Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra - 2nd Play

I’m continuing to enjoy my Xenosaga Episode III experience, having been glued to my PS2 since arriving back in Taipei (and thankful for another week off of school so I can finish it!).

It was pointed out to me that my first rating was really written more for people who had played one or both of the previous games; I was purposely vague on the details of the plot, since I don’t want to spoil the first or second game for anyone. But for anyone who hasn’t played the Xenosaga series, it is very much a story-driven game. Episode I came under fire for perhaps having too much story (or perhaps a story that was too far flung), while Episode II focused more strongly on a few particular characters. Episode III is firmly focused on tying up all the loose ends of the story line (all the while further complicating it with new problems and revelations) – I’ve been impressed with the tight pacing of the plot; there have been very few lulls in the action, but I haven’t felt overwhelmed.

Set far into the future, when humans have been pushed out into space, the Xenosaga world is a large one, comprising of humans, Realians (robot-like beings who have thoughts and feelings), and Gnosis, which are alien enemies bent on destruction. There is a lot of hopping around between the first, second, and third games, and you see several worlds from various vantage points. Much of the game is tied up with religious back story – in the first, we were introduced to the Zohar and the Zohar emulators, gigantic golden objects that are vaguely cross-shaped (it’s no accident that there are 13 – one for each of the apostles and a final emulator called “Mariekind.” What, Xenosaga whomping you over the head with Christian imagery? Nooooo.) and are kept up under lock and key. Religious whackjobs, mysterious party members with names like ‘chaos’ (no uppercase, please – and are those angelic special attacks an accident?) and KOS-MOS (sure, we know where she came from – she is, after all, an advanced robotic battle system that was created by humans – but the resemblance to kosmos, or cosmos, is unmistakable), and more Christian imagery than you can shake a stick at can be alternately off-putting and interesting.

But the “Christian References 101” lesson aside, like I said in my first rating, I’ve been absolutely tickled with the whole of Episode III.

The regular combat battles have struck a nice balance between the first and second games, though I do miss the fun and flashy special attacks of the first game still. The divergent skill lines for each member have been great to have again; some of the tougher bosses demand a delicate balance between your strong tanks of the party and the more delicate users with strong ether power.

I mentioned the A.G.W.S./E.S battles last system. Imagine a giant Gundam or something out of Evangelion (that is, a gigantic mobile weapon suit), and you have an A.G.W.S or E.S. unit. These battles, while still turn- and party-based, are run differently than regular combat. Each party member has a gauge with a certain number of points (this can be increased by adding upgraded equipment), and a selection of attacks based on equipped weapons that use up those points. Stronger attacks take more points, meaning you can make less of them, while weaker attacks use fewer points. E.S. units cannot use ether magic, though there are a few support type items that can be used with them. Party members can also ‘charge,’ which both guards and replenishes HP. Like regular battles, each member has a gauge that fills when successful attacks are made; using that gauge, you can ‘Awaken Anima’ and unleash one super-powerful attack per anima turn and make extra attacks, as the cost for your regular attacks is lowered while you are in awakened status.

One aspect of E.S. battles that has me a little confused is the random Co-op and Ambush attacks that pop up occasionally; sometimes after attacking with one member successfully, you will see “Co-op” or “Ambush” appear on the screen; in Co-op, one other party member will swoop in to make an attack, and in Ambush, both of the other party members will come in to attack. It seems to be random, though it was probably just that I wasn’t paying attention when this was explained in the game. Party members continue to gain EXP and SP while fighting E.S. style. You are forced into the E.S. at certain points in the game, and cannot willingly call them up.

One problem I have had is that the majority of battles, both regular encounters and bosses, are frequently just grinds – that is, it’s mostly a matter of seeing if you can stick it out for the whole time, as opposed to tactics. Keep your party healed up, save up for your big special attacks, rinse, repeat …. The difficulty has ramped up significantly at the point I’m currently at, which I suspect is pretty far into the game (I’ve clocked a little over 30 hours, thinking this game would stretch on like the first did. It’s not – and that’s not an entirely bad thing), and there are some tough optional bosses to go toe to toe with. Still, while the enemy AI is pretty good, I wish there was a bit more balance throughout the game in terms of difficulty level.

And I once again have to say that I’ve just been really impressed with the atmosphere of the game. The graphics are pretty good overall, but the environments especially are wonderful – they aren’t jaw-droppingly spectacular, but there’s a realism to them that is pretty impressive. It’s definitely lacking the bright colors and almost cartoonish aspects of a lot of RPGs today, but it really fits with the darker themes and moods that pervade Episode III. And the music! The longer I play, the more I just love how subtly the music is woven into the game. Frequently quite minimalist, often lovely once you really stop to listen – there are no ‘blockbuster’ tunes like you’d get out of a Final Fantasy, but the soundtrack really has enhanced the environment and surroundings (and isn’t that what a good accompaniment should do?).

My third and final play rating will be coming soon and will be a wrap up of my thoughts on Xenosaga Episode III. I don’t believe I have much longer to go, and I can honestly say that I’ve really enjoyed my experience thus far, and think that will probably continue to the end.