[PS2] Xenosaga III: Also Sprach Zarathustra

Goddamit, that trailer had to go and hook me all over again. And this game probably won't hit the US until summer 2007, if we're lucky.

Anyway, EPIII sure does show a lot of promise. It's established that we will definetely have most of the major questions answered (like you, I'm a bit letdown that they revealed two of the Testaments in this trailer, even though it's obvious who they were. Still, I couldn't help but throw a fanboy smile when they showed

Spoiler:

Albedo. Looks like he's still insane, even as a Testament, although he did sound somewhat more clear-headed. Hard to say.

, and there's some overall really cool looking scenes up ahead. I'm still not too happy at the sudden need to add cleavage to the androids, but whatever.

But still, I have serious concerns about Episode III. Again, I'm certain we'll get all the major questions answered, but I'm worried about the pacing that the game will take to answer these questions. The first two games have been notoriously short considering the extensive content of the story, and if EPIII is no better, then we might be treated to a sloppy fastforward of one plot-twist after another, with no breathing room inbetween or character development.

The latter is what I fear the most; I adore XS' cast of characters, and if this is their last hurrah, I would absolutely hate to see them get the short end of the character development stick because Monolith is too busy making sure that all the loopholes get filled. Likewise, I don't want certain characters to get little screentime in order to make room to focus on characters like Shion and KOS-MOS. I don't want MOMO, Ziggy, Jr, or anyone else to take a backseat, especially in their final game. I want everyone to get the same amount of screentime and development.

Scenes like the crew enjoying a relaxing holographic beach, or when Shion took the time to comfort MOMO in the Durandel park ranked among my favorite moments in the game. They took the time to add in these scenes to have you actually care about the characters, which in turn made the more dramatic scenes (a certain psycho probing an unfortunate Realien) more heartbreaking. I want to make sure that amist all the chaos that will soon occur, we'll still have moments like the ones previously listed to re-establish the family aspect of the characters. It will only make things more dramatic should any of them meet an unfortunate fate in EPIII (and the odds are good).

But all this will be impossible to accomplish if EPIII still has a short playtime. It doesn't help that none of the characters have had a real resolution in their story either. Jr still has to deal with his other brother, Ziggy has yet to reveal the story of his wife and kid (for those of us who didn't play Pied Piper, and there's a lot of us), and we still don't know the true nature of MOMO's Y Data (why did Shion and KOS-MOS appear in there?) or how/if she can actually become human.

The only way we can get a balance of both the major revelations and a suitable resolution for each character is if EPIII ends up being over 50 hours, and even that is stretching things. I truly hope Monolith can pull off what I'm saying, because I'm too hooked to give up on the story now.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Well, I don't literally mean they need to include scenes like the beach bit, just scenes of dialogue that still re-establish the characters' personalities and relationships. Just don't have them run around most of the time, too busy fighting to even talk to each other. I don't want a fast paced RPG, I want them to take their time before they end things for good.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Learn to read.

Also, funny enough, there IS a picture of Shion in what appears to be a beach.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'd prefer if they at least got back the original english cast. Who the fuck decided to replace Sherry Lynn? What kind of sick, tone deaf fool replaces one of the premiere female talents in the english dub pool? It doesn't matter that they kept Crispin Freeman, it meant that the glass was only half full.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Wait...it's actually coming this year? We won't have to wait a full year after the release like we did for the last 2 games?

If it's true, then Namco USA finally got it right. Now if only they would hire back the original dub cast...

Also, I believe it was also confirmed that the DS game was coming over as well.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Seems to be coming to America this fall.

http://1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3149583

Assuming that it doesn't get delayed, this news is quite exciting.

Most amazing jew boots

Well let's see, what was the total amount of cutscenes for EPI again? Wasn't it something like 5 hours? It was a lot more then 3. I'm hoping that 3 hours deal isn't official, because that already spells bad news.

FELIPE NO

I'm impressed; they're actually working on it pretty fast. Take notes, Square.

Quote:

Episode II had just a little under 5 hours, if I have all the movie rips, and I think it would be impossible to put the entire finale in 3 hours, perhaps 3 hours of CG?

Hold on, so you're saying EPIII has even less cutscenes than EPII? I doubt EPII had 5 hours cutscenes total.

Can't believe MOMO has breasts now.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I just finished downloading it from BlackCats. I should be able to give the demo a good run either later today or tommorow.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Some impressions from IGN have appeared.

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/703/703523p1.html

Nothing too notable, aside from them mentioning that the total number of cutscenes is "over 8 hours". That's a far cry more than the previously mentioned 3 hours. I hope IGN is right on this one.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I read he refused to compose the next episode because he felt he was losing his touch.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I really hope so. Lynn was excellent as MOMO, to the point that I felt she did a better job with her than Sasami. She was the one voice change that I regretted the most.

I kind of prefer EPII chaos to the original, though. Has a darker feel to it, which might be necessary once his true origin is revealed.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I grew a cold sweat reading your post. I don't have a clue what that means, and I'm too afraid to go look for myself. You might think the chances of all the voices being recast in the last minute to be impossible, even absurd, but this series hasn't had the greatest luck so far. Check my journal entry for further info.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Quote:

Yeah, I was aware of the "kicking", but...they're still out, right? Or did you just mean that Monolith placed the story that the original writers wrote into I & II instead of their "variant" that was in PlayStation 2's?

My theory is that they still followed the storyplans that Takahashi layed out before they canned him, but because they had no idea what other ideas he was going to produce, they had to stick primarily to what they had on hand, and thin out the small plotline for the next 2 games. This is the only explanation I can think of for EPIII's pitiful running time.

If you didn't check my journal entry, I've been given impressions from a guy who knows a guy, stating that EPIII's total running time is 30 hours, and almost more than half of that time is due to ridiculously long dungeons (the final dungeon is reportedly 10 hours long. That's a 1/3 of the goddamn game) and battles. The story comes together nicely with the few cutscenes they show, but I'm sure it will confirm my earlier fears in that the story will run on fast-forward, avoiding any additional character development or small touches to hastily tie up all remaining loose ends.

I'm really hoping the information I was given proves inaccurate, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Just thinking about how this promising series quickly stumbled is too painful.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Quote:

News - Namco Bandai discusses future of Xenosaga series
Posted by Ash Paulsen at 12:29:27 AM EST on 8.14.2006.

Xenosaga series developer Namco Bandai recently discussed the past, present, and future of its epic but controversial sci-fi RPG series in a recent interview.

Of course, the main topic at hand was the series' upcoming third (and reportedly final) chapter, Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra. According to the company, what Xenosaga III has ultimately turned out to be is a careful mix of both the fans' requests and the creators' intent, resulting in what Namco Bandai feels is the quintessential handling of the game and story.

Here's where things get a bit interesting. Namco Bandai did once again confirm that Xenosaga III is indeed the end of main character Shion Uzuki's story arc, but was less outspoken about the question of Xenosaga III actually bringing the series to a close, as has been previously announced to be the case.

The series was originally planned to take place over a vast six installments, but this number was recently cut in half to three after poor sales of the first two games in the series, as well as internal destruction of the series' original design team.

Now, however, Namco Bandai doesn't seem to be quite as certain about the series receiving a premature end with Episode III, saying that the series' fate ultimately rests with the fans (read: sales), saying that "if reactions are good - who knows!"

The interview wasn't only about the Episode III and the future of the series, however. Regarding a stateside release of the (so far) Japan-only Xenosaga: Pied Piper, Xenosaga Freaks, and Xenosaga I & II (DS), the company only said, "this has not been decided at this time." The company does, however, hope to create an English version of a movie on the official Japanese Xenosaga site that sheds light on the events that take place during the year between Xenosaga II and Xenosaga III.

The interview then jumps back to Xenosaga III, talking about its volume of cutscenes, which are overall more than what Xenosaga II had, yet still less than the super-heavy Xenosaga I. Namco Bandai says that striking this middle ground has allowed them to use the ideal pacing to balance story and gameplay.

That's all for now, although GAF will be sure to keep you updated on any more news regarding the future of the series. If nothing else, though, American fans don't have to wait too much longer to continue the story themselves, as Xenosaga Episode III hits stores in just a couple of weeks, on August 29.

I don't think there has ever been a videogame series that has claimed to have a "final game" and stick with that promise, so it wouldn't be the biggest shock if Xenosaga continues after EPIII. A part of me is leary about the series going even further downhill (and further away from Takahashi's original vision), while another part of me is excited by the concept of a PS3 series that starts over, and gets things right from the start (no more fucking around with Takahashi's story).

FELIPE NO

Is this game really out today? You wouldn't know it with the lack of discussion or hype.

I'm not that much excited for it, either. Sure, the general opinion says this is a far improved sequel, but I didn't like the criticisms that I heard either (1/2 the game dedicated to dungeon crawling, not all questions answered).

I just find myself depressed over the Xenosaga series in general. I keep thinking of all the great potential this series had, and how quickly it hit rock bottom in just the second entry. It's not that EPII was terrible, but the story was pathetically short, and they turned Shion from a kind, naive scientist to a major bitch in jeans (I still can't believe she downlplayed the Albedo situation, which involved the destruction of the entire universe, as "a typical spat between brothers.")

Well anway, I'll be torrenting this one, since as I mentioned with DoC, I'm on a budget until November. I'm just setting myself up for any likely disappointment regarding the final closure on these characters that grew on me.

At least tell me if Sherry Lynn is back as MOMO.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Motsy

Nope.

What's the freaking point then? It's not like voicing a Tachikoma is eating up Lynn's time.

So now EPIII is going to be a hearing game to figure out which voices return from EPI, which ones remain from EPII, and which ones are all new altogether.

Fail, Namco.

And where's the torrent for this game already? :/

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It'll be nicer if she gets her old attitude back. She was such a bitch in EPII.

Blackcats has the torrent up now, a whopping 6.52 GB. I'll be downloading Disgaea 2 first, then this afterwards (zero seeders right now, so it'll take a while).

I'll start reading the online reviews to see what I'm getting into. But what would help most of all is if you tell me straight up which characters get proper screentime and resolutions, and which ones get left in the dust, forever.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Quote:

And she's still a bitch, even more so. It's like Miyuki is the new Allen. -.-

Well, Shion always did seem to be openly bitchty toward Miyuki. Supposedly Miyuki likes to take advantage of Shion's friendship by using her as a lab rat for her crazy inventions. You know, the usual anime cliche.

Quote:

My memory's a bit rusty, but it does sound like the majority of the original cast has returned, although MOMO's voice is in fact brand new (doesn't sound like Ep. 2's, but I could be mistaken. Either way it's not Sherry Lynn)

So it's 3 voice changes in a row. MOMO is the new Daisaku.

Maybe by the time I download and finish the torrent, I'll be able to get hyped up for this, but right now my expectations are so low it's shocking. Maybe I'm just depressed that this is the finale (at least for Shion and company), and I worry that they'll be able to wrap everything up on time without making it look like two stories crammed into one and played on fast forward (see X-Men 3).

Most amazing jew boots

Like I need anymore bad news with this game.

Quote:

Worst, the game is heavily censored. Namco Bandai, in its efforts to get a T rating, has sucked all of the blood out of the game. Normally it wouldn't much matter, but major plot points of this game center around brutal violence - including the climactic scene in which the biggest twist in the plot of the entire series is revealed. It's an insult to the fans that have tread the rocky path this series has taken.

That is goddamn bullshit. I was neutral with the whole Albedo thing in EPI, and the other Albedo thing in EPII, but now bloodless deaths? AND the "biggest twist" is going to suffer because of this?

I'm glad this is the final episode.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Maybe they just didn't feel like putting the effort to merely lower the blood count, when it's much easier to remove it entirely.

Originally Posted by Motsy

Spoiler:

In Episode I, when Albedo goes digging inside MOMO for the Y Data he actually sticks his hand into her chest and starts feeling around. This was changed to him holding his hand above her head and visibly extracting data for the US version.

Spoiler:

You left out when he uses a knife instead of his hands to tear out his arm and head. Oh, and when he snaps the Kirchwasser's arm in two different places. Oh, and his orgasmic expression when he was digging inside MOMO.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I aggree. Also, I was talking about the expression he makes (where he slowly blinks his eyes, just before Jr loses it) during the.....the "climax"...of the scene. >< In the NA version, his head is cut off halfway.

Ironically, his decapitated head is shown in full in the NA version, while the Japanese version blocked most of it with a shadow. I can't believe they've pussied out now and removed all blood.

It's going to take another 3-4 days at this rate to finish the download. Stupid Blackcats seeders.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Normally I'm a stickler for spoiler tags, but I thought this board had a statute of limitations for games over 1-2 years old.

FELIPE NO

On the contrary. For a series that has turned little profit, XS's graphics are quite impressive. The character models look a bit out of date (especially the bear-sized hands), but everything else is near-SE quality.

Well, better late than never. I finally finished downloading the game and gave it a whirl today. Impressions will be added as I venture forward.

Voices:

Good: Lia Seargent is back; returning voices from EP II (Jin, chaos) do a far better job this time, thanks to the lack of ackward pauses between every line.

Bad: It's a listening game to see which EPI voices are back (Shion, Virgil), which ones remain from EPII (chaos, Pellegri, Mary, MOMO?), and which ones are entirely new (Canaan, Kevin, Wilhelm). I'm a stickler for consistency between stories, so this is very annoying, and stupid.

The decision on which voices to keep and which ones to replace are sporadic as well. Canaan, for example, is now played by Steven Blum, who as Causabon put it, sounds like he's angry 24/7. This is especially jarring since Canaan is supposed to have supressed emotions. I preferred his Episode II VA.

Also, the Testaments lack that cool filter voice they had in the previous episodes. This makes it extremely obvious who Red is, even to newbies who are playing this entry before the others.

By contrast, the best voices are the ones who have stuck with the characters in all 3 episodes. Margulis, Jr, Ziggy and Gaignun (and you know who by default) have fully immersed themselves into the role. Returning VA's like Shion do a great job too, but they don't sound quite as relaxed as the ones who have remained.

Battle:

Good: So yeah, everything loads fast. Ultra fast. Even saving, loading, zone switching, just about everything in general is fast, fast, fast. I still can't let go how retarded the lag was in Episode II, though. That's a stench that will never wash out (even the most basic budget RPGs knew how to load battles properly).

It's also good that they removed everything from EPII's battle system and stuck with the basics. The break system is a nice touch too, giving you incentive to protect party members before they get dizzy.

Also, the battle music is one of the best tracks I've ever heard. It fixes the complaint I've had with RPG battle themes in general; it keeps things subtle.

It was always an annoying habit to create big, overplayed music with every random battle, even if the enemy is nothing more than a rabbit or something. But the battle theme in Ep III is not too loud and not too soft. This along with the speedy battles makes fighting a smooth process instead of a chore.

Bad: All the battle speech is insanely loud and echoing, to the point that it's hard to make out some lines. This was a problem in Ep I, but it was fixed in Ep II. I guess they wanted to bring back the flaws of the original battle system as well. :/

Canaan: "NOTACHALLENGE!"

It wouldn't have hurt to have a minimap in dungeons, either.

Mech Battles:

Good: Well I'll be damned. It took 3 games to do it, but they've finally found a way to make the robots in Xenosaga both important and fun to use. It's pretty much an exact imitation of the mech battles in Xenogears, and that's a good thing. Plus they finally figured out the obvious; Space Battles=Fun.

The robot love extends to cutscenes. The only thing cooler than a sword battle between two rivals is a ROBOT sword battle between two rivals. In space. And there's actual dialogue during the boss fights. Another plus.

And Elly's Aerods live on. Zebulon is still the best ES (and not as pink).

Bad: Nothing yet, but the one problem the previous games had was that there were barely any mech battles to begin with. It'd be nice if you could switch from character to mech at any time like in XG, but I doubt that'll happen.

Story:

Good: Things are starting out nice and slow so far, with Shion at least getting some good development time. I was surprised hearing before that she left Vector (and KOS-MOS), but the game did a good job at conveying her reasons and emotions upon doing so. Even though she's still a bit harsh with Miyuki, she's a lot less bitchy, mostly thanks to Sargent's reprised role. And Jr still kicks ass as usual.

Bad: Talking heads. I don't like them. For one thing, it feels like the clearest proof that the game has had its budget cut. Even though they're fully voiced, and at least the characters do some sort of animation during these scenes, it's still lame. Even though they're dialogue scenes, bits like the one with Margulis and Pellegri, or conversations in the Durandel would've looked cool if given the full cutscene look.

The actual cutscenes, while of course pretty, haven't quite excited me the way the cutscenes in EPI and II have. But of course things are just starting, so we'll see.

Small Notes:

I don't get why MOMO is still fighting with Jr and the others. You'd think after moving in with Juli, she'd settle into a quiet life. Or at least the others would protest if she wanted to continue helping. Maybe it's because only she can use Zebulon's full power, but Zebulon was never given a story to begin with (they just bypassed all that and before you knew it, MOMO had a pink shiny mech in the next scene).

I don't see the urgency in the first dungeon. If it's a virtual network, how can you die? Must be a Matrix thing.

Doctus bugs me, and I have no idea why. Maybe it's the "oh ho ho ho!" thing, or the fact that any new characters introduced now will take away time from the previous cast.

Merkabah: A pretty big XG reference. If there's one thing I'll be looking forward to, it's if the ending will finally answer whether or not this series is a part of Xenogears' continuity.

And don't you dare answer that.

How ya doing, buddy?

.....Wow.

Anyway, more pluses.

+ The dialogue system for NPCs. Now you don't have to click every character to get a dialogue window. Instead they start talking as you pass by, and if you want to hear more information, just press Square.

This is a great idea, and it could be further implemented for next-gen RPGs by having NPCs talk with realtime voicechat. I hope to see this feature become a standard for future games.

+ Towns are finally, finally, finally interesting and bustling with effects (speeding trains).

+ I don't believe it....the game has a cutscene viewer. Fans have been requesting this since the first game, but I thought Namco would never actually listen (at least for NA editions).

+ A legitimate reason for Shion leaving Vector.

- More talking heads. It works fine for a sprite-based game like Xenogears, but these are detailed 3D models with a full range of expressions. Take the first conversation involving Togashi and the other Vector members. In the original game, the standard dialogue was enhanced with the amusing expressions and manerisms of the characters. But now it's just typical RPG dialogue.

Also, Margulis' scar shifts from his right eye to his left according to the position of his portrait. Lame.

- I wish the whole "Gnosis Terrorism" story wasn't limited to some online story (and in Japanese). It would've served better as a bonus movie or something. Too many details (such as the mysterious Realien) demanded more visual data.

Jam it back in, in the dark.