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There is a feature in-game that allows complete review of the series goings-on all the way back to when we first met KOS-MOS and Shion. Every part of the Xenosaga franchise is in its best form in this game, period. The questions surrounding our origin cna creation, the reality behind "God" and humankinds faults as a whole are things no one person could ever hope to master in our short time on earth, but these games have at least scratched a beautiful surface of originality and compelling story structure. Where Xenogears had an incredible story AND gameplay, Xenosaga had only just accomplished the former with its previous installments, but III more than aptly does both.This game features an overhaled and re-simplified combat system that is much more fun to play with. I can understand to a point as episodes I & II were a bit incoherent in spots, but I have never seen a final game in a series tie up all its loose ends like this game did(once again, other than MGS4). I actually bought the soundtrack I loved it so much, which is a first for me because I don't usually enjoy listening to game music.
In a game like this, one simply needs the refresher and your a liar if you don't. The other great feature is the Xeno-bible, as it were. It was something truelly inspiring, as far as video games go. It also makes it so that you could effectivelly skip playing the first two games, which I would not suggest however. The graphics are just as good and totally blow away the previous two, especially the aging episode II.he storyline itself has been a point of debate for a while now. These complaints can not and should not exist if the person has completed this game 100%. They also took the robot battles in II to the level I had hoped they would. On top of all of that, the storytelling takes place in over 10-20 of cutscenes in every game in this series, so if you are not prepared to make that sacrifice to learn more about the characters and the world they live in(again, a common complaint of the MGS series, especially 4), then do not even bother.
The story tries too hard at times and it is severly hard to follow through to a reasonable comprehension(much like the Metal Gear Solid series, unless they are played in tandom or numerous times over, it is very hard to fit all the pieces together). For what its worth, the Xenosaga was already trying to mold a gigantic story out of something so huge that no scientist or religious historian can disprove anything anyone might have to say on the topic. Not only that, but where episode one excelled as simple and straight-forward gameplay, episode two destroyed that formula and made combat frustrating to say the least. The end is just that; the end and it does a beautiful job of being so.
Xenogears took rpg's beyond the trite storylines of old in which you saved the princess from a dragon, or saved the kingdom from the evil sorceror, or anything in between. I only wish I had enough time to go back and fully explore the three games again and take the awesome space journey once more. Many people who lack the interest or time to invest in something like this simply put down the series without even having played it only because they are unwilling to focus so much on a videogame plot. I will admit, even though I loved them, that Xenosaga episodes 1&2 can be jarring to say the least. This is the game we had all been waiting for. Episode III is the opitomy of the series, the climax and zenith of a story told in enoguh cutscenes and dialogue to fill 2-4 full seasons of a hit HBO series.
Other's simply hate anything of a philosophical nature and disdain this time of pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo. They take place in huge area's such as in deep space and attempt to draw you in more through the games incredibly beautiful, orchestrated soundtrack and a style of combat that approaches taking place in real-time. I myself love reading Neitzche, so this specific storyline is compelling to me and made all of those movie's well worth the price of admittion.Now for the game itself. The effect is simply great and I found myself constantly hoping for more time in my Gear than outside of it.The music is as top notch as most videogames will ever get. If your one of the people who looked on this series with a baneful eye all of these years and never heard anythign but bad things about it, this is the place to put those utterances to rest.
i love this game. the storyline is great. the voices of kosmos and shion are back. the battle system leaves alot to be desired from the first game. but the graphics are great. all i want is for a fourth game to come out.
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. 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's more than worth its cost. The gameplay is fun, and the graphics are gorgeous. 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. 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 do recommend playing the first two games of the series first, however, or else many things will be extremely confusing.
Xenosaga is a great game no matter which episode you play. This one is as good as the first one. I would reccommend thisgame highly.
Fans of Xenogears will feel right at home with how Monolith redesigned these battles. Ep. After playing Ep. Graphically, the game delivers some of the best visuals I've seen on the PS2. Ep. 1, I was hooked. The real treat was the complete overhaul of the mech battles. 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. 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). 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. To complement this, the battle system was streamlined to a more traditional "final fantasy-esque" format. If you crave an engrossing story and an exceptional audiovisual experience, you won't go wrong with this game.
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