Xenoblade Chronicles 3 players are falling off ropes into the abyss

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-08-09 17:33 JST)

JRPG fans have been rejoicing since Monolith Soft’s latest title Xenoblade Chronicles 3 released on July 29, with many fans out there are likely harming their sleep schedules just to squeeze in more playtime. But among them are a subset of players that have been struggling to cross the ropes placed around the game’s world. The following article contains spoilers about Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s Field Skills.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 takes place on the vast world of Aionios, where instead of just running from one objective to another, part of the fun is exploring all of its nooks and crannies. And part of what facilitates this exploration is what are called Field Skills.

Field Skills make it possible to reach previously inaccessible areas. They are acquired after completing specific quests and increase the range players have to explore. One of these Field Skills is called Rope Sliding, which allows players to slide down ropes strung across gaps from high places. However, it can be a little tricky to use. A number of players have likely slipped up and fallen to their death while trying to perform it.

#ロープスライド下手くそ選手権 #ゼノブレイド3 #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/d5aJatRL1Q

— まっつん (@VargoRines) August 8, 2022

Places where Rope Sliding can be used are marked by the rope shooting devices that have been left behind by the military. They’re often found at the tops of mountains and on the sides of cliffs and act as bridges to connect distant pieces of separated land. Using Rope Sliding at one of these spots will have your character stand on the rope and slide across it.

But for an RPG, this is more of an action-oriented move. The skill isn’t activated by simply examining the device and requires players to directly jump on the rope. And since it’s a rope, the area you have to land on is pretty narrow. This has caused a number of players to fail in their attempts to jump on the ropes. And to add insult to injury, these ropes generally cross large, beautiful vistas where one slip means your destination might just be into the abyss.

青いハリネズミよろしくロープスライド渡り。結構難しい #ゼノブレイド3 #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/3U6Zu1F0jV

— 稗田裕基 a.k.a. ハイデン from MMLHACK (@hydden0310) August 7, 2022

In addition, there are areas hidden about where you’ll have to jump from one rope to another before jumping again to reach narrow islands and such. Players who have been falling from these ropes now need to string together Rope Sliding moves. You could say these challenges that involve both timing and careful positioning are like the end game content of Rope Sliding.

If you search the Japanese word “ロープスライド” (Rope Sliding) on social media, you won’t see a ton of posts, but players who have botched their rope slides can be seen sharing their misery. Sometimes sharing these kinds of relatable experiences is its own fun, though.

For those that are struggling with Rope Sliding, here’s a little trick to help make things easier. First, set the camera so that it looks straight down at your character. Next, stand on the device itself that has the rope coming out of it and adjust your character so that they are in line with the rope. Now just walk straight forward toward the rope and your character will automatically fall down to the rope without any need to jump. If you’ve been having trouble, hopefully this will help.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has all sorts of items to collect and areas to explore using Field Skills. There are likely many more beautiful vistas and Unique Monsters still waiting for you in the vast world of Aionios.