Customer Reviews

Xenosaga Episode III

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Xenosaga: Episode 3 (Also sprach Zarathustra) brings back the magic of Episode 1 and fixes the vast majority of the problems that occurred in Episode 2. The story here, as rich and complex as ever, is brought to an appropriate and moving close as Shion and company battle to uncover a deep-seated conspiracy unlike anything else they've ever encountered. The fabric of the story itself, the voice acting, and the cutscenes are all truly superb - it's remarkable that the makers at Namco/Bandai managed to pull all of the loose ends together to make the story finally make sense. To boot, it's a pleasure to watch and listen to -- who could ask for more?

As for the battle system, it finally regains its fun in Episode 3. I simply wasn't a fan of Episode 2's system, so the return to "basics" was a blessing in my mind. The characters still do battle in their unique ways, as each has his/her own customizable skills to obtain, but long gone are the days of ridiculously long battles against painfully weak enemies. Here, in both ground and E.S. (mech) battles, your ability to strengthen and customize your party shines through and you are always rewarded for your hard work. Replay value is moderate-to-high as well, since your party consists of all the familiar players for most of the game; if you have a habit of using the same three or four people (like me; yay for chaos!), you can always play through again with a different group.

Shops return in this Episode, making buying and selling your merchandise once again possible. The only thing lacking is this game is a little more in the "extras/side quests" department, of which this game only offers a handful. While some of these take longer than others, a few more side quests would have been nice, particularly since this is the last in the series.

I can't rave enough about how impressed I was with this title. It rivals Episode 1 in every way possible, and the trilogy's epic story outstrips other RPG competition without question. If you're looking for fun battles, a fantastic story, and beautiful graphics, then look no further; Xenosaga: Episode 3 is for you.

I can only hope that someone changes their mind and decides to make another one -- after this exceptional closing Episode, it's hard not to wish for another game to come along in the future. Very highly recommended.

Summary:
Story: A+
Cutscenes: A
Graphics/Rendering: A
Battle/Skill System: A
Extras/Side Quests: A-
Replay Value: Moderate-to-High

In my opinion, this is the best game in the Xenosaga series. The first game received a lot of well-deserved praise and recognition. However, I believe this third game is better in just about every aspect.

The battle system is new and introduces the concept of Break. The idea is to place your opponent in that state, and avoiding it for your characters. The turn-based battle system is also very quick. You don't have to wait 30 seconds for your characters to execute their battle moves. The playable characters respond and attack as soon as you choose the type of attack that you want to perform. As in the previous games, you either fight on foot or aboard the giant E.S. humanoid machines.

Item and Equipment shops are back, as well as the ability to customize your characters to a fine level. You won't have as much options to choose as the first game, but the ability is very close.

The best part of this game though is the story. I am forty years old and have read many novels, watched many great movies, and played lots of video games. In my opinion, the story being told in this game surpasses anything that I have ever come across. The plot is that good. The characters are very well-developed and seem to take on life as you play the game and watch the plot unfold. There's action, drama, and revelations in just about every scene. Each of the main plot from the previous episodes are brought to conclusion.

This is truly a masterpiece of story-telling. I can only hope that one day, this very moving, thought-provoking, captivating, and uplifting story will be more accessible to people who don't play video games. A lot of people will find it spiritual and philosophical. Yes, the theme is very serious and dramatic. Unlike the more common whimsical theme of most games. But trust me, you will play for many hours non-stop just to watch the plot unfold. The concepts of destiny, purpose, free will, choices, life, afterlife, beliefs, love, despair, and consequences are constantly present in the story.

The central character is Shion Uzuki, the designer of the amazing android KOS-MOS. Allen and the rest of the supporting cast are back. This time, they are out to uncover a plot by Vector that could put the future of the universe in danger.

The mini-game is there in case you want to take a break from the main story and enjoy a fun game of Hackox. This is actually a fun game, with a lot of depth. Ofcourse, you have The Professor, Jr. and Allen to lighten things up just a bit also.

UPDATE 3/14/2007

There is a rumor circulating around on the various internet message boards dedicated to RPGs that Namco-Bandai is currently developing an action game, based on Xenosaga and KOS-MOS will be the main character.

Xenosaga is a great series. Known for it's high cinematic quality, deep storyline and intricate battle system. The first Xenosaga was met with all around praise. Episode II was widely mixed. Episode III, however, is a fine welcome to the series that far surpasses Episode II in places where it counts. The storyline is still brilliant, and the characters return. Xenosaga Episode III is definitely for Xenosaga fans.

The storyline is rather complex. It takes place from where Episode II ends. If you've never played a Xenosaga game before, fear not, there is a database that summarizes the first two episodes for you. It also serves as a handy refresher for those who have played the game. Still, it's much better if you've actually played the first two games in the series. In Episode III, the story goes deeper. It begins with Shion getting involved in a break in to the Vector Corporation Facility. What she discovers will shock her, and will certainly shock Xenosaga fans. Right from the get go, the story grabs your attention.

The storyline is carried out in brilliant cutscenes that look absolutely stunning. This is no surprise to anyone who has played Xenosaga before. The game is full of cutscenes every now and then. Just like the previous two installments the game has long cutscenes, which actually could try even the most patient of gamers. Some cutscenes last for longer than twenty minutes. All in all there are nearly ten hours of cutscenes. For the most part, though, they sound good at least. The voice acting is good and there's true depth and emotion to the characters. There are moments when the voice isn't as strong in some spots as it is others, but thankfully these moments don't populate most of the game. With some cutscenes, though, you'll wonder just when you can start playing the game again, and it's been a problem in Xenosaga ever since the very first version. When you do get to play the game, however, it's pretty interesting.

There are no random encounters in Xenosaga. You can see all your enemies running around. These battles are all contact based. When in battle, the dynamic battle system takes over. In battle your characters will be able to attack and use special magic skills. These attacks fill up a boost gauge which you can use to give your characters extra turns in battle. The battle system is deep, yet very easy to learn and not too complex at all. There's a new addition to the battle system. The "break" meter. This meter fills up as you take damage. When this meter is full your character essentially takes a break for two or three turns. The good news is your enemies also have a break meter so it works both ways. It puts a new twist on battling and calls for a bit more strategy. As with the other Xenosaga games, you can call on giant robots to help you in battle.

The game isn't overly difficult... at first, that is. As you go on in the game the battles begin to get harder, and that's how it should be. For Xenosaga, it begins to get a little hard a little early, though. The game compensates by giving you lots of healing items. So even if you manage to get to the point where your characters are getting low on health rather fast, you can heal them instantly.

Xenosaga also introduces a way of developing your characters. Through this system you can give your characters skill points and abilities. You can choose to give them offensive or defensive skills. Once you start on one path you can also switch and go to the other if you want. Essentially, you could go down one path and start on the other later. It's not really deep, but it does make you think about how to develop your characters.

Xenosaga Episode III also has a few sidequests and extras. There's a mini-game that acts like Lumines and you can even play that with a friend if you wish. You can also go around and collect swimsuits for your characters and complete your database. The game lasts for a long time (about fifty hours or so). There's much to explore, but the heart of the game lies within its storyline. If you were scratching your head at the end of Xenosaga Episode I or II, then Episode III will tie up most lose ends for you.

Xenosaga Episode III manages to be a great game after all. Although, much like the games before it in the series, you've really got to love RPGs and anime to get into the massive cutscenes. It doesn't surpass the first game in the series by any means, but it comes awfully close to reinventing the same magic found within the first game.

The Good
+Fantastic cutscenes
+Good voice acting
+Great battle system
+Engaging and involving storyline
+Beautiful graphics
+The cast of characters returns

The Bad
-The cutsenes are very long, so there are many more moments of watching rather than playing. The storyline is good, but even the most patient of gamers will find themselves waiting for some of these overly long cutscenes to end

The first Xenosaga was amazing to me, I thought it had a wonderful storyline, good battle system, and other mechanics were good. Episode II kind of felt like a really unpolished, not yet ready for release Xenosaga. Xenosaga III however, does not disappoint. While the game does have a lower budget, and one can see this, this gave the programmers the ability to focus on what really matters, the gameplay, and the storyline. The storyline in this is awesome, and what one comes to expect when dealing with a Xenosaga game. The gameplay like the other Xenosagas is a little weak, but still much better than Episode II. Also, since this game was kind of forced to be the last game in the series before its time, the story has absolutely NO FILLER. Its one exciting story after another. Trust me, for Xenosaga fans/Sci-Fi RPG fans, you will love this game, for RPG fans that also tend to focus on storyline rather than gameplay will love this also. If you love dungeons, and skip cutscenes, than this game probably isnt for you.

Awesome game! pick it up, you wont be disappointed, also its only 40 bucks so what do you have to lose?

Late one night after coming home from work, I noticed a little package, a package I thought would be another disappointment, like Xenosaga II. Even though I was in the middle of playing another story-driven RPG, I decided to give Xenosaga III a little test-drive just to see what it was like, never thinking I'd actually find a game worth stopping all other activities and losing sleep over. But, I did.

Graphics - BEAUTIFUL! Every screen is unique, and the game features locations you could just stare at and admire forever. These locations have such an amazing amount of detail I have never seen in a game, Imagine staring out at the ocean horizon, with seagulls flying in the air, with clouds floating past a beautiful blue sky on a sandy shore with palm trees bearing coconuts and the sound of the sea breathing into your ears. Imagine yourself sitting in a futuristic nano-cleaned park, overlooking a vast, futuristic city, you can see twisting highways, tall skyscrapers, and hover-mobiles all below a setting sun. The graphics are stunning for the PS 2.

Music - One of the best RPG soundtracks I've ever had the joy of hearing, it fits perfectly with the serious and emotional tone of the game. The soundtrack features many sad, sombre themes, complimenting their cutscenes as well as futuristically epic overtures that are matched with their cutscenes which portray tragedy, and some unique-to-their-boss, battle themes which are fast-paced and empowering.

Story- If you're a nut for story-based RPGs, Xenosaga III is not to be missed, this could potentially be the most favorite RPG of most of those who play it. Xenogear fans, Final Fantasy Fans, Xenosaga I fans, must play this game. Otherwise, you might be missing out on what could be your favorite game. XS III answers all of the questions from the previous installments.

Gameplay:
-Traditional turn based battles, with tons of skills and techniques to master.
-Earn experience points and skill points to customize your character through the skill tree.
-Level up special attacks through constant use to make them even more powerful.
-Use these special attacks to defeat your enemy to earn a large experience and cash bonus.

Xenosaga III is a work of art. It hits the mark on all elements vital to a good RPG, Story, music, graphics, gameplay, never before have I been so impressed by a game.

Xenosaga III is the perfect formula for future RPGs, telling an engrossing, epic story.

Having played through the trilogy I feel that somewhere along the way the direction was lost. Xenosaga episode I introduced a vast and promising universe full of interesting concepts and characters and the promise of an in depth and interesting story. The first installment introduced everything from Realian rights, to discrimination; you even knew that the Seraphim Sisters were a popular girl group, giving you a feel of the setting that the game was to take place in. Sadly the universe that was introduced in the first installment has been methodically chipped away so that by episode III it has become the size of a person and that person is Shion Uzuki. A fair ninety percent of the game is focused on her and her far reaching effects on the world. The atmosphere of Xenosaga episode III was, I believe, supposed to have an apocalyptic feel, however, the impact of that was lost on me from seeing something that allegedly involves the fate of the entire universe from one person's point of view. There is too much going on in XSE III to be focused on one person for so long. Not only that it seems like an incredible waste to introduce so many interesting characters in episodes I and II only to shove them aside to focus on one and then to not only neglect characters that could have added an extra layer to the story but to introduce new characters who contribute nothing to the plot. I spent a majority of the game waiting for something plot wise to suck me in before finally admitting to myself that it wasn't going to happen. "Plot twists", revelations, and explanations are given in such a rapid succession that instead of being amazed at what I had found out I usually ended up rolling my eyes and muttering so what or asking do you really expect me to believe that?


It's a solid game even though the direction and execution of the story makes it fall short of what I expected it to be. My disappointment with it however still doesn't allow me to label it a bad game because it isn't which is why I have given it four stars. The battle system was fun and engaging to the point where I actually looked forward to getting into battles and the graphics were gorgeous. I have to admit that this is one of the most visually pleasing games that I've played all year. The dialogue however, is a mixed bag between thought provoking and unintentionally hilarious. While I was underwhelmed with the story it's still interesting enough so that if you're a fan of story driven rpgs that this is definitely something that you would want to look into, if you aren't already an initiate into the series.

Xenosaga does have a rather engaging storyline, but it didn't live up to the expectations that I formed upon playing episode I and even II. Perhaps my expectations were too high or perhaps I was led to expect something that never developed. Personally I felt as if it wasn't worth playing three games to get such an ambiguous and unsatisfying ending. I've played three games and not once have I ever gotten anything that even remotely felt like completion at the end of any of them. This doesn't however mean that I hate the game, but I wasn't impressed with it either. The writing, pacing, and direction felt too uneven, as if it was the result of a round robin with multiple people changing and adding to what had already been stated than as if it was a consistent campaign. Before any die hard fans get up in arms and decide that I didn't understand the story, let me assure them that I did. I just didn't care for the direction that was taken when there were so many other directions that the game could have gone in and left a more fitting conclusion than what was presented.

After playing Ep. 1, I was hooked. Ep. 2's story was really good, but the game was setup in such a way that if you didn't complete the BORING sidequests, you essentially didn't stand a chance against many of the bosses. Ep. 3 laid all of my fears to rest, as the story started strong and kept me glued to the screen for hours at a time (18 hours in one sitting). To complement this, the battle system was streamlined to a more traditional "final fantasy-esque" format. The real treat was the complete overhaul of the mech battles. Fans of Xenogears will feel right at home with how Monolith redesigned these battles. Graphically, the game delivers some of the best visuals I've seen on the PS2. The soundtrack, though not as strong as that of Ep. 1, certainly delivers the feel of an epic sci-fi adventure a la Star Wars/Star Trek. If you crave an engrossing story and an exceptional audiovisual experience, you won't go wrong with this game.

This unfortunatly was the last Xenosaga. Much inproved from Xenosaga II. The game is playable once again. It is nice to have some of the original actors and actreses back once again. Momo was not fortunate enough to regain her original voice. A few people are not happy about some of the scene editting from the Japanese to keep the rating of Teen in the united states but the ending was enough to make up for that. For those fans who really liked the first and were disappointed with the secound that they did not finish it the game comes with a recap as long as your willing to read and you only lose Shion's Vector uniform for not having a cleared data file from Xenosaga II. The only let down is that as a player we never get a chance to use Kos-Mos Tertiary Weapons. Those are the wings with the huge cannon seen in one. She uses that cannon in one scene rather early on and then after that it is lost. Like the first and secound this one has not only really strong biblical links but the resolution comes from people in the new testment.(No not Jesus) All in all it is a great game and Shion's Speach at the end if your a sappy emotional person like me will leave you crying and that was more than enough to play through this game.

I am writing this quick review having finished this game for the first time after having been a long-time fan of the series. It has easily become my favorite RPG series of all time, even above that of Final Fantasy.

If you enjoy a good story, you will get an amazing one. The gameplay is fun, and the graphics are gorgeous. While the second game is lacking in several departments, this installment is more breathtaking than the first two combined and totals to be an unforgettable series, and one worth keeping in anyone's permanent game library. I only hope that someday in the future the trilogy is expanded upon, as it is the most complex universe with the most complex characters and story you would ever find-- and a most enjoyable one.

The bottom line: play it! It's more than worth its cost. I do recommend playing the first two games of the series first, however, or else many things will be extremely confusing.

I loved Xenogears and when it was known that they were going to bring out xenosaga I was so looking forward to it. Well 1 didn't disapoint which led to 2.!! Then there was 2, well talk about a letdown. Then the talk of 3 started. At first I was unsure if I wanted to lay down any more money and be disapointed yet again... But WOW am I glad I did. It was a beauty to watch and play. Many of the answers from games 1 and 2 can be found it breath taking cut scenes. Im not going to spoil things for you but just to say WOW isnt enough to discribe the CGI's and twist and turns. I just hope you enjoy this game as much as I have.