Plot:
Several millennia from now, the human race has
thoroughly colonized space. No reference to Earth is
made, so I assume it has been abandoned long ago.
Technology has advanced immeasurably, yet one
mysterious artifact remains - a massive, ornate tablet
named the Zohar, discovered in deep space by the navy
vessel Woglinde. Mankind’s only enemy in this future
is the Gnosis, an alien race which seems to be after
the Zohar for similar reasons, whatever those reasons
may be (no spoilers!). The Gnosis exist for the most
part on a different plane of reality, making them
immune to conventional weapons. The story begins
focused on scientist Shion Uzuki, an employee of
Vector Corporation, who is developing an android
weapon named KOS-MOS on board the Woglinde to combat
the Gnosis. Shion is overseeing KOS-MOS’ combat
simulation tests when a Gnosis fleet attacks the
Woglinde. All hell breaks loose.
That’s probably a lot to grasp at once, and that’s
merely the exposition. The game executes this it so
well that no amount of words can give it justice. The
introduction to the game takes well over an hour (I
warned you, serious gamers only), and yet, it is a
work of art. From that point on, and I refuse to spoil
anything, things get a little complicated. Deep,
complicated government plots mix with high technology
and mysterious ancient artifacts are blended together
with masterful skill to create a convincing world.
This is no fluff- this is a deep and serious storyline
touching on some equally serious topics. However, I
must deduct a tiny fraction of a point here, because
this game is complicated. If you blink, you will miss
something critical, and though I keep my eyes open,
there are a few instances in which I’ve had no idea
what just happened. Still, for the most part, it is
brilliantly executed. Xenosaga, in terms of plot and
development, is easily on par with any movie and
probably several more serious science-fiction novels.
In fact, several times you’ll feel like you are
watching a movie [see “graphics“]. It’s an experience
more than anything else, to the point where I’m having
a hard time dragging myself away from the TV to write
this simply because I’m dying to find out how it all
works out in the end. If you’re a fan of more
intricate science fiction, you will enjoy this to no
end.
Graphics:
In a word, unbelievable. This game is so
beautifully executed that much of the time you will
not be able to distinguish between the real-time
graphics and the FMV. It feels like you’re watching a
movie, a very, very pretty CG movie. Anime-style art
suffers nothing at all in the transition to 3D, and
the result is stunning, often mind-melting. The CG in
this game is Squaresoft-quality and the real-time
effects are beyond compare- many player characters in
this game have normal attacks that far outshine
special abilities of other RPGs. When the character
Junior flips a coin up into the air, spins to face
backwards, holds his gun in reverse at his hip and
fires, shattering the coin into a billion
particle-effect pieces and ricocheting the bullet
directly into the enemy’s face, a gamer can’t help but
giggle with glee. When this is one of his six or so
normal attacks, that same gamer may have a heart
attack and die.
Unheard-of explosions and particle effects are the
norm. Character modeling is particularly impressive,
with incredibly detailed faces and clothing. The
attention to detail is absurd. Embroidery on the
inside of Shion’s coat collar is clearly visible, to
name one example. No detail is spared in the creation
of a consistent futuristic style, and nothing is too
over-the-top in unbelievably well-made cut scenes that
will leave even the most experienced gamer breathless.
Graphics aren’t just for PCs and Squaresoft any more.
I know graphics don’t make the game, but graphics can
make a movie. Extremely well-designed, detailed, and
well-textured environments only contribute to
Xenosaga’s polygonal euphoria. There is not a single
thing I can criticize here- Xenosaga puts all but the
tiniest handful of other games to shame. I’d continue
on with more shining examples, but I’m trying to
refreeze the puddle of liquid goo on the floor that
used to be my eyes.
Gameplay:
I hope you like movies. Xenosaga is as much
movie as game, perhaps more movie than game, and makes
no attempt to hide this. That said, it is a really
good movie. What gameplay exists is extremely
well-executed, and I will take turns going through the
various systems you’ll need to master. This is not a
casual game, it is a game for the hardcore. You know
who you are. You’re the people that memorized all the
equations in Final Fantasy Tactics and have the
process for breeding a gold chocobo burned into your
memory. Bonus points if you remember how to save
Shadow.
Combat: Ahh, the heart of the RPG. Xenosaga’s
traditional combat engine operates on a primarily
no-menu system, much as Xenogears did. Normal attacks
are combo-based and are executed by tapping the face
buttons appropriate to the attacks you want.
Magic-casting and item use are managed through
submenus. Combat as a whole is sleek and fast. A
number of combat features deserve a quick explanation.
First, each of the three characters in your party has
a Boost meter that fills up as they land hits. Each
time it fills up, you get a boost counter. These
counters can be spent to bump one of your characters
to the front of the turn order, allowing you to get in
an extra turn when you need some emergency healing, or
are confident that you can finish off the enemy in
just one more attack.
Another system involves a cycling icon at the bottom
of the screen, which changes every turn. It provides
various effects- a bonus to critical hits, extra
points for defeating an enemy that round, a bonus to
your Boost meter, or nothing at all. Enemies can take
advantage of this also, so it is important that you
learn to time your turns and use your Boost meter to
prevent enemies from getting benefits.
As another ability, some of your characters can skip
their turns to climb into AGWS (Anti-Gnosis Weapons
Systems), giant fighting robots (woohoo!) with huge
arsenals of deadly weaponry that greatly augment your
enemy-stomping ability.
There are a hundred other tiny features that I don’t
have room to discuss, but leave it as this- You will
not have a lack of things to do in combat, and good
strategy pays. Battle caters to the gamers who can
manage and plan.
Character Development:
There is a lot of fun to be had
here, and it goes a lot deeper than levelling up.
Besides EXP, characters gain Tech Points, Ether
Points, and Skill Points after battle. Tech Points
allow you to raise character stats and improve
Deathblow attacks, special attacks that come at the
end of normal attack combos. Ether Points allow you to
learn new spells and teach spells you already know to
other characters. Skill Points allow you to “Extract”
skills from items, essentially allowing a character to
“memorize” the effect of an accessory and equip it
without equipping the item itself. This sounds like a
lot to do, and it is. Therein lies the fun. You could
certainly beat the game without doing any of this, but
I find that being able to customize the development of
my party makes any RPG a great deal more fun, and
Xenosaga allows for a huge amount of customization. I
find this to be a very “hardcore gamer” attitude, but
then again, hardcore gamers are the target audience.
If you’re into level busting, special EVS
(EnVironmental Simulator) save points allow you to
revisit any dungeon you’ve already been to and to
collect any items you missed. In addition, several
secrets can only be gained by revisiting, replaying,
and re-exploring the old dungeons. It’s like replay
value, only the first time through. Think about it.
Minigames:
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t feel
the need to devote an entire section to minigames.
However, Xenosaga has a few which deserve special
notice. At certain save points, if you’ve acquired the
correct items, you can play a number of minigames. The
two that deserve special attention here are the AGWS
game and the card game. The AGWS game allows you to
take your AGWS frames from the normal game, equip them
however you want, and use them to duel enemies a la
Armoured Core. The system isn’t shallow, and this is a
very satisfactory complete game in its own right. Give
it at least one play.
Even more spectacular is the card game. A complete
self-contained collectible card game, it has
surprising depth for a mere minigame, and I have spent
hours on it. Started decks and booster packs can be
purchased from almost any store, and special promo
cards can be obtained throughout the game. The card
game is combat-focused, requiring you to manage and
play cards representing characters and AGWS and
weapons, and then use those cards to beat upon your
opponent. There is a huge library of cards available
and many strategies for deck customization; this game
is nearly good enough to be a standalone game.
If you feel like you’ve been watching a few too many
cut scenes, head over to a specially marked save point
and go to the minigames for some extremely satisfying
pure action. It works.
There is one area where some might complain. In my
mind, Xenosaga is, in fact, a movie that requires you
to do things at times. There is at least as much
cinema as gameplay. However, don’t take this to mean
that the gameplay is shallow. Side quests are numerous
and combat deep. The gameplay works with, rather than
against the story, and leaves a gamer feeling
extremely satisfied.
Sound:
Here’s where the .5 comes off. In my
experience, many gamers prefer an RPG with a rich,
moving score. Every single song in Xenosaga is
excellently made, but there simply aren’t enough. All
songs were recorded by the London Philharmonic
Orchestra, which proves that the developers weren’t
exactly screwing around, and yet many dungeons receive
nothing more than a few ambient sound effects. While I
suppose in some way this could be construed as
realism, I maintain that far too many parts of the
game were absolutely silent. Judging from the quality
of the music that does exist, this could have been
spectacular if only it weren’t so sparse.
The voice acting, by contrast, is surprisingly good,
at least to a person who is accustomed to terrible
dubbing. The vast majority of the game is done with
full voice acting, which is a plus. The character
voices are absolutely tolerable, though almost all of
them sound emotionless at times. Still, they are a cut
above standard-issue English voice acting, and amen to
that. Had the voices been annoying, Xenosaga’s many
long, involved cut scenes could have become torture
sessions. Nothing of the sort came to pass, and gamers
got a good deal here.
Fun Factor/Overall:
Xenosaga is satisfying on a
fundamental gaming level. The story is mind-blowing
and the gameplay is crisp. I’ve said all this before,
so let me bring something else into the fray. You
needn’t be the one playing the game to get the fun out
of it. It’s entertaining enough simply to watch. The
combat is insane. The very day I purchased the game, I
had an extensive discussion of its coolness with a
friend whom I presumed had bought the game. He hadn’t-
he had been watching his friend play it all day, and
didn’t feel the least deprived. It’s all about plot.
This is a game that is truly complete. Nothing was
left undone, and that translates into a deep
satisfaction when the playing is finished. It’s a game
as well, but Xenosaga is a movie, and a good one.
A movie for level-busters.
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