• The Federation seeks to expand humanity's reach in the universe, but the brutal race called the Gnosis stands in their way. This hostile life form must be dealt with -- by force if necessary

• Enter an epic storyline with captivating visuals and beautiful, interactive environments

• Breathtaking visuals will captivate players as the spell system and attacks practically jump off the screen

• Take a break from the action by playing 4 exciting mini-games

• In-game database helps players track their game information

As for the controvery concerning this games content, I will be glad to clarify. One scene ( that takes place fairly late in the game ) that involves the games villian and a main character has been altered to remove a suggested sexual relationship. Regardless of this one alteration ( which is being handeled by the game makers themselves ) the game retains its surprisingly over-the-top violence, language, and controversial religious themes. How namco was able to convince the ESRB to give this game a Teen rating is beyond me.

Have a question? email me. gregs_anime@yahoo.com.

25 of 26 found the following review helpful:


Watch out Final Fantasy.....  Apr 27, 2003
I'm an avid FF fan, and tend to be pretty biased when it comes to RPG's. Xenosaga is the first RPG that I have ever found to be MORE exciting and intensive than the FF games. I couldn't put it down. I loved the battle system, even though it was complex, I felt I had control of leveling up my characters the way I see fit. The story line is amazing, even the long cut scenes are worth the watch, and I'd even play the game again to watch a few of them. The voice acting is great too, I'm usually not a voice over fan, but I felt the voices fit the characters perfectly! I beat the game in 60 hours, I obtained most of the items, though a few area's were left unplundered. I think my only beef is that the bosses weren't excessivly difficult to beat, but then again, I spend a lot of time boosting levels, so that could contribute to the ease I had beating the game. At any rate, I highly recommend this game to any serious RPGer. Even if you're not a "sci-fi" fan (which I'm not either), you won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the next one!!!!

24 of 25 found the following review helpful:


The saga has begun  Mar 29, 2003 By vampireegg
Xenosaga is one of those rare great games that come out once in a blue moon. If you can handle the slow pace, you'll discover one of the best RPGs ever created.

The graphics in Xenosaga are top-notch. They're fully 3D and incredibly smooth. You'll be seeing a lot of cutscenes throughout the game, so it's a good thing the graphics are so good. Along with the graphics, cutscenes will also come with voice acting for the characters. Each has their own distinct voice that fits the character well, and none of them sound as bad and emotionless as Yuna from FFX.

The game itself of course tells a story, or rather, the beginning to a bigger story. The storyline in incredibly deep and complex. All the characters, even the sub-characters, have actual personalities. All their thoughts and feelings and actually believable.

The gameplay itself is very interesting. As you walk along the fields, you can destroy objects to reveal new paths or weaken onscreen enemies. And because you can actually see the enemy on the field before you engage in battle, there's a lot of strategy to be used outside of battle as well. You can sneak pass enemies to avoid battles you don't wish to fight. There's a lot to the battle system too. Unlike most RPGs where you can just hold onto the attack button for every fight, Xenosaga's battles requires much more strategy and thinking. Characters get 4 AP to spend each turn, and you have to decide how to wisely use it. For example, you can use all 4 AP to perform two attacks one turn, or use 2 AP to attack once, have 6 AP to work with next turn. For attacks with guns and cannons, you'll also have to watch your ammo count so you don't run out of attacks. And then, there's the AGWS. You can jump into one of these giant mechs, and there's a whole new fighting style to work with.

The graphics, story, and gameplay should already be enough to draw you in. And to keep you playing, there's also four great minigames, including a TCG-type card game (think Magic or Yugioh) and a 3D fighting game where you control the AGWS. Some even have two-player modes.

Overall, this is one great game you should get your hands on. Don't give up from the slow start, and you'll find yourself playing one of the best RPGs ever created.

21 of 23 found the following review helpful:


Can you really have a review long enough?  Mar 14, 2003 By Justin
I've always loved RPGs. But the first few role playing games that came out for the Playstation 2 console were...so horrible in fact, I drove twenty minutes back to my local videogame store and bribed the owner to erase them from my rental records (Ephemeral Phantasia, anyone?). Final Fantasy X was good, but that was last year. I wanted something fresh...other than those lame AD&D hack n' slash RPGs.

Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht, translated to "Will to Power" in German, the first out of a series of six video games, will be an instant classic. It's already IGN's game of the month. But I'm having a problem with the reviews those "professional" critics were writing. Unoriginal? Lame? Too much watching? Critics are always biased. The world is filled with educated and experienced derelicts (a.k.a. idiots). Xenosaga is not just a video game...it's a video game experience like none other. So I've decided I should give you a full, fair review, with both the game's up's and down's.

I gave sound a 4.5 out of 5, not because of the quality of the music, but sometimes, the lack of it. There isn't that many background music during quest mode (explore mode), but when there are music, it's exceptionally good. The background music (when there IS music) was extremely well composed.

"Tell me about the voice acting, man!" Okay, I am not a fan of dubbed work, but Namco pulled it off surprisingly well this time. The voice acting is completely done in English, with English subtitles (for the deaf, I guess), which can't be turned off. I think the voice acting was great, perhaps even better than Final Fantasy X.

The graphics are not up to par with other recent video games, but you can't blame Namco for how long it took for the game to get to the United States. The Cinematic events (cut scenes, FMV's) are done in-game, much like Final Fantasy, and the character designs are great. Because this game is based heavily on anime, all the characters have the anime look to them. Everything is run on a smooth frame rate, and I can't remember any in-game slowdowns. Facial expressions, life-like movements, etc. They're all there. The only thing I had a problem with was how long it takes for the menu to load, but you'll get used to that soon enough. Overall, the graphics are top-notch.

Game play...this will take a while, so go get some chips and a drink. Episode 1 consists of three different play modes: Quest Mode, Battles, and Cinematic Events. In the Quest Mode, you explore your surroundings and talk to NPC's (non-player characters). Some environmental objects (like boxes, crates, etc.) can be destroyed to clear your way. Some of the boxes and crates might have a treasure chest or an item behind it. Reaching certain areas will trigger e-mail events for the main character, with weapon upgrades, news, investment opportunities, and some will trigger a Cinematic event.

Thankfully, the random encounter system used in so many other RPGs was completely left out in this game. Instead, you will battle enemies only when you come into contact with them on the world map (Like Chrono Trigger or Seiken Densetsu). By beating the monsters, you get experiences points, and/or tech points, ether points, and skill points, which you can use to farther customize your characters beyond their usual limits. Be sure to save every chance you get, because some of the stronger monsters come at you when you least expect them to. I had no trouble with the battle system. The Anti Gnosis Weapon Systems are premature Gears, large humanoid mechas piloted by a single human. Unlike Xenogears, the AGWS' play a smaller role, which is good. Most battles could be won simply without the use of AGWS, unless you're a person like me and want to finish useless battles quickly to advance the story.

The cinematic modes are FMV's, and these take up an astounding eight hours of your game experience. Yes, you heard me, folks. Eight hours worth of cut scenes and thirty hours worth of game play (with another thirty hours if you take your time to go through all the side quests and leveling up) packed into one CD. So really, you can't really say anything bad about the graphics. No other games go into so much character development like this one. So game play gets a 4.5 out of 5 on my scale, only because if you are going to play this game, you have to be willing to sit down for a while to watch the long cinematic scenes.

I don't see how this game can get any more original than it already is. I really CAN'T tell you much about the story, because there are so many plot twists and changes, and by trying to explain it to you, I'll be causing more harm than good. You'll be lost in a state of confusion for the rest of your life, so I'll tell you the base plot of the game when you start playing.

Thousands of years into the future (four thousand to be exact), humans have left Earth to colonize other parts of the galaxy. But suddenly, the discovery of the Zohar, a powerful and mysterious artifact reputedly existing since the dawn of time, triggers a series of events that will ultimately lead to the discovery and the war against an alien race, called Gnosis. But why? Shion Uzuki, a scientist of Vector Industries, is shipped on a Federation starship Woglinde with their new experimental anti-Gnosis android, KOS-MOS. The recovery of the Zohar emulator on the Woglinde puts the two into a struggle to unlock the final mystery.

As for story, it gets a 5 out of 5.

Rent or buy? If you are a true RPG fan, you can't miss this opportunity.

35 of 41 found the following review helpful:


Regarding the "censorship"  Dec 27, 2002 By D. K. Malone
One single scene is being edited in the US version of the game. That's -edited-, not cut entirely. The edit in question was handled by the original developers themselves, surely to prevent angering American soccer moms, not to protect anyone playing the game. After all, there was nothing to protect anyone from. Every other aspect of the Japanese game will remain intact. Please disregard the reviewer who made it sound as if the game was going to be butchered in the localization process.

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