Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra

"A beautiful end to an ambitious tale"

I'll start of by saying this:
THE GAME IS NOT PERFECT. Just because I've given it a 10/10 does not make it a perfect game. All I can say as to why I gave the score I did is because this game takes what it does and does it very well. End of subject.

THE GAME
I'll say this now: if you haven't finished the first two games, then don't even touch this game. If you don't know anything about this series, get your lazy bum out from in front of your computer and go pick up used copies of 1 and 2. If you don't finish those two epics in this three-part tale(though granted 2 was less on the epic scale than 1), you'll have no clue what the Heimlinn is going on. For those of you who watched the controller-cracking ending of 2 (in anxiety, of course), know exactly what's going on. The basic setup for our third chapter falls as thus: You are once again placed in the shoes of sexy engineer Shion Uzuki, but no longer as a Vector employee. Due to events that you find out about that transpired between the last game and this one(told in flashback mode), Shion has quit Vector and joined an underground Vector resistance group called Scientia. Along for the ride at first are Miyuki, the adorable 2nd R&D girl, and Canaan, one of the toughest mugs around. Hey, don't look at me like that. For his part in combat, he wields a six-inch knife. Against giant freakin' robots and Gnosis no less! Later, your old group returns, with yet another face lift, but more on that later.

GRAPHICS
This game once again showcases the power of the PS2, with graphics that truly push the system, but rarely show its age. Character models are nice, and the environments, once again, are beautiful, with some even being jaw-dropping. Example: On an orbiting space dock, you'll get to see the Durandal docked outside from the window, making every other ship around it seem miniscule and toy-like in comparison. The game seems to have combined the realistic look of 2 with the anime stylings of 1 for something quite fresh and original. Antialiasing is a bit embarrassing at times, but apart from that, the game looks very nice. All of the characters have gotten new outfits. Except for poor ol' Ziggy. Not like it matters, he'll snap you in two like a twig if you piss him off. In summary, a very nice-looking game all around.

GAMEPLAY
So, how does this one do? Pretty much, everything's still the same. Walk around, collect items, engage in combat, though one interesting feature has now been added. As you walk past people, you can listen in on their conversations, but if you hit the square button when you see a red-marked word come up in conversation, you can enter the conversation, sometimes generating anything from slapstick acts to handy items and info. Combat has been redone once again, favoring a more traditionalistic RPG combat style instead of the complex combo system of before. A break gauge which allows you to put your enemies out of commission for several turns and allows them to do the same, AWESOME, AWESOME ES fights in outer space, and finisher moves all mix up the old system. Though I do miss the combo system, this new variant works quite well. Also, by implementing a new trap system where you buy/find and place the traps yourself, you can automatically turn the tide of a tough battle in your favor. And did I mention Hakox? A lemmings-style minigame featuring Xenosaga characters, you help the characters reach the goal as they run forward to doom unless you help them. With over 60 levels ranging from tutorial to pain in the Yuriev, this minigame helps to fill in for some of the missing side quests, seeing as how the GS path/quest deal has been removed.All-in-all, though I do miss some features of the old game, the new system does well enough.

STORY
And here we come to the crux of it, the one defining piece of the RPG puzzle. The story is moving, compelling, and good enough to hold you as well as the first game did, and focuses on the characters while also doing its best to bring back the sense of epicness that was lost in the second episode. Seeing as how they have so many loose ends to wrap up, they do have plenty of cutscenes, though some have been made into gameplay, making it necessary to utilize the controller to advance many of the conversations. An annoyance to some, this system can actually help those trying to digest the epic depths of the game at their own pace. I refuse to give anything away, though I will say this: the main themes of this game are rivalry, balance, and the bonds of love and friendship. While it does do some of the old cliches, it also takes some points in directions that are entirely unexpected. The story is truly worthy of its predecessors.

SUMMARY
All in all, this game, while not the finest RPG of all time, it certainly does very well and lives up to the expectations of the fans who have waited fo this stunning conclusion to a game series that redefined epic in new and frightening yet interesting ways.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/01/06