Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra

"The Best Way to End a Series"

I'm not going to spiel about the other games, I thought they were good and I wish there could have been more, but alas, there won't be so lets move on to the actual game.

This game will be graded as unbias as possible, but yes, I will compare some aspects to the other two games.

Graphics: 8/10

The character designs seem to change with each game, but I personally prefer these models best as opposed to the old anime style. The fmvs are stunning and the cut scene graphics are very well done this time around. There can always be more polishing, but this game rivals many of the best games coming out in the last days of the ps2. The dungeons are very commemorative of the Xenogears games and the artwork was stunning.

Gameplay: 8/10

This game plays pretty well. You still have your random dungeon puzzles to solve and disposable items you can blast. There's no crazy camera angles and you actually put your AGWS or whatever they're called nowadays to use. The enemies are still seen on the screen which in my opinion is a plus. The battle system is relatively straight forward and vastly improved from last game's nightmare. There are no longer any break points, but the characters can be knocked into a daze if done too much damage. They also have special tech moves that they can pull off with the boost gauge and awakenings are used for their AGWS. They can learn special abilities in a little family tree-like table. I really this that the battle system was finally done right this time around.

Music/sound: 8/10

There was nothing really memorable, but the music was really nice to hear, especially in the Dabyr Mines which reminded me a lot of Xenogears. The voice overs were done very well too. The original Shion is back much to my delight, but Momo's voice is still obnoxious in my eyes. The actual in game sounds are very spot on. The footsteps get a little annoying depending on what character you're walked with, but altogether, it added a lot of detail and a little bit of reality to the differences between your characters.

Story: 9/10

The story saved the series for me. Granted, there isn't too much character development for a few of your characters, but the character development done for Shion and Kosmos as well as the testaments was amazing. You even get to hear a lot more about the past than you may have thought possible. However, I still feel as though the biblical references are simply tacted on to make the controversial. Not once did these references really come into light and make much of a statement besides Kosmos. This aside, the game was really great for me. I really felt the characters and Shion became much more human and likable to me than before. The game's plot is still confusing of course, but the game really goes out of its way to let you catch up with special update files in your menu screen that you can review at your leisure.

Replayability: 6/10
I always say rpgs don't have that much replayability value, but this game still has some fun sidequests which aren't nearly as tedious as the previous game. It takes a leaf back from the first game and limits the number of quests to a minimum: to sidequest that you can actually enjoy. They also included an in game arcade game called Hakox which is pretty interesting and fun yet a frustrating way to spend your time. If you don't like the Hakox game, you will be out of luck for getting some really nice items though.

To buy or to rent: buy it if you are a fan of the series, you won't be disappointed! I just finished FF12 and this game's story made me laugh at Squareenix for rehashing and using other movie plots/elements to hook gamers. FF was fun, but this is definitely more worth the money and time.

Overall: 9/10
I rarely give game grades higher than an 8, but this game has vastly improved and impressed me quite a bit. I had more fun playing this game than I have had in a long while. I am someone who loves a game with a storyline and emotional character development. Even though the battle system could always be improved upon as well as graphics and music, I really appreciated the thought the writers put into this game. I'm sad to see the series end, but it certainly went out on a good note.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/06/06