TGS 2005: Xenosaga Episode III Trailer Impressions

TOKYO--Another day, another Xenosaga game with a German subtitle. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zaruthastra has a presence on the Tokyo Game Show floor, but only in the form of a trailer being shown at the Namco-Bandai booth. We planted ourselves among the waiting throngs to check out the trailer, and it looks as though some new wrinkles are being thrown into this lengthy, developing sci-fi saga.

The major new presence in the reel being shown was a new KOS-MOS-type robot. Call her an updated model, or call her an evil twin, but the trailer showed off this new lady several times, including in several fights with KOS-MOS herself. The doppelganger is virtually identical in much of her appearance, except that where KOS-MOS is accented in blue, the new model is accented in purple. Our friends are likely to be spending a lot of time dealing with KOS-MOS's long-lost "sister," who is seemingly sent by their enemies.

KOS-MOS herself also seems to be going through some busy times. In addition to showing her lovely face beaten in by the heel of her doppelganger, the trailer showed her in a battle against a giant machine. That fight seemed quite lopsided against her, as she was getting repeatedly thrown around, blasted, and pasted against walls. It seems like KOS-MOS in particular is going to be tried in this episode fairly often. Another image in the trailer showed Shion kneeling by what seemed to be a giant metal casket with its lid pushed slightly to the side, with KOS-MOS inside, on a bed of small white flowers.

Jr. and his crew are still around, as is MOMO with a slightly new hairstyle, a jaunty new cap, and a powerful-looking weapon to cap it all off. Albedo still seems to be around causing trouble, and a scene in the game shows him in front of a whole group of Zohars (the mysterious artifacts from the first two games), lifting his arms in supplication as they rise into the air. Another cutscene shows Shion's brother Jin once more fighting against (?), squaring off in mechs this time. A flashback sequence seemed to show a young Shion with a stern father gazing down at her--perhaps we'll get a chance to learn more about Shion's past.

Only a few actual gameplay pieces were shown, a few battle scenes, and a lot of Shion running around various areas. No major changes to the battle system were immediately evident in the clips we saw. The areas Shion ran through were large and varied. They included a glittering city stretching in all directions with glistening spans and plenty of air traffic in the form of small vessels; a verdant landscape dominated by the cascade of a giant waterfall; what seemed to be a large office lobby with large mechs stationed inside; and a small, seemingly dilapidated wooden chapel.

Xenosaga Episode III looks to be carrying on in the tradition of its forebears, continuing to extend the lines of many interwoven stories and further moving along the giant, epic narrative. Any further details about Episode III will make their home in this gamespace, so keep checking back for more information, trailers, and other media.