Xenosaga is a cinematic darling and an RPG with an extremely solid battle system and wonderful orchestral music.
The story begins with Shion Uzuki testing KOS-MOS inside her own simulator. KOS-MOS is a battle android made to combat the invading Gnosis, a race of alien monsters. They soon come after a special item that was on the ship Shion resides on, the Woglinde called the Zohar Emulator. Without giving too much away, this invasion of the Woglinde causes a problem which an awakened KOS-MOS manages to fix temporarily. However, it only gets more complicated as events occur that pull the entire team behind the KOS-MOS development away from their objective of returning to Second Miltia to give data to them about the development, and the very few survivors from the attack are pulled into a struggle to save Miltia from a strange threat.
Xenosaga is extremely plot-heavy, and it'd be a real shame to spoil too much more than what's already been said. The best way to experience the game involves watching these intriguing cutscenes. In fact, part of Xenosaga is like a sci-fi anime with a fairly deep plot. Unfortunately, these cutscenes are very plentiful. This is remedied by how well-done the story (and the characters are) is and the fact that you can skip cutscenes if you'd like by pausing the game and pressing Triangle.
Exploring the overworld in Xenosaga is much like the usual RPG, but is mostly akin to Final Fantasy X. There is no world map, but you can move from location to location fairly smoothly. Despite the game taking place in the vast expanses of space, the game has a unique number of environments and the various "dungeons" have very potent atmospheres to them. There are various objects you can find while exploring that can be destroyed, and sometimes this reveals items or opens up new paths.
The battle system and menu system in Xenosaga is where the bread and butter is. Xenosaga's battle system is very unique, where characters initiate attacks with Square or Triangle button presses or use Tech Attacks, special attacks each character has, with the Circle Button (with AP stocked up, which is accrued each turn). The Ether mechanics are reminiscent of magic in any Final Fantasy, but they, too, have their own special touches that separates them from other RPGs. In the menu you can upgrade your characters' Ethers and Techs to improve your party the way you want to. You can even give your characters slight stat boosts to give them a little push in the desired direction. Accessories can give your characters special abilities which can be extracted to give to your characters permanently. To top all of that, most of your characters can board mechs with immense amounts of power but are lack the versatility of a regular character, which can be easily jumped in and out of.
To summarize, Xenosaga's gameplay is easily related to other RPGs on the PS2, but it has special touches that differentiates itself from all of them. If you can lend yourself the first hours it will take to get the hang of the battle system, you can find yourself highly rewarded. Everything is put together very nicely so arranging your party in different ways is never a chore. Much of the preparations for battle go very nicely and hasslefree.
The graphical power of Xenosaga is just above par for the course. The game itself has nice-looking but not-too-impressive character models and environment textures. Cutscenes often add smart lighting and shadows and add the needed atmosphere to the scene. Animations are fluid, believable, and entertaining to watch. The story-telling of Xenosaga just could not be done without the cinematic cutscenes that help pull you in. There are even CG cutscenes to push the more potent moments in the story.
Musically, Xenosaga is a wonderful orchestral star. Dramatic music plays in all necessary circumstances, and everything has just the right touch. Yasunori Mitsuda, mastermind behind Chrono Trigger's unforgettable soundtrack, is the genius behind Xenosaga's very moving music. A minor complaint can be made in that there is no boss song (save for the final boss), but the wonderful normal battle theme more than makes up for it. Music used in scenes aids the atmosphere in the best ways. Sound effects are nicely done and some of them have that nostalgic RPG feel.
Pros and Cons
+ Excellent characters and story aided by dramatic cutscenes
+ Unique battle system aided by smartly designed menu-homed upgrading systems
+ Great graphics and wonderful soundtrack
+ Cinematic and atmospheric presentation
- Cutscenes are LONG
Score Breakdown
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Presentation: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9.5/10
Tilt: 9.5/10
Xenosaga's first episode is a wonderful RPG that anyone willing to invest the time into should try. Due to its heavy plot and some more advanced mechanics, it's not very highly recommended to RPG newbies, but an RPG veteran will love this game, as will anyone who loves a game with a great story. Many players with a background of watching sci-fi anime will find a lot to love here as well, lending Xenosaga to be able to draw in a little more of a crowd than it may garner otherwise. All in all, Der Wille zur Macht is likely worth your time, and is a quintessential RPG for the PS2, and easily a part of the list of cIassics for the system.
Overall: 9.5