Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
Episode III, the final game in an epic trilogy. Unfortunately the series didn't fare as well as it could have and the originally-planned six-game series was cut down into three. Despite the sudden end to the series, this game flows very well and the massive amount of information isn't so overwhelming. Episode III picks up one year after the events of Episode II, with quite a bit happening in the intervening time. The Xenosaga universe is very robust, very complex, but the inclusion of the in-game database offsets that by providing all of the information in an easy-to-read format that lets you get caught up with the story and elaborates on importants points that you might not have understood from the cutscenes alone.
The greatest improvement this game makes over its predecessor is in the battle system. Episode II was very complex and aggravating at times, and battles were often long and drawn out. Episode III cuts out the whole Stocking bit and simplifies the use of Tech Attacks. Character growth is simple as well, and is also very customizable. Each character has an initial choice of two Skill Lines they could take. The type of skills available depends on the character, of course. To overgeneralize a bit, each character has a choice between an offensive or defensive/supportive skill line. Offensive skill lines mostly have strength enhancements and powerful attacking Tech skills, while defensive/supportive skill lines have HP and defensive enhancements, often including useful defensive Ether skills. Also, each character has their own unique special attacks. Special attacks are used by filling up your Boost guage, and are usually very powerful compared to other attacks. Battles are fast-paced and often can be finished in a couple minutes, while boss battles are challenging but not impossible. It seems like Monolith got everything down great for this game.
The environment is great, the settings are beautiful and varied and the soundtrack is excellent. The voice acting in this game is improved over the previous game as well. The whole game has a sense of quality about it that drew me in even more than the great story did. I have no real negatives to say about this game, but I lament the fact that the series had to end here at three episodes. It had potential to become even greater if given the time to flower into its originally-planned full form. That makes this game move along very quickly in order to tie up the loose ends and answer as many questions as possible.
Ratings:
Soundtrack: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Story: 9/10
Enemies: 8/10
Battles: 8.5/10
Settings: 9/10
Jay's Overall Scoring (out of 100) is 87.5.
Written: August 10, 2007
Reviewer: Jay
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