll lose her forever. Throughout the adventure, the writer had placed her in a position that the watchers cannot but put her in an important role, esp. if you're single like one is. The relief from the final comeback, despite some questions to be answered by each one of us individually, is still a relief. Happily ever after.
Unfortunately, that's the final "happily ever after" you'd see in the Xenoblade Chronicle series, as of writing. The scene and the background of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 proves desolate. A warring period where humans can only live for 10 years -- and 10 years isn't a long period -- makes one think of how time passes so quickly. Before long, one would forever turn to ash, and never to see the world again, if you don't believe in resurrection. Our live proves longer, but it won't be as long as we think it is; the busyness of life, the inactivity, or repetitive activity, proves how fast time travel, without waiting. Yet, there are times where we wish time will stop forever, that every second, our concentration are so in the "now" that time passes so slowly we can hear the tick. With 10 years to live, the wish to live in the "now" are strong. The wish for time to pass more slowly, to experience more of the world, is so strong. Yet, captivated in a warring state, where dying is the utmost peace one can have, that training in the earlier stage, and battle in the latter stage, is the only few activities one can experience, that time itself isn't the only shackle one need to break through to gain liberty, is how constant and throughout the desolation the background brings.
The music plays an important role in its definition. One really love sad music, and Xenoblade 3's music fit one's taste. The bereaved and those left behind, being the main soundtrack one identified suitable for reminiscing memories of the cutscenes. Now, unlike Xenoblade 1 that only have one sad theme [2], and Xenoblade 2 two (and maybe a few small ones that one don't remember quite well, like bringing the girl to visit his parents' grave is one small one); Xenoblade 3 is a constant desolation, [3] a constant bombardment, that suppress and suppress, until that chapter comes, and everything swoosh itself out. The emotions are released from the shackles; and prepare yourself, it's an hour in tears.
Presumably, one lost a dear friend around that time that enhances the emotional trip. The story is typical of Xenoblade 2, showing how weak the main character is, how he can't do anything, except in a longer cutscene. Plus, this time, the girl is doomed to die, killed by the main character's past self [4]. Oh, how sad it is, to watch your girlfriend die in front of you, and you can't do anything except to say goodbye. [5] Oh, that's life. With a plot twist: unlike who's that writer again that always ends with the main character dying for all the stories (s)he wrote??? (if that exist in real life), the character swap body with the past self, so the past self died. That's somewhat a relief, at least temporarily before the final chapter.
The problem lies when they have to be separated forever; ok, maybe not forever, but as for the game, the author seemed to announced that this trilogy is not to be visited in the next, and (s)he probably will start a new sequel? One don't know. If that's the case, then, to be separated forever is not funny. The final boss had stopped time [6] throughout the chapter, and when he's killed now, time started to tick again. The queens determined it's not time to merge the two worlds, for they cannot be sure that annihilation won't happen; and decide to separate. Unfortunately, the separation is both space and time, for whatever memories that flows during the unending war, during when time stop, would fade, as she wrote in her memoir:
As the morning sun rises, my lingering memories fade. I no longer see your silhouette. It's too far gone into the haze. But, hey... It's all right. I won't forget you. Not until we can meet again... I swear it.
Notes:
Since one is male, one's writing from male's perspective; one is unsure of female perspective, maybe other female would write about it, or had wrote about it, who knows?
Ok, there are quite a few sad themes, but each of us feel differently, so one would speak from one's position.
It does have some more meaningful sadness scenes, and indeed, it has probably more than in Xenoblade 2, now that the author is more skilled at writing sad stories. At least one feel it from time to time, except maybe one or two chapter.
Well, when you die, you're resurrected; the lacking of babies from natural childbirth means they actually bore it from a DNA database, and it's reused again and again every time you're dead. So you got revived again and again, each time without the previous memories unless those gods grant it to you to remember, to their favor.
By Chapter 1, the main character still have 1 years 3 months to live, while the girl only have 3 months left to "homecoming" (a.k.a. slaughtered). By this scene, she only have 1 month left; and this scene peaked with homecoming.
Presumably, whatever time they experienced is a sidetrack of time. If you imagine time flowing like a river, you can cut from a river so that water flows sideway from the main river stream. If the river carries the power of chrono, you're stealing time sidetracking the river.
(Lead Image is a screenshot of the game, taken here)