The_Merovingian
November 8th, 2010, 20:52
This was originally posted on another site. I am sharing it here, so you see how I played & enjoyed the game.
Also good news, Episodes 1 & 3 play nicely on PCSX2 emulator. Unfortunately i have never tried Xenosaga 2 on it. Maybe someday? I have finished all 3 games on PS2.
Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Review for PlayStation 2: Nothing short of an EPIC conclusion. - GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/929933-xenosaga-episode-iii-also-sprach-zarathustra/reviews/review-105596)
"Nothing short of an EPIC conclusion."
No series or single game, as of late, as absorbed so much of my focus, emotions and feelings than as Xenosaga III. Approaching Xenosaga III, one would be skeptic due to the un-amazing entry of Xenosaga II (it wasn't bad, it just wasn't great). Xenosaga III proves that, yes, this trilogy will not end in a whimper, but will go out with a bang.
Xenosaga III picks up right where Xenosaga II left off. Saying as much as I can without spoiling anything, Xenosaga III begins with Shion now working for Scientia, a group which seeks to find the truth behind Vector, the UMN and the Gnosis Terrorism. Throughout the game, mysteries will be unlocked. The Miltian Conflict, Margulis, the E.S., and who and what the purpose of the Testaments are. While it is recommended you play the original two games to fully comprehend the massive story of Xenosaga, a database containing information on the previous entries will help those new to the series, and refresh details in the minds of returning Xenosaga vets.
Needless to say, Xenosaga has me held captive to it's original and fantastic story.
I've pushed late into the night. Being fully engulfed in it's incredible tale and pacing, I've fallen back into my old habit of "play video games until midnight." Sure, I've pushed later, but considering I started the game at 6 in the afternoon, this comes at a surprise. The story tells of friends, hatred, revenge, lies, government, conspiracy, betrayal. This and so much more is presented in the story of the Xenosaga as a whole, and Xenosaga III is equal to Xenosaga I when it comes to presentation and pacing (that is to say, spectacular). It's rare a game can bring tears to my eyes (the adult man I am). In most games I feel like pressing a button to advance to advance the scene to get to the next major event. In Xenosaga III, I want every precious moment of the story to sink in, every second. Blink and you'll miss an important plot point. Skip one scene and you'll find it more than a challenge to catch back up with the story.
If there's anything the story department lacks, it would be the cinematics. Unlike Xenosaga I and II, there are far less cut scenes. Xenosaga I and II had a more "hands off" approach where you would be fully engulfed within the cut scenes. For the most part this cinematic flair is gone. As a result, vital plot points do not feel as greatly emphasized as they should be. I found twists to have less impact, and for dramatic changes of events to have lesser effect than in the previous titles. Still, there are cut scenes in the game which do require you to let go of the controller. Thankfully, these hands off cut scenes are not entirely absent. While gone for the most, the hands-off system is used during the most emotional and dramatic segments of the game. While I wish it was revealed to me dynamically like a movie (such as in the previous two titles), I now have to press O or X to advance the story. I'd much rather sit back and watch it with a bag of popcorn (yes, I have done this in the past).
Despite the minor setback, the pacing is amazing. You'll find yourself thinking, "just one more scene and I'll call it a night." Don't believe this little voice in your head. It's wrong. You will not be able to pull yourself away from this game as the pacing keeps the story going. After the opening scene, I wanted to call a break to save the game and grab a snack. Then I entered a town. Shops, items, Mini-games, side-quests, I couldn't leave. After advancing to the next point in the story, the progression kept me going to long hours of the night. It happened to me, and it will happen to you.
And with the presentation of story, the graphics, sounds, music and voices add impact.
Each scene is full voiced with great English voice actors. A returning cast, plus a few new voices add to the mix. No, you won't be praying for a "Japanese Voices" button, the English voice work is no slop job. The sounds of the game, the battles, the rumbles, the blasts, are perfect. Nothing too realistic, but perfect for the game and it's scenery. Jin's sword, Chaos's jab, KOS-MOS's canon, each sound effect brings impact and an emphasis on the world of Xenosaga.
The only downpoint of this side would be the music. Surely, it's not horrible, but it's mixed. It does not hit the high mark of Xenosaga I's music (London Philharmonic Orchestra, anyone?), but it doesn't hit the level of "filler" as was achieved by much of Xenosaga II's music. It hits a half-point. The common battle music is nice. The pounding of the drums keep you in anticipation with the brief blast of secondary instruments to keep you on edge. When in a boss battle, I felt the music compartment truly opened up to give you a feeling of an "epic clash." It's powerful structure of music, transitioning into a small violin whisper, then expanding once again to an booming score. It's small additions like these where the music truly shines. But in some locations, the music just doesn't really work. I understand the jazz fills the mode for the very first "dungeon", but it just does not sound good on my ears. You can understand it's place, but it's presentation seems awkward, as some of the music simply does not sound good.
Most redeeming of these attributes of "sights and sounds" would have to be the graphics. Sound and voices, nice. Music, nice. The graphics, though, are amazing. But like the music, they are also half points. Looking at Shion's face (yes, she is attractive for a computer graphic), there's so much detail, so much focus on non-essentials. From the tone of her skin to it's smoothness, lots of work was put into the models of the game. Canaan and Ziggy, KOS-MOS and MOMO, all models look excellent as the series has once again boosted the quality of graphics inside their games. The great models don't stop at the characters, either. The environments are absolutely breathtaking. The city-scapes, the landscapes, the numerous dungeons and the high-tech features and devices; nothing was slacked on.
The in-game cinematics are, as you may or may not know, now made using high-resolution CG. Xenosaga II had this - an FMV which featured high-resolution, high-polygon models for brief segments before switching back to the in-game models. In Xenosaga III, all scenes are made using the in-game graphics (think Metal Gear Solid series). This is fine, but there is a drawback. In a cut scene where there is a lot of action happening on the screen at once, there is noticeable slowdown in the animations. Chopped screen shots, a slower frame rate. While they look great, the high-quality in-game models slow down the PS2's processing system. There are no pre-rendered FMV's for this game, as I said before (it would solve this problem), but the slow-down only happens in a few areas, and takes little away from the overall experience.
And after going on about the story, sights and sounds behind this game, you'd expect the game play to fall short in some way.
And you'd be wrong.
The game play in this title is much better than in any of the previous games. It's battle system has experienced a total overhaul in all aspects. It's lost the complexity of Xenosaga II (I mean that in a good way), and has expanding far in areas E.S. combat. Basically, the battles are no longer something you avoid, but are something you'd enjoy.
It's much faster. Let's say I enter combat. I don't need to worry about mixing attacks to produce a down effect (X2) or to hit certain buttons to achieve a Tech Attack after saving up AP (X1). While the features of X1 are nice for battle, I have to say I enjoy the battle of X3 more. A good slice from Jin's blade is powerful enough to bring a single Biological opponent to his knees. KOS-MOS' configurations allow her to deal incredible damage to Biological, Gnosis and Mechanical enemies. You'll find yourself wondering, "Should I unleash Jin's 'Skeletal Slash' attack to take down this enemy, or should I save his EP? Should I save on EP and simply use a Boost to make Jin attack again?" The battle system consists of challenge, entertainment, and variety. You do not have to approach each battle in the same way (compare this to guard, stock, and hi-tech).
In battle, each character has different weaknesses and strengths. There are no copies of a certain character. Shion is okay with regular attacks, but is best with using EP Buffs and Debuffs. Jin is a heavy hitter, but is very poor when it comes to elemental Ether attacks. KOS-MOS is excellent against Gnosis, but should be replaced with a character with higher EP when facing a boss immune to common physical attacks. Not only is there fun to be had, but there's variety. Your characters can grow and learn different skills from a large set of abilities. If you want, you can boost Jin's Strength, or give Jr. a little more vitality. Or perhaps you need Ziggy to have a new skill under his belt for "breaking" is opponents (a nice feature).
But not only is the character battle nice, but the E.S. system has been changed to where it's nothing short of Epic. I was excited whenever I boarded an E.S. and headed out for the enemy. It's fun, challenging, and always epic. E.S. Reuben will attack and enemy with a powerful sword slice, and can have E.S. Dinah continue the brutal combination. You select your attacks and can carry out multiple attacks at once depending on how much energy your generator has left for that E.S.' turn.
It's hard to explain in words the feeling you get when unleashing a stream of missiles into an opponent, three times over, then having an ally join in the combo with a powerful attack, then bringing in another E.S. to power up his Anima to unleash a devastating attack.
As you can see, the battles do not take away from the story. With such a great story, you'd think that the game play would hinder it's progress. With Xenosaga III, this is not the case. The game play does not hinder the story, but adds to it.
And these aren't the only improvements. The conversations have been improved through the usage of gaining more information from people on a certain subject. It's a little thing which really adds to the over all experience. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that the mini-game in this title is the single best mini-game I've played in any game. I swear, if they made a full-length game using this mini-game by itself, I'd purchase it. There's plenty to do outside of the main story, and there's a nice amount of bonuses and extras to be found both in the game and after the game.
With this said, how does it all add up?
We have an excellent game, a terrific story, masterful game play and presentation, and the ending to a fantastic trilogy. Granted the series was meant to continue, we can only hope, in the future, that this line of Xenosaga is picked up. This game is not for those who cannot focus. This game is not for those who want to think too much about your story. This game is definitely not for those who have to be at work at six in the morning (I've learned my lesson, staying up to midnight). This game is for those who want to finish a tremendous series. This game is for those who wish to see a masterful blend of story, game play, and spot-on excellent pacing. This game is for those who want to experience a one-of-a-kind game worthy reaching a top 100. This game is for those who like swimsuits (yeah, I thought that'd take you for a spin).
Despite minor setbacks such as mixed music tracks and an occasional drop in frame rate, this game exceeds in all areas of importance, giving all RPG fanatics a feeling of completion. It'll bring tears to your eyes, it will make you burn with anger, it will make you think, and most of all, it will make you feel that great sense of completion when you finally experience the true ending to a remarkable series. May the Xenosaga live on.
The Good:
+ Terrific Story
+ Amazing Game play
+ Nice, long length
+ Plenty to do
+ Perfect Ending to an excellent series
The Bad:
- Mixed Music Tracks
- Occasional slow-down in cut scenes
- Only 3 games in the series...
The unanswered question:
- Miyuki's hot, so if everyone else gets a swimsuit, why doesn't she get one?
"Nothing short of an EPIC conclusion."
Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/25/06
Yours with love,
NWalterstorf
Also good news, Episodes 1 & 3 play nicely on PCSX2 emulator. Unfortunately i have never tried Xenosaga 2 on it. Maybe someday? I have finished all 3 games on PS2.
Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Review for PlayStation 2: Nothing short of an EPIC conclusion. - GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/929933-xenosaga-episode-iii-also-sprach-zarathustra/reviews/review-105596)
"Nothing short of an EPIC conclusion."
No series or single game, as of late, as absorbed so much of my focus, emotions and feelings than as Xenosaga III. Approaching Xenosaga III, one would be skeptic due to the un-amazing entry of Xenosaga II (it wasn't bad, it just wasn't great). Xenosaga III proves that, yes, this trilogy will not end in a whimper, but will go out with a bang.
Xenosaga III picks up right where Xenosaga II left off. Saying as much as I can without spoiling anything, Xenosaga III begins with Shion now working for Scientia, a group which seeks to find the truth behind Vector, the UMN and the Gnosis Terrorism. Throughout the game, mysteries will be unlocked. The Miltian Conflict, Margulis, the E.S., and who and what the purpose of the Testaments are. While it is recommended you play the original two games to fully comprehend the massive story of Xenosaga, a database containing information on the previous entries will help those new to the series, and refresh details in the minds of returning Xenosaga vets.
Needless to say, Xenosaga has me held captive to it's original and fantastic story.
I've pushed late into the night. Being fully engulfed in it's incredible tale and pacing, I've fallen back into my old habit of "play video games until midnight." Sure, I've pushed later, but considering I started the game at 6 in the afternoon, this comes at a surprise. The story tells of friends, hatred, revenge, lies, government, conspiracy, betrayal. This and so much more is presented in the story of the Xenosaga as a whole, and Xenosaga III is equal to Xenosaga I when it comes to presentation and pacing (that is to say, spectacular). It's rare a game can bring tears to my eyes (the adult man I am). In most games I feel like pressing a button to advance to advance the scene to get to the next major event. In Xenosaga III, I want every precious moment of the story to sink in, every second. Blink and you'll miss an important plot point. Skip one scene and you'll find it more than a challenge to catch back up with the story.
If there's anything the story department lacks, it would be the cinematics. Unlike Xenosaga I and II, there are far less cut scenes. Xenosaga I and II had a more "hands off" approach where you would be fully engulfed within the cut scenes. For the most part this cinematic flair is gone. As a result, vital plot points do not feel as greatly emphasized as they should be. I found twists to have less impact, and for dramatic changes of events to have lesser effect than in the previous titles. Still, there are cut scenes in the game which do require you to let go of the controller. Thankfully, these hands off cut scenes are not entirely absent. While gone for the most, the hands-off system is used during the most emotional and dramatic segments of the game. While I wish it was revealed to me dynamically like a movie (such as in the previous two titles), I now have to press O or X to advance the story. I'd much rather sit back and watch it with a bag of popcorn (yes, I have done this in the past).
Despite the minor setback, the pacing is amazing. You'll find yourself thinking, "just one more scene and I'll call it a night." Don't believe this little voice in your head. It's wrong. You will not be able to pull yourself away from this game as the pacing keeps the story going. After the opening scene, I wanted to call a break to save the game and grab a snack. Then I entered a town. Shops, items, Mini-games, side-quests, I couldn't leave. After advancing to the next point in the story, the progression kept me going to long hours of the night. It happened to me, and it will happen to you.
And with the presentation of story, the graphics, sounds, music and voices add impact.
Each scene is full voiced with great English voice actors. A returning cast, plus a few new voices add to the mix. No, you won't be praying for a "Japanese Voices" button, the English voice work is no slop job. The sounds of the game, the battles, the rumbles, the blasts, are perfect. Nothing too realistic, but perfect for the game and it's scenery. Jin's sword, Chaos's jab, KOS-MOS's canon, each sound effect brings impact and an emphasis on the world of Xenosaga.
The only downpoint of this side would be the music. Surely, it's not horrible, but it's mixed. It does not hit the high mark of Xenosaga I's music (London Philharmonic Orchestra, anyone?), but it doesn't hit the level of "filler" as was achieved by much of Xenosaga II's music. It hits a half-point. The common battle music is nice. The pounding of the drums keep you in anticipation with the brief blast of secondary instruments to keep you on edge. When in a boss battle, I felt the music compartment truly opened up to give you a feeling of an "epic clash." It's powerful structure of music, transitioning into a small violin whisper, then expanding once again to an booming score. It's small additions like these where the music truly shines. But in some locations, the music just doesn't really work. I understand the jazz fills the mode for the very first "dungeon", but it just does not sound good on my ears. You can understand it's place, but it's presentation seems awkward, as some of the music simply does not sound good.
Most redeeming of these attributes of "sights and sounds" would have to be the graphics. Sound and voices, nice. Music, nice. The graphics, though, are amazing. But like the music, they are also half points. Looking at Shion's face (yes, she is attractive for a computer graphic), there's so much detail, so much focus on non-essentials. From the tone of her skin to it's smoothness, lots of work was put into the models of the game. Canaan and Ziggy, KOS-MOS and MOMO, all models look excellent as the series has once again boosted the quality of graphics inside their games. The great models don't stop at the characters, either. The environments are absolutely breathtaking. The city-scapes, the landscapes, the numerous dungeons and the high-tech features and devices; nothing was slacked on.
The in-game cinematics are, as you may or may not know, now made using high-resolution CG. Xenosaga II had this - an FMV which featured high-resolution, high-polygon models for brief segments before switching back to the in-game models. In Xenosaga III, all scenes are made using the in-game graphics (think Metal Gear Solid series). This is fine, but there is a drawback. In a cut scene where there is a lot of action happening on the screen at once, there is noticeable slowdown in the animations. Chopped screen shots, a slower frame rate. While they look great, the high-quality in-game models slow down the PS2's processing system. There are no pre-rendered FMV's for this game, as I said before (it would solve this problem), but the slow-down only happens in a few areas, and takes little away from the overall experience.
And after going on about the story, sights and sounds behind this game, you'd expect the game play to fall short in some way.
And you'd be wrong.
The game play in this title is much better than in any of the previous games. It's battle system has experienced a total overhaul in all aspects. It's lost the complexity of Xenosaga II (I mean that in a good way), and has expanding far in areas E.S. combat. Basically, the battles are no longer something you avoid, but are something you'd enjoy.
It's much faster. Let's say I enter combat. I don't need to worry about mixing attacks to produce a down effect (X2) or to hit certain buttons to achieve a Tech Attack after saving up AP (X1). While the features of X1 are nice for battle, I have to say I enjoy the battle of X3 more. A good slice from Jin's blade is powerful enough to bring a single Biological opponent to his knees. KOS-MOS' configurations allow her to deal incredible damage to Biological, Gnosis and Mechanical enemies. You'll find yourself wondering, "Should I unleash Jin's 'Skeletal Slash' attack to take down this enemy, or should I save his EP? Should I save on EP and simply use a Boost to make Jin attack again?" The battle system consists of challenge, entertainment, and variety. You do not have to approach each battle in the same way (compare this to guard, stock, and hi-tech).
In battle, each character has different weaknesses and strengths. There are no copies of a certain character. Shion is okay with regular attacks, but is best with using EP Buffs and Debuffs. Jin is a heavy hitter, but is very poor when it comes to elemental Ether attacks. KOS-MOS is excellent against Gnosis, but should be replaced with a character with higher EP when facing a boss immune to common physical attacks. Not only is there fun to be had, but there's variety. Your characters can grow and learn different skills from a large set of abilities. If you want, you can boost Jin's Strength, or give Jr. a little more vitality. Or perhaps you need Ziggy to have a new skill under his belt for "breaking" is opponents (a nice feature).
But not only is the character battle nice, but the E.S. system has been changed to where it's nothing short of Epic. I was excited whenever I boarded an E.S. and headed out for the enemy. It's fun, challenging, and always epic. E.S. Reuben will attack and enemy with a powerful sword slice, and can have E.S. Dinah continue the brutal combination. You select your attacks and can carry out multiple attacks at once depending on how much energy your generator has left for that E.S.' turn.
It's hard to explain in words the feeling you get when unleashing a stream of missiles into an opponent, three times over, then having an ally join in the combo with a powerful attack, then bringing in another E.S. to power up his Anima to unleash a devastating attack.
As you can see, the battles do not take away from the story. With such a great story, you'd think that the game play would hinder it's progress. With Xenosaga III, this is not the case. The game play does not hinder the story, but adds to it.
And these aren't the only improvements. The conversations have been improved through the usage of gaining more information from people on a certain subject. It's a little thing which really adds to the over all experience. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that the mini-game in this title is the single best mini-game I've played in any game. I swear, if they made a full-length game using this mini-game by itself, I'd purchase it. There's plenty to do outside of the main story, and there's a nice amount of bonuses and extras to be found both in the game and after the game.
With this said, how does it all add up?
We have an excellent game, a terrific story, masterful game play and presentation, and the ending to a fantastic trilogy. Granted the series was meant to continue, we can only hope, in the future, that this line of Xenosaga is picked up. This game is not for those who cannot focus. This game is not for those who want to think too much about your story. This game is definitely not for those who have to be at work at six in the morning (I've learned my lesson, staying up to midnight). This game is for those who want to finish a tremendous series. This game is for those who wish to see a masterful blend of story, game play, and spot-on excellent pacing. This game is for those who want to experience a one-of-a-kind game worthy reaching a top 100. This game is for those who like swimsuits (yeah, I thought that'd take you for a spin).
Despite minor setbacks such as mixed music tracks and an occasional drop in frame rate, this game exceeds in all areas of importance, giving all RPG fanatics a feeling of completion. It'll bring tears to your eyes, it will make you burn with anger, it will make you think, and most of all, it will make you feel that great sense of completion when you finally experience the true ending to a remarkable series. May the Xenosaga live on.
The Good:
+ Terrific Story
+ Amazing Game play
+ Nice, long length
+ Plenty to do
+ Perfect Ending to an excellent series
The Bad:
- Mixed Music Tracks
- Occasional slow-down in cut scenes
- Only 3 games in the series...
The unanswered question:
- Miyuki's hot, so if everyone else gets a swimsuit, why doesn't she get one?
"Nothing short of an EPIC conclusion."
Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/25/06
Yours with love,
NWalterstorf