Customer Reviews

Xenosaga(R) EPISODE II Limited Edition Strategy Guide

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This guide has the misfortune of being a bit better than the game it was created for. As a result, even an adequate guide suffers from the company it keeps. There are fully descriptive sections on the characters, their defense systems, as well as a detailed walk through complete with maps. Unfortunately, if you follow the walk through, your $50 console game will take about 20 hours to complete (not counting some long script episodes) and you won't be a happy camper. Slightly longer if you follow all the mini-games.

On the other hand, without the guide the game will take forever to play, as you suffer the contunual frustration of figuring out the complicated battle system and some of the more obscure sidequests. So yes, you will benefit from the guide, just try to use it as little as possible or it will spoil the game rather than enhance it. I found the sidequest information particularily helpful. Oddly enough I followed this strategy and thus missed a several oversights in the instructions for some subquests. It was only when I went through the guide carefully that I discovered them, and it is a misstep that will keep you from completing an entire side quest. You can still finish the game, but slightly irritated.

Outside of that, this is one of the best guides I've seen in a while. It's printed on solid paperstock with excellent graphics and writing. Sometimes the battle instructions get a bit vague, but for the most part, a lot of information is presented in an effective manner. There are a few glitches and you are sometimes guided into approaching a boss battle the long way around when a more direct, brutal approach would actually be as effective.

Because of the mentioned problem I have to give this a three star rating, although although everything else is excellent. Be warned if you decide to buy it.

Long time Amazonian, first time reviewer.
I normally don't have a whole lot to say and that's why I don't send in reviews. But I just had to after buying this several months back.
I was very excited that (1) the game was coming out and (2) there was going to be a special limited edition version of the guide with a Music CD and Posters and the like. I had preordered this and everything, I finally get it and start playing the game and right about 15 minutes into it the binding gives and pages are falling out all over the place. At first it was only the first few pages of the start of the game portion of the guide but after a few minutes they were just leaping off the cheap glue binding. By the time I beat the game it was the whole book of many pages just being held together by the slightly nifty fold-over flap that is part of the cover.
I'll admit, it was actually convenient at times having the ability to place pages from different areas of the book together but it was still a pain keeping them in order.
So if your looking for a quality book like I'd prefer you'll want to stay away from this but otherwise if you'd like to buy something thats just gonna fall apart in to pieces, this might just be what your looking for.

The Xenosaga Strategy Guide came with an outer protective cover (which was nice as it keeps the book from getting destroyed) and a sound track; although the sound track was not something I personally cared for. The book was well-written; it gives you the information needed to get through the game. I gave it three stars because it is just the typical strategy guide.

XENOSAGA EPISODE II LIMITED EDITION STRATEGY GUIDE (NEVER OPENED, STILL SHRINKWRAPPRED IN PLASTIC) (XENOSAGA EPISODE II LIMITED EDITION STRATEGY GUIDE (NEVER OPENED, STILL SHRINKWRAPPRED IN PLASTIC), XENOSAGA EPISODE II LIMITED EDITION STRATEGY GUIDE (N...
THE GAME IS EXCELLENT. THIS GUIDE IS REALLY NECESSARY AS A COMPANION.
I WAS VERY HAPPY I CHOSE TO GET THE GUIDE BOOK TOO.
THE BOOK MAKES THE GAME MORE EASILY PLAYED.

If you like Xenosaga you will like this guide. It has a different cover from the normal guide. And it came with a CD with the game music. It is really worth your maoney, So go for it!