Xenosaga Updated Preview
We take a look at the localized version of Namco's epic PlayStation 2 role-playing game.
Namco's upcoming PlayStation 2 role-playing game, Xenosaga, has been the focus of much anticipation for RPG fans, thanks to its loose ties to the amazing PlayStation RPG Xenogears. The game is being developed by Monolith Software, a fledgling developer whose employees include former SquareSoft employees that worked on that underappreciated PlayStation gem. Although Xenosaga's story has elements that are reminiscent of Xenogears, the game tells an all-new epic story. Originally released in Japan earlier this year, the game is finally coming to the US. We got hold of a previewable copy of the game and had a chance to check it out.
If there were a competition for the most-detailed story, Xenosaga would surely win the day with its very intricate tale. The game's basic plot revolves around humankind's investigation of the Zohar, a mysterious and powerful artifact that has allegedly existed since the dawn of time. The game's prologue opens on modern-day Earth and chronicles the discovery of the Zohar, at which point the action shifts 4000 years into the future, when humankind has abandoned Earth and taken to outer space. However, in spite of all the newfangled technology lying about, no one has been able to crack the mystery of the Zohar. You'll start the game in the role of Shion Uzuki, an engineer charged with working on the Zohar project and testing a new battle android known as KOS-MOS. Battle droids are a vital piece of technology in the future due to the appearance of the Gnosis, an aggressive alien race that is a serious threat. However, the investigation of the Zohar, the threat of the Gnosis, and KOS-MOS's development are just some of the story elements you'll be dealing with. The game's broad story involves a plethora of characters and events that definitely qualify as epic.
As far as its gameplay goes, Xenosaga is broken up into the RPG standard of exploration and combat. The exploration segments in the game will send you walking around areas and interacting with nonplayer characters. Combat, which definitely owes a tip of the hat to Xenogears, will be turn-based but somewhat more dynamic than similar combat systems seen in other RPGs. Your ability to fight will revolve around "action" points that you'll gain after every turn. You'll have the option to use all of them to perform various attacks or save some that will be added to your total in the next turn. You'll be able to perform several different types of attacks by combining the two main attack buttons. You'll use the square button to initiate a short-range physical attack and the triangle button to perform long-range attacks that use "ether," the game's form of magic. You'll also be able to perform "tech attacks" by stringing together button combos. The only catch to the battle system is that you're limited by the number of action points you have, which ultimately forces you to plan some form of strategy.
In addition to attacking with a party, you'll be able to throw an AGWS (anti-Gnosis weapon system), which is essentially a giant mech, into the mix for a bit of added firepower. Anyone familiar with the mech system in Xenogears should be pleased with Xenosaga's system and its streamlined approach to battling. Xenosaga lets you do a solid amount of customizing and lets you focus on fighting rather than obsess about the various meters you had to keep track of in Xenogears.
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht Quick Links
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- Namco
- Monolith Soft
- Role-Playing
- Release: Feb 26, 2003 »
- ESRB: Teen
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