Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra

"Zarathustra Spoke (But Monolith Wrote)"

Early Tales of the Zohar

According to the “Xenogears Perfect Works” book, Episode 5 (Xenogears) began in the year 9999 T.C. (Transcend Christ). Episodes 1-3 (Xenosaga) details content from ages prior, specifically part of the 7th Millennium, the years between 4743 through 4767 T.C. During this time frame, all-inclusive experiments involving the “God Relic” Zohar are performed, essentially comprising the fundamental story structure for the Xenosaga trilogy.

When the key staff members responsible for games such as Chrono Cross and, of course, Xenogears, left Square and formed their own company (Namco-owned “Monolith Software”), things looked up as the Xenosaga series came into light. Esentially a “reinvisioning” of the Xenogears saga told from the start, so too was Xenosaga intended to be a long running series. For reasons unknown (this is JAPAN after all, a country obsessed with anything relating to robots) the first two games fell vastly short of expectations and it looked like all hope was lost. The failure of a hack-job anime series based on Episode I only made the situation worse, as did the recent failure of a hack-job DS “port” of the first two Episodes. Alas, Xenosaga is now “complete” with this latest-and final-installment to the series, despite the fact that there was so much more to tell.

On the bright side, Episode 3 offers the most refined and satisfying experience of the entire trilogy, a fate perhaps befitting of “that which must end all”…

[Inter] Stellar Story

Arguably the only series in gaming to compare with the successful animation “Neon Genesis Evangelion” in terms of philosophical, religious, and moral issues, Xenosaga tells the story of a talented engineer named Shion Uzuki and her work on the mysterious KOS-MOS project, the product of which is an android (KOS-MOS) who true intentions and design are a mystery to all but a select few, specifically the C.E.O. of Vector Industries and his team of resurrected bodyguards known as “Testament”. Using the mysterious “Compass of Order”, CEO Wilhelm and his cloaked followers comprise the “Council of Zarathustra”, their grand designs guiding the entire trilogy, unbeknownst to mostly everyone.

Episode 3 serves to explain far more than just this primary story arch, however, it also serves to clarify additional content, including the Shion/KOS-MOS connection, who the Red Testament member is (and Testament's role in general), what really happened on Old Miltia, what exactly summoned the Gnosis, why Gainum Kukai suffers from possession “beyond the grave”, Mary and Shelly's real “talent”, the full extent of Project Zohar, and (thankfully) far more in-depth revelations about both the Anima Relics and the E.S. Robots they power. Additionally there is self-contained story content relating to the “evil KOS-MOS” known as “T-elos”, Abel (the child who looks exactly like Xenogear's main character, Fei Fong Wong), and more.

Granted the above listing might signify a wet dream for long time fans, but alas most (if not all) of the “big issues” are horribly cliched and predictable-two adjectives that most certainly did not characterize the self-contained mysteries and eventual “revelations” seen in Xenogears. Perhaps what should be most impressive is actually that the key members of Monolith Soft actually mapped out this entire scenario over a decade ago, and now can finally conclude the first arc's tale. In truth however, the biggest mystery remains forever unsolved: namely the positively arcane manner in which a company-owned entirely by Namco-is able to make unlimited use of names, places, story, and content presumably owned by its former employer, Squaresoft. (The best guess assumes that creator Tetsuya Takahashi managed to retain intellectual property rights after splitting from his former employer.)

A Graphical Approach to Gameplay

Outdoing even the Final Fantasy series, there is no other RPG creation in existence to focus so heavily on non-interactive cut-scenes, graphics, and story as Xenosaga. Fans will be pleased to know this fact remains true to the end, detractors will be pleased to know that Episode 3 is just as “hands off” as the prior two installments. So extensive are the cut scenes in Xenosaga that one might actually serve to elevate them to a genre category in and of themselves; no kidding whatsoever-the first four/five hours of the game literally consists of two paltry areas, the remainder of which is all spent watching cinematics.

Unfortunately, watching is now a bit more aggravating than previously. In a move of pure idiocy (or perhaps just plain laziness), Monolith opted to regulate 90% of all cut scenes to in-game content, the player essentially listening as characters voice their lines and then pressing the “Circle” button to advance to the next window of text. This is a major change from the truly hands-off format employed in the prior two installments, a format that while just as non-interactive, offered far more “oomph” and distinction than the generic in-game nonsense now had. The on-screen character's don't even open their mouths to speak, rather the game “simulates” the basic auditory function via stagnant character portraits that grace each character's text box, their face render changing when the player advances to the next ream of dialogue (so “no”, it's not fluid at all). Suffice to say this is a major detraction from the game, as there is nothing more annoying than being forced to push buttons during what is quite literally hours of dialogue at any given moment.

Fortunately, even if the story telling mechanism is all but ruined, the visual aspect is not. Xenosaga Episode 3 stands as the best looking installment in the series, if not one of the best looking games on the Playstation 2, period. Opting for a hybrid mix between the “anime characters” of Episode 1 and the “realistic characters” of Episode 2, gamers will marvel at the exquisite detail put into their avatars, perhaps the most welcome being the understanding that human beings have individual fingers, not amorphous square blocks (see Episode 2). In a surprising move, series character designer Kunihiko Tanaka is nowhere to be seen, a new character designer taking his place and adding some much needed zest to the formerly plain looking cast.

If the characters are anything to rave about, the environments are positively to die for. While there remains a number of locales which don't offer much in terms of visual brilliance, suffice to say that even the most boring area has at least something resplendent to offer. At times, the background scenery looks almost photorealistic, and proves that there is quite a lot the Playstation 2 can do when pushed to the limit. Unfortunately the areas themselves remain terribly linear, but as everyone knew this wouldn't change, at least what is present looks that much better.

While the decision to all but abolish cut-scenes may be lazy, at least the decision to abolish loading times was not. While there is still the occasional incident, gone are the extensive loading times that formerly went hand-in-hand with Xenosaga. Combat now initiates seamlessly, locations load in seconds, and the Camp Menu appears in the blink-of-an-eye. It's fantastic, it's fast, and it's frustrating: why the hell didn't Monolith fix this issue two games ago??

Creating Combat

One of the few RPG series in the annuals of gaming history that makes use of on-screen enemy locations (i.e. no random battles), to initiate combat in Xenosaga, simply run into an opponent's avatar to make contact; note that depending on the direction the PC (or the opponent) faces when making contact, the battle may begin with either a normal arrangement, or a “Pre-Emptive Strike” format allowing for whichever party took the other by surprise to attack an unguarded opponent and inflict massive damage.

Once the melee action begins, however, the player will notice some of the more significant changes made to the gameplay…In another move that defies logic, Monolith removed all strategy from the system entirely. Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 5 (Xenogears) all made use of a “Stock” system wherein each PC (Player Character) had a variety of attack options, each option costing a different number of Stock Points. Through intelligent use of this system, gamers could extend their own attacks, create combos, and-with respect to Episode 2-even “Break” an opponent's guard and initiate long sequences of massive damage. At the very least, it saved the series from that which it is now: a mindless button mashing session.

Opting for a much more simplistic dynamic, players now select “Attack” from the combat menu and watch as their PC initiates a simple offensive maneuver. Just like every other turn based RPG really. To use the word “boring” would be an understatement. By and large it's extremely speedy, and serves to make combat a fast paced quick experience, but at the same time it's totally vapid of any depth whatsoever. The “solution”, at least as Monolith saw it, was to essentially map the myriad of Combo-related “Stock” attack abilities to “Technical Skills”. By selecting the “Tech” option from the combat menu, players can make use of a learned ability (more on that shortly) and watch as their PC subsequently carries it out. Ether Abilities (“Magic”) returns as well and work the same way.

The coveted “Deathblow” strikes do return, however are now entirely dependant on the Boost Gauge, as opposed to Stocked actions. After charging the gauge to Level 2 (or higher), players can select an attack from the Deathblow option on the combat menu to initiate an attack of enormously devastating proportions. It is only via the use of these super strikes that one can earn the coveted “Finishing Strike” which initiates a slight bonus to awarded Experience Points, Ability Points, and Money awarded at the end of combat.

Breaking “Better”

In a deceptive marketing stance, Namco informs would-be-buyers that the “Break” system returns in Episode 3, but in truth said dynamic is a mere shadow of the complex pattern solving institution seen in Episode 2's combat. In the prior installment, specific combo attacks “broke” an enemy's guard and left them incapacitated for a round of combat, an event which could be exploited by Boosting. In Episode 3, each character in the battlefield (both PC and the opposition) have a “Break Gauge” which fills up as they take damage, or rapidly if an elemental or compositional weakness is exploited. Once the bar fills (it's essentially an inverse HP bar) the character becomes dizzy and unable to attack, thus an instant target for attacks, all of which will continue to foster the “broken” status and prolong the incapacitation. After a few rounds of combat, the afflicted character regains consciousness and the bar empties.

While this may sound fantastic, it's so unimportant to combat as to be regulated to a non-existent feature. About half-way through the game, some PCs will be so powerful as to destroy an enemy in a single blow and hence if the player needs to worry about the Break system at all, it's during the truly rare instance when an opponent (usually a boss) manages to break one-or more-characters and unleash hell. Nonetheless, the game actually includes Ether abilities and consumable items to lower the Break Gauge, as well as equitable items that increase resistance of raise its “HP”.

Robotic Revenge

The gigantic robots known as “E.S.” machines return once more, the mech combat feeling ever so slightly like that of Xenogears, albeit not much given the button mashing element. Mech combat is basically the same as Character battles, with two noticeable differences:

1. Each E.S. Robot has an Energy Gauge that dictates how many attacks you can use per turn. Over the course of the game you can buy or obtain a variety of different weapons for each of the 4 player-controller machines (Jin now has one as well), and each weapon having a set energy “cost”. Players can choose from any equipped weapons continuously until reaching the Energy Gauge limit. In this fashion, combat is slightly similar to the Fuel dynamic employed in Xenogears, however as the Energy Gauge refills completely after the turn ends, there is absolutely no strategy involved whatsoever.

2. As each E.S. Robot has an “Anima Relic” installed into it (essentially a “piece” of Zohar, and hence a source of unlimited power), players can make use of catastrophic Deathblow attacks, dealing obscene amounts of damage. Just like the Boost Gauge during character battles, there is an “Anima Gauge” during robot battles. Each blow dealt unto an opponent fills the gauge slightly. Once it's completely full, players can opt to activate the Anima energy and subsequently choose an attack from the combat menu. As the game progresses, the E.S. Robots gain more Anima power and hence the gauge can attain higher levels, thus allowing for additional Deathblows. It's important to note that, unlike the Boost Gauge, the Anima Gauge does not empty after combat.

It should be noted that the E.S. Robots do not have a Break Gauge, all recover HP automatically when guarding for a turn, and are basically indestructible less the player lacks elementary experience with RPGs. Granted the fighting is fun and fast, but it's horribly simplistic.

Trap Tripping

Both Episode 1 and Episode 2 featured various forms of “Traps” in dungeons- essentially destructible machines in an environment that, when triggered, initiated a short lived “energy field” that would stun nearby enemies and subsequently provide initial bonuses for the first round of combat. Episode 3 retains the “Trap” dynamic, but with a twist: the player has complete control over their placement and use. Shortly after the game begins, Shion obtains a cache of Traps (which resemble the Roomba vacuum cleaner), 10 of which may be held at once; restocking available at any item store. To use these gizmos, simply hold down the L2 button and a small icon will appear a few steps away from the PC. After deciding where to place it, press the Square button to drop it, and then the Square button again to destroy it with the Connection Gear. Not only will it stun enemies (and hopefully allow you to sneak around behind them to initiate a “Pre-emptive Strike”) but you will also gain a bonus +1 stock to the Boost Gauge.

You've Got Style

Episode 3's gameplay gimmick this time around is the “Style Line”, a more streamlined build of the ability expansion system seen in Episodes 1 and 2. The Style Line itself consists of a dual branching path, one route focusing typically on offensive abilities, the other on defensive; it varies character-by-character however. In addition to the main lines, players can find “Extra Styles” throughout the game, which add additional clusters to make use of.

The premise itself is quite simple: Each Style cluster consists of 4 different nodules, all of which must be “purchased” to Master that particular cluster and move onto the next, more powerful one. The nodules themselves get more and more expensive as you move from cluster to cluster, and hence by the end of the game it requires an impressive amount of Tech Points to activate even one nodule. The nodules themselves come in 3 varieties: Technical Abilities, Ether Abilities, and Parameter Adjustments, the latter appearing as both outright status boosting functions (i.e. “Strength +2) as well as more innate varieties such as “Critical Hit Up”.

While the system is indeed easy to use and offers some direction in terms of each character's growth (note that everyone independently gains skills or Ether abilities at set intervals when the Level Up), it unfortunately does very little to encourage use of “superfluous” cast members. Depending on the player, there is usually two or three characters in the Xenosaga games whom are always regulated to the sidelines, a product of the game's 7 PCs and regulation of only 3 on-screen at a time. MOMO, the Realian prototype resembling a young girl, is hands-down the most useless character in the series, all the more so in Episode 3. chaos (first letter deliberately lowercase) also remains relatively superfluous (both in terms of combat and more-or-less the story as well), and either Jr. or Ziggurat 8 (Ziggy) will sit out for mostly the entire game. Esentially, the player can make use of Shion, her brother Jin, and KOS-MOS and not have any problems.

Worse yet, sidelining a character isn't even a big deal anymore, as the rate in decrease for experience and ability point growth in a “Reserve Character” is hardly even noticeable. It's possible to sideline a PC for the entire game and still have a character who is at most 1-2 levels below those used constantly. On the one hand this alleviates the self-imposed feeling of “guilt” associated with not using a character, but at the same time it also creates no need to bring them into combat (“Attacker”) at all. If one makes use of the Break Gauge dynamic, there is a small need given each character's elemental specialty, however it's insignificant at best. In short, MOMO is as useless and pointless as ever (why she wasn't replaced after Episode 2 ended is a shame).

On a final note, it should be pointed out that abilities pertaining to Gnosis (the mysterious salt-based alien lifeforms that wreak havoc on the galaxy) are all but useless: Xenosaga is no longer concerned with these creatures save for a small cut scene, and hence some 95% of all opponents are either Biological based or Machine based.

Monolithic Mini-Game

GeMix-this is the name of the mammoth mini-game that players can spend hours and hours on should they choose. Totally optional (except for initiating a story sequence), this element unfortunately provides for basically all of the diversional elements to be had (read: side quests are basically non-existent). GeMix is a simplistic puzzle game wherein you must direct an avatar on a grid from the “Start Point” to the “Goal”. As you progress through the stages, the boards get more and more difficult, requiring creative thinking techniques to reach the goal. There are 100-odd pre-created levels to challenge, and even the ability to create custom made stages with which to provide for new experiences.

While the “Get Global Campaign” from Xenosaga Episode 2 may have been somewhat stale and repetitive at times, it did at the very least, facilitate a constant persistence of things to do outside of the main quest. It's a bit vapid, to say the least, to run through Episode 3 and not do much outside of advancing the story.

Fortunately, Monolith retained the use of the “Segment File” completion quest. Early into the game, the player obtains a “Segment File”, used to keep track of the various “Segment Doors” (explained in Episode 1 as anomalies in time-space or something to that extent) and “Segment Keys”. Rarely is a key located near the subsequent door it opens, and one must backtrack to prior dungeons or areas to retrieve the powerful items contained inside each door's concealed treasure chests. Of course as the game offers no world map whatsoever (at least not in a realistic sense), backtracking is a simplistic process facilitated by entering a “U.M.N. Dive Device” that utilizes advanced technology to jump into a PC's memory, into an artificially re-created environment-in short, it's a transporter.

Sound Crime

Musically speaking, Xenosaga Episode 3 is deplorable, offering one of the most generic, disposable soundtracks in gaming history, and by far the poorest offering in the entire Xeno-series. Fans of numerous Squaresoft games are familiar with the name “Yasunori Mitsuda”, his music gracing such titles as Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross and, of course, Xenogears. When Monolith/Namco announced Mitsuda would be retained for Xenosaga Episode 1, it was like a dream come true. While the music for said game wasn't nearly as memorable as that of its spiritual successor, the content sounded fitting and fantastic, instantly creating an aural connection to the former tales of the Zohar. For reasons unknown, Mitsuda did not compose the music for Episode 2, however despite this loss, Yuki Kajiura managed to create a satisfactory score with another composer creating all the in-game music for a more-or-less well rounded package.

Apparently Kajiura's talent dried up a few years ago, however, because Episode 3's music is just abominable, to say the least. Absolutely nothing is memorable, and absolutely everything sounds like generic “moody” elevator music. The more “acceptable” Event Music essentially sounds like watered down content from Episode 2 (hell, some of it IS from Episode 2) but the vast majority is nothing short of annoying and distracting. It's an absolute crime to watch a poignant story moment “graced” by some of the most banal, trite music ever composed. Combat music is equally lacking, composed of seemingly 25 seconds of actual music that loops ad-nauseum. As it seems unlikely the staff at Monolith lost their hearing, it becomes impossible to fathom who exactly approved music so poor it actually undermines an otherwise satisfactory (and at times exceptional) game. It may sound stupid to complain about music, but just think back to say, the death of Aerith Gainsborough, to recall just how important it is.

Fortunately, the voice acting is in-tact as always-one might even want to offer an award to the Japanese Xenosaga voice staff as they've miraculously found it in their hearts (or rather, bank accounts) to reprise their respective roles throughout not only the PS2 trilogy, but in every other product relating to Xenosaga as well, including the pitiful anime series mentioned earlier. All of the content is top-notch, with emotions flowing when necessary and all the other attributes of voice actors, as opposed to the no-talent nobodies who seem to comprise a majority of voice acting in North America. One can only guess as to what the English language version of Episode 3 may sound like after some of the awful changes made during Episode 2 (namely the “talent” who voiced KOS-MOS).

The Beginning of the End

It's difficult to pass final judgment on Xenosaga Episode 3, to be sure. Put in perspective of the trilogy-and only the trilogy-the game is by-and-large the best installment. Despite the gross simplicity of the combat system, its fast paced nature lends itself well to the often frequent bouts of fighting. The graphics are by far the best (if not the best seen on the Playstation 2 as a whole), the characters and environments looking sharp. Even the cut-scenes, while hobbled by their “interactivity” are still of interest. Indeed at its conclusion, Episode 3 ends exactly where the it's suppose to, as chronicled in Perfect Works, straight down to the last dungeon's name and location. Despite all this however, there is a distinct feeling of loss: both in terms of the near-millennia worth of story that will never see fruition, and in terms of the actual game itself-when push comes to shove, too much of Xenosaga has been non-interactive cut scenes with the actual play experience being an afterthought.

There is absolutely no excuse why the game (if not trilogy as a whole) could not contain more environments, locations, and dungeons. How is it that Tri-Ace's Star Ocean games can span an entire universe and allow for dozens of towns and dungeons, yet Xenosaga regulated itself to a whopping 1-2 civilian areas per game, and some 6-odd dungeons per “game”. Xenogears took some 40-60 hours to complete, in no small part because of its acceptable number of locations. Why is it that one must technically count the entire Xenosaga trilogy as a single “entity” in order to arrive at a satisfying product? Is one really suppose to believe it took Monolith Soft some 2+ years to create the paltry amount of content seen in Episode 3? If this is the “end all” of Xenosaga, why not actually go all out and put in dozens of locations and towns? Why not cram more into the 2 DVDs which comprise the game (especially Disc 2)? Why not allow gamers more time to revel in the astonishingly realised futuristic society so painstakingly created?

Series Speculation

Looking at Zohar saga as part of a larger entity, it is horrendously incomplete, with some 8000 years worth of history that now remains untold. Perhaps-and this is only speculation-some time in the future, Monolith will announce a new series with the word “Xeno” in the title. Perhaps, this series will entail the events that lead up to Xenogears, events which (just like those in Episodes 1-3) Mr. Takahashi created over a decade ago. Though unlikely, it does indeed seem possible that rather than making one long game series (as Bandai did with .Hack), Monolith sought to reinvasion the time line with a set number of games for each major series of events, and thus the Xenosaga series was truly meant to be the “Zohar Engine Chapter”. On the other hand, it seems far more likely that Xenosaga was indeed meant to be a massive epic that got cut short by poor sales, internal staff problems, and a relatively disinterested public…a shame really, because the staff at Monolith are creative geniuses to be sure.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/13/06, Updated 07/13/06