063 4 When I Read The Reviews When Buying This Game I Was Worried That It Was Gonna Take A While To Finish This Game Because People Really Exaggerated On The Battles , Its Ten Minutes Per Enemy Encounter And With Millions Of HP And With You Only Doing A Couple Hundred Damage ? Sure The Enemy Battles Are A LITTLE Longer Then Most Other RPG Games But I Usually Finished In 30secs To A Min . The Load Times Aren't That Bad I've Had The Same PS2 For 7 Years And The Battles Always Load Between 10 Secs . The Battles Are All About Utilizing Your Enemies Weak Points , Its A Different Battle System Then Most But I Enjoyed It , It Requires You To Use your Noggin . But If You've Just Been Introduced To The Game I Would Suggest Getting Or Playing The 1st Game First . The Story Is Great And You Would Probably Be Confused If You Didn't Play The First . The Reason It Got 4 Stars Was The Remake Of Some Of The Old Models And Voice Acting A Perfect Example Would Be Kos-Mos . Overall It Was A Good Game Don't Let The Bad Reviews Fool You . There's Also A Third One Which Is The Best Of The Whole Trilogy
071 4 I believe the title says it all . While this game is not as good as the first it is still a piece of a great series .
128 4 After sludging through this game , it's pretty easy to see why the 5 games announced were reduced to 3 . Honestly , I can't believe that the series got the funding to wrap things up after this . This game just fails in every possible respect . From the clunky battle system , to the ridiculously over-thought skills tables , and even the so-called plot , the whole thing is a convoluted , nearly unplayable mess .
140 4 . . . As far as a review , the game looks great , I can't wait for it to come out . I do hope that there is less dialogue in this one than in the first one . Other than that I'm really looking forward to this one . . . .
144 4 don't get this game when it comes out . you will be dissapointed since the cutscenes look boring . other than that avoid this came no questions do it .
114 4 No , I haven't played this game , but I can't believe people are giving 1 and 2 star ratings to a game that has not even been released yet ! ! Stranger still is that these low ratings are being given to a game whose predecessor received critical acclaim ! Anyway , I am very much looking forward to this game . All previews thus far have been very positive . I'm always a sucker for a good story and I'm sure this one , like the first game , will have it in spades . The graphics look sweeter , they are making the battle system more fun , and it looks like they are addressing the problem of the extremely long cut scenes from the first one . Any RPG fan should definitely keep a good eye on this one .
022 4 At first this game begins at a point where you think the story has nothing to do with xenosaga episode 1 , but while you advance in it you think of how much you're missing if you don't know anything of the first game . Great storyline , great graphics , great sound , simply Namco did it again ! . If you beated the first one don't erase the saved games and get this one , you'll like it a lot . But on the contrary if you haven't played the first then avoid it , because you'll be lost in the storyline .
069 4 I really like the Xenosaga series . The only thing I would have to say is that the battle system is kinda off . The cinematics in the game however are great and the music is good too . Personally , I think some of the characters might need more improvement as far as the driving force of the character himself . Prepare your self for a long story . If you are a big fan of cinematics and like watching them for 10 - 20 mins . each , then this is your game . Overall , I love this game . I love the Xenosaga series . I just like hearing a long story . Not exactly the favorite for most people , but everyone has their particular taste for the way a story is written .
132 4 The story is very intriguing , and the gameplay is very fun . Minor irritations from Xenosaga 1 have been removed but replaced with new ones . For instance , save points heal you in this one , and the level up system is clearer . However , the voices are inferior , the script at times trite , and chaos sounds like he's on downers . Also , people's torsos look more like hot dogs than bodies . . . but if you can get over that cosmetic stuff , it is a great game .
The first Xenosaga highly relied on cut scenes and narrative . In fact , I absolutely could not stand the battle system . Xenosaga Episode 2 still relies heavily upon that storytelling through hours of cut scenes , but it fixes the battle system .
The battle system is , simply put , one of the most fun turn-based systems I have ever experienced . While Xenosaga Episode 1 ' s battle system seemed slow and unwieldy , Episode 2 has a fast paced , action packed , and highly challenging battle system .
You have 3 characters on the screen at just about all times , these characters can be switched off in a manner much like FFX , but it costs a turn in this game , causing it to be more tactical .
Each turn you have many options ; you can attack ( more on various attacks later ) , stock ( save a turn for the next turn in order to get a combo ) , use ether ( read : magic ) , or change your battle party .
If you choose to attack , there is a whole slew of options here as well . Most importantly is learning the weak points of the enemy . Every enemy , including bosses , have a certain attack combination that will be most effective against them . When you attack , you can press either square , which is a B zone attack , Triangle , which is a C zone attack , or circle , which is another B zone attack . Certain characters also have an A zone attack , but this is only against flying opponents . You must expierament with the enemies in order to learn the zones they are weakest in . Sometimes , you may be required to ' stock ' for a turn in order to attack the enemy in its weak zone .
What is the advantage of attacking weak zones ? you ask . Well , it allows for large scale , damage pounding comboes that are absolutely essential in this game . Once you have hit all of the enemy's weak zones , you can do a break on them . This involves the circle button . Once a character is ' broken ' , they can be tossed into the air , or attacked while prone on the ground . This can add up to tons of damage if you plan your boosting right .
Boosting is another integral part of the combat system . Pressing the R1 button brings up a 3 slot meter which is sometimes empty , but it may feature the character potraits of some of your characters . If you press R1 , and then the button ( square , triangle , or circle ) that that character's potrait is on , they will boost forward , and immediately after the acting unit has taken its turn , this new character will have a turn .
Enemies , however , can take advantage of all of these systems as well . If you do not plan well , or randomly attack without comboes , the enemy will break you , boost ahead several times , and can easily destroy one of your characters in one short , brutal assault . Countless times my entire party was destroyed by simple enemies that should have been no problem , merely because I did not plan ahead . You will get very , very used to seeing the game over screen . The plus side of this difficulty is that you feel real exhiliration when you win , it is a great accomplishment . Note that even with power levelling , it won't help you much in some situations , believe me , I tried .
Finally , there is Ether . Ether skills are basically magic , if you know anything about RPGs at all , then you know basically what is present here , healing ether skills , attack ether skills , nothing big .
I forgot to mention the E.S . units . These are basically mechs , and were called A.G.W.S . in Episode 1 . Many points in the game involve you using these to move around and fight , and now they have an independant battle system . It's basically the same as the one with your characters on screen , except that you only have one attack a turn , no comboes or anything like that . It is just an added piece of fun to an already awesome game .
There is a skill system in place . After every battle you earn class pointss and / or skill points . These can be spent on getting new ether skills , or new upgrades to your characters that can make them more resilient when you equip them . Every character has the same skill set , and this is a minor flaw that slightly brings down the gameplay score , but not the overall enjoyment in the least .
Finally , one other flaw with the gameplay is that there are no weapons , and no armor . Both of these are RPG standard fare , and it seems kind of odd to not have either . This may just be something the developers decided not to do that I disagree with , but it still seems a little odd . Note that this really does not detract from the game in any way .
In Xenosaga 2 , they also opted to add a lot more puzzle solving than episode 1 had . The interesting thing is that these puzzles , while challenging , don't take away from the gameplay expierience at all . In fact , I found many to be very enjoyable .
The storyline of this game is simply incredible . But , keep in mind that it is basically required that you have beaten Xenosaga episode 1 if you want to understand it at all , or at least be acquainted with the story in some manner . If you haven't played it , the best way is to get the bonus DVD that came with the game , there are probably some somewhere around , maybe even on ebay , that allows you to see 4 hours of cut scenes from the original . This can substitute in for those who dont want to spend the 60 - 80 hours required on Xenosaga episode 1 to beat it .
Anyway , I digress , Xenosaga 2 ' s storyline is more of the space opera fun . Often times I got very emotional , and the game can tug on your heartstrings . In the ending sequence of the game , a spectacular event lasting about 15 minutes , I was seriously in tears . This game can do that to you , the storyline is that good . It is also filled with entrigue , betrayal , new discoveries , and new secrets . It is truly incredible . I have seen certain reviews that say the storyline doesn't solve everything , it doesn't solve all the mysteries . Let me tell you something : it's not supposed to . Xenosaga is going to be a 4 - 8 part series , and the storyline is continuous . It makes no sense at all to have the story be complete in only episode II . I see no reason why anyone could possibly complain about it .
Graphics : The graphics of Xenosaga 2 are basically the same as they were in episode 1 . No real improvements at all . They are still great though , and the cut scenes are gorgeous . My one real complaint here is that the lip sync is sometimes off ( a problem with just about every RPG with voice overs ) , and some of the environments are a little dull . This is made up for in the environments that are simply breathtaking .
Sound : The soundtrack of Xenosaga Episode 2 is godlike . From the opening theme to the battle music to the catchy Japanese sounding tunes that ring in your head forever , this music is INCREDIBLE . The voice acting is also absolutely superb , I have zero complaints , this is a rarity . Sound effects are also very appropriate , and very well done .
Value : The game is hurt in the value department only because of its length . To put it in perspective , the first playthrough took me about 28 hours , but more like 30 if you count all the times I died and had to go back to the point I got killed at . After you win , you can use your game clear file to access even more goodies like some bonus bosses , dungeons , and side quests , and this helps make up for the shorter length . Personally , I think its the best $50 I have ever spent .
Tilt : Finally , the overall enjoyment . This game is simply the most enjoyable game I have played on the PS2 . I completed it after several all-night gaming sessions , and it will most likely keep you up too . The Role Playing experience here is superb , the storyline is possibly the best in RPG history , and the battle system is incredible and in depth . There is virtually nothing not to like . As an avid RPG gamer , I recommend this game as highly as is possible . However , there are a few things to consider : can you handle the challenge , and do you like the Space Opera / Anime feel ? If you answered yes to both , get this game .
001 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
. . . . . . I'm going to assume the reader has played episode 1 , if you haven't this might not explain much . For those of you who have . . . .
This is a nice sequel . It picks up right where the last one left off . The new look is great , though I didn't mind the old anime look either . The cutscenes are beautiful and usually action packed . However all's not well . They changed the battle system . It took me a lil while to figure just how it works . Gone are the flashy tech moves that made the battles awesome . { I hate that } Tech moves won't catch your eye at all this time around . The battles are harder and much more strategic , but duller . There is however a nice selection of ether and support skills that you can learn to build the charcters the way you see fit . The story thus far makes sense and explains alot of things you might { or might not } care to know . The only other promblem is that the cutscenes take so long . You can pay attention for only so long before your mind wanders . The first had this promblem so I'm not surprised . They don't have an ecyclopedia this time around . . . . . on episode 1 that thing was vital to understanding the story { at least for me } Fans will love it . Just thought I'd warn you and soften the blow of the new battle system .
002 4 . . . . . . I'm going to assume the reader has played episode 1 , if you haven't this might not explain much . For those of you who have . . . .
This is a nice sequel . It picks up right where the last one left off . The new look is great , though I didn't mind the old anime look either . The cutscenes are beautiful and usually action packed . However all's not well . They changed the battle system . It took me a lil while to figure just how it works . Gone are the flashy tech moves that made the battles awesome . { I hate that } Tech moves won't catch your eye at all this time around . The battles are harder and much more strategic , but duller . There is however a nice selection of ether and support skills that you can learn to build the charcters the way you see fit . The story thus far makes sense and explains alot of things you might { or might not } care to know . The only other promblem is that the cutscenes take so long . You can pay attention for only so long before your mind wanders . The first had this promblem so I'm not surprised . They don't have an ecyclopedia this time around . . . . . on episode 1 that thing was vital to understanding the story { at least for me } Fans will love it . Just thought I'd warn you and soften the blow of the new battle system .
003 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The story is Good . The movies are always entertaining , and the story is always interesting . It never reaches the emotional depths that the last game did . There seems to be a greater emphasis on making the whole thing more . . . unrealistic . The first game presented a believable future - all the technology was explained , things behaved realistically , etc . That's all thrown out in this game . . . it might sound strange , but it seems to be more Japanese than Episode 1 . Characters now swordfight in a Samurai style and shout things in what sounds very similar to Japanese . They shoot lasers out of their swords ( and it's never explained why ) . There's even a character that wears samurai-ish robes . It destroys any believability this universe had .
Also , I'm personally disappointed that the game focused so much on Jr . ( couldn't stand him from the first game ) , and not so much on wonderful KOS-MOS , who's not even present in the first half , and barely says two words in the second . And this is a Very Good Thing , because some of the voice actor changes were not for the better . Shion's VA is improved , but KOS-MOS's was a huge downgrade .
The music is also terrible compared to last game's . Episode 1 marked the first time I ran out and bought the soundtrack to a game . The beautiful orchestra and haunting chorus from that game have been replaced by forgettable boppy tunes , with maybe one decent melody in the whole thing .
Now , one to Dark One's taint = the gameplay . The battle system is easily the worst I have ever seen in any RPG . Ever . They aren't random - the enemies are onscreen . This is the One and Only Good thing . When you do touch an enemy , it takes a strangely long time to load . Your characters appear , one-by one . Then the monsters appear , one-by one . Sometimes , you'll be surrounded by the enemy . Other times , you'll surround the enemy yourself . This is Completely Random . Even if you attack an enemy from behind , you won't start the battle at the enemy's back . Which is too bad , as Back Attacks do more damage , and every time you enter a battle , you'll be desperate to scrape up as much damage as possible .
There's no such things as Powerful Moves here . You're forced to hit an enemy in specific zones , which you do by hitting Triangle or Circle ( did I mention the moves you do have no titles ? Bye-bye , Moonlight Serenade or Spell Ray ) . Hit Triangle / Circle in the right order , and you get what's called a Zone Break . Now , you have to Boost your other characters in so they can damage the enemy while it's in this break stage . You boost the other characters by having them sit there and Not Attack during their own attack phase .
You are FORCED to do this - while some enemies do have special weaknesses , they're not exactly mind-blowing helpful for the majority of enemy types . Instead , you have to do the Zone Break , or all of your moves will do about 20 damage . . . to a creature that has 5,000 HP . And there's still 3 other creatures in the battle , all with 10,000 HP each .
Sound fun to you ? Admittedly , once you DO get an enemy's weakness down , and get a Zone Break in , then Boost all of your characters in a row to take advantage of the enemy's weakness and the zone break , you can rack up huge damage . Sometimes it's even enough to take a single enemy down - and it only took 10 minutes to build up !
So , yes , the battle system will corrode your soul . Expect every battle to last at least 5 minutes , and that's if you're quick and know what you're doing . Meaning that you've already fought this enemy before and have either memorized it's Zone Break and weaknesses , or you've taught one of your characters a Memory skill .
And here's another embarassing part of the game . Every single character can learn every single skill . This completely destroys any individuality the characters had . KOS-MOS still has a couple special skills only she can use , but they're not nearly as impressive as the classics from the first game . Instead of being awed by what your characters are capable of , you cooly assign specific skills to each character based on what attributes you want in each battle . If that sounds fun to you , it's not . Many of these skills are useless , and characters will repeat skills that are helpful .
It's possible to unlock new skills and Double Attacks ( two characters team up to attack ) by undergoing the torture that is the game's sidequests . You run around , doing good deeds for people . These good deeds are very loosely explained , and very often involve playing fetch from place to place . I didn't even attempt it .
Other things that will leave you a blackened husk inside when the game is done : The puzzles in the dungeons . Oh how I wish my mind could let me forget them so I could live again . Unfortunately I can't , and so I will always remember shooting boxes to form a bridge , shooting boxes to clear a bridge , and shooting boxes of a specific color that explode other boxes of the same color around them . To form a bridge .
In conclusion , let me just say that I hope Episode 3 is better , or I will go insane . Or the Red Ajah will come for me in the form of Final Fantasy XII .
004 4 The story is Good . The movies are always entertaining , and the story is always interesting . It never reaches the emotional depths that the last game did . There seems to be a greater emphasis on making the whole thing more . . . unrealistic . The first game presented a believable future - all the technology was explained , things behaved realistically , etc . That's all thrown out in this game . . . it might sound strange , but it seems to be more Japanese than Episode 1 . Characters now swordfight in a Samurai style and shout things in what sounds very similar to Japanese . They shoot lasers out of their swords ( and it's never explained why ) . There's even a character that wears samurai-ish robes . It destroys any believability this universe had .
Also , I'm personally disappointed that the game focused so much on Jr . ( couldn't stand him from the first game ) , and not so much on wonderful KOS-MOS , who's not even present in the first half , and barely says two words in the second . And this is a Very Good Thing , because some of the voice actor changes were not for the better . Shion's VA is improved , but KOS-MOS's was a huge downgrade .
The music is also terrible compared to last game's . Episode 1 marked the first time I ran out and bought the soundtrack to a game . The beautiful orchestra and haunting chorus from that game have been replaced by forgettable boppy tunes , with maybe one decent melody in the whole thing .
Now , one to Dark One's taint = the gameplay . The battle system is easily the worst I have ever seen in any RPG . Ever . They aren't random - the enemies are onscreen . This is the One and Only Good thing . When you do touch an enemy , it takes a strangely long time to load . Your characters appear , one-by one . Then the monsters appear , one-by one . Sometimes , you'll be surrounded by the enemy . Other times , you'll surround the enemy yourself . This is Completely Random . Even if you attack an enemy from behind , you won't start the battle at the enemy's back . Which is too bad , as Back Attacks do more damage , and every time you enter a battle , you'll be desperate to scrape up as much damage as possible .
There's no such things as Powerful Moves here . You're forced to hit an enemy in specific zones , which you do by hitting Triangle or Circle ( did I mention the moves you do have no titles ? Bye-bye , Moonlight Serenade or Spell Ray ) . Hit Triangle / Circle in the right order , and you get what's called a Zone Break . Now , you have to Boost your other characters in so they can damage the enemy while it's in this break stage . You boost the other characters by having them sit there and Not Attack during their own attack phase .
You are FORCED to do this - while some enemies do have special weaknesses , they're not exactly mind-blowing helpful for the majority of enemy types . Instead , you have to do the Zone Break , or all of your moves will do about 20 damage . . . to a creature that has 5,000 HP . And there's still 3 other creatures in the battle , all with 10,000 HP each .
Sound fun to you ? Admittedly , once you DO get an enemy's weakness down , and get a Zone Break in , then Boost all of your characters in a row to take advantage of the enemy's weakness and the zone break , you can rack up huge damage . Sometimes it's even enough to take a single enemy down - and it only took 10 minutes to build up !
So , yes , the battle system will corrode your soul . Expect every battle to last at least 5 minutes , and that's if you're quick and know what you're doing . Meaning that you've already fought this enemy before and have either memorized it's Zone Break and weaknesses , or you've taught one of your characters a Memory skill .
And here's another embarassing part of the game . Every single character can learn every single skill . This completely destroys any individuality the characters had . KOS-MOS still has a couple special skills only she can use , but they're not nearly as impressive as the classics from the first game . Instead of being awed by what your characters are capable of , you cooly assign specific skills to each character based on what attributes you want in each battle . If that sounds fun to you , it's not . Many of these skills are useless , and characters will repeat skills that are helpful .
It's possible to unlock new skills and Double Attacks ( two characters team up to attack ) by undergoing the torture that is the game's sidequests . You run around , doing good deeds for people . These good deeds are very loosely explained , and very often involve playing fetch from place to place . I didn't even attempt it .
Other things that will leave you a blackened husk inside when the game is done : The puzzles in the dungeons . Oh how I wish my mind could let me forget them so I could live again . Unfortunately I can't , and so I will always remember shooting boxes to form a bridge , shooting boxes to clear a bridge , and shooting boxes of a specific color that explode other boxes of the same color around them . To form a bridge .
In conclusion , let me just say that I hope Episode 3 is better , or I will go insane . Or the Red Ajah will come for me in the form of Final Fantasy XII .
005 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The Xenosaga series is truly the most amazing and enthralling RPG that I have ever played . The size and scope of the story being told here is nothing short of epic . The game play is very good , with a fine balance between solving puzzles , fighting , and cinematics .
You can complete this game in less amount of time than the previous game . However , the battles in this second installment in the series are much harder and much more strategic than in Episode I . Even minor enemies possess high amounts of HP , and they can also inflict various status effects that must be properly dealt with if you want your battle party to survive . The pace of the battles are faster though . Because some of the battles must be completed within a certain time limit , there is an additional surge of adrenaline rush in trying to plan and execute your moves . The concept of boosting your characters is carried over from the previous game . However , in this one , there are some tricks involved in using boost . Four of your characters have the ability to either air ( send an opponent flying in the air ) or down ( knock the enemy down ) . While the enemy is in such a state , more damage can be inflicted by the next battle character . But , you would need to boost properly and at the right time in order to put this chain of events together . Anyway , do not let that discourage you . The battle system has been simplified . Also , the character development system has also been greatly simplified . You do not have the multitude of weapons and armor options here that you had in Episode I . The types of attacks at your disposal have been narrowed down . In other words , the learning curve will be less steep . It seems like the game developers might have wanted to attract a broader range of RPG players to the game . This may be for the good ; however , there are some of us who really enjoy the ability to customize our characters to our specifications .
The Mechs play a vital role in this episode . You must use your mechs ( or Gears , for those who have played Xenogears ) for certain battles . The design of the mechs themselves are quite interesting . It seems that the artists might have taken quite a bit of liberty with their artwork . Throughout the game , you will have three at your disposal .
A new playable character has been added to the main party . You might recall seeing Jin Uzuki during the ending credits to episode I . Here , he joins the party for reasons of his own .
The cinemas and scenes in the game have really gravitated more towards serious and powerful . Yes , there were plenty of powerful and emotional scenes in episode I . However , here you have a couple of scenes that were just downright heartbreaking . Definitely , this is a game for a more mature and intelligent crowd . Our friend Allen is not quite as funny in this one . You do have plenty of lighthearted moments , however , that soon gives way to the very serious themes that dominate the plot .
The sidequests are optional , however , the best features of the game can only be experienced by engaging in them . The much talked-about Cooperative Attacks ( where two characters work together to put a very devastating chain of attacks ) can only be earned through the sidequests . I suspect that you can easily lose 50 + hours in this game , if you engage in a few of those optional sidequests . I also suspect that there are excellent side stories and adventures to go along with these adventures . I chose to pursue a couple of them and found them to be worthwhile and entertaining . Some of these adventures can only be played after you have beaten the game once and saved . You can then reload your save data and pursue a variety of side stories and quests .
A lot of the questions from episode I are answered here for you . However , most of these answers come towards the end . All I can say is be prepared for one grand story to unfold .
I highly recommend this to anyone interested in RPGs . Particularly , for those who have an interest in watching a great story unfold . You will appreciate the story more if you play Episode I first , however , there is a DVD out there with some of the more important and pivotal scenes from episode I . If you are short on time , perhaps you can locate one of these DVDs and spend a few hours watching them , prior to playing episode II . Is Xenosaga II : Beyond Good and Evil as good a game as Xenosaga I : Will to Power ? That is a hard question to answer . That would really have to depend on what you look for in an RPG . However , let me state that both games are great . My only wish is that someday , this story will be released in the form of a novel . The story is just too good .
006 4 The Xenosaga series is truly the most amazing and enthralling RPG that I have ever played . The size and scope of the story being told here is nothing short of epic . The game play is very good , with a fine balance between solving puzzles , fighting , and cinematics .
You can complete this game in less amount of time than the previous game . However , the battles in this second installment in the series are much harder and much more strategic than in Episode I . Even minor enemies possess high amounts of HP , and they can also inflict various status effects that must be properly dealt with if you want your battle party to survive . The pace of the battles are faster though . Because some of the battles must be completed within a certain time limit , there is an additional surge of adrenaline rush in trying to plan and execute your moves . The concept of boosting your characters is carried over from the previous game . However , in this one , there are some tricks involved in using boost . Four of your characters have the ability to either air ( send an opponent flying in the air ) or down ( knock the enemy down ) . While the enemy is in such a state , more damage can be inflicted by the next battle character . But , you would need to boost properly and at the right time in order to put this chain of events together . Anyway , do not let that discourage you . The battle system has been simplified . Also , the character development system has also been greatly simplified . You do not have the multitude of weapons and armor options here that you had in Episode I . The types of attacks at your disposal have been narrowed down . In other words , the learning curve will be less steep . It seems like the game developers might have wanted to attract a broader range of RPG players to the game . This may be for the good ; however , there are some of us who really enjoy the ability to customize our characters to our specifications .
The Mechs play a vital role in this episode . You must use your mechs ( or Gears , for those who have played Xenogears ) for certain battles . The design of the mechs themselves are quite interesting . It seems that the artists might have taken quite a bit of liberty with their artwork . Throughout the game , you will have three at your disposal .
A new playable character has been added to the main party . You might recall seeing Jin Uzuki during the ending credits to episode I . Here , he joins the party for reasons of his own .
The cinemas and scenes in the game have really gravitated more towards serious and powerful . Yes , there were plenty of powerful and emotional scenes in episode I . However , here you have a couple of scenes that were just downright heartbreaking . Definitely , this is a game for a more mature and intelligent crowd . Our friend Allen is not quite as funny in this one . You do have plenty of lighthearted moments , however , that soon gives way to the very serious themes that dominate the plot .
The sidequests are optional , however , the best features of the game can only be experienced by engaging in them . The much talked-about Cooperative Attacks ( where two characters work together to put a very devastating chain of attacks ) can only be earned through the sidequests . I suspect that you can easily lose 50 + hours in this game , if you engage in a few of those optional sidequests . I also suspect that there are excellent side stories and adventures to go along with these adventures . I chose to pursue a couple of them and found them to be worthwhile and entertaining . Some of these adventures can only be played after you have beaten the game once and saved . You can then reload your save data and pursue a variety of side stories and quests .
A lot of the questions from episode I are answered here for you . However , most of these answers come towards the end . All I can say is be prepared for one grand story to unfold .
I highly recommend this to anyone interested in RPGs . Particularly , for those who have an interest in watching a great story unfold . You will appreciate the story more if you play Episode I first , however , there is a DVD out there with some of the more important and pivotal scenes from episode I . If you are short on time , perhaps you can locate one of these DVDs and spend a few hours watching them , prior to playing episode II . Is Xenosaga II : Beyond Good and Evil as good a game as Xenosaga I : Will to Power ? That is a hard question to answer . That would really have to depend on what you look for in an RPG . However , let me state that both games are great . My only wish is that someday , this story will be released in the form of a novel . The story is just too good .
007 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
It used to be one of those adages that the second novel was always worse than the first . This is no longer true , possibly because great first novels have become rarer . But games , on the other hand , generally get better with each sequel . Or that was the way it was before 2005 . I wasn't particularily happy with Suikoden IV , but it is Xenosaga 2 that is the current holder of my ' disappointment ' award . For which I will no doubt get blasted .
Imagine that your production staff spent so much on improved character graphics that when the smoke cleared , there was only time to put together a core story with about 20 hours of play . What would you do to inflate the story ? How about a set of 50 + mini-quests that send the player shuttling back and forth across known space . How about a couple of record length cut scenes ? Throw in a battle system so complicated it takes hours to figure it out . And to add insult to injury , make everyone move very slowly . And there you have Xenosaga 2 . A game that really could have been great , drilled into the ground because of the wrong priorities .
There's nothing really wrong with the story arc that a couple of additional ' missions ' wouldn't have solved . Instead some relatively trivial bonus dungeons are your reward for finishing the game . Most of the side quest time is spent traveling , not solving or fighting . They would have been more enjoyable if the player didn't have to keep flying back and forth between New Militia and the Foundation . The battle system , which was complicated before now has too many intricacies to count . Yet once you level up enough , brute force is just as effective as finesse .
I have to concede that the character graphics are amazing . Facial expressions are perfect and the effects are often lifelike . But the overall graphic level is still pretty much the same as Xeno 1 . I like what they did , but I would happily have sacrificed the new , sexy Shion for more hours of play time . Even the thrill of having the entire team play in bathing suits wears thin after a while .
Hopefully this is just a one game slump . The producers leave no question that there will be a Xenosaga 3 , and I hope they put more emphasis on the story and less on Shion's designer outfit ( well , MOMO and KOS-MOS look good , but Shion is always a bit frumpy ) . At least this game has filled out the character roster and explained some of the mysteries of Zeno 1 . Hopefully , things will get better again .
008 4 It used to be one of those adages that the second novel was always worse than the first . This is no longer true , possibly because great first novels have become rarer . But games , on the other hand , generally get better with each sequel . Or that was the way it was before 2005 . I wasn't particularily happy with Suikoden IV , but it is Xenosaga 2 that is the current holder of my ' disappointment ' award . For which I will no doubt get blasted .
Imagine that your production staff spent so much on improved character graphics that when the smoke cleared , there was only time to put together a core story with about 20 hours of play . What would you do to inflate the story ? How about a set of 50 + mini-quests that send the player shuttling back and forth across known space . How about a couple of record length cut scenes ? Throw in a battle system so complicated it takes hours to figure it out . And to add insult to injury , make everyone move very slowly . And there you have Xenosaga 2 . A game that really could have been great , drilled into the ground because of the wrong priorities .
There's nothing really wrong with the story arc that a couple of additional ' missions ' wouldn't have solved . Instead some relatively trivial bonus dungeons are your reward for finishing the game . Most of the side quest time is spent traveling , not solving or fighting . They would have been more enjoyable if the player didn't have to keep flying back and forth between New Militia and the Foundation . The battle system , which was complicated before now has too many intricacies to count . Yet once you level up enough , brute force is just as effective as finesse .
I have to concede that the character graphics are amazing . Facial expressions are perfect and the effects are often lifelike . But the overall graphic level is still pretty much the same as Xeno 1 . I like what they did , but I would happily have sacrificed the new , sexy Shion for more hours of play time . Even the thrill of having the entire team play in bathing suits wears thin after a while .
Hopefully this is just a one game slump . The producers leave no question that there will be a Xenosaga 3 , and I hope they put more emphasis on the story and less on Shion's designer outfit ( well , MOMO and KOS-MOS look good , but Shion is always a bit frumpy ) . At least this game has filled out the character roster and explained some of the mysteries of Zeno 1 . Hopefully , things will get better again .
009 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Good things come to those who wait . Or at least that is how the adage goes . Unfortunately my two year wait for the second installment in the Xenosaga series has been rewarded with disappointment . The previous game having ended on a cliffhanger I was eager to see what happened next . My eagerness was quickly replaced by disbelief and later by sheer frustration . With different character designs and new voice actors it was at first difficult to get into the game however I was not about to let my two year wait be in vain so I pressed on , only to be rewarded with the most frustrating battle system that I have ever encountered .
Normal battles now take at least 5 - 7 minutes and gone are the days when you could actually avoid the enemies . No matter who my lead character was I couldn't outrun anyone and thus ended up in many long drawn out battles . As for the boss battles I found myself in the throes of agony whenever one came up . After wasting a number of turns in an attempt to find out their break zone you then have to stock up in order to do any serious damage . This mind numbing battle system in conjunction with some of the worst in game music that I have ever heard was enough to convince me that something had gone horribly wrong at Namco . It was as if Xenosaga 2 was playing dress up in an attempt to pass itself off as a relative of the original . It had the same characters and the same locations but some how it failed to convince that it even lived in the same neighborhood .
The pacing of the game at times was enough to make me want to quit . After finally beating a boss that took thirty minutes am I rewarded with a cut scene , or anything to move the plot along ? No . I am instead forced to solve an out of place puzzle that completely distracts me from the story at hand . Frustrating game play aside the one thing that Xenosaga 2 did halfway right was the story . Now don't get me wrong I feel that Xenosaga has one of the most epic storylines ever set forth in a videogame , however this time it seemed to fall flat in a number of places due to poor voice acting ( or directing ) and badly misplaced music . Scenes that you knew were supposed to be dramatic came off as cliche and in some cases humorous . There were however some very unexpected plot twists and some scenes that shone with the originality of the first and those are what kept me in the game .
I found myself trudging through the tedious game play just to make it to the next cut scene , the oasis of this otherwise dry game . If it wasn't for the fact that Xenosaga is such a story driven game I would have given up on this before I even finished the first disc . I am a person however who plays RPGs for the express purpose of the story being told and for that Xenosaga 2 has an epic story that is unfortunately trapped in a now generic RPG . In spite of my disappointment I still have hope for this series and hopefully the developers will learn from their mistakes instead of continuing to build on them .
010 4 Good things come to those who wait . Or at least that is how the adage goes . Unfortunately my two year wait for the second installment in the Xenosaga series has been rewarded with disappointment . The previous game having ended on a cliffhanger I was eager to see what happened next . My eagerness was quickly replaced by disbelief and later by sheer frustration . With different character designs and new voice actors it was at first difficult to get into the game however I was not about to let my two year wait be in vain so I pressed on , only to be rewarded with the most frustrating battle system that I have ever encountered .
Normal battles now take at least 5 - 7 minutes and gone are the days when you could actually avoid the enemies . No matter who my lead character was I couldn't outrun anyone and thus ended up in many long drawn out battles . As for the boss battles I found myself in the throes of agony whenever one came up . After wasting a number of turns in an attempt to find out their break zone you then have to stock up in order to do any serious damage . This mind numbing battle system in conjunction with some of the worst in game music that I have ever heard was enough to convince me that something had gone horribly wrong at Namco . It was as if Xenosaga 2 was playing dress up in an attempt to pass itself off as a relative of the original . It had the same characters and the same locations but some how it failed to convince that it even lived in the same neighborhood .
The pacing of the game at times was enough to make me want to quit . After finally beating a boss that took thirty minutes am I rewarded with a cut scene , or anything to move the plot along ? No . I am instead forced to solve an out of place puzzle that completely distracts me from the story at hand . Frustrating game play aside the one thing that Xenosaga 2 did halfway right was the story . Now don't get me wrong I feel that Xenosaga has one of the most epic storylines ever set forth in a videogame , however this time it seemed to fall flat in a number of places due to poor voice acting ( or directing ) and badly misplaced music . Scenes that you knew were supposed to be dramatic came off as cliche and in some cases humorous . There were however some very unexpected plot twists and some scenes that shone with the originality of the first and those are what kept me in the game .
I found myself trudging through the tedious game play just to make it to the next cut scene , the oasis of this otherwise dry game . If it wasn't for the fact that Xenosaga is such a story driven game I would have given up on this before I even finished the first disc . I am a person however who plays RPGs for the express purpose of the story being told and for that Xenosaga 2 has an epic story that is unfortunately trapped in a now generic RPG . In spite of my disappointment I still have hope for this series and hopefully the developers will learn from their mistakes instead of continuing to build on them .
012 4 Alot of reviews have been given for this game as REALLY BAD . I'm one of those people who lets things slide . I'm a big RPG gamer . If you're just looking for fighting in a game . Stay away from this one . This needs alot of role playing consciousness . It has a FANTASTIC storyline ( surperior to alot of other RPGs ) , but the game should have been a movie if you ask me . This game goes back to the past , alot of flashing back and forth and alot of surprises . On The Trio as I would say . Jr . Albedo and Gaignun . Don't worry about other characters . They're not as important here . But don't let that get you down .
It summerizes everytime I turn the game on to back where I left off , ( loading from memory card ) so that should help people who dooesn't game much . I couldn't understand why people wouldn't get the storyline if the UMN at the beginning of the game allows a feature to review what has already happened . I'm guessing people are giving irks about that .
I would probably complain about the voice actors and battle system , alot of people would probably say the same thing . I do not mind KOS-MOS ' voice actor as much as Shion and chaos . chaos ( Yes no caps ) is too stoic for me , after playing Xenosaga I ( over and over in order to get his character down , hey he's not human ! ) , I'd say he doesn't add much to the action in the beginning where all the cool fight scenes are . The beginning of this game , IS AWESOME . Yes AWESOME . ( Voice actors killed it . )
Shion , I would say , is a mess , her attitudes and momentum throws me off everytime a new situation becomes bad . How can she sound so perky all the time ? I would definately go with the voice actor in Xenosaga I if I were to choose between the two . And the old voice actors are wonderful as always , Albedo , Jr . , Gaignun , and Captain Matthews . Yar they're the same .
The battle system , yes it's a pain . You're not actually fighting . You spend most of your time stocking up and letting your enemies rag doll you most of the time . Stocks are like AP in Xenosaga I , except you can only add one stock each turn , or use an ether Stock 1 to add a stock to another character . After you attain a certain amount of stocks you are presented a number of combo options . The more stocks , the better combo . It becomes an issue because I would have to run around and train in the same area in order to get enough levels or TM points ( in order to get Medica All , it becomes valuable , trust me . ) I was hoping that this game system would take a tiny bit from Final Fantasy X ( because you can to switch characters in battle ) however , unlike FFX , this only allows share of spoils ( TM points EXP etc . ) to the remaining three characters standing in battle . It becomes a real disadvantage if you have characters that have some abilities , but not others . ( Medica , Revert , Refresh , etc . although they all have the same abilities to learn , such as Psycho Pocket . ) I would suggest picking three main characters and if you do have a strategy guide , ignore the character reccomendations . I chose to maintain Jr . , KOS-MOS , MOMO , or Ziggy . ( Robotics addict . ) Unlike Xenosaga I , tech attacks are only avalible with doubles . So say you have KOS-MOS and Shion , if you have the key for the ability Double X-Buster with a boost and a certain amount of stocks , you can do a tech a attack . Once per battle .
Also , alot of people are confused about break zones . It's hard to explain in words , there are tutorials in the game . But it's something so that you think you'll always have to rely on combos . It's like suppose you have an enemy with a break zone of B , A .
On your controller there's a :
O which represents A or B ( Some characters such as Shion and MOMO have only B as combos so you press O all throughout for a B )
Triangle which represents C
Square which represents B
Those buttons represent letters . Characters have combos accordingly to the buttons you press . So you attack with Square and O . Then their zone is broken . You give more heavy damage by following the character with O buttons for break bonus this just means you successfuly broken through their break zone and you are currantly giving more than average damage .
This all comes down to your characters . Characters have different combos . It's much more simple to play it rather than explain it . There's more to it though . Battle slots are still there , and a few more quirks .
A few notes :
Jr . - A bit weak . He doesn't have a lot of enemies that has a weakness for him . But I use alot of skill upgrades so that he gets to make quick work of Albedo .
KOS-MOS - She's super strong against Gnosis . ( Fitting of course . )
MOMO - She's a super valuable asset . I use her ALOT . Her ether bow kills .
Ziggy - He's good against anything . Like bosses .
Another battle system irk is the Move command . I use that command to do efficient back shots . But the stupid thing is that if I move to the other side , my character is facing his / her back towards the enemy . Then I'll have to wait next term to attack in order to make her face the enemy . ( Confusing ya . )
Speaking of areas , the maps are smaller compared to other games I played , so there's fewer enemies to bash . A bit convienient but gets tiresome if you're trying to get treasures around the block . The UMN encephalon has changed . Now you don't have to worry about exiting through a plate . Just start menu and exit . But I really hate knowing that two disks can only contain about 30 maps . It goes by fast . I mean , really fast . Before the first disk was over I was halfway through the stradegy guide . ( And I don't usually buy stradegy guides . ) The only things that are making the game longer are the GS campaigns , I'd totally reccommend that you do it or else you won't get all the nifty stuff that would make gameplay a bit more exhilerating . Like double tech attacks and all those other cool items . ( Believe or not I haven't used any item in the game yet , not even a Med Kit . ) I'm a thrifty person , knowing that there is no currency = no shops . And I hate the puzzles in this game . It gets on your nerves eventually . Even little tiny puzzles .
The maps are beautifully rendered . One thing I'm ticked off about is that there's no radar . You just have to wait to be ambushed unless you memorize every quirk in the area ( which doesn't take a lot since you eventually visit the maps over and over . ) Sometimes you can't even smash the traps before the enemy ambushes you .
Although I can't say the same for the characters , even though it's become all realistic , it's become too femme for me . KOS-MOS ' new design throws me off , and that's why I put the bathing suit on her for battle , Shion is also a bit femme for me . But I would totally think guy gamers would fall for them eh .
I would also say the same for the guys , they grown cuter , but I still am not pleased with the new character design after I played it .
E.S.s I almost forgot about that . ( I was reading other reviews . ) Piloting the E.S . is like the A.G.W.S . only more bulky and cooler . The thing that pissed me off for the E.S . is that it's slow on the maps . No matter which E.S . you chose , Dinah , Zebulan , Asher . It's slow . Pathetically slower than the human lead characters . I would love it if they had more abilities and hope that they STOP STOCKING UP . I almost died because half-way I did not have Zebulan ( that's the only E.S . that can use ether = heal ) . But I love the E.S . Much more detailed and beautiful things than the A.G.W.S .
Music is a bit more techy . Very techy . I don't like most of the soundtrack . Gives me a headache . I love orchestra , but that's me . ( like Chrono Cross , FFX , and Xenosaga I etc . )
Three stars , it's not the living saga , there's not a true game thing going on . Not enough for me to play over and over . If you're into SCI-Fi storyline , random philosophies , techy mechas . ( Like me ) This game would probably love you . But not as much for me . ( And I ain't no star wars fan but I'm loyal enough to keep Xenosaga as my favorite RPGs )
013 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The reviews given by Amazon authors Joe Juba and Matt Miller are spot-on . Xenosaga Episode II is very short for an RPG . And yes , the gameplay has been altered in a negative way . However , any fan of Xenosaga is obligated to play this game . Episode II contains exciting and emotional cut scenes , offers further development of the main characters and continues a deep yet interesting storyline . Just be prepared for a few inferior modifications .
I , too , was disappointed with the change in voice actors , but I saw it coming and therefore wasn't overly bothered by it . Not everyone sounds different ; I only noticed Shion and KOS-MOS with different voices . Thankfully , the characters ' mannerisms and speech patterns have been left intact . To me , that's what's important .
Another noteworthy downgrade is the music . Episode I had a full symphony orchestra ( with chorus ) for it's soundtrack ! Not so with Episode II . The music isn't bad by any means , but it's nothing that makes me want to buy the soundtrack CD , unlike the first game . The sound effects are pretty much unchanged .
If you want to collect everything the game has to offer you must take on the optional sub-missions , called GS ( Good Samaritan ) Campaigns . There are 36 of them , some of which are quite lengthy . The time spent on these sub-missions is equal to , if not longer , than the main quest ! There's also Segment Files to discover , which Xenosaga veterans are familiar with . They should have named this game's title Side-Questsaga .
Also , can anyone tell me why Episode II comprises two disks ? Episode I is only ONE disk , yet it has more cut scenes and is twice as long ! I suppose Episode III will comprise THREE disks and only be 1 / 3 as long as the first game . . ! It's puzzling . . .
Oh , and why no database in this Xenosaga ? Episode I had a useful database of facts the player could access any time to keep track of all the terms , items and significant events in the game . It was stupid to drop that feature . There IS a brief recap of the events from Episode I available to read , but it doesn't make up for a missing database .
The one , single improvement over the first game is the removal of the mail / plug-in module system . I found it annoying trying not to miss any of the items and information offered by the mail system attachments . I was glad to see it go in Episode II .
Despite all the negatives , Xenosaga Episode II is still worth playing , at least for fans of Episode I . Let's just hope for a grander epic in Episode III . There's plenty to improve at this point .
014 4 The reviews given by Amazon authors Joe Juba and Matt Miller are spot-on . Xenosaga Episode II is very short for an RPG . And yes , the gameplay has been altered in a negative way . However , any fan of Xenosaga is obligated to play this game . Episode II contains exciting and emotional cut scenes , offers further development of the main characters and continues a deep yet interesting storyline . Just be prepared for a few inferior modifications .
I , too , was disappointed with the change in voice actors , but I saw it coming and therefore wasn't overly bothered by it . Not everyone sounds different ; I only noticed Shion and KOS-MOS with different voices . Thankfully , the characters ' mannerisms and speech patterns have been left intact . To me , that's what's important .
Another noteworthy downgrade is the music . Episode I had a full symphony orchestra ( with chorus ) for it's soundtrack ! Not so with Episode II . The music isn't bad by any means , but it's nothing that makes me want to buy the soundtrack CD , unlike the first game . The sound effects are pretty much unchanged .
If you want to collect everything the game has to offer you must take on the optional sub-missions , called GS ( Good Samaritan ) Campaigns . There are 36 of them , some of which are quite lengthy . The time spent on these sub-missions is equal to , if not longer , than the main quest ! There's also Segment Files to discover , which Xenosaga veterans are familiar with . They should have named this game's title Side-Questsaga .
Also , can anyone tell me why Episode II comprises two disks ? Episode I is only ONE disk , yet it has more cut scenes and is twice as long ! I suppose Episode III will comprise THREE disks and only be 1 / 3 as long as the first game . . ! It's puzzling . . .
Oh , and why no database in this Xenosaga ? Episode I had a useful database of facts the player could access any time to keep track of all the terms , items and significant events in the game . It was stupid to drop that feature . There IS a brief recap of the events from Episode I available to read , but it doesn't make up for a missing database .
The one , single improvement over the first game is the removal of the mail / plug-in module system . I found it annoying trying not to miss any of the items and information offered by the mail system attachments . I was glad to see it go in Episode II .
Despite all the negatives , Xenosaga Episode II is still worth playing , at least for fans of Episode I . Let's just hope for a grander epic in Episode III . There's plenty to improve at this point .
015 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I am one of those people who is addicted to the Xenosaga series . But that is only because I played the first game . This sequel tried to fix everything that was not perfectly mainstream about the first game and ended up ruining almost everything that made the first game worth playing . That might be a bit of an exaggeration since I did enjoy this game , but it's not far off .
The new character designs are not nearly as polished as the first games characters were . The environment graphics are better , but not by much . The changes in voice actors for Shion , KOS-MOS , and MOMO were not welcomed or appreciated . I had a difficult time trying to reconcil the characters I loved in the first game with the new versions .
The game play started out being confusing and ended up being annoying . The way it works is that each enemy has a break code , and you have to figure out that break code and then usually boost a second character to continue your attack after you've entered it to do any real damage to your enemies . This ends up making battles long and drawn out to the point where sometimes I wanted to stop in the middle of them .
This games comes in two discs , the first disc is mostly cut scenes . The second disc is a string of pointless and difficult boss fights .
The only redeeming thing about this game as a Xenosaga installment is its story . Granted , this game was much worse than the first in linear story telling , but those who want some answers from the mysteries proposed in the first game get a small taste of the truth . Even though I think that the developers have forgotten half of the stuff that happened in the first game at this point .
If you loved the first game , I'd recommend playing through this one just to know what the thing was about and to see the ending . Then I'd start hoping that someone with brain is in charge of the third episode .
016 4 I am one of those people who is addicted to the Xenosaga series . But that is only because I played the first game . This sequel tried to fix everything that was not perfectly mainstream about the first game and ended up ruining almost everything that made the first game worth playing . That might be a bit of an exaggeration since I did enjoy this game , but it's not far off .
The new character designs are not nearly as polished as the first games characters were . The environment graphics are better , but not by much . The changes in voice actors for Shion , KOS-MOS , and MOMO were not welcomed or appreciated . I had a difficult time trying to reconcil the characters I loved in the first game with the new versions .
The game play started out being confusing and ended up being annoying . The way it works is that each enemy has a break code , and you have to figure out that break code and then usually boost a second character to continue your attack after you've entered it to do any real damage to your enemies . This ends up making battles long and drawn out to the point where sometimes I wanted to stop in the middle of them .
This games comes in two discs , the first disc is mostly cut scenes . The second disc is a string of pointless and difficult boss fights .
The only redeeming thing about this game as a Xenosaga installment is its story . Granted , this game was much worse than the first in linear story telling , but those who want some answers from the mysteries proposed in the first game get a small taste of the truth . Even though I think that the developers have forgotten half of the stuff that happened in the first game at this point .
If you loved the first game , I'd recommend playing through this one just to know what the thing was about and to see the ending . Then I'd start hoping that someone with brain is in charge of the third episode .
017 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
If you enjoyed the first Xenosaga and are as curious about the story and where it was headed as I was , then go out and buy this right now .
The story in Xenosaga II answers a lot of the questsion and issues raised in the first Xenosaga involving Jr . , Albedo and Gaignan . In fact , their story compromises the first 1 / 2 or so of the game . However , their story is immensely interesting and their conflict is very important to the current struggle . This makes the game very interesting as it raises new questions and digs a little deeper into some subtle religious moments . As an example and THIS IS A SPOILER : look at the color of Rubedo , Albedo and Negrido's hair and look up on the internet ( try Wikipedia , I found the information there particularly useful ) the four horsemen of the Apocalypse . You will find some very interesting connections . I would also recommend taking some character's names ( Canaan , Nephilim , as an example ) and do some searching .
The game also continues the first's of using Friedrich Nietzche's works of philosphy to shape the current story ( particularly his idea of not looking at things in the dichotomy of good and evil , black and white , heaven and hell , etc ) . Overall , the story in Episode II is at least as good if not better ( I'm torn at the moment ) than the first game . It is exciting , the cutscenes are well directed , and the plot moves quickly .
Which brings me to the title of my review . While the plot is great and continues the Xenosaga tradition , the gameplay is worse than the original . The gameplay is made up for cutscenes and dungeons ( with a very very seldom trip to Miltia or the Kukai foundation , and the ships ) . The dungeons are long and boring , filled with mind-numbing puzzles that involve pushing boxes , setting water levels , making sure bomb detonation flares stike at the same time , going down the right light path , etc etc . They have all been done before and frankly they are boring .
The battles are equally long and boring . Each enemy has a hit zone that is connected to the buttons of the PS2 controller . You have to figure out which areas will break the opponent's defenses , then boost other characters right after to actually do substantial damage . While interesting on paper , the game takes it too far . When each battle becomes a game of stocking your character's moves , building up a boost bar , then unleashing combos on an enemy , it becomes boring and redundant . It's just used too much and often . Every battle became a struggle of this . I can see merit in having to do it with big important boss battles , but fighting the same white drone over and over and having to do the same zone hits just so I can hit him ? Some normal battles took upwards of 10 minutes to complete . That is rare , granted , but these aren't boss battles I'm talking about .
Another huge change is that every character learns the same skills . This is a double edged sword for me . On one hand , you're entire group can learn cure spells which eliminates the need to have a healer , fighter , mage combo all the time . However , it also means that all characters are alike . The only way they differ is by double attacks and their own regular attacks . As it is , the best strategy in the latter half of the game was to have all of the tank characters in a group because they could take damage while stocking their turns .
Another interesting change was that there are no shops . You don't buy weapon upgrades and you don't buy healing items . The only items you get are dropped from creatures or found in the environment . Because there is no need to buy items , you hardly need to go to towns , and the game becomes a dungeon crawl , albeit one with an extraordinary story .
Along with the greatness of the cutscenes and the boredom of the game play comes the music . The musical director of the first game is gone replaced by two directors : one for the cutscenes and one for the game play . The cutscene director has some really excellent songs and some forgetable songs . Overall not as good as the previous director , IMO . The gameplay director's music is horrible ; it's jazzy , j-pop that is very very incongrous with what's happening the in the game . You don't want to be creeping around some huge evil base while elevator music is playing in the background . . .
The Gear battles . . . er . . . AGWS battles . . . er . . . . ES Battles are much better and more utilized in this game than the last . It more closely represents Xenogears . It's a welcome change . In fact , because you don't have to stock your turns just to do damage ( though it is an option for doing some neat attacks ) , the ES battles play better than the on foot battles .
Finally , the length . Apparently people took 40 - 60 hours beating Xenosaga I . I took 35 and mostly got everything I needed . It took me about 23 - 25 hours to beat Xenosaga II . I was shocked when at the 9 hour mark I was flipping to the second disk .
Overall , this is a 4 star game . The cutscenes ( presented in 5.1 if you have the ability to run it ) are superbly directed and have a wonderful sound quality . The voice work is really well done ( except for MOMO , I liked her voice from the first game ) , and they are usually filled with eye candy . The plot is excellent , with wonderful pacing , it makes you want to know what's going to happen next and see how it all ties together . It doesn't tie up all loose ends and the third Xenosaga will probably feature the same cast . The gameplay is a bore . I longed for the cutscenes . I really hope they 1 ) make the gameplay more fun or 2 ) make the series into an anime series ( which they've done with the first episode ) in the future . So , my rating is a 3 for the fun , but the story ( 5 star ) pulls it up to an overall of a 4 .
If the original Xenosaga left you wanting so much more , then you should definitely buy this game ( especially from a website that still offers the preorder bonus , a VERY awesome dvd that has 4.5 hours of cutscenes from the first game ) . If you're looking for fun gameplay , this game , unfortunately does not do it for me .
Please know that for every bad quality I've mentioned in the game , I really really enjoyed it from a story view . My friends and I have spent a lot of time discussing it outside of playing because it really is a rich game . I really wanted to give it the 5 star review . Unfortunately , it's a game , not a movie and I have to review it as such .
018 4 If you enjoyed the first Xenosaga and are as curious about the story and where it was headed as I was , then go out and buy this right now .
The story in Xenosaga II answers a lot of the questsion and issues raised in the first Xenosaga involving Jr . , Albedo and Gaignan . In fact , their story compromises the first 1 / 2 or so of the game . However , their story is immensely interesting and their conflict is very important to the current struggle . This makes the game very interesting as it raises new questions and digs a little deeper into some subtle religious moments . As an example and THIS IS A SPOILER : look at the color of Rubedo , Albedo and Negrido's hair and look up on the internet ( try Wikipedia , I found the information there particularly useful ) the four horsemen of the Apocalypse . You will find some very interesting connections . I would also recommend taking some character's names ( Canaan , Nephilim , as an example ) and do some searching .
The game also continues the first's of using Friedrich Nietzche's works of philosphy to shape the current story ( particularly his idea of not looking at things in the dichotomy of good and evil , black and white , heaven and hell , etc ) . Overall , the story in Episode II is at least as good if not better ( I'm torn at the moment ) than the first game . It is exciting , the cutscenes are well directed , and the plot moves quickly .
Which brings me to the title of my review . While the plot is great and continues the Xenosaga tradition , the gameplay is worse than the original . The gameplay is made up for cutscenes and dungeons ( with a very very seldom trip to Miltia or the Kukai foundation , and the ships ) . The dungeons are long and boring , filled with mind-numbing puzzles that involve pushing boxes , setting water levels , making sure bomb detonation flares stike at the same time , going down the right light path , etc etc . They have all been done before and frankly they are boring .
The battles are equally long and boring . Each enemy has a hit zone that is connected to the buttons of the PS2 controller . You have to figure out which areas will break the opponent's defenses , then boost other characters right after to actually do substantial damage . While interesting on paper , the game takes it too far . When each battle becomes a game of stocking your character's moves , building up a boost bar , then unleashing combos on an enemy , it becomes boring and redundant . It's just used too much and often . Every battle became a struggle of this . I can see merit in having to do it with big important boss battles , but fighting the same white drone over and over and having to do the same zone hits just so I can hit him ? Some normal battles took upwards of 10 minutes to complete . That is rare , granted , but these aren't boss battles I'm talking about .
Another huge change is that every character learns the same skills . This is a double edged sword for me . On one hand , you're entire group can learn cure spells which eliminates the need to have a healer , fighter , mage combo all the time . However , it also means that all characters are alike . The only way they differ is by double attacks and their own regular attacks . As it is , the best strategy in the latter half of the game was to have all of the tank characters in a group because they could take damage while stocking their turns .
Another interesting change was that there are no shops . You don't buy weapon upgrades and you don't buy healing items . The only items you get are dropped from creatures or found in the environment . Because there is no need to buy items , you hardly need to go to towns , and the game becomes a dungeon crawl , albeit one with an extraordinary story .
Along with the greatness of the cutscenes and the boredom of the game play comes the music . The musical director of the first game is gone replaced by two directors : one for the cutscenes and one for the game play . The cutscene director has some really excellent songs and some forgetable songs . Overall not as good as the previous director , IMO . The gameplay director's music is horrible ; it's jazzy , j-pop that is very very incongrous with what's happening the in the game . You don't want to be creeping around some huge evil base while elevator music is playing in the background . . .
The Gear battles . . . er . . . AGWS battles . . . er . . . . ES Battles are much better and more utilized in this game than the last . It more closely represents Xenogears . It's a welcome change . In fact , because you don't have to stock your turns just to do damage ( though it is an option for doing some neat attacks ) , the ES battles play better than the on foot battles .
Finally , the length . Apparently people took 40 - 60 hours beating Xenosaga I . I took 35 and mostly got everything I needed . It took me about 23 - 25 hours to beat Xenosaga II . I was shocked when at the 9 hour mark I was flipping to the second disk .
Overall , this is a 4 star game . The cutscenes ( presented in 5.1 if you have the ability to run it ) are superbly directed and have a wonderful sound quality . The voice work is really well done ( except for MOMO , I liked her voice from the first game ) , and they are usually filled with eye candy . The plot is excellent , with wonderful pacing , it makes you want to know what's going to happen next and see how it all ties together . It doesn't tie up all loose ends and the third Xenosaga will probably feature the same cast . The gameplay is a bore . I longed for the cutscenes . I really hope they 1 ) make the gameplay more fun or 2 ) make the series into an anime series ( which they've done with the first episode ) in the future . So , my rating is a 3 for the fun , but the story ( 5 star ) pulls it up to an overall of a 4 .
If the original Xenosaga left you wanting so much more , then you should definitely buy this game ( especially from a website that still offers the preorder bonus , a VERY awesome dvd that has 4.5 hours of cutscenes from the first game ) . If you're looking for fun gameplay , this game , unfortunately does not do it for me .
Please know that for every bad quality I've mentioned in the game , I really really enjoyed it from a story view . My friends and I have spent a lot of time discussing it outside of playing because it really is a rich game . I really wanted to give it the 5 star review . Unfortunately , it's a game , not a movie and I have to review it as such .
019 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The first Xenosaga , while not as epic or involving as the original Xenogears , was still an incredible RPG by any standards . What made it so great was not just the story , but an extremely entertaining combat model , strong voice acting , character designs with faces which could display a full range of emotions , and excellent cut-scene direction . This latter was especially important because of the dozen or so hours players spent watching them . Xenosaga : Episode II has simply removed all of the above-mentioned things and replaced them with mediocrity .
First off , I like the new character designs in theory . What I mean is , I disliked the huge-eyed anime style of the first game because the characters didn't look human , so it was harder to empathize . However , the new characters are almost incapable of emoting . In truth , the technology is apparantly there , since faces do show emotion in a handful of scenes ( such as Jr . and Shion's tearful reminisinces or Albedo's disturbing rage ) . But most scenes are , of course , filled with more subtle and nuanced character interaction , which falls flat due to the placid death-masks most characters seem to wear .
Character dialogue also falters in a number of other areas , including the voice-acting itself . It should be mentioned that all of the voices are different this time around . In some cases ( Chaos , Jin ) the change is good ; in some ( KOS-MOS , MOMO ) bad ; and in some barely noticeable ( Ziggy , Jr . ) . This happens in the game industry , and is nothing to complain about . The only problem comes from Shion . Her voice and voice-acting are fine , but her character is so different from the previous game as to be unrecognizable . I'm not merely speaking of her new penchant for low-rider jeans - her entire personality is different from top to bottom . The old Shion was in control , but slightly geeky and had , frankly , more maturity . She was not cool , but she was endearing . The new one is bossy and sometimes obnoxious ( in the way she treats Allen - Be a man ! ) , far , far more ' empowered ' and ' liberated ' , and too hip . In short , they are complete opposites . Whichever one the designers want to use in the story is fine , but it needs to be consistent . When Shion was designed one way for Episode I , it's too late to make a change . She should stay the same throughout the series . This is especially true when , as in Episode II , the new game takes place literally 5 minutes after the end of the first , hardly leaving time for experience to have drastically changed the character .
Next , the scenes are very poorly directed this time out , with a bit of the meaningless dialogue seen in the Star Ocean series . This is limited and wouldn't be a problem but for two things : First , we learn almost nothing in this game . The few ' revelations ' were either already obvious , or covered before , in Episode I , making most of the dialogue extraneous . Second , like in so many other games , the actors ' lines were clearly recorded separately and one at a time , leaving them to be spliced together by the editors . This may make it easier on game designers but it is an awful and jarring way to produce a cut-scene . Due to load times , every character has unnaturally long pauses before reacting to others , generally killing the drama and making the game appear unprofessional . Because this is so common in games I normally don't think about it , but Xenosaga : Episode I had excellent cut-scenes , obviously recorded in chunks , to avoid this problem .
Finally , the music was poor . The original had a sweeping , epic , orchestral soundtrack . Now , when a designer has the London Philharmonic Orchestra recording for his game ( Xenosaga : Episode I ) , he normally doesn't tell them No thanks , we've decided to go a different way when making the sequel . This is exactly what happened with Namco , unfortunately . Instead , Episode II has an abundance of bouncy retro-techno-style music filling every scene . When I first heard the soundtrack in the city of Second Miltia ( on of the first locations in the game ) I immediately thought of Mega Man for the NES . That feeling didn't go away for the rest of the game . Furthermore , most of this upbeat music is grossly inappropriate for the locations the characters visit and the mood of the story . When the heroes are about to enter the final dungeon , we still hear the grating , fast-paced techno-beat of the Elsa in the background .
Now to the actual gameplay :
The battle system is entirely new and far more complicated . This is both good and bad . The good side is that , for once , an RPG actually has an element of strategy to it . The player MUST have a firm grip of the battle system to be victorious , even when they grossly out-level the enemy . The down-side is that it takes a long time for even minor battles , and most can't be avoided , despite seeing the enemies on the map-screen . This is because the enemies tend to stand on narrow pathways , blocking the entire thing . By the end of the game I was really tired of the fights and just couldn't wait to get it over with . I missed the addictive battle system from the first game , but I nonetheless think this one has some real promise . Perhaps future installments can mix the two , or use a more strategy-oriented approach only for bosses .
Otherwise , the gameplay should be familiar to veterans of the first game . There is still no world map , but the Elsa can fly to any friendly location ( of which there are only two ) during the second half of the game . The Encephalon also reappears and is quite a bit more useful , even necessary , this time because of the side-quests .
Speaking of side-quests , there are countless extra jobs to complete , and no intuitive way for figuring out where to get them or how to complete them in most cases . I just used an online guide to save myself some frustration . Even if you know how to do them perfectly , they still take a long time , mostly spent backtracking across the urban areas trying to find some obscure citizen or other .
In short , the only improvement in this game is the art style - and even that doesn't extend to the animation , which is much poorer than in the original . The game is short . I completed everything ( including all side-quests , segment doors , and optional bosses ) in less than 40 game-clocked hours . Going straight through to the final boss with a minimal amount of side-quests wouldn't take even 20 . Frankly , I'd like to see a much bigger game . This one took two DVDs , and I can't figure out what used all that space .
Xenosaga : Episode II is only part of a much larger series . Since Xenogears was billed as episode 5 of 6 , it's possible ( despite Namco not having the rights to Xenogears ) that these series are one in the same . If that's the case , at this rate , it will take all 5 additional episodes to match the size , scope and theme of the original Xenogears . Here's hoping they pick up the pace .
020 4 The first Xenosaga , while not as epic or involving as the original Xenogears , was still an incredible RPG by any standards . What made it so great was not just the story , but an extremely entertaining combat model , strong voice acting , character designs with faces which could display a full range of emotions , and excellent cut-scene direction . This latter was especially important because of the dozen or so hours players spent watching them . Xenosaga : Episode II has simply removed all of the above-mentioned things and replaced them with mediocrity .
First off , I like the new character designs in theory . What I mean is , I disliked the huge-eyed anime style of the first game because the characters didn't look human , so it was harder to empathize . However , the new characters are almost incapable of emoting . In truth , the technology is apparantly there , since faces do show emotion in a handful of scenes ( such as Jr . and Shion's tearful reminisinces or Albedo's disturbing rage ) . But most scenes are , of course , filled with more subtle and nuanced character interaction , which falls flat due to the placid death-masks most characters seem to wear .
Character dialogue also falters in a number of other areas , including the voice-acting itself . It should be mentioned that all of the voices are different this time around . In some cases ( Chaos , Jin ) the change is good ; in some ( KOS-MOS , MOMO ) bad ; and in some barely noticeable ( Ziggy , Jr . ) . This happens in the game industry , and is nothing to complain about . The only problem comes from Shion . Her voice and voice-acting are fine , but her character is so different from the previous game as to be unrecognizable . I'm not merely speaking of her new penchant for low-rider jeans - her entire personality is different from top to bottom . The old Shion was in control , but slightly geeky and had , frankly , more maturity . She was not cool , but she was endearing . The new one is bossy and sometimes obnoxious ( in the way she treats Allen - Be a man ! ) , far , far more ' empowered ' and ' liberated ' , and too hip . In short , they are complete opposites . Whichever one the designers want to use in the story is fine , but it needs to be consistent . When Shion was designed one way for Episode I , it's too late to make a change . She should stay the same throughout the series . This is especially true when , as in Episode II , the new game takes place literally 5 minutes after the end of the first , hardly leaving time for experience to have drastically changed the character .
Next , the scenes are very poorly directed this time out , with a bit of the meaningless dialogue seen in the Star Ocean series . This is limited and wouldn't be a problem but for two things : First , we learn almost nothing in this game . The few ' revelations ' were either already obvious , or covered before , in Episode I , making most of the dialogue extraneous . Second , like in so many other games , the actors ' lines were clearly recorded separately and one at a time , leaving them to be spliced together by the editors . This may make it easier on game designers but it is an awful and jarring way to produce a cut-scene . Due to load times , every character has unnaturally long pauses before reacting to others , generally killing the drama and making the game appear unprofessional . Because this is so common in games I normally don't think about it , but Xenosaga : Episode I had excellent cut-scenes , obviously recorded in chunks , to avoid this problem .
Finally , the music was poor . The original had a sweeping , epic , orchestral soundtrack . Now , when a designer has the London Philharmonic Orchestra recording for his game ( Xenosaga : Episode I ) , he normally doesn't tell them No thanks , we've decided to go a different way when making the sequel . This is exactly what happened with Namco , unfortunately . Instead , Episode II has an abundance of bouncy retro-techno-style music filling every scene . When I first heard the soundtrack in the city of Second Miltia ( on of the first locations in the game ) I immediately thought of Mega Man for the NES . That feeling didn't go away for the rest of the game . Furthermore , most of this upbeat music is grossly inappropriate for the locations the characters visit and the mood of the story . When the heroes are about to enter the final dungeon , we still hear the grating , fast-paced techno-beat of the Elsa in the background .
Now to the actual gameplay :
The battle system is entirely new and far more complicated . This is both good and bad . The good side is that , for once , an RPG actually has an element of strategy to it . The player MUST have a firm grip of the battle system to be victorious , even when they grossly out-level the enemy . The down-side is that it takes a long time for even minor battles , and most can't be avoided , despite seeing the enemies on the map-screen . This is because the enemies tend to stand on narrow pathways , blocking the entire thing . By the end of the game I was really tired of the fights and just couldn't wait to get it over with . I missed the addictive battle system from the first game , but I nonetheless think this one has some real promise . Perhaps future installments can mix the two , or use a more strategy-oriented approach only for bosses .
Otherwise , the gameplay should be familiar to veterans of the first game . There is still no world map , but the Elsa can fly to any friendly location ( of which there are only two ) during the second half of the game . The Encephalon also reappears and is quite a bit more useful , even necessary , this time because of the side-quests .
Speaking of side-quests , there are countless extra jobs to complete , and no intuitive way for figuring out where to get them or how to complete them in most cases . I just used an online guide to save myself some frustration . Even if you know how to do them perfectly , they still take a long time , mostly spent backtracking across the urban areas trying to find some obscure citizen or other .
In short , the only improvement in this game is the art style - and even that doesn't extend to the animation , which is much poorer than in the original . The game is short . I completed everything ( including all side-quests , segment doors , and optional bosses ) in less than 40 game-clocked hours . Going straight through to the final boss with a minimal amount of side-quests wouldn't take even 20 . Frankly , I'd like to see a much bigger game . This one took two DVDs , and I can't figure out what used all that space .
Xenosaga : Episode II is only part of a much larger series . Since Xenogears was billed as episode 5 of 6 , it's possible ( despite Namco not having the rights to Xenogears ) that these series are one in the same . If that's the case , at this rate , it will take all 5 additional episodes to match the size , scope and theme of the original Xenogears . Here's hoping they pick up the pace .
021 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
At first this game begins at a point where you think the story has nothing to do with xenosaga episode 1 , but while you advance in it you think of how much you're missing if you don't know anything of the first game . Great storyline , great graphics , great sound , simply Namco did it again ! . If you beated the first one don't erase the saved games and get this one , you'll like it a lot . But on the contrary if you haven't played the first then avoid it , because you'll be lost in the storyline .
023 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Pros :
- Mechs are a bigger part of the games ( you actually have to use them ) ,
- The graphics of the cutscreens are great , and the graphics overall are better
than before ,
- A couple of the characters look better ,
- Much harder than Episode I ,
- More optional bosses ,
Cons :
- New battle system is a load of mouse spunk ( can I say spunk ? ) ,
- Most characters look worse ( especially Kos-Mos ) , and Jin travels
throughout space with no pants on ,
- Almost all of the sidequests are terrible ,
- Very short ,
- The story is much weaker ,
- The dictionary is gone ; and so are Shion's glasses ,
- No shops . Why are there no shops ?
- Too much more to list . Just bad . The movie Howard the Duck is better than
this .
024 4 Pros :
- Mechs are a bigger part of the games ( you actually have to use them ) ,
- The graphics of the cutscreens are great , and the graphics overall are better
than before ,
- A couple of the characters look better ,
- Much harder than Episode I ,
- More optional bosses ,
Cons :
- New battle system is a load of mouse spunk ( can I say spunk ? ) ,
- Most characters look worse ( especially Kos-Mos ) , and Jin travels
throughout space with no pants on ,
- Almost all of the sidequests are terrible ,
- Very short ,
- The story is much weaker ,
- The dictionary is gone ; and so are Shion's glasses ,
- No shops . Why are there no shops ?
- Too much more to list . Just bad . The movie Howard the Duck is better than
this .
025 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I'm a big fan of the first installment of Xenosaga . Speaking as a woman who enjoys RPG's , it's difficult for me to find a game that really appeals to me . I need to feel involved in the story and attached to the fate of the characters , and a lot of the hack ' n ' slash games out there just don't do it for me . Xenosaga was different . It was set in space ( a nice change of pace ) and I loved the engaging storyline and fun characters portrayed in Episode One . As far as I was concerned , the game offered the perfect balance between plot development and mindless fighting . When I heard that XENOSAGA EPISODE II Jenseits von Gut und Bose was in development , I waited anxiously for its release . Now that I've played the sequel , however , I'm disappointed , and that's a bummer . I really wanted to love this game .
The second installment has issues . It's still worth playing , if you like the series and enjoy the storyline ( which I do ) . Most of the problems are outlined in the other reviews ( boring battles , etc . ) , so I won't waste your time listing them again . There is one thing ( in my opinion ) , however , that makes it almost impossible to get through this game - the music . Episode I had nice background music - sufficiently ( but not overly so ) epic in battle and nicely soothing when in town or on the ship . It complemented the 90 + hours of gameplay necessary for finishing the game . The soundtrack for the sequel , however , is without a doubt the most annoying music I have ever been subjected to - always either feverishly heroic or nerve-gratingly inane . The music in Second Miltia alone makes you want to poke your eyes out . I finally resorted to playing the last chapter of the game with the sound off most of the time . If and when Chapter III is released , I sincerely hope that the soundtrack is better .
026 4 I'm a big fan of the first installment of Xenosaga . Speaking as a woman who enjoys RPG's , it's difficult for me to find a game that really appeals to me . I need to feel involved in the story and attached to the fate of the characters , and a lot of the hack ' n ' slash games out there just don't do it for me . Xenosaga was different . It was set in space ( a nice change of pace ) and I loved the engaging storyline and fun characters portrayed in Episode One . As far as I was concerned , the game offered the perfect balance between plot development and mindless fighting . When I heard that XENOSAGA EPISODE II Jenseits von Gut und Bose was in development , I waited anxiously for its release . Now that I've played the sequel , however , I'm disappointed , and that's a bummer . I really wanted to love this game .
The second installment has issues . It's still worth playing , if you like the series and enjoy the storyline ( which I do ) . Most of the problems are outlined in the other reviews ( boring battles , etc . ) , so I won't waste your time listing them again . There is one thing ( in my opinion ) , however , that makes it almost impossible to get through this game - the music . Episode I had nice background music - sufficiently ( but not overly so ) epic in battle and nicely soothing when in town or on the ship . It complemented the 90 + hours of gameplay necessary for finishing the game . The soundtrack for the sequel , however , is without a doubt the most annoying music I have ever been subjected to - always either feverishly heroic or nerve-gratingly inane . The music in Second Miltia alone makes you want to poke your eyes out . I finally resorted to playing the last chapter of the game with the sound off most of the time . If and when Chapter III is released , I sincerely hope that the soundtrack is better .
027 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
For me , the long anticipated sequel to Xenosaga 1 was at first amazing , then mildly disappointing , and finally quite rewarding . This chapter in the series is largely devoted to answering the many questions posed in the first . We are introduced early on to the Patriarch , head of the fictional religious organization Ormus . We get to learn a lot more about the organization hierarchy and purpose .
Albedo finally succeeds in obtaining the Y-data which opens the door to Old Miltia and the original Zohar . Now there is a race between Ormus and the Federation to obtain the most important and powerful relic of all time .
As usual this is more movie than game . There's only 7 or so dungeons to explore , plus a couple ships and cities . The most rewarding of all of this is getting to witness the back story concerning the URTVs . U-DO , or the Unus Mundus Drive Operation , is explained in a little more depth as a natural consciousness from a higher plain of existence .
This has my favorite battle system that involves using a specific combination of attacks in order to ' break ' the enemy . You can also boost as usual and stock your attacks to unleash them all at once . You can even move behind the enemy for back attacks .
032 4 Simply put , Xenogears + Xenosaga 1 & is the absolute best storyline , and best role playing experience on the PS2 to date .
I do strongly believe that Xenosaga 2 has the best storyline in any RPG I have ever , ever played , including Final Fantasy 7 , Xenogears , and hundreds of others . Because RPGs are strongly reliant on storyline for gameplay , I consider this to be the pinnacle of Role Playing on the PS2 . Final Fantasy X comes close , as does Star Ocean , but in terms of storyline , this game beats them .
However , I did have to mark down for a few other minor flaws . This game is highly a niche game , only for those who enjoy the style , and the sci fi setting . It's also very short . . . . .20 hours if you play straight through ( no leveling up ) . Maybe 38 - 42 hours if you take up the side-quests and want a strong character .
Gameplay : The first Xenosaga highly relied on cut scenes and narrative . In fact , I absolutely could not stand the battle system . Xenosaga Episode 2 still relies heavily upon that storytelling through hours of cut scenes , but it fixes the battle system .
The battle system is , simply put , one of the most fun turn-based systems I have ever experienced . While Xenosaga Episode 1 ' s battle system seemed slow and unwieldy , Episode 2 has a fast paced , action packed , and highly challenging battle system .
You have 3 characters on the screen at just about all times , these characters can be switched off in a manner much like FFX , but it costs a turn in this game , causing it to be more tactical .
Each turn you have many options ; you can attack ( more on various attacks later ) , stock ( save a turn for the next turn in order to get a combo ) , use ether ( read : magic ) , or change your battle party .
If you choose to attack , there is a whole slew of options here as well . Most importantly is learning the weak points of the enemy . Every enemy , including bosses , have a certain attack combination that will be most effective against them . When you attack , you can press either square , which is a B zone attack , Triangle , which is a C zone attack , or circle , which is another B zone attack . Certain characters also have an A zone attack , but this is only against flying opponents . You must expierament with the enemies in order to learn the zones they are weakest in . Sometimes , you may be required to ' stock ' for a turn in order to attack the enemy in its weak zone .
What is the advantage of attacking weak zones ? you ask . Well , it allows for large scale , damage pounding comboes that are absolutely essential in this game . Once you have hit all of the enemy's weak zones , you can do a break on them . This involves the circle button . Once a character is ' broken ' , they can be tossed into the air , or attacked while prone on the ground . This can add up to tons of damage if you plan your boosting right .
Boosting is another integral part of the combat system . Pressing the R1 button brings up a 3 slot meter which is sometimes empty , but it may feature the character potraits of some of your characters . If you press R1 , and then the button ( square , triangle , or circle ) that that character's potrait is on , they will boost forward , and immediately after the acting unit has taken its turn , this new character will have a turn .
Enemies , however , can take advantage of all of these systems as well . If you do not plan well , or randomly attack without comboes , the enemy will break you , boost ahead several times , and can easily destroy one of your characters in one short , brutal assault . Countless times my entire party was destroyed by simple enemies that should have been no problem , merely because I did not plan ahead . You will get very , very used to seeing the game over screen . The plus side of this difficulty is that you feel real exhiliration when you win , it is a great accomplishment . Note that even with power levelling , it won't help you much in some situations , believe me , I tried .
Finally , there is Ether . Ether skills are basically magic , if you know anything about RPGs at all , then you know basically what is present here , healing ether skills , attack ether skills , nothing big .
I forgot to mention the E.S . units . These are basically mechs , and were called A.G.W.S . in Episode 1 . Many points in the game involve you using these to move around and fight , and now they have an independant battle system . It's basically the same as the one with your characters on screen , except that you only have one attack a turn , no comboes or anything like that . It is just an added piece of fun to an already awesome game .
There is a skill system in place . After every battle you earn class pointss and / or skill points . These can be spent on getting new ether skills , or new upgrades to your characters that can make them more resilient when you equip them . Every character has the same skill set , and this is a minor flaw that slightly brings down the gameplay score , but not the overall enjoyment in the least .
Finally , one other flaw with the gameplay is that there are no weapons , and no armor . Both of these are RPG standard fare , and it seems kind of odd to not have either . This may just be something the developers decided not to do that I disagree with , but it still seems a little odd . Note that this really does not detract from the game in any way .
In Xenosaga 2 , they also opted to add a lot more puzzle solving than episode 1 had . The interesting thing is that these puzzles , while challenging , don't take away from the gameplay expierience at all . In fact , I found many to be very enjoyable .
The storyline of this game is simply incredible . But , keep in mind that it is basically required that you have beaten Xenosaga episode 1 if you want to understand it at all , or at least be acquainted with the story in some manner . If you haven't played it , the best way is to get the bonus DVD that came with the game , there are probably some somewhere around , maybe even on ebay , that allows you to see 4 hours of cut scenes from the original . This can substitute in for those who dont want to spend the 60 - 80 hours required on Xenosaga episode 1 to beat it .
Anyway , I digress , Xenosaga 2 ' s storyline is more of the space opera fun . Often times I got very emotional , and the game can tug on your heartstrings . In the ending sequence of the game , a spectacular event lasting about 15 minutes , I was seriously in tears . This game can do that to you , the storyline is that good . It is also filled with entrigue , betrayal , new discoveries , and new secrets . It is truly incredible . I have seen certain reviews that say the storyline doesn't solve everything , it doesn't solve all the mysteries . Let me tell you something : it's not supposed to . Xenosaga is going to be a 4 - 8 part series , and the storyline is continuous . It makes no sense at all to have the story be complete in only episode II . I see no reason why anyone could possibly complain about it .
Graphics : The graphics of Xenosaga 2 are basically the same as they were in episode 1 . No real improvements at all . They are still great though , and the cut scenes are gorgeous . My one real complaint here is that the lip sync is sometimes off ( a problem with just about every RPG with voice overs ) , and some of the environments are a little dull . This is made up for in the environments that are simply breathtaking .
Sound : The soundtrack of Xenosaga Episode 2 is godlike . From the opening theme to the battle music to the catchy Japanese sounding tunes that ring in your head forever , this music is INCREDIBLE . The voice acting is also absolutely superb , I have zero complaints , this is a rarity . Sound effects are also very appropriate , and very well done .
Value : The game is hurt in the value department only because of its length . To put it in perspective , the first playthrough took me about 28 hours , but more like 30 if you count all the times I died and had to go back to the point I got killed at . After you win , you can use your game clear file to access even more goodies like some bonus bosses , dungeons , and side quests , and this helps make up for the shorter length . Personally , I think its the best $50 I have ever spent .
Tilt : Finally , the overall enjoyment . This game is simply the most enjoyable game I have played on the PS2 . I completed it after several all-night gaming sessions , and it will most likely keep you up too . The Role Playing experience here is superb , the storyline is possibly the best in RPG history , and the battle system is incredible and in depth . There is virtually nothing not to like . As an avid RPG gamer , I recommend this game as highly as is possible . However , there are a few things to consider : can you handle the challenge , and do you like the Space Opera / Anime feel ? If you answered yes to both , get this game .
035 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I just finished this game last night , and I'm still blown away . I should have expected it , but still , the ending shocked me , and I couldn't help but nearly cry at the heavily religious themed ending . This wasn't the only time I was filled with emotion in this game . Scenes with the ' villain ' gave me simpathy for a character who seemed to deserve none in the first game , and were often very heavy in nature . Shion is forced to make a choice which breaks her hearts and an emotional player's as well . This whole game is infused with emotional depth and philosophical ideas in a way no other video game can compare to , and will never fail to amaze the player at the power Xenosaga has over their hearts .
This amazing story is told through cut scenes with good graphics , some lasting at least 15 minutes . I never found myself tired of the endless cut scenes because the improved character models look great , the story is enormous , and the action scenes are greatly done .
For fans of the first game , gone are the four experience types , now you get three , and one of them you rarely get . Skill points are used to learn abilities on the new skill tree . All characters share the same skills , but each can put the skills to use differently . Class points are earned easily , from bosses and from mastering parts of the skill tree . Exp is earned from fighting battles , as usual . Some people say that the skill tree makes all characters nearly the same , but this is far from true . some characters have stronger ether ( magic ) casting ability , some have ether based attacks , strong against a few types of enemies , but horribly weak against others , some have strong physical attacks , some can only hit ground enemies , and some can knock enemies into the air and then hit them hard . Stocking allows you to build powerful combos to utilize the new break system . In the break system , certain move sets will ' break ' the enemy , after which they will recieve slightly more damage and can be knocked to the ground or into the air . Using the improved boost function , which now goes with the entire party , as well as enemy party , you can have your other characters attack the enemies which are in the air and deal at least twice the normal damage . Gone are the long , annoying , repetitive animations from the first game , battles now go almost twice as fast , causing the game to be about half as short as the first . There is no money system in this game , although you can sell items for a side quest , so all items must be found or aquired from enemies , although eventually you will get spells which will make the items mostly unimportant , and the ' psycho pocket ' skill will allow you to steal usefull items from enemies . Sadly , gone are Yasunori Mitsuda's orchestrated themes , now Yuki Kajiura is in charge of the music , which seemed to me to be so ' Phantasy Star 2 ' ( Sega Genisis ) , which isn't a bad thing , I just miss the orchestra .
Anyway , I think I've summed up the differences well , so if you can get by those , you will hopefully enjoy the game . By the end of this game , even more than in the first , you will feel that you are standing in the middle of two very powerful , ancient forces , and the series is reaching the point of being an epic . If you haven't played the first yet , there's a lot going on in this game , it will be confusing to someone who hasn't played the first . It's a greatest hits title , so you can pick it up without emptying your wallet .
036 4 I just finished this game last night , and I'm still blown away . I should have expected it , but still , the ending shocked me , and I couldn't help but nearly cry at the heavily religious themed ending . This wasn't the only time I was filled with emotion in this game . Scenes with the ' villain ' gave me simpathy for a character who seemed to deserve none in the first game , and were often very heavy in nature . Shion is forced to make a choice which breaks her hearts and an emotional player's as well . This whole game is infused with emotional depth and philosophical ideas in a way no other video game can compare to , and will never fail to amaze the player at the power Xenosaga has over their hearts .
This amazing story is told through cut scenes with good graphics , some lasting at least 15 minutes . I never found myself tired of the endless cut scenes because the improved character models look great , the story is enormous , and the action scenes are greatly done .
For fans of the first game , gone are the four experience types , now you get three , and one of them you rarely get . Skill points are used to learn abilities on the new skill tree . All characters share the same skills , but each can put the skills to use differently . Class points are earned easily , from bosses and from mastering parts of the skill tree . Exp is earned from fighting battles , as usual . Some people say that the skill tree makes all characters nearly the same , but this is far from true . some characters have stronger ether ( magic ) casting ability , some have ether based attacks , strong against a few types of enemies , but horribly weak against others , some have strong physical attacks , some can only hit ground enemies , and some can knock enemies into the air and then hit them hard . Stocking allows you to build powerful combos to utilize the new break system . In the break system , certain move sets will ' break ' the enemy , after which they will recieve slightly more damage and can be knocked to the ground or into the air . Using the improved boost function , which now goes with the entire party , as well as enemy party , you can have your other characters attack the enemies which are in the air and deal at least twice the normal damage . Gone are the long , annoying , repetitive animations from the first game , battles now go almost twice as fast , causing the game to be about half as short as the first . There is no money system in this game , although you can sell items for a side quest , so all items must be found or aquired from enemies , although eventually you will get spells which will make the items mostly unimportant , and the ' psycho pocket ' skill will allow you to steal usefull items from enemies . Sadly , gone are Yasunori Mitsuda's orchestrated themes , now Yuki Kajiura is in charge of the music , which seemed to me to be so ' Phantasy Star 2 ' ( Sega Genisis ) , which isn't a bad thing , I just miss the orchestra .
Anyway , I think I've summed up the differences well , so if you can get by those , you will hopefully enjoy the game . By the end of this game , even more than in the first , you will feel that you are standing in the middle of two very powerful , ancient forces , and the series is reaching the point of being an epic . If you haven't played the first yet , there's a lot going on in this game , it will be confusing to someone who hasn't played the first . It's a greatest hits title , so you can pick it up without emptying your wallet .
037 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
In all honestly , how could a game series take this big of a step backward ? I mean even the best or most average of game series ' take a while and a few bad sequels to degrade to such a point ( example Mega Man X5 ~ X7 ) . How could one even work on the development team with a straight consciousnesses knowing you were developing and planned to release such a inferior product ? These are the questions about Xenosaga II that keep me up at night . . .
But seriously ( no I don't say up at odd hours of the night pondering about what Xenosaga II could have , should have been ) , for as great as the original was and the amount of hype this game received , Xenosaga II is a perfect example of a ' almost ' complete bust .
First off , the game is way to short . I was really surprised I was on disc 2 after 7 hours of gameplay . I'm not quite sure , but does Xenosaga II use dual layer DVD's like the first Xenosaga , cause if it does and that's all they put on the first disc , that's pretty sad . It's almost seems they put it on two normal DVD's instead of a dual layer disc just to give the player the illusion that because it's two discs it must be a long game . Nice marketing tactic guys , gamers aren't as dumb as you think . . .
Xenosaga II's battle system is absolutely horrendous ; it's up there with Legend of Dragoon's battle system in my book ( I love to bash that game to no end ) . Expect to die a few times and spend a few hours taking a severe beating ( especially if your battle party is surrounded by enemies ~ that's the definition of fun ! ) until you get the hang of it . Add to the fact the longer you take to enter a command , the more likely the enemy is going to boost and slap you around in the next turn . To add to this atrocity , add the fun of constantly stocking and boosting attacks in conjunction with airing and downing a opponent to cause any kind of reasonable damage . Then add to that fact not all characters can damage airborne opponents . Combat in Xenosaga I may have been a little basic and simplistic , but at least it was easy to pickup and learn , you almost need a degree ( or a really good guide ) to get anywhere in Xenoaga II . Oh , and don't get me started on the Mech or E.S . combat . While character combat is confusing to no end , E.S . combat is so pathetically simple it makes the gear combat in Xenogears look good in comparison .
As for side quests , add another point to the lame column . 35 sub quests helping complete strangers out of their stupid , insignificant daily problems they won't remember a week from now while the fate of the universe swings in the balance of your quest's success . Yeah sure , that sounds like fun as well . If I don't like to help complete strangers within the real world with their problems , what makes game developers think I want to do it in a video game ? Come on !
Graphically , Xenosaga II is pretty much the same as the original , which makes me wonder why they hyped up that part of the game so much ? Do they think gamers are so fixated on that lone aspect of a game , they are willing to forgive flaws in execution and gameplay ? I mean , you can take the most graphically gorgeous game , and if the gameplay stinks , the game as whole suffers . Xenosaga II , as a game , proves this theory without a doubt .
As for sound or music , you actually better off turning the volume off , unless you're viewing a cut scene . Most of the music is pretty bad ( a slim few interesting tracks do exist ) , and the voice acting is decent , outside battle that is . In battle , the voices make you cringe , where talking Star Ocean : The 2nd Story sound bite territory here . MOMO has to be the worst , the first time you hear her say I'll lend support you just want reach though the TV screen , or hope she reaches puberty before the series is over .
On the plus side ( yes , their is a plus side ~ surprisingly ) Xenosaga II's story continues on the rich tale from the first game , even if it seems a little touch and go , and they seem to focus too long on certain characters ( the first disc is basically Jr . and MOMO centered ) ; the second disc plays like hey , we forgot about the core of the story , let's go find the Zohar .
The bottom line , if you like the story , you should play Xenosaga II , despite all it shortcomings . Actually , I'd recommend renting the game instead of buying it , it's short enough , and it'll teach the developers a very meaningful lesson . If this game becomes a greatest hit , like the original , I'd be very suprised ( but it probably will just because I said that ) .
038 4 In all honestly , how could a game series take this big of a step backward ? I mean even the best or most average of game series ' take a while and a few bad sequels to degrade to such a point ( example Mega Man X5 ~ X7 ) . How could one even work on the development team with a straight consciousnesses knowing you were developing and planned to release such a inferior product ? These are the questions about Xenosaga II that keep me up at night . . .
But seriously ( no I don't say up at odd hours of the night pondering about what Xenosaga II could have , should have been ) , for as great as the original was and the amount of hype this game received , Xenosaga II is a perfect example of a ' almost ' complete bust .
First off , the game is way to short . I was really surprised I was on disc 2 after 7 hours of gameplay . I'm not quite sure , but does Xenosaga II use dual layer DVD's like the first Xenosaga , cause if it does and that's all they put on the first disc , that's pretty sad . It's almost seems they put it on two normal DVD's instead of a dual layer disc just to give the player the illusion that because it's two discs it must be a long game . Nice marketing tactic guys , gamers aren't as dumb as you think . . .
Xenosaga II's battle system is absolutely horrendous ; it's up there with Legend of Dragoon's battle system in my book ( I love to bash that game to no end ) . Expect to die a few times and spend a few hours taking a severe beating ( especially if your battle party is surrounded by enemies ~ that's the definition of fun ! ) until you get the hang of it . Add to the fact the longer you take to enter a command , the more likely the enemy is going to boost and slap you around in the next turn . To add to this atrocity , add the fun of constantly stocking and boosting attacks in conjunction with airing and downing a opponent to cause any kind of reasonable damage . Then add to that fact not all characters can damage airborne opponents . Combat in Xenosaga I may have been a little basic and simplistic , but at least it was easy to pickup and learn , you almost need a degree ( or a really good guide ) to get anywhere in Xenoaga II . Oh , and don't get me started on the Mech or E.S . combat . While character combat is confusing to no end , E.S . combat is so pathetically simple it makes the gear combat in Xenogears look good in comparison .
As for side quests , add another point to the lame column . 35 sub quests helping complete strangers out of their stupid , insignificant daily problems they won't remember a week from now while the fate of the universe swings in the balance of your quest's success . Yeah sure , that sounds like fun as well . If I don't like to help complete strangers within the real world with their problems , what makes game developers think I want to do it in a video game ? Come on !
Graphically , Xenosaga II is pretty much the same as the original , which makes me wonder why they hyped up that part of the game so much ? Do they think gamers are so fixated on that lone aspect of a game , they are willing to forgive flaws in execution and gameplay ? I mean , you can take the most graphically gorgeous game , and if the gameplay stinks , the game as whole suffers . Xenosaga II , as a game , proves this theory without a doubt .
As for sound or music , you actually better off turning the volume off , unless you're viewing a cut scene . Most of the music is pretty bad ( a slim few interesting tracks do exist ) , and the voice acting is decent , outside battle that is . In battle , the voices make you cringe , where talking Star Ocean : The 2nd Story sound bite territory here . MOMO has to be the worst , the first time you hear her say I'll lend support you just want reach though the TV screen , or hope she reaches puberty before the series is over .
On the plus side ( yes , their is a plus side ~ surprisingly ) Xenosaga II's story continues on the rich tale from the first game , even if it seems a little touch and go , and they seem to focus too long on certain characters ( the first disc is basically Jr . and MOMO centered ) ; the second disc plays like hey , we forgot about the core of the story , let's go find the Zohar .
The bottom line , if you like the story , you should play Xenosaga II , despite all it shortcomings . Actually , I'd recommend renting the game instead of buying it , it's short enough , and it'll teach the developers a very meaningful lesson . If this game becomes a greatest hit , like the original , I'd be very suprised ( but it probably will just because I said that ) .
043 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I loved the first Xenosaga . Then , this arrived . Episode 2 isen't a bad game in terms of the story , the intro is absolutely DYNAMITE . Then you get into a battle . Now , if you like tactical stuff , this is a good game for you . But if you're trying to fight your way through a hoard of enemies to get to a save point in record timing , I say save your money . Gone is the amazingly well-done battle system in the first episode . In its place stands a completely out-of-nowhere new way of battling that takes 15 minutes to get rid of a couple of easy enemies ( the easy ones in this game have around 2000 Hps ) . Ridiculous , but that's not all . The enemies have weak zones that depend of the height of the attack that you input.The zones are A , B and C , A being the highest . Triangle = C , square = B and Circle = A - SOMETIMES - . See what I mean ? It's completely screwed-up and you have to become deeply
addicted to the game to understand its full potential . And if that wasn't enough , they changed the voice actors too . Kos-Mos's
voice sounds more like an operator than a robot's and Momo sounds like a brat . At least , chaos ' voice has improved . I'd prefer playing episode 1 twice than playing this . I just hope Namco comes out with a better sequel , otherwise spend your moey on something else ( like Shadow Hearts , for example ) .
044 4 I loved the first Xenosaga . Then , this arrived . Episode 2 isen't a bad game in terms of the story , the intro is absolutely DYNAMITE . Then you get into a battle . Now , if you like tactical stuff , this is a good game for you . But if you're trying to fight your way through a hoard of enemies to get to a save point in record timing , I say save your money . Gone is the amazingly well-done battle system in the first episode . In its place stands a completely out-of-nowhere new way of battling that takes 15 minutes to get rid of a couple of easy enemies ( the easy ones in this game have around 2000 Hps ) . Ridiculous , but that's not all . The enemies have weak zones that depend of the height of the attack that you input.The zones are A , B and C , A being the highest . Triangle = C , square = B and Circle = A - SOMETIMES - . See what I mean ? It's completely screwed-up and you have to become deeply
addicted to the game to understand its full potential . And if that wasn't enough , they changed the voice actors too . Kos-Mos's
voice sounds more like an operator than a robot's and Momo sounds like a brat . At least , chaos ' voice has improved . I'd prefer playing episode 1 twice than playing this . I just hope Namco comes out with a better sequel , otherwise spend your moey on something else ( like Shadow Hearts , for example ) .
045 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Xenosaga II-Jenseits von Gut und Boese came in November to Europe and was the first Xenosaga , which was released here ! ! ! But we European players never played Xenosaga I before , so Namco released the second Xenosaga in a great Special Box . In this box was the game itself and a Movie-DVD with nearly all Xenosaga I movies .
Back to topic , in my opinion Xenosaga II is a pretty game with cool movies and a battle system that makes fun .
The music in this game was composed from Yuki Kajiura in the movies and Shinji Hosoe in the rest of the game . I think Kajiuras music is really good but Shinji Hosoe did a bad job , with his elevator music ; o )
The graphics are okay but I couldn't see anything outstanding .
In the end I must say , that Xenosaga II is a good RPG , even if it's not so wonderful than the first Xenosaga . That's the reason , why I imported Xenosaga I from your country ^ _ ~
But at last the most PAL-players are happy , that actually ( my dictionary doesn't give me the right English translation for ueberhaupt ; _ ; sorry ) Xenosaga II come to Europe yet ! ! ! !
So I look forward to the third and last Xenosaga and hope , that this Episode will be like the first ! ! ! !
Many greets from Germany . . . . . Viele Grueße aus Deutschland ^ ^
046 4 Xenosaga II-Jenseits von Gut und Boese came in November to Europe and was the first Xenosaga , which was released here ! ! ! But we European players never played Xenosaga I before , so Namco released the second Xenosaga in a great Special Box . In this box was the game itself and a Movie-DVD with nearly all Xenosaga I movies .
Back to topic , in my opinion Xenosaga II is a pretty game with cool movies and a battle system that makes fun .
The music in this game was composed from Yuki Kajiura in the movies and Shinji Hosoe in the rest of the game . I think Kajiuras music is really good but Shinji Hosoe did a bad job , with his elevator music ; o )
The graphics are okay but I couldn't see anything outstanding .
In the end I must say , that Xenosaga II is a good RPG , even if it's not so wonderful than the first Xenosaga . That's the reason , why I imported Xenosaga I from your country ^ _ ~
But at last the most PAL-players are happy , that actually ( my dictionary doesn't give me the right English translation for ueberhaupt ; _ ; sorry ) Xenosaga II come to Europe yet ! ! ! !
So I look forward to the third and last Xenosaga and hope , that this Episode will be like the first ! ! ! !
Many greets from Germany . . . . . Viele Grueße aus Deutschland ^ ^
047 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The original Xenosaga was a massive epic set in the universe of Xenogears ( though not directly related . ) The anime art style was innovative , and fun , and the story well thought out , deep , and engaging . Early on it was made clear that Xenosaga was meant to be a trilogy , so naturally Episode II was inevitable , and I was looking very forward to the new entry as many plot threads were left untied at the end of the original .
This installment disappoints in a number of ways . First , the art style has gone from being an anime , to being an attempt at more realism , which isn't easy to pull off on PS2 . I normally do prefer realism , but I loved the art style of the original here , and felt that there was no need to change it . Many of the game play mechanics were confusing , I never got a double attack going , it seemed overly complex compared to the original . The game suffered from severe frame rate drops frequently , and worst of all the story was convoluted , and about half way into the game completely looses track of its own plot , either that or it feels that way because rather than focusing on the story and primary quest the game drowns the player in too many nonsense side quests , many of them taking far too long , and many of them having a hook that they cannot be completed until playing through the game a 2nd time . Namco really made me mad because I normally like to get absolutely everything in an RPG , but this game you have to literally play through the game 20 times just to complete one of the side quests , and frankly , I have too many other games to play , I'm sure that other people would feel the same way .
On the plus side , there were a handful of interesting revelations in the story . I am eager to see the third game , but I certainly hope that Namco shifts its focus back to the story and the main quest . Side quests are good , but there should only be a small handful of them . The average player will spend about 25 hours out of the 40 it takes to complete this game ( as complete as possible for 1 time through ) on side quests and that's just far too many .
048 4 The original Xenosaga was a massive epic set in the universe of Xenogears ( though not directly related . ) The anime art style was innovative , and fun , and the story well thought out , deep , and engaging . Early on it was made clear that Xenosaga was meant to be a trilogy , so naturally Episode II was inevitable , and I was looking very forward to the new entry as many plot threads were left untied at the end of the original .
This installment disappoints in a number of ways . First , the art style has gone from being an anime , to being an attempt at more realism , which isn't easy to pull off on PS2 . I normally do prefer realism , but I loved the art style of the original here , and felt that there was no need to change it . Many of the game play mechanics were confusing , I never got a double attack going , it seemed overly complex compared to the original . The game suffered from severe frame rate drops frequently , and worst of all the story was convoluted , and about half way into the game completely looses track of its own plot , either that or it feels that way because rather than focusing on the story and primary quest the game drowns the player in too many nonsense side quests , many of them taking far too long , and many of them having a hook that they cannot be completed until playing through the game a 2nd time . Namco really made me mad because I normally like to get absolutely everything in an RPG , but this game you have to literally play through the game 20 times just to complete one of the side quests , and frankly , I have too many other games to play , I'm sure that other people would feel the same way .
On the plus side , there were a handful of interesting revelations in the story . I am eager to see the third game , but I certainly hope that Namco shifts its focus back to the story and the main quest . Side quests are good , but there should only be a small handful of them . The average player will spend about 25 hours out of the 40 it takes to complete this game ( as complete as possible for 1 time through ) on side quests and that's just far too many .
049 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The first Xenosaga was a great game , and my all time favorite . This one comes a close second . There is a new battle system , and graphics are overall enhanced . And if you have at least a decent home theatre system , the game sounds absolutely magnificent , especially during cut scenes where Dolby Digital 5.1 kicks in . On my 51 ' HDTV with Bose surround system , it was a true slice of heaven and the cut scenes became truly something of an epic . Words simply cannot do justice to how good the overall experience of the game can be with the right system . I haven't seen many games with this high of a production value . I understand that the number one complaint about the first game was the long cut scenes and now you have the option of skipping them ( although I personally loved every minute of it and don't understand why you'd want to skip them , as they are vital to the game . . the series was never meant to be a ' light ' RPG . . )
Few changes have been made that may or may not be good depending on one's taste . One , they changed the voice actors for a few characters . Two , there is a new music composer , so if you loved the music from the previous game , you might be a little dissapointed . Finally , and this is just a rumor I heard and I may be wrong on the details , one of the original story writers seem to have left the game . As to where this will take the future progression of the Xenosaga series , I don't know . But the story so far was very satisfying , and I'm already looking forward to the third one . Since there hasn't been any RPGs of this caliber for PS2 recently ( Except for Shadow Hearts 2 , but it was released nearly 5 months ago . . ) do yourself a favor and give it a try . Oh , and if you still haven't , make sure you play the first one before you play this one . The first game can be picked up for around $15 bucks now I believe , truly a bargain if there ever was one . You won't be dissapointed .
050 4 The first Xenosaga was a great game , and my all time favorite . This one comes a close second . There is a new battle system , and graphics are overall enhanced . And if you have at least a decent home theatre system , the game sounds absolutely magnificent , especially during cut scenes where Dolby Digital 5.1 kicks in . On my 51 ' HDTV with Bose surround system , it was a true slice of heaven and the cut scenes became truly something of an epic . Words simply cannot do justice to how good the overall experience of the game can be with the right system . I haven't seen many games with this high of a production value . I understand that the number one complaint about the first game was the long cut scenes and now you have the option of skipping them ( although I personally loved every minute of it and don't understand why you'd want to skip them , as they are vital to the game . . the series was never meant to be a ' light ' RPG . . )
Few changes have been made that may or may not be good depending on one's taste . One , they changed the voice actors for a few characters . Two , there is a new music composer , so if you loved the music from the previous game , you might be a little dissapointed . Finally , and this is just a rumor I heard and I may be wrong on the details , one of the original story writers seem to have left the game . As to where this will take the future progression of the Xenosaga series , I don't know . But the story so far was very satisfying , and I'm already looking forward to the third one . Since there hasn't been any RPGs of this caliber for PS2 recently ( Except for Shadow Hearts 2 , but it was released nearly 5 months ago . . ) do yourself a favor and give it a try . Oh , and if you still haven't , make sure you play the first one before you play this one . The first game can be picked up for around $15 bucks now I believe , truly a bargain if there ever was one . You won't be dissapointed .
051 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The first xenosaga game's budget was at like 100% , and they cranked out a heck of a good game . However , when it came to the second xenosaga game , ( this one ) , it's like they only got a 25% budget , and they cranked out a . . . . . well . . . . a piece of crap game . From the way the characters look , to the way they sound , it's pretty corny . The level designs and music totally sucks , and the battle system will leave you saying , W-T-F ! ? I'm currently playing the 3rd xenosaga game , and it seems like they got a 90% budget , and so far , at 5 hours + into the game , it feels the same way as it did when I played the first xenosaga game . . . . pretty good . So it seems like they cranked out a good product with the third xenosaga game , and i'm having a good time playing through it so far . Lets just hope it stays that way . As for this one . . . forget about it . Definately play the first one , forget about the second one , ( just watch the cut scenes from the game on the internet somewhere so that you can keep track of what the story is all about ) , and definately play the third one . I didn't finish this game . I just took it back to the store and got my money back . It's just not a good play . At least not to me .
052 4 The first xenosaga game's budget was at like 100% , and they cranked out a heck of a good game . However , when it came to the second xenosaga game , ( this one ) , it's like they only got a 25% budget , and they cranked out a . . . . . well . . . . a piece of crap game . From the way the characters look , to the way they sound , it's pretty corny . The level designs and music totally sucks , and the battle system will leave you saying , W-T-F ! ? I'm currently playing the 3rd xenosaga game , and it seems like they got a 90% budget , and so far , at 5 hours + into the game , it feels the same way as it did when I played the first xenosaga game . . . . pretty good . So it seems like they cranked out a good product with the third xenosaga game , and i'm having a good time playing through it so far . Lets just hope it stays that way . As for this one . . . forget about it . Definately play the first one , forget about the second one , ( just watch the cut scenes from the game on the internet somewhere so that you can keep track of what the story is all about ) , and definately play the third one . I didn't finish this game . I just took it back to the store and got my money back . It's just not a good play . At least not to me .
053 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Pros : Interesting plot , memorable characters , memorable locations
Cons : Only 1 / 3rd of the series , music is awful ( sounds like Sega Genesis ) , character interaction is bizarre and lifeless , awkward voice acting , long loading times , uneven difficulty , irritating battle system , poor character designs , tedious and and unsatisfying sidequests
Other thoughts : This game is pretty bad - a step down in nearly every way from the first game . If you enjoyed Episode I and want to see the series out , you should note that Episode III is the best in the series . Unfortunately , in order to fully appreciate Episode III and get the most satisfaction from the series , you will probably have to play this . I think it's worth it , but consider this a warning .
054 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Pros : Interesting plot , memorable characters , memorable locations
Cons : Only 1 / 3rd of the series , music is awful ( sounds like Sega Genesis ) , character interaction is bizarre and lifeless , awkward voice acting , long loading times , uneven difficulty , irritating battle system , poor character designs , tedious and and unsatisfying sidequests
Other thoughts : This game is pretty bad - a step down in nearly every way from the first game . If you enjoyed Episode I and want to see the series out , you should note that Episode III is the best in the series . Unfortunately , in order to fully appreciate Episode III and get the most satisfaction from the series , you will probably have to play this . I think it's worth it , but consider this a warning .
055 4 Pros : Interesting plot , memorable characters , memorable locations
Cons : Only 1 / 3rd of the series , music is awful ( sounds like Sega Genesis ) , character interaction is bizarre and lifeless , awkward voice acting , long loading times , uneven difficulty , irritating battle system , poor character designs , tedious and and unsatisfying sidequests
Other thoughts : This game is pretty bad - a step down in nearly every way from the first game . If you enjoyed Episode I and want to see the series out , you should note that Episode III is the best in the series . Unfortunately , in order to fully appreciate Episode III and get the most satisfaction from the series , you will probably have to play this . I think it's worth it , but consider this a warning .
056 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I would like to start off with the good things about the game . ( which I still have not had the heart to beat ) . The story is very good . Very deep plot with epic twists and crazy characters . Graphic are amazing ! ! ! New character models were unneeded but I'll take it . Music lacked a bit but not going to cry . Combat . . . . . WTF XENOSAGA !
Had to start a pharagraph for this one . This game is so fustration when you have 6 - 7 minutes fights that you cannot avoid . The whole stocking up before you can do damage is just not fun . Not to mention the endless one liners during the fight . MOMO's grant me a miracle had me wishing for a miracle . All things aside who play tested the games and said that the combat was ok ? WOW ! anyway I still have not completed the game and I plan on it just needed to get that off my chest .
057 4 I would like to start off with the good things about the game . ( which I still have not had the heart to beat ) . The story is very good . Very deep plot with epic twists and crazy characters . Graphic are amazing ! ! ! New character models were unneeded but I'll take it . Music lacked a bit but not going to cry . Combat . . . . . WTF XENOSAGA !
Had to start a pharagraph for this one . This game is so fustration when you have 6 - 7 minutes fights that you cannot avoid . The whole stocking up before you can do damage is just not fun . Not to mention the endless one liners during the fight . MOMO's grant me a miracle had me wishing for a miracle . All things aside who play tested the games and said that the combat was ok ? WOW ! anyway I still have not completed the game and I plan on it just needed to get that off my chest .
058 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Xenosaga Episode II
i played the first game in this series and i fell in love with it , no real complaints , except i am still trying to figure out why Namco / Bandai gyped us out of at least 3 more games and ended it way to early . i will recommend it to anyone .
059 4 Xenosaga Episode II
i played the first game in this series and i fell in love with it , no real complaints , except i am still trying to figure out why Namco / Bandai gyped us out of at least 3 more games and ended it way to early . i will recommend it to anyone .
060 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Me in my Bf hasn't played the game yet but It did come in good timing before his b-day and It was a great price , and the discs were in great condition and it did come with all the contents as it said it would . I do rate this game To be Good and i can't wait to see what the Episode II would be like . Thanks for the game and if you ever come across #3 please write me and let me know or i will just check myself . Thanks alot Cassandra in Cullman AL .
062 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
When I Read The Reviews When Buying This Game I Was Worried That It Was Gonna Take A While To Finish This Game Because People Really Exaggerated On The Battles , Its Ten Minutes Per Enemy Encounter And With Millions Of HP And With You Only Doing A Couple Hundred Damage ? Sure The Enemy Battles Are A LITTLE Longer Then Most Other RPG Games But I Usually Finished In 30secs To A Min . The Load Times Aren't That Bad I've Had The Same PS2 For 7 Years And The Battles Always Load Between 10 Secs . The Battles Are All About Utilizing Your Enemies Weak Points , Its A Different Battle System Then Most But I Enjoyed It , It Requires You To Use your Noggin . But If You've Just Been Introduced To The Game I Would Suggest Getting Or Playing The 1st Game First . The Story Is Great And You Would Probably Be Confused If You Didn't Play The First . The Reason It Got 4 Stars Was The Remake Of Some Of The Old Models And Voice Acting A Perfect Example Would Be Kos-Mos . Overall It Was A Good Game Don't Let The Bad Reviews Fool You . There's Also A Third One Which Is The Best Of The Whole Trilogy
064 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Xenosaga PS2 Trilogy Episode I + II + III ( All Original Black Label )
I selected all three games as they are a total series . I have all three and the guide books gotten via Amazon .
This is a game enthusiast series . The story is very entrancing . Playing the game is a great deal more fun with the instruction books .
Getting the unopened book #2 is best as a cd comes with it .
It is an incredible series to challenge .
065 4 Xenosaga PS2 Trilogy Episode I + II + III ( All Original Black Label )
I selected all three games as they are a total series . I have all three and the guide books gotten via Amazon .
This is a game enthusiast series . The story is very entrancing . Playing the game is a great deal more fun with the instruction books .
Getting the unopened book #2 is best as a cd comes with it .
It is an incredible series to challenge .
066 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
If you are a fan of the Xenosaga series , this is a great game .
It is just as challenging as the first episode .
067 4 If you are a fan of the Xenosaga series , this is a great game .
It is just as challenging as the first episode .
068 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I really like the Xenosaga series . The only thing I would have to say is that the battle system is kinda off . The cinematics in the game however are great and the music is good too . Personally , I think some of the characters might need more improvement as far as the driving force of the character himself . Prepare your self for a long story . If you are a big fan of cinematics and like watching them for 10 - 20 mins . each , then this is your game . Overall , I love this game . I love the Xenosaga series . I just like hearing a long story . Not exactly the favorite for most people , but everyone has their particular taste for the way a story is written .
070 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I believe the title says it all . While this game is not as good as the first it is still a piece of a great series .
072 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
While I think some of the reviews of Xenosaga II are a little harsh , they have hit on a few good points .
In terms of plot , the first thing that really let me down was KOS-MOS . Don't let her face covering the cover of the game fool you . While being one of the main characters in the first game , she hardly does ANYTHING in this game until the end , which seems less like a plot point and more of the creators obliging her . The same can be said for Shion as well . This shift from center stage hurts these characters , and it's really disappointing .
Instead , Jr . takes center stage . Instead of shedding light on events in the first game , it opens up a whole knew set of issues that really don't get resolved . If you're looking for the story pull that the first game had , it'll be hard to find in this game . Jr . is a character that I personally don't care much about , but if you are a fan of him , then you'll enjoy this game , as you learn a lot about his past as a U.R.T.V .
A new character that is introduced is Shion's brother , Jin Uzuki . Personally , I liked Jin , but you don't get to use him much in the game . With him , Shion , Jr . and Albedo , there is an underlying theme of brothers or siblings in the story , although don't look for much elaboration on Jin and Shion .
Although some people aren't pleased with the battle system in this game , I actually enjoyed it . I caught into it quicker than the first game's system . You can also acquire a skill that points out the enemies ' weak zones , which I found very useful . I also liked being able to build up attacks , and then boost to really slam the enemy .
Overall , it's a game I really enjoyed . The game has some replay value to it , and there are certain things that you actually can't accomplish UNTIL you've beaten the game once . At times , re-watching certain scenes over and over again gets boring . Yet I would recommend this series , as if nothing else , it serves as a bridge between the first game and the upcoming third game .
073 4 While I think some of the reviews of Xenosaga II are a little harsh , they have hit on a few good points .
In terms of plot , the first thing that really let me down was KOS-MOS . Don't let her face covering the cover of the game fool you . While being one of the main characters in the first game , she hardly does ANYTHING in this game until the end , which seems less like a plot point and more of the creators obliging her . The same can be said for Shion as well . This shift from center stage hurts these characters , and it's really disappointing .
Instead , Jr . takes center stage . Instead of shedding light on events in the first game , it opens up a whole knew set of issues that really don't get resolved . If you're looking for the story pull that the first game had , it'll be hard to find in this game . Jr . is a character that I personally don't care much about , but if you are a fan of him , then you'll enjoy this game , as you learn a lot about his past as a U.R.T.V .
A new character that is introduced is Shion's brother , Jin Uzuki . Personally , I liked Jin , but you don't get to use him much in the game . With him , Shion , Jr . and Albedo , there is an underlying theme of brothers or siblings in the story , although don't look for much elaboration on Jin and Shion .
Although some people aren't pleased with the battle system in this game , I actually enjoyed it . I caught into it quicker than the first game's system . You can also acquire a skill that points out the enemies ' weak zones , which I found very useful . I also liked being able to build up attacks , and then boost to really slam the enemy .
Overall , it's a game I really enjoyed . The game has some replay value to it , and there are certain things that you actually can't accomplish UNTIL you've beaten the game once . At times , re-watching certain scenes over and over again gets boring . Yet I would recommend this series , as if nothing else , it serves as a bridge between the first game and the upcoming third game .
074 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
As I read the previous reviews and other reviews about this games , I had to agree with some and disagree with others . I like the whole story line of the game . It gave us insight into the history of Jr and Gaignun and Shion . I was very disappointed with the overall combat system . I liked changing characters in the middle combat like in FF-X , but I miss the ability to hit the enemies with special weapons like in the first episode . I was also disappointed with the way the creators changed the way to build the characters from the first episode to the second . I liked having characters with different abilities . It added diversity to building a strong team .
I didn't care too much for the Good samaritan side quests . I didn't like having to go all over the place to pick up stuff vital to the development of my characters or to advance the game . The ability to have two characters attack during combat using special attacks was interesting even though I didn't use it much .
As far as the characters themselves , I agree with another reviewer about Shion . I also found her to be bossy and cold . In certain scenes , I found her to be too emotional . Most of her lines near the end were completely out of place especially at the end after Jr's showdown with Albedo . ( I was disappointed when my most favorite NPC Gaignun was possessed , but that's just me . ) I agree with one reviewer about the voice for MOMO although I did like some of her lines . I was very happy the creator took away her wand and give her weapon . It made her very useful in combat . chaos was too laid back for me in this game and KOS-MOS was too much on the vain side . I did like how the reaction between Shion and Jin or KOS-MOS before combat starts .
Overall the game was enjoyable to play . Once I got pass the disappointing aspects of the game , I found it to very entertaining .
075 4 As I read the previous reviews and other reviews about this games , I had to agree with some and disagree with others . I like the whole story line of the game . It gave us insight into the history of Jr and Gaignun and Shion . I was very disappointed with the overall combat system . I liked changing characters in the middle combat like in FF-X , but I miss the ability to hit the enemies with special weapons like in the first episode . I was also disappointed with the way the creators changed the way to build the characters from the first episode to the second . I liked having characters with different abilities . It added diversity to building a strong team .
I didn't care too much for the Good samaritan side quests . I didn't like having to go all over the place to pick up stuff vital to the development of my characters or to advance the game . The ability to have two characters attack during combat using special attacks was interesting even though I didn't use it much .
As far as the characters themselves , I agree with another reviewer about Shion . I also found her to be bossy and cold . In certain scenes , I found her to be too emotional . Most of her lines near the end were completely out of place especially at the end after Jr's showdown with Albedo . ( I was disappointed when my most favorite NPC Gaignun was possessed , but that's just me . ) I agree with one reviewer about the voice for MOMO although I did like some of her lines . I was very happy the creator took away her wand and give her weapon . It made her very useful in combat . chaos was too laid back for me in this game and KOS-MOS was too much on the vain side . I did like how the reaction between Shion and Jin or KOS-MOS before combat starts .
Overall the game was enjoyable to play . Once I got pass the disappointing aspects of the game , I found it to very entertaining .
076 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Seriously , this game has some of the worst voice-acting I've ever heard . Xenosaga I wasn't fantastic on this front , but it was at least relatively easy to tune out . Xenosaga II makes this impossible , as every character speaks in the same opium-induced monotone drawl . A couple are passable - after all , as a robot and a cyborg , KOS-MOS and Ziggy ought to lack emotion in their speech . The other characters have no such excuse .
It's a shame , because the game itself is decent . It's essentially the same game as the first , with far better graphics . They've vastly overhauled the battle system , but all the other elements are there : varied and interesting characters , great mech designs , long cut scenes , strong plotline ( though it can get wrapped up it's own self-importance ) . They've also upped the amount of time you get to spend in the AGWS ( giant mech robots , similar to the Gears from Xenogears )
If you enjoyed the first Xenosaga , you'll probably feel the same way about this one . Just be prepared to mute your television .
077 4 Seriously , this game has some of the worst voice-acting I've ever heard . Xenosaga I wasn't fantastic on this front , but it was at least relatively easy to tune out . Xenosaga II makes this impossible , as every character speaks in the same opium-induced monotone drawl . A couple are passable - after all , as a robot and a cyborg , KOS-MOS and Ziggy ought to lack emotion in their speech . The other characters have no such excuse .
It's a shame , because the game itself is decent . It's essentially the same game as the first , with far better graphics . They've vastly overhauled the battle system , but all the other elements are there : varied and interesting characters , great mech designs , long cut scenes , strong plotline ( though it can get wrapped up it's own self-importance ) . They've also upped the amount of time you get to spend in the AGWS ( giant mech robots , similar to the Gears from Xenogears )
If you enjoyed the first Xenosaga , you'll probably feel the same way about this one . Just be prepared to mute your television .
078 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Okay , first off , the story aspect of Xenosaga II is awesome . Totally amazing , maybe my favorite video game story ever . It's incredibly deep for a video game and it manages to induce such a wide range of emotions . The graphics are also great , although not much improved over the last game . The music and sound are quite nice . For all these things , I have to give Xenosaga II an overall 4 .
However , the gameplay aspect of Xenosaga II is horrible . There are so many bad things about it that I can't even begin to name them all . I beat the whole game in 30 hours and it could have been done in just over 20 I bet . The abilities that you have at the beginning of the game are all that you'll ever need , so the skills that you learn are totally useless , other than healing and a few support skills . The only effective way to defeat an enemy is to stock 9 actions at the beginning of every battle while the enemy just attacks you . There are no stores or shops so you have a constant shortage of items . The battles are inconsistent , sometimes they will be incredibly hard , and then the next battle with similair enemies will be easy .
And then theres the Good Samaritan Campaign . Remember all the fun minigames in Xenosaga I ? Well they've been replaced by about 40 side events , most of which involve running senselessly between the Kukai Foundation and Second Miltia . If you do many of these then it will take HOURS . But who needs to save the future when you can deliver letters , wash windows , and fix water pipes ? Of course by the end of the game , you realize that most of these gs campaigns were useless anyway since you never need to use the abilities that you gain . To distract yourself from the monotony of these events , I would suggest making your favorite fighter the leader ( I like Jr ) and shooting cars at the Kukai Foundation since this is certainly more entertaining than most of the gs stuff .
People critiszed Episode I for to many cutscenes , so they cut them down in Episode II . However , in this game , the cutscenes are the only redeeming feature . If they were to cut out the gameplay and just make this a movie , it would be much improved . This is quite different from Xenosaga I which was very much the whole package . I still have to rate this game pretty high though because the cinematic aspect was perfect . Fans of the series will thouroughly enjoy this game if they can suffer through the gameplay .
079 4 Okay , first off , the story aspect of Xenosaga II is awesome . Totally amazing , maybe my favorite video game story ever . It's incredibly deep for a video game and it manages to induce such a wide range of emotions . The graphics are also great , although not much improved over the last game . The music and sound are quite nice . For all these things , I have to give Xenosaga II an overall 4 .
However , the gameplay aspect of Xenosaga II is horrible . There are so many bad things about it that I can't even begin to name them all . I beat the whole game in 30 hours and it could have been done in just over 20 I bet . The abilities that you have at the beginning of the game are all that you'll ever need , so the skills that you learn are totally useless , other than healing and a few support skills . The only effective way to defeat an enemy is to stock 9 actions at the beginning of every battle while the enemy just attacks you . There are no stores or shops so you have a constant shortage of items . The battles are inconsistent , sometimes they will be incredibly hard , and then the next battle with similair enemies will be easy .
And then theres the Good Samaritan Campaign . Remember all the fun minigames in Xenosaga I ? Well they've been replaced by about 40 side events , most of which involve running senselessly between the Kukai Foundation and Second Miltia . If you do many of these then it will take HOURS . But who needs to save the future when you can deliver letters , wash windows , and fix water pipes ? Of course by the end of the game , you realize that most of these gs campaigns were useless anyway since you never need to use the abilities that you gain . To distract yourself from the monotony of these events , I would suggest making your favorite fighter the leader ( I like Jr ) and shooting cars at the Kukai Foundation since this is certainly more entertaining than most of the gs stuff .
People critiszed Episode I for to many cutscenes , so they cut them down in Episode II . However , in this game , the cutscenes are the only redeeming feature . If they were to cut out the gameplay and just make this a movie , it would be much improved . This is quite different from Xenosaga I which was very much the whole package . I still have to rate this game pretty high though because the cinematic aspect was perfect . Fans of the series will thouroughly enjoy this game if they can suffer through the gameplay .
080 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Xenosaga 2 looked like it would be a great game , I mean updated graphics , continuation of a good storyline , and probably one of the most noticable changes , Shion's makeover . Unfortunately , this game falls a long way below the expectation I had .
Where to begin , the first noticable change is the graphics system , which is a good thing . It's easy to tell how the character is reacting or feeling . Also , the more realistic environments add to the seriousness this game has .
Anothing new change are the costumes , which work but are , in some cases , kind of creepy . Shion now sports an outfit that shows a little more skin ( it's not that I don't like scamply clad women , I do , it's just not the Shion I know ) , Momo gets a navy-like costume , Jr . gets something similar to the past game , and so on and so forth .
The biggest change you notice though is the voice actors . Shion , KOS-MOS , MOMO , and chaos each have different people doing the voices . Shion , MOMO , and chaos don't bother me as much as KOS-MOS ' because now she sounds almost human as opposed to the cybernetic voice in Episode 1 .
I figured that wouldn't bother me for long , but then I get into the game and find out that they messed up the battle system . No longer do each character have their unique moves , but instead each character can learn the same moves depending on what they spend their points on . The only good change to this is the Dual Techs which allows two characters to do a move on an enemy . Physical attacks also suck in this game because you have no control as opposed to the ability to change them in Episode 1 .
So , we start off with new voice actors , an even worse battle system , and some really confusing battles . The battles get confusing because now you have to Break the character to weaken it by using the right combinations of buttons , which is really annoying to do .
So what are the redeeming factors you ask ? Well , we've got the storyline , the graphics , and the new costumes . If that's all that you want , then great , pick it up , otherwise stay far , far away from this game .
Pros :
- Continuation of the epic saga
- New costumes for the characters
- More mature look
- Dual Techs
Cons :
- The change in voice actors
- The battle system
- The long loading times to get into battle
- Taking away the unique abilities that each character could learn .
- The side quests are more annoying this time around and more bountiful , but if you want more dual techs , you have to do them .
081 4 Xenosaga 2 looked like it would be a great game , I mean updated graphics , continuation of a good storyline , and probably one of the most noticable changes , Shion's makeover . Unfortunately , this game falls a long way below the expectation I had .
Where to begin , the first noticable change is the graphics system , which is a good thing . It's easy to tell how the character is reacting or feeling . Also , the more realistic environments add to the seriousness this game has .
Anothing new change are the costumes , which work but are , in some cases , kind of creepy . Shion now sports an outfit that shows a little more skin ( it's not that I don't like scamply clad women , I do , it's just not the Shion I know ) , Momo gets a navy-like costume , Jr . gets something similar to the past game , and so on and so forth .
The biggest change you notice though is the voice actors . Shion , KOS-MOS , MOMO , and chaos each have different people doing the voices . Shion , MOMO , and chaos don't bother me as much as KOS-MOS ' because now she sounds almost human as opposed to the cybernetic voice in Episode 1 .
I figured that wouldn't bother me for long , but then I get into the game and find out that they messed up the battle system . No longer do each character have their unique moves , but instead each character can learn the same moves depending on what they spend their points on . The only good change to this is the Dual Techs which allows two characters to do a move on an enemy . Physical attacks also suck in this game because you have no control as opposed to the ability to change them in Episode 1 .
So , we start off with new voice actors , an even worse battle system , and some really confusing battles . The battles get confusing because now you have to Break the character to weaken it by using the right combinations of buttons , which is really annoying to do .
So what are the redeeming factors you ask ? Well , we've got the storyline , the graphics , and the new costumes . If that's all that you want , then great , pick it up , otherwise stay far , far away from this game .
Pros :
- Continuation of the epic saga
- New costumes for the characters
- More mature look
- Dual Techs
Cons :
- The change in voice actors
- The battle system
- The long loading times to get into battle
- Taking away the unique abilities that each character could learn .
- The side quests are more annoying this time around and more bountiful , but if you want more dual techs , you have to do them .
084 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Xenosaga Episode I Der Wille Zur Macht , was a breakthrough in gaming ! It had deep characterization , a deep storyline , innovative battle system and a soundtrack that blew you out of this world ! It was a plot driven game with an intoxicating storyline . Episode II doesn't compare to the original in very many ways at all . Things have been changed that shouldn't have been changed , and in all essence , it's more like watching a season 2 of a declining TV series .
Xenosaga Episode II isn't a bad game . It's actually really good ! It's just that it suffers from the sequel syndrome . The first one hit a level that was so high , and now this one has to compare . Either you'll be quite surprised by where it goes , or quite disappointed .
The game opens up with a flashback of Chaos being sent to Miltia with a realian named Canaan to see why all the Realians have gone berserk . Chaos and Canaan meet up with only one who still seems to be in control of himself . General Jin Uzuki , and to prevent spoiling more , let's just the say we rejoin our main cast from the first game in mere moments .
Where as Xenosaga Episode I put an emphasis on storyline , Episode II seems to put an emphasis on character development . It does a fairly good job too . You'll learn more about these characters , and be able to cope with them . Unfortunately , if you haven't played the first game yet , it's all mysterious to you .
A few things about the gameplay have changed . The battle system is refined just a bit . Now enemies are in zones . Either Zone A , B , or C . Depending on the zone they're in they could take a lot of damage from your attacks . You can also knock them in the air , or down on the ground . You can also link attacks together to perform devastating combinations . Characters attack using points . If you decide to stock ( by defending ) you can attack more times in one turn .
Xenosaga Episode II is not an easy game . You can't just mash down on buttons and expect to win battles . There does need to be strategy involved . Without strategy , you'll more than likely lose .
The character raising is different . In the first game , you had Ether Points ( Magic ) , Tech Points and skill points . In this one you only have ether points to improve your magic skills . Truthfully , that's sad since all your characters learn the same skills , and once you've learned everything ( being that there are no Tech points and Skill points in this one ) you'll have a bunch of Ether Points sitting around begging to be used , and they never will .
The graphics in the game have been updated from the first one . I personally didn't think this was neccessary . They tried to make the characters look more human and I personally thought the anime look of the first game was just fine . Some of their actions look a little strange , mostly because the dubbing of the game to English was terrible , but otherwise , the graphics are smooth and rich . KOS-MOS looks the nicest out of all the characters .
The voices , for whatever reason , have also changed . I was not too fond of this . The voices from the first game were perfect . These voices are either superb , or they're terrible . MOMO for example , has a terrible voice actor , while Chaos has a fairly good one .
The music is no where near as good as the first game . Actually , to be truthful , the music in this game is forgettable , and you won't care too much for it in the end . It's not the first one .
There aren't as many cutscenes as the first Xenosaga , and while the story is intriguing , the cutscenes don't flow quite as well . Also , it's sad to see this game isn't as long as the first one , and there aren't as many secrets . I thought the game would have more secrets than what I got .
It's also very disappointing with what you get from having a save file at the end of the first Xenosaga . Just a bunch of skills and whatnot . Nothing more . No impact on the story or anything . Really , the save file is useless .
Xenosaga Episode II does work , but it's sad that it can't live up to the first game . It had potential to live up considering how long it was in development , and what the first game gave it to go with . I just wish it could've fallen through .
If you loved the first Xenosaga game , pick this up . You won't regret it , but you probably won't remember it as well as the first game either .
085 4 Xenosaga Episode I Der Wille Zur Macht , was a breakthrough in gaming ! It had deep characterization , a deep storyline , innovative battle system and a soundtrack that blew you out of this world ! It was a plot driven game with an intoxicating storyline . Episode II doesn't compare to the original in very many ways at all . Things have been changed that shouldn't have been changed , and in all essence , it's more like watching a season 2 of a declining TV series .
Xenosaga Episode II isn't a bad game . It's actually really good ! It's just that it suffers from the sequel syndrome . The first one hit a level that was so high , and now this one has to compare . Either you'll be quite surprised by where it goes , or quite disappointed .
The game opens up with a flashback of Chaos being sent to Miltia with a realian named Canaan to see why all the Realians have gone berserk . Chaos and Canaan meet up with only one who still seems to be in control of himself . General Jin Uzuki , and to prevent spoiling more , let's just the say we rejoin our main cast from the first game in mere moments .
Where as Xenosaga Episode I put an emphasis on storyline , Episode II seems to put an emphasis on character development . It does a fairly good job too . You'll learn more about these characters , and be able to cope with them . Unfortunately , if you haven't played the first game yet , it's all mysterious to you .
A few things about the gameplay have changed . The battle system is refined just a bit . Now enemies are in zones . Either Zone A , B , or C . Depending on the zone they're in they could take a lot of damage from your attacks . You can also knock them in the air , or down on the ground . You can also link attacks together to perform devastating combinations . Characters attack using points . If you decide to stock ( by defending ) you can attack more times in one turn .
Xenosaga Episode II is not an easy game . You can't just mash down on buttons and expect to win battles . There does need to be strategy involved . Without strategy , you'll more than likely lose .
The character raising is different . In the first game , you had Ether Points ( Magic ) , Tech Points and skill points . In this one you only have ether points to improve your magic skills . Truthfully , that's sad since all your characters learn the same skills , and once you've learned everything ( being that there are no Tech points and Skill points in this one ) you'll have a bunch of Ether Points sitting around begging to be used , and they never will .
The graphics in the game have been updated from the first one . I personally didn't think this was neccessary . They tried to make the characters look more human and I personally thought the anime look of the first game was just fine . Some of their actions look a little strange , mostly because the dubbing of the game to English was terrible , but otherwise , the graphics are smooth and rich . KOS-MOS looks the nicest out of all the characters .
The voices , for whatever reason , have also changed . I was not too fond of this . The voices from the first game were perfect . These voices are either superb , or they're terrible . MOMO for example , has a terrible voice actor , while Chaos has a fairly good one .
The music is no where near as good as the first game . Actually , to be truthful , the music in this game is forgettable , and you won't care too much for it in the end . It's not the first one .
There aren't as many cutscenes as the first Xenosaga , and while the story is intriguing , the cutscenes don't flow quite as well . Also , it's sad to see this game isn't as long as the first one , and there aren't as many secrets . I thought the game would have more secrets than what I got .
It's also very disappointing with what you get from having a save file at the end of the first Xenosaga . Just a bunch of skills and whatnot . Nothing more . No impact on the story or anything . Really , the save file is useless .
Xenosaga Episode II does work , but it's sad that it can't live up to the first game . It had potential to live up considering how long it was in development , and what the first game gave it to go with . I just wish it could've fallen through .
If you loved the first Xenosaga game , pick this up . You won't regret it , but you probably won't remember it as well as the first game either .
086 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Long loading times at the start of every battle . A battle system that forces you to fight a certain way ; a certain way that makes even the trivial random encounters take > 5 minutes per battle . A short main story arc with dozens of annoying side quests that will have you spend more time walking from point A to point B ( namely between 2nd miltia and the Kukai Foundation ) than you will doing everything else in the entire game .
The story even seems to lag a bit in the beggining , but luckily the second half of the game or so seems to pick up the pace . As The cutscenes and story are good , but seem lacking compared to the first one as well . Albedo can only laugh maniacally for 5 minutes straight a couple of times before it gets old .
Did I enjoy playing the game ? no . Do I recomend it ? no . But , . . . since I plan on playing the 3rd episode as well ( which is supposed to be much better ) I trudged my way through it .
087 4 Long loading times at the start of every battle . A battle system that forces you to fight a certain way ; a certain way that makes even the trivial random encounters take > 5 minutes per battle . A short main story arc with dozens of annoying side quests that will have you spend more time walking from point A to point B ( namely between 2nd miltia and the Kukai Foundation ) than you will doing everything else in the entire game .
The story even seems to lag a bit in the beggining , but luckily the second half of the game or so seems to pick up the pace . As The cutscenes and story are good , but seem lacking compared to the first one as well . Albedo can only laugh maniacally for 5 minutes straight a couple of times before it gets old .
Did I enjoy playing the game ? no . Do I recomend it ? no . But , . . . since I plan on playing the 3rd episode as well ( which is supposed to be much better ) I trudged my way through it .
088 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
While I'm not fan of the series ( In my opinion Xenogears is still a better game ) this continuation improves in every aspec , visuals , battle depth , and exploration . The game was given a more mature look to the characters , but if you played the first game you'll notice that the graphics are the same . The Sound department is inproved a little bit ( The first game to me lacked sound in exploration mode making it a little borred ) . The story is as deep and intriguing as expected and a lot of unanswered questions from the first game are answered here . If you haven't played the first one you'll feel lost at the begining but you'll catch on soon enough .
Now for the battle system . Its almost the same as the previous installment , except this time the enemy has different zones were you can hit them . With different atacks you hit different zones of your enemy and most enemies have their own weak zone . By hitting the weak zone the enemy breaks his defense and you can inflict more damage . Further more , you can boost ahead and combo the enemy with your party . There are a lot of atributes to consider , for example your attacs can either do piercing or slashing , physical or ether attacks . Since each of your party members have different atributes , that makes everyone usefull . However , once you figure out how to use stocks and boosting toguether some characters become unnecesary in many battles , therefore in time they become weak because you dont use them offten .
The exploration mode is deeper than before , with side missions to complete , thats a welcome adition . Some gamers will find the cut scenes exiting and interesting , but other gamers will preffer more gaming time , Good thing that you can skip the scenes . With upgrades to every aspect this sequel is a decent one , but it doesnt break the innovation barrier . Its a great unique RPG .
089 4 While I'm not fan of the series ( In my opinion Xenogears is still a better game ) this continuation improves in every aspec , visuals , battle depth , and exploration . The game was given a more mature look to the characters , but if you played the first game you'll notice that the graphics are the same . The Sound department is inproved a little bit ( The first game to me lacked sound in exploration mode making it a little borred ) . The story is as deep and intriguing as expected and a lot of unanswered questions from the first game are answered here . If you haven't played the first one you'll feel lost at the begining but you'll catch on soon enough .
Now for the battle system . Its almost the same as the previous installment , except this time the enemy has different zones were you can hit them . With different atacks you hit different zones of your enemy and most enemies have their own weak zone . By hitting the weak zone the enemy breaks his defense and you can inflict more damage . Further more , you can boost ahead and combo the enemy with your party . There are a lot of atributes to consider , for example your attacs can either do piercing or slashing , physical or ether attacks . Since each of your party members have different atributes , that makes everyone usefull . However , once you figure out how to use stocks and boosting toguether some characters become unnecesary in many battles , therefore in time they become weak because you dont use them offten .
The exploration mode is deeper than before , with side missions to complete , thats a welcome adition . Some gamers will find the cut scenes exiting and interesting , but other gamers will preffer more gaming time , Good thing that you can skip the scenes . With upgrades to every aspect this sequel is a decent one , but it doesnt break the innovation barrier . Its a great unique RPG .
092 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
this was a very good game from namco . too bad the graphics and gameplay isn't as fun as the first one . still if you like rpgs go get this game .
094 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I know I don't have much room to review the game since it's not released yet . Strange that some others think they can review an entire 40 - hour experience based on trailers and opinions . Even stranger that it should be a bad game because , excuse me , the models are less colorful and look feminine ? Please , people . Anywho , I was a little upset myself to find that they had changed the overall look of the game . But you know what ? What attracted me was the story , which is why I loved the long cinematics . It was a bold move and very successful .
So I'm very hyped for the sequel because the story expands , and there are as much as 5 more games on the way after this one ( though I hear that Xenogears was actually episode 5 ; it says so in the credits ) !
095 4 I know I don't have much room to review the game since it's not released yet . Strange that some others think they can review an entire 40 - hour experience based on trailers and opinions . Even stranger that it should be a bad game because , excuse me , the models are less colorful and look feminine ? Please , people . Anywho , I was a little upset myself to find that they had changed the overall look of the game . But you know what ? What attracted me was the story , which is why I loved the long cinematics . It was a bold move and very successful .
So I'm very hyped for the sequel because the story expands , and there are as much as 5 more games on the way after this one ( though I hear that Xenogears was actually episode 5 ; it says so in the credits ) !
096 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
So when I played Episode 1 . . . I was blown away . The graphics were stunning and the storyline was so amazing . Not to mention the extremely thought out and creative characters . So when I heard that the sequal was coming out I was very excited . I wasn't too dissapointed . A lot has changed in this game but I guess we have the new director to blame for that . Lets go over these changes .
Characters : The designs have changed extremely . I won't say improved or not because I love both designs . This game is done more realistically and I must say Shion is a big improvement !
Music : The music has gotten worse in my oppinion . The music , though it fits the game , is nowhere near as powerful and magical as the music in the first game . I was dissapointed but one thing I do love is that there is more fighting music . A bit more varity makes it tolerable to have the volume on when in a dungeon .
Storyline : Still . . . wonderful ! The story is amazing and I can't tell you how much I love it ! There is a lot of religious undertones and when you know a thing or two about the references it makes the game that much cooler !
Battles : Ok . . . the first game all I heard from my friends was that the gameplay was too simple . . . I agreed . So what happened is they didn't want anyone to complain about the simplicity that they make it so complicated it takes you the entire game to figure it out . I am finally getting the hang of the Zone / Break thing . Double attacks are pretty cool !
Length : This game was way too short ! With all the memory it took to load the LONG LONG video sequences it seemed like 2 discs ment longer game . Though . . . if you want to play for 40 hours like the box advertised . . . you do all the sidequests , which are annoying , and long , and its the only way you can get cool items , segment addresses , and double attacks . Some of these things you can only get when you play the game a SECOND TIME ! ! ! I don't wanna play the game a second time just to get a new attack when I beat the game without it !
But all in all . . . this game did a fairly good job . It was good for what it was . I hope that X3 will be better though
097 4 So when I played Episode 1 . . . I was blown away . The graphics were stunning and the storyline was so amazing . Not to mention the extremely thought out and creative characters . So when I heard that the sequal was coming out I was very excited . I wasn't too dissapointed . A lot has changed in this game but I guess we have the new director to blame for that . Lets go over these changes .
Characters : The designs have changed extremely . I won't say improved or not because I love both designs . This game is done more realistically and I must say Shion is a big improvement !
Music : The music has gotten worse in my oppinion . The music , though it fits the game , is nowhere near as powerful and magical as the music in the first game . I was dissapointed but one thing I do love is that there is more fighting music . A bit more varity makes it tolerable to have the volume on when in a dungeon .
Storyline : Still . . . wonderful ! The story is amazing and I can't tell you how much I love it ! There is a lot of religious undertones and when you know a thing or two about the references it makes the game that much cooler !
Battles : Ok . . . the first game all I heard from my friends was that the gameplay was too simple . . . I agreed . So what happened is they didn't want anyone to complain about the simplicity that they make it so complicated it takes you the entire game to figure it out . I am finally getting the hang of the Zone / Break thing . Double attacks are pretty cool !
Length : This game was way too short ! With all the memory it took to load the LONG LONG video sequences it seemed like 2 discs ment longer game . Though . . . if you want to play for 40 hours like the box advertised . . . you do all the sidequests , which are annoying , and long , and its the only way you can get cool items , segment addresses , and double attacks . Some of these things you can only get when you play the game a SECOND TIME ! ! ! I don't wanna play the game a second time just to get a new attack when I beat the game without it !
But all in all . . . this game did a fairly good job . It was good for what it was . I hope that X3 will be better though
098 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
After I fnished the first game I waited almost two years for the second one to come out as I watched trailers and movies . The trailers made it seem intresting . When I began the game it was okay , although the battle system is a bit confusing , I loved the cut scenes but the battling is the tough part . It deals with many new things that it takes time to get used to .
That was the bad part . the good part is that the plot and other side stories of the game are really intresting so it keeps you playing just to see what happens next . There are also lots of twists that you wouldn't have expected with just finishing the first game .
099 4 After I fnished the first game I waited almost two years for the second one to come out as I watched trailers and movies . The trailers made it seem intresting . When I began the game it was okay , although the battle system is a bit confusing , I loved the cut scenes but the battling is the tough part . It deals with many new things that it takes time to get used to .
That was the bad part . the good part is that the plot and other side stories of the game are really intresting so it keeps you playing just to see what happens next . There are also lots of twists that you wouldn't have expected with just finishing the first game .
100 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
If anyone enjoyed the entry that was Xenosaga ( part one ) the character design , story , gameplay and music would stand out first in your mind . The voice acting was spot on , although many say that MOMO was annoying to begin with . I enjoyed the leveling up and appreciated each character's diverse weaponry . I love the lengthy cut scenes and the cliffhanger ending with the re-entry into Second Milita . Xenosaga II however , should expound on all of these things and more . . .
The first disappointment I had once I popped this game in was the vast difference in character models . Yes , there are those who don't like the big-eyed anime look and chubby faces , but once you guide these guys though 40 + hours of gameplay I think it grows on you . What the development team was thinking in making the character change is beyond me .
The second disappointment is the drastic change Shion makes as a person . Didn't this game start immediately after the first ? Now she is no longer the sweet , polite , intelligent scientist we knew . She tells Allen to be a man ! It's not the same Shion that was like okay , sure . . . when Tony hits on her !
The voice acting took a wide left as KOS-MOS sounds like well . . . a girl instead of the straight-to-business android . The music that was the epic London Symphony was replaced by an 1993 Casio beat machine . I will not comment more .
The biggest departure in my experience was the eternal loading times before each battle . I went to make a sandwich when I got into a battle .
It was at this point after finishing the first disk I did not even complete the game , I just dropped it off at the store for my refund . We all wonder why this game is on two disks when it is far shorter ( cutscenes included ) and part one was all on one disk and it was double the length . It is good that Xenosaga III redeemed the series .
101 4 If anyone enjoyed the entry that was Xenosaga ( part one ) the character design , story , gameplay and music would stand out first in your mind . The voice acting was spot on , although many say that MOMO was annoying to begin with . I enjoyed the leveling up and appreciated each character's diverse weaponry . I love the lengthy cut scenes and the cliffhanger ending with the re-entry into Second Milita . Xenosaga II however , should expound on all of these things and more . . .
The first disappointment I had once I popped this game in was the vast difference in character models . Yes , there are those who don't like the big-eyed anime look and chubby faces , but once you guide these guys though 40 + hours of gameplay I think it grows on you . What the development team was thinking in making the character change is beyond me .
The second disappointment is the drastic change Shion makes as a person . Didn't this game start immediately after the first ? Now she is no longer the sweet , polite , intelligent scientist we knew . She tells Allen to be a man ! It's not the same Shion that was like okay , sure . . . when Tony hits on her !
The voice acting took a wide left as KOS-MOS sounds like well . . . a girl instead of the straight-to-business android . The music that was the epic London Symphony was replaced by an 1993 Casio beat machine . I will not comment more .
The biggest departure in my experience was the eternal loading times before each battle . I went to make a sandwich when I got into a battle .
It was at this point after finishing the first disk I did not even complete the game , I just dropped it off at the store for my refund . We all wonder why this game is on two disks when it is far shorter ( cutscenes included ) and part one was all on one disk and it was double the length . It is good that Xenosaga III redeemed the series .
104 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I thought the first game was so-so ; the 2nd much better . The combat is simpler to understand but more complicated to use - you start with all the fighting techniques you're going to get . Its up to you to figure out which characters and combinations of attacks work well in a given situation . Its a bit confusing until you get the hang of it . Bosses are a bit more complicated - you need to mix up the attacks of more than one character to be effective . There's always one major weakness to be uncovered .
As far as the series - well , the story doesn't end here - if anything , it gets more complicated . Only a few loose ends are resolved , and several new ones are added .
After the game ends , be sure to save - then continue using saved data . The game continues with a huge side quest that's not series related but has a story all its own .
Over all - there's room for improvement , bt I'd say its better than FFX2 .
105 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I thought the first game was so-so ; the 2nd much better . The combat is simpler to understand but more complicated to use - you start with all the fighting techniques you're going to get . Its up to you to figure out which characters and combinations of attacks work well in a given situation . Its a bit confusing until you get the hang of it . Bosses are a bit more complicated - you need to mix up the attacks of more than one character to be effective . There's always one major weakness to be uncovered .
As far as the series - well , the story doesn't end here - if anything , it gets more complicated . Only a few loose ends are resolved , and several new ones are added .
After the game ends , be sure to save - then continue using saved data . The game continues with a huge side quest that's not series related but has a story all its own .
Over all - there's room for improvement , bt I'd say its better than FFX2 .
107 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I like this game very much except for some problems . :
* ) It's Very short , it could Probably be completed in 25 hrs . .
* ) They gave the characters some face lifts which I hated because they looked better enough the last game .
* ) As for being a picky person I HATE some of the new voices for the old characters .
* ) KOS-MOS looks Horrible .
* ) Very Stupid Skills Systems .
* ) You can't buy weapons or items . You can only get them through battles , destroying objects , and treasure chests .
* ) Oh , and last but not least , the loading speeds . I for some reason didn't care about the saving speed .
108 4 I like this game very much except for some problems . :
* ) It's Very short , it could Probably be completed in 25 hrs . .
* ) They gave the characters some face lifts which I hated because they looked better enough the last game .
* ) As for being a picky person I HATE some of the new voices for the old characters .
* ) KOS-MOS looks Horrible .
* ) Very Stupid Skills Systems .
* ) You can't buy weapons or items . You can only get them through battles , destroying objects , and treasure chests .
* ) Oh , and last but not least , the loading speeds . I for some reason didn't care about the saving speed .
109 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
After all the years of anticipating a Xenosaga sequel , I was certainly expecting something better than this . The first Xenosaga was a wonderful , moving story and a joy to play . Mitsuda's musical score really added to the dramatic flair of the gameplay . Sadly , in this game , we really only see the epic story and the good graphics return , leaving the rest to erode in its wake . The music is , for the most part , cheesy mall music during the gameplay , thereby solving the mystery of why there was no score for the gameplay in the first one . These tracks range in quality from irritating to debilitatingly awful , almost without exception . Wesley Willis could have produced a better gameplay soundtrack . The cut-scene music is better , but in no way matches the glory and beauty of the first .
The rest of the game seems quite generic , and difficult . I am reticent to say that even though I am only about 10 hours into the game , from what I have seen and others have told me , from this point on , the game seems to become a levelling nightmare , more like a chore than a holiday . Levelling takes forever too , because the normal battles are inexorably difficult , long , and frequently give you insufficient experience needed to beat the bigger bosses . Even though the game itself is horrid , I am enjoying the plot , and looking forward to seeing how this develops . Keep this in mind if you decide to buy the game .
110 4 After all the years of anticipating a Xenosaga sequel , I was certainly expecting something better than this . The first Xenosaga was a wonderful , moving story and a joy to play . Mitsuda's musical score really added to the dramatic flair of the gameplay . Sadly , in this game , we really only see the epic story and the good graphics return , leaving the rest to erode in its wake . The music is , for the most part , cheesy mall music during the gameplay , thereby solving the mystery of why there was no score for the gameplay in the first one . These tracks range in quality from irritating to debilitatingly awful , almost without exception . Wesley Willis could have produced a better gameplay soundtrack . The cut-scene music is better , but in no way matches the glory and beauty of the first .
The rest of the game seems quite generic , and difficult . I am reticent to say that even though I am only about 10 hours into the game , from what I have seen and others have told me , from this point on , the game seems to become a levelling nightmare , more like a chore than a holiday . Levelling takes forever too , because the normal battles are inexorably difficult , long , and frequently give you insufficient experience needed to beat the bigger bosses . Even though the game itself is horrid , I am enjoying the plot , and looking forward to seeing how this develops . Keep this in mind if you decide to buy the game .
111 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I bought this game because I thought it might be a good game to play . But I didn't get very far in playing it . I was really disappointed and felt that I had waisted my money . The game stategy is very complicated . I just couldn't understand and handle it .
112 4 I bought this game because I thought it might be a good game to play . But I didn't get very far in playing it . I was really disappointed and felt that I had waisted my money . The game stategy is very complicated . I just couldn't understand and handle it .
113 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
No , I haven't played this game , but I can't believe people are giving 1 and 2 star ratings to a game that has not even been released yet ! ! Stranger still is that these low ratings are being given to a game whose predecessor received critical acclaim ! Anyway , I am very much looking forward to this game . All previews thus far have been very positive . I'm always a sucker for a good story and I'm sure this one , like the first game , will have it in spades . The graphics look sweeter , they are making the battle system more fun , and it looks like they are addressing the problem of the extremely long cut scenes from the first one . Any RPG fan should definitely keep a good eye on this one .
115 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I've only been playing this game for a couple weeks now , but I'm not impressed .
The game is not challenging at all . 50% of the time you are watching cutscenes instead of playing . I feel like I'm watching a 20 hour movie or something . I played through the previous game ( Episode I ) and I like it a lot which is why I bought Episode II . Unfortunately , it doesn't live up to the original .
116 4 I've only been playing this game for a couple weeks now , but I'm not impressed .
The game is not challenging at all . 50% of the time you are watching cutscenes instead of playing . I feel like I'm watching a 20 hour movie or something . I played through the previous game ( Episode I ) and I like it a lot which is why I bought Episode II . Unfortunately , it doesn't live up to the original .
117 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
OK , I'm a newbie to the Xenosaga series but a long time veteran of RPGs and I played the game for about 6 - 7 hours so that's how my opinions are based . Unfortunately , I have to agree with many others that the game has very little in it's favor . The box art and the cut scenes were the high point but the latter can't hold a candle to FFX2 . I also was constantly frustrated with the combat system . Rarely have I seen a more cumbersome system for both fighting and learning skills . It almost begs you to buy a strategy guide just to make heads or tales of what to do . The voice acting was pretty bad too . It just felt like everyone was setting around some table reading their lines and waiting for their paycheck . I'm sooo glad that I only rented it ! What would I recommend instead of this ? If yor preference is Role playing with levels and skills and customization - FFX2 all the way . If you want action and a great story line - Metal Gear 3 .
119 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Don't get me wrong , I loved playing Xenosaga I , so I waited a long time to play this even though a lot of people talked about how bad parts of it were . The cut scenes are still great , the characters are still great , and overall graphics are . However , some other parts are greatly lacking . The game only lasts someone around 3 to 4 days if you spread out the time and do some sidequests . You no longer have a personal system like in Xenosaga I were characters can learn certain skills , actually if you had an infinite amount of C.Points and S . Points all your characters could have the same skills in #2 . In battle , when you decide your attacks you get 3 pictures and cannot switch to see the name of the attack at all . The more-ether like characters like Shion and MOMO can only use the O attack as well . Perhaps my favorite thing about battle that I found a little bit interesting were the Double Attacks . Now , the sidequests seem quite boring and make you go back and forth between the same place , over and over again to do stupid errands as though the creators placed that in there for extra gameplay . The segment addresses are also there , but just like the sidequest , just placed in there . I enjoyed the mechs new complex system , though . One thing I hated was the fact that the boring all-around skills basically covered the ability to go to shops . You no longer can buy medicine , weapons , or protection at shops . You gain medicine from fights along with the C . Points and S . Points . Your characters also never learn any new attacks like KOS-MOS X-Buster later in the last game , the attacks stay the exact same practically in #2 . Another problem for me was although they changed some of the character voices , was how they changed KOS-MOS's perfect monontone . The last bad thing about it is that you no longer get the Bunny cellphone guy which provided previous sidequests . He's actually become the annoying GS Campaign guy . Although these bad parts are in the game seem numerous , I say to grit your teeth through them because the game is still very good . However , you may not enjoy it very much if you haven't gone through the first one . I bought it and am hoping that the next one is longer with the Bunny cellphone and KOS-MOS's sudden soft voice gone . Hopefully I don't have to wait more than a year or two either .
120 4 Don't get me wrong , I loved playing Xenosaga I , so I waited a long time to play this even though a lot of people talked about how bad parts of it were . The cut scenes are still great , the characters are still great , and overall graphics are . However , some other parts are greatly lacking . The game only lasts someone around 3 to 4 days if you spread out the time and do some sidequests . You no longer have a personal system like in Xenosaga I were characters can learn certain skills , actually if you had an infinite amount of C.Points and S . Points all your characters could have the same skills in #2 . In battle , when you decide your attacks you get 3 pictures and cannot switch to see the name of the attack at all . The more-ether like characters like Shion and MOMO can only use the O attack as well . Perhaps my favorite thing about battle that I found a little bit interesting were the Double Attacks . Now , the sidequests seem quite boring and make you go back and forth between the same place , over and over again to do stupid errands as though the creators placed that in there for extra gameplay . The segment addresses are also there , but just like the sidequest , just placed in there . I enjoyed the mechs new complex system , though . One thing I hated was the fact that the boring all-around skills basically covered the ability to go to shops . You no longer can buy medicine , weapons , or protection at shops . You gain medicine from fights along with the C . Points and S . Points . Your characters also never learn any new attacks like KOS-MOS X-Buster later in the last game , the attacks stay the exact same practically in #2 . Another problem for me was although they changed some of the character voices , was how they changed KOS-MOS's perfect monontone . The last bad thing about it is that you no longer get the Bunny cellphone guy which provided previous sidequests . He's actually become the annoying GS Campaign guy . Although these bad parts are in the game seem numerous , I say to grit your teeth through them because the game is still very good . However , you may not enjoy it very much if you haven't gone through the first one . I bought it and am hoping that the next one is longer with the Bunny cellphone and KOS-MOS's sudden soft voice gone . Hopefully I don't have to wait more than a year or two either .
121 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Contrary to the other review , this game looks fun . It is one of ( hopefully ) 7 installments . The battlesystem is similar to the first one but you can attack with a team mate . Also , I noticed in one of the previews , theres alot of ether you can use . The graphics have improved from the last one , and all the characters are back ( I think ) plus some . I would recommend buying this game .
122 4 Contrary to the other review , this game looks fun . It is one of ( hopefully ) 7 installments . The battlesystem is similar to the first one but you can attack with a team mate . Also , I noticed in one of the previews , theres alot of ether you can use . The graphics have improved from the last one , and all the characters are back ( I think ) plus some . I would recommend buying this game .
123 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The subtitle Jenseits von Gut und Boese is clearly a reference about Friedrich Nietzsche and his critic against Religion in general . Famous sentence : God is dead . Unfortunately in German this also has another meaning . When something is beyond good and evil , it is so awful , that there are almost no words to describe it . Although harsh , this is the more fitting meaning of this subtitle .
Graphics : Although boasting about the progress in graphics , the game looks more or the less the same . The characters have improved , except for the hands , and especially in close up the mimic can be quite convincing . The game also has some nicely done backgrounds . FFX may still point a finger and laugh , but it is a rather nice looking game .
Story : It is interesting enough that you finish the game , however it is excessively short and seems to be only a subplot to the overall plot . Considering Xenogears is Episode Five and the other Episodes also have to deal with Lacan and another form of Fey , the one who created Emeralda I think , this should actually have been the end of the Kos Mos-chaos plotline . Had they actually made it the subplot of a much bigger game , that would have been a great improvement . The story is centered entirely on Rubedo and his relationships to his twin Albedo and to a lesser degree his brother Negredo . Also his relationship with Momo is explained . There are some slight intermezzos with Shion and her brother Jin , the rest of the cast is more or less irrelevant for the story . KOS MOS saves Shion from time to time , which opens the question why she isn't a more powerful character in game , Ziggy is only featured because Momo clings to him , and chaos is as mysterious as ever . Of course half the storyline is lost in the usual cryptic dialogue of enemies .
The one thing that is bothersome about the story , besides its length , is the fact that all its protagonists are kings and queens of misery . No other game features that much suffering and self-pity . Especially Shion exceeds in that aspect , and here voice only adds to being annoying .
Sound : Awful . There is no other term to describe it . Especially Second Miltia . MIDI at its finest .
Gameplay : The battle system comes close to being an absolute catastrophy . There are no longer any techs . Unless you stock , you just watch your character walking up to the enemy and hitting them twice . Stocking and boosting is much to important .
Without the Sword skills ( e.g . Flame sword ) this game is almost impossible to play , which also means , since you have to exploit the elemental weaknesses of the enemy , that the three characters , who already have an elemental alignement , Shion , chaos and Ziggy , are useless for most battles . Still , even using these , unless you stock and use elemental chains , the most damage you will do is about 450 points . With the later enemies having mostly over 5000 Hp the battles are not only boring , but also endless .
Mostly in RPGs you have one character , usually the main protagonist , who is an absolute powerhouse . However due to the battle mechanics , all characters are about the same , and you have to choose them according to situation . Hence , the possibility to switch characters in battle . I won't even complain about the fact that only the three characters who actually finish the battle get Skill and Class points , since I already made it clear that this battle system is seriously flawed and this is only one of its minor annoyances .
There are no cure magics strong enough to actually refill your HP . At later levels , some of your characters will have at least over 2000 HP , unfortunately the strongest healing magic , Medica 2 , used by the strongest magic user , Momo , only gives about 500 HP . Need I say more . Even combining two Medica 2s by boosting doesn't help , because this will result in a Medica 2 all .
Items do not really make up for this lack , since most enemies just hand over small Medikits , and there is no shop .
There are actually two kinds of status ailments . Status ailments are annoying as such , without you having to differ between Poison L ( the most common group ) or Poison H ( rather rare , and even rarer are the items for curing it ) .
Side Quests mostly consist of endlessly traveling back and forth between Miltia and Kukai Foundation and talking to people or collecting items . Considering the considerable loading times , this is even more annoying then it should be . You can finish the main game including most of the side quests in 35 hours . There are some epilogue dungeons that will stretch this by maybe another ten hours .
A last critic , though I do not know if this is true for everyone . On my television the character portraits were cut off at the top , making the amount of HP I had at the moment sometimes hard to read .
Though still enjoyable to play because of the storyline , even though the generall plot was only advanced in the last 15 minutes of the game , and the pretty graphics , the gameplay has so many faults that I would clearly advise to rent this game rather than buy it . Normally RPGs are too long to make renting profitable , but this really is no problem here .
I do hope they improve the gameplay for the third episode . Since they also planned on remaking Episode V , Xenogears , I am really anxious about Episode 3 .
124 4 The subtitle Jenseits von Gut und Boese is clearly a reference about Friedrich Nietzsche and his critic against Religion in general . Famous sentence : God is dead . Unfortunately in German this also has another meaning . When something is beyond good and evil , it is so awful , that there are almost no words to describe it . Although harsh , this is the more fitting meaning of this subtitle .
Graphics : Although boasting about the progress in graphics , the game looks more or the less the same . The characters have improved , except for the hands , and especially in close up the mimic can be quite convincing . The game also has some nicely done backgrounds . FFX may still point a finger and laugh , but it is a rather nice looking game .
Story : It is interesting enough that you finish the game , however it is excessively short and seems to be only a subplot to the overall plot . Considering Xenogears is Episode Five and the other Episodes also have to deal with Lacan and another form of Fey , the one who created Emeralda I think , this should actually have been the end of the Kos Mos-chaos plotline . Had they actually made it the subplot of a much bigger game , that would have been a great improvement . The story is centered entirely on Rubedo and his relationships to his twin Albedo and to a lesser degree his brother Negredo . Also his relationship with Momo is explained . There are some slight intermezzos with Shion and her brother Jin , the rest of the cast is more or less irrelevant for the story . KOS MOS saves Shion from time to time , which opens the question why she isn't a more powerful character in game , Ziggy is only featured because Momo clings to him , and chaos is as mysterious as ever . Of course half the storyline is lost in the usual cryptic dialogue of enemies .
The one thing that is bothersome about the story , besides its length , is the fact that all its protagonists are kings and queens of misery . No other game features that much suffering and self-pity . Especially Shion exceeds in that aspect , and here voice only adds to being annoying .
Sound : Awful . There is no other term to describe it . Especially Second Miltia . MIDI at its finest .
Gameplay : The battle system comes close to being an absolute catastrophy . There are no longer any techs . Unless you stock , you just watch your character walking up to the enemy and hitting them twice . Stocking and boosting is much to important .
Without the Sword skills ( e.g . Flame sword ) this game is almost impossible to play , which also means , since you have to exploit the elemental weaknesses of the enemy , that the three characters , who already have an elemental alignement , Shion , chaos and Ziggy , are useless for most battles . Still , even using these , unless you stock and use elemental chains , the most damage you will do is about 450 points . With the later enemies having mostly over 5000 Hp the battles are not only boring , but also endless .
Mostly in RPGs you have one character , usually the main protagonist , who is an absolute powerhouse . However due to the battle mechanics , all characters are about the same , and you have to choose them according to situation . Hence , the possibility to switch characters in battle . I won't even complain about the fact that only the three characters who actually finish the battle get Skill and Class points , since I already made it clear that this battle system is seriously flawed and this is only one of its minor annoyances .
There are no cure magics strong enough to actually refill your HP . At later levels , some of your characters will have at least over 2000 HP , unfortunately the strongest healing magic , Medica 2 , used by the strongest magic user , Momo , only gives about 500 HP . Need I say more . Even combining two Medica 2s by boosting doesn't help , because this will result in a Medica 2 all .
Items do not really make up for this lack , since most enemies just hand over small Medikits , and there is no shop .
There are actually two kinds of status ailments . Status ailments are annoying as such , without you having to differ between Poison L ( the most common group ) or Poison H ( rather rare , and even rarer are the items for curing it ) .
Side Quests mostly consist of endlessly traveling back and forth between Miltia and Kukai Foundation and talking to people or collecting items . Considering the considerable loading times , this is even more annoying then it should be . You can finish the main game including most of the side quests in 35 hours . There are some epilogue dungeons that will stretch this by maybe another ten hours .
A last critic , though I do not know if this is true for everyone . On my television the character portraits were cut off at the top , making the amount of HP I had at the moment sometimes hard to read .
Though still enjoyable to play because of the storyline , even though the generall plot was only advanced in the last 15 minutes of the game , and the pretty graphics , the gameplay has so many faults that I would clearly advise to rent this game rather than buy it . Normally RPGs are too long to make renting profitable , but this really is no problem here .
I do hope they improve the gameplay for the third episode . Since they also planned on remaking Episode V , Xenogears , I am really anxious about Episode 3 .
125 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Right ?
Pros :
- Good graphics
- Good story ( Picking up where the 1st one's emotionally bizzare , but excellent story left off )
- Pretty good way to get skills ( class points to get class , and buy classes , and get skills , it's pretty easy )
- Cinematics are fast paced and action packed
- No more using bio sphears at save points . Save points automaticly heal you , and bisphears are used at the menu to completley heal
- While fighting you can carry on your boost you have left from the last fight , and carry it on to the next
- This series continues in a ok way
Cons :
- I was under the imression that data from the first one , like HP , attacks and such could be continued on this but NOOOO ! ! ! They say here's some bonus stuff , good job , and uh , we just screwed you over
- I miss a whole lot of stuff like
- - Buying and selling ( This is one of the main pricipals of almost every RPG . Taking this out just pissed me off . No more buying cool upgrades , or selling crap like scrap iron ( I have enough scrap iron in my game to make a friggin gun )
- - Voices ( They ruined this . Shion , Kos-Mos , Momo , Chaos , Mary , ect voices were replaced by worse ones . If they were to replace Al Bhedo's voice , that really would have been horrible , but Kos-Mos ' voice change just really ruined her more than anyone )
- - Models ( I thought it would be nice to see them mature a bit , but now , I take it back . I miss the good ol anime style look . The worst changes were made to Kos-Mos ( At first I thought she looked great , but the voice-acting shut me off like a computer ) , and Momo , she was so cute in the first one , but now she looks older , and sounds like an obnoxios little girl )
- - Battle System ( Ah the nuber 1 thing I and so many are complaining about . The first one was almost flawless , it had awsome cinamatics during battle , and had a 2 punch then just blast them the fudge away , or do level up the speed with skill points and kick the crap out of the ASAP . Now this game just toatly abandoned all of that . Stocking is a pain , but you have to do it , unless you want a looooooong battle . But stocking also leaves you volnurable , leaving the enemies to stomp a new @ $ $ - hole in you . Theres no more big moves like Last Symphony , or X-Buster ( Oh wait , the put that on a E.C . , who cares ? ! It's for Kos-Mos ! ! ) You can't have 3 E.C.s ( or AWGS ) on the screen , unlike the 1st one . The only bigtime cinematic moves are doubles , but they suck , so I tend not to use them . In the first one I hated the tedious cut-seenes in the first one because I anxious to get back to the battle system , but in this one I'm a wanna sit and watch a cut seene because of the battle system . Episode 1 ' s battle system was like a automatic , easy to use , and fun , but now it's like they changed it to a for-jorkin ' Stick Shift . It's hard to convert , altho I'm getting a little better with it , I just miss doing tech attacks from the first one .
- 2 discs ! ? For what ! ? The first disc of this was only 9 hours , and the second was only 12 hours . The first one was 40 hours . And 2 disc RPGs are longer than that ( Ex . Star Ocean was 2 discs , and 70 hours of fun )
My first review before I edited was based off what I saw when my friend played it , and my first hour of playing . He let me play a few battles , and it was pretty cool , but when I found out the full story for myself , I understood what he ment by when he said , Don't buy it , just remember the story from when I played it I didn't wanna listen , because I thought we had our own opinions , and I thought my experience would be diffrent , but it our diffences were close to a simile . At first I thought I could use data from the 1st one one this game , so I leveled up everyone to the point where I could beat the final boss without even worrying , but now that I did all that for nothing , I'm just pissed to a high degree , and not only that alot of the changes weren't satisfactory . Well , this game is just a sequal that experimented with the wrong things , like Devil May Cry 2 , Sukoden IV , The World is not Enough , ect . Too bad it didn't pull a Splinter Cell ( PT ) , Metal Gear Solid 2 , or Resident Evil 4 ) . Altho all of this is just messed up , this game still is playable , and those who want to keep up with the Xenosaga series should definitly get this . But those who moderatley liked the first one or hated it , will be dissapointed , hate this , or not even pick it up . Personaly , I think it wasn't worth the $50 price tag .
peace
126 4 Right ?
Pros :
- Good graphics
- Good story ( Picking up where the 1st one's emotionally bizzare , but excellent story left off )
- Pretty good way to get skills ( class points to get class , and buy classes , and get skills , it's pretty easy )
- Cinematics are fast paced and action packed
- No more using bio sphears at save points . Save points automaticly heal you , and bisphears are used at the menu to completley heal
- While fighting you can carry on your boost you have left from the last fight , and carry it on to the next
- This series continues in a ok way
Cons :
- I was under the imression that data from the first one , like HP , attacks and such could be continued on this but NOOOO ! ! ! They say here's some bonus stuff , good job , and uh , we just screwed you over
- I miss a whole lot of stuff like
- - Buying and selling ( This is one of the main pricipals of almost every RPG . Taking this out just pissed me off . No more buying cool upgrades , or selling crap like scrap iron ( I have enough scrap iron in my game to make a friggin gun )
- - Voices ( They ruined this . Shion , Kos-Mos , Momo , Chaos , Mary , ect voices were replaced by worse ones . If they were to replace Al Bhedo's voice , that really would have been horrible , but Kos-Mos ' voice change just really ruined her more than anyone )
- - Models ( I thought it would be nice to see them mature a bit , but now , I take it back . I miss the good ol anime style look . The worst changes were made to Kos-Mos ( At first I thought she looked great , but the voice-acting shut me off like a computer ) , and Momo , she was so cute in the first one , but now she looks older , and sounds like an obnoxios little girl )
- - Battle System ( Ah the nuber 1 thing I and so many are complaining about . The first one was almost flawless , it had awsome cinamatics during battle , and had a 2 punch then just blast them the fudge away , or do level up the speed with skill points and kick the crap out of the ASAP . Now this game just toatly abandoned all of that . Stocking is a pain , but you have to do it , unless you want a looooooong battle . But stocking also leaves you volnurable , leaving the enemies to stomp a new @ $ $ - hole in you . Theres no more big moves like Last Symphony , or X-Buster ( Oh wait , the put that on a E.C . , who cares ? ! It's for Kos-Mos ! ! ) You can't have 3 E.C.s ( or AWGS ) on the screen , unlike the 1st one . The only bigtime cinematic moves are doubles , but they suck , so I tend not to use them . In the first one I hated the tedious cut-seenes in the first one because I anxious to get back to the battle system , but in this one I'm a wanna sit and watch a cut seene because of the battle system . Episode 1 ' s battle system was like a automatic , easy to use , and fun , but now it's like they changed it to a for-jorkin ' Stick Shift . It's hard to convert , altho I'm getting a little better with it , I just miss doing tech attacks from the first one .
- 2 discs ! ? For what ! ? The first disc of this was only 9 hours , and the second was only 12 hours . The first one was 40 hours . And 2 disc RPGs are longer than that ( Ex . Star Ocean was 2 discs , and 70 hours of fun )
My first review before I edited was based off what I saw when my friend played it , and my first hour of playing . He let me play a few battles , and it was pretty cool , but when I found out the full story for myself , I understood what he ment by when he said , Don't buy it , just remember the story from when I played it I didn't wanna listen , because I thought we had our own opinions , and I thought my experience would be diffrent , but it our diffences were close to a simile . At first I thought I could use data from the 1st one one this game , so I leveled up everyone to the point where I could beat the final boss without even worrying , but now that I did all that for nothing , I'm just pissed to a high degree , and not only that alot of the changes weren't satisfactory . Well , this game is just a sequal that experimented with the wrong things , like Devil May Cry 2 , Sukoden IV , The World is not Enough , ect . Too bad it didn't pull a Splinter Cell ( PT ) , Metal Gear Solid 2 , or Resident Evil 4 ) . Altho all of this is just messed up , this game still is playable , and those who want to keep up with the Xenosaga series should definitly get this . But those who moderatley liked the first one or hated it , will be dissapointed , hate this , or not even pick it up . Personaly , I think it wasn't worth the $50 price tag .
peace
127 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
After sludging through this game , it's pretty easy to see why the 5 games announced were reduced to 3 . Honestly , I can't believe that the series got the funding to wrap things up after this . This game just fails in every possible respect . From the clunky battle system , to the ridiculously over-thought skills tables , and even the so-called plot , the whole thing is a convoluted , nearly unplayable mess .
131 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
The story is very intriguing , and the gameplay is very fun . Minor irritations from Xenosaga 1 have been removed but replaced with new ones . For instance , save points heal you in this one , and the level up system is clearer . However , the voices are inferior , the script at times trite , and chaos sounds like he's on downers . Also , people's torsos look more like hot dogs than bodies . . . but if you can get over that cosmetic stuff , it is a great game .
135 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I thought this game was one of the best ! ! ! For a while there I thought i was watching a movie ! LOL ! ! I like the battle a lot more than #1 and I thought Shion looked a whole lot better and the same with KOS-MOS . This game was sooo cool . I think this game was a lot longer , too . I think this game had way kool graphics and it was suspensful and entertaining ! ! !
- - Alex - - if ur wonderin i am 13
136 4 I thought this game was one of the best ! ! ! For a while there I thought i was watching a movie ! LOL ! ! I like the battle a lot more than #1 and I thought Shion looked a whole lot better and the same with KOS-MOS . This game was sooo cool . I think this game was a lot longer , too . I think this game had way kool graphics and it was suspensful and entertaining ! ! !
- - Alex - - if ur wonderin i am 13
137 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
One of the most common complaints is that Xenosaga Ep . II's battle system is annoying and ponderous because even in ' regular ' battles , it forces you to spend many turns Stocking just so that you can do decent damage to enemies . This is actually a form of codespeak . What these people are really saying is I'm not very bright , and even after several hours of playing Ep . II , I somehow never realized how to use the battle system efficiently . Duuuurrr !
Ep . II puts a great deal of emphasis on each character's attack attributes . Attacks are classified as either Physical or Ether , and then there are elementals ( fire , ice , lighting , aura ) and finally there are types ( slash / pierce / hit ) . Sound complicated ? Eh , a little more so than the average RPG . Not nearly as bad as something like Vagrant Story . All you have to do is use Analyze on any enemy you're unfamiliar with to see their weaknesses , and then use the Change command to bring in the character that has the proper attack , if they aren't already in your battle party . When you come across enemies with Physical / elemental weaknesses , there are Ethers which you can cast to add that element to a character's physical attack . If their weakness is ether / elemental , then just use the standard elemental spell Ethers against them . This is all you need to do to make battles flow at nice , normal pace .
For some reason , the vast majority of Ep . II players seemed to never realize this . Instead , they saw their only option to be using the Stock command for nine ( NINE ! ) turns in a row before beginning their attack . Even on wimpy garden variety wandering monsters ! They took no heed of enemy weaknesses , using characters with physical / fire based attacks against enemies weak vs . ether / ice . RPG players used to have a reputation for being the more intelligent gamers . I wonder what happened . . .
A lot of Ep . I fans never bothered to play Ep . II because negative word of mouth spread so quickly amongst the fanbase as soon as the JP version was released . But now that Ep . III is out ( and it's truly fantastic ) a lot of them will finally play Ep . II soon . I hope they do better than the first rounders did .
138 4 One of the most common complaints is that Xenosaga Ep . II's battle system is annoying and ponderous because even in ' regular ' battles , it forces you to spend many turns Stocking just so that you can do decent damage to enemies . This is actually a form of codespeak . What these people are really saying is I'm not very bright , and even after several hours of playing Ep . II , I somehow never realized how to use the battle system efficiently . Duuuurrr !
Ep . II puts a great deal of emphasis on each character's attack attributes . Attacks are classified as either Physical or Ether , and then there are elementals ( fire , ice , lighting , aura ) and finally there are types ( slash / pierce / hit ) . Sound complicated ? Eh , a little more so than the average RPG . Not nearly as bad as something like Vagrant Story . All you have to do is use Analyze on any enemy you're unfamiliar with to see their weaknesses , and then use the Change command to bring in the character that has the proper attack , if they aren't already in your battle party . When you come across enemies with Physical / elemental weaknesses , there are Ethers which you can cast to add that element to a character's physical attack . If their weakness is ether / elemental , then just use the standard elemental spell Ethers against them . This is all you need to do to make battles flow at nice , normal pace .
For some reason , the vast majority of Ep . II players seemed to never realize this . Instead , they saw their only option to be using the Stock command for nine ( NINE ! ) turns in a row before beginning their attack . Even on wimpy garden variety wandering monsters ! They took no heed of enemy weaknesses , using characters with physical / fire based attacks against enemies weak vs . ether / ice . RPG players used to have a reputation for being the more intelligent gamers . I wonder what happened . . .
A lot of Ep . I fans never bothered to play Ep . II because negative word of mouth spread so quickly amongst the fanbase as soon as the JP version was released . But now that Ep . III is out ( and it's truly fantastic ) a lot of them will finally play Ep . II soon . I hope they do better than the first rounders did .
139 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
. . . As far as a review , the game looks great , I can't wait for it to come out . I do hope that there is less dialogue in this one than in the first one . Other than that I'm really looking forward to this one . . . .
141 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
namco's xenosaga 2 really looks horible . with scenes that have bad cgi . so don't get this game .
143 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
don't get this game when it comes out . you will be dissapointed since the cutscenes look boring . other than that avoid this came no questions do it .
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Before I begin this review , I'm going to say that I am not going to explain many things about the gameplay since all those who reviewed the game before me point it out more than once .
The main problem with the game is that , as the first one , it is way too short . Judging from the production time for each of the first two installments thus far ( about two to three years each ) it is unlikely that any of the following installments are going to be any longer , as it would take twice as long to make a 50 hour game on this scale . Second , the difficulty is there , somewhat , but my first time through the game , even through the dozens of boss battles , I never actually died . Never . The first episode was much more difficult .
NOW , for the main point of my review . . . one does not play Xenosaga for groundbreaking gameplay , so hearing people talking about the bad decisions with the battle system or the repeating dungeons makes no sense . With Xenogears ( episode 5 of the series for those who haven't played that masterpiece ) , the gameplay was important . In Xenosaga , one plays in order to get to the next cutscene . The story IS the reason why Xenosaga has the kind of popularity it has . Its the reason why people talk about it on countless forums and write fanfics . Episode 1 had a great foundation-setting story that introduced the main players of the first 3 episodes of the 6 - part saga ( episode 3 will be the last with Shion and co . , although reportedly KOSMOS and chaos are going to continue on until the very end , hmmmm . . . ) . The story in episode 2 does not disappoint . In fact , I think it was better than the first one . Let me explain .
In episode 2 , the focus for about sixty or seventy percent of the game is on Jr . , Albedo , Gaignun , and MOMO . Other characters , including KOSMOS and even the gnosis , take back seat to the URTV subplot . Now , one might call this heresy , since Shion is the main character , arguably , and she is not the main focus of the game . However , the shift in focus serves wonders in hindsight , since the various flashbacks into the past allow us to see how most of the less major characters tie together . I don't want to ruin any surprises for anyone , but just let me say that basically every character that has a speaking role is all tied together in some way to the events 14 years prior on Second Miltia . It was important to have this part of the story because it serves as a bridge between the first and upcoming third installment . Without it , many of the motives that drive each of the characters would not be understood . Why was Jr . so close to MOMO in episode 1 ? Why was Juli Mizhrahi reluctant to see MOMO , her supposed daughter , who is also a machine ? What led to Jr . and Albedo being on Second Miltia , and what were they doing ? How is chaos involved with anything at all ? What happened in Ziggy's past ? Who is Nephilim ? Who is Wilhelm , and who is the red cloaked man who speaks with him ? These questions and more are either answered or considered in this installment . Now , the game does go to great lengths to raise new questions , but it does so in the process of clearing up several other things that were left unclear about the characters themselves from the first part .
It would be better to call the first installment a swashbuckling action adventure , whereas this one is more of a character study . I'm not saying that this doesn't have some of the most exciting cutscenes in video game history , but it is much more intriguing when we have characters like chaos and newcomer Jin sitting down in the twilight begin philosophically discussing human nature in the context of their own experiences . This game really is a stepping stone that puts it into epic status , where the story is sweeping and spans over generations of experiences of dozens of different people .
If you go into this game expecting gameplay , you're playing the wrong genre , let alone game . RPGs haven't been original since FFIV introduced Active time battle anyway . But if you go into episode 2 understanding that you are about to experience something that transcends simple video games , you will be more than happy with this . This is by no means a great game , but the story is simply beyond anything you've ever read . You don't play Xenosaga , you experience it . Perhaps Xenosaga would have been served better as a gargantuan series of novels , but Tetsuya Takahashi chose to make video games , and I have to respect that .
030 4 Much like others , I had high hopes for Namco's second episode in XENOSAGA and , with an ambitious German subtitle like Jenseits von Gut und 。öse , who could blame me ? After the wonderful experience that was Episode I ( Der Wille zur Macht ) , I expected Namco to redouble their efforts to make the next installment carry on the story while improving upon graphics , soundtrack , and providing gamers with new things to occupy their minds and time .
I must say , though , that I am * not * impressed . I'm not sure which one of the developers decided to make all these changes , but they certainly went too far . Now don't get me wrong - - Episode II is , at times , quite fun to play . . . but it simply doesn't live up to the reputation established by its predecessor . I have issues with several of the changes made in this Episode , particularly ( but not limited to ) : the change in voice actors ( KOS-MOS sounds silly now and MOMO is more irritating than I thought possible ) , increased complexity of the battle system , and those annoying GSC sidequests .
I've outlined some of the highlights below . I hope someone finds it useful . All-in-all , if you are a fan of Episode I , I'd definitely recommend playing Episode II as well . However , don't be surprised if / when you're disappointed or frustrated with it - - many other XENOSAGA fans are , too .
STORY : A / A + As always , this feature is the trademark of XENOSAGA . The story is unparalleled amongst RPGs in complexity and intricacy , and a * large * amount of time is spent in cutscenes watching events unfold . If you're squeamish about watching video clips instead of fighting and killing stuff , don't bother with the XENOSAGA series because you'll get bored - - very quickly .
CHARACTERS : B + / A - While some character development does occur in Episode II , some personalities seemed to have changed - - for the worst . Shion is now harsh and curt , and is often rude and short with people ( especially Allen ) . MOMO's new voice makes her more childish and whiny than ever while KOS-MOS ' makes her sound less like an android and more like some beauty pageant contestant . Others such as Jr . and Ziggy have ( thankfully ) stayed the same .
BATTLE SYSTEM : C / C + What started as a complex system in Episode I has evolved to become more complicated than ever . Unfortunately , ths complexity is cumbersome and needless . I'm all for designing a new system that's innovative and requires the use of strategy , but the routine in battles is painfully clear - - Stock for several turns , unleash attacks , rinse and repeat as necessary while trying to heal to avoid death . The Boost feature is still present , and its use is mandatory for performing special Double Techs and combos . The Change feature , while an interesting idea ( cf . Square's FFX - 2 ) , is frustrating in that only the last person you switched into battle gets S . / T . Points for the battle , no matter how long he / she was actually in the battle . Be warned : the complexity of the battle system makes for tiresome battles in many places .
GRAPHICS : A The visuals - - in the field , in cutscenes , and in battle - - are outstanding .
SOUND : B Again , the danger in promising a three-part saga of games is that players can ( and should , I think ! ) compare a new game to the one before it . The soundtrack for Episode I was orchestral - - rich and energetic , always appropriate for the scene at hand ( listen to the music the first time Albedo appears ! ) . That orchestral flare is lost here in Episode II and , while not awful , the soundtrack is simply unremarkable .
SIDEQUESTS : C Apart from the main story , there are many sidequests and optional quests to undertake , some shorter than others . For the most part , these sidequests are pointless and are only hurdles to jump through in order to obtain some hidden items . Anyone who's completed them can attest to the pointlessness of running back and forth that some of these quests demand . There * must * be a better way to keep gamers intrigued !
033 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Before I begin this review , I'm going to say that I am not going to explain many things about the gameplay since all those who reviewed the game before me point it out more than once .
The main problem with the game is that , as the first one , it is way too short . Judging from the production time for each of the first two installments thus far ( about two to three years each ) it is unlikely that any of the following installments are going to be any longer , as it would take twice as long to make a 50 hour game on this scale . Second , the difficulty is there , somewhat , but my first time through the game , even through the dozens of boss battles , I never actually died . Never . The first episode was much more difficult .
NOW , for the main point of my review . . . one does not play Xenosaga for groundbreaking gameplay , so hearing people talking about the bad decisions with the battle system or the repeating dungeons makes no sense . With Xenogears ( episode 5 of the series for those who haven't played that masterpiece ) , the gameplay was important . In Xenosaga , one plays in order to get to the next cutscene . The story IS the reason why Xenosaga has the kind of popularity it has . Its the reason why people talk about it on countless forums and write fanfics . Episode 1 had a great foundation-setting story that introduced the main players of the first 3 episodes of the 6 - part saga ( episode 3 will be the last with Shion and co . , although reportedly KOSMOS and chaos are going to continue on until the very end , hmmmm . . . ) . The story in episode 2 does not disappoint . In fact , I think it was better than the first one . Let me explain .
In episode 2 , the focus for about sixty or seventy percent of the game is on Jr . , Albedo , Gaignun , and MOMO . Other characters , including KOSMOS and even the gnosis , take back seat to the URTV subplot . Now , one might call this heresy , since Shion is the main character , arguably , and she is not the main focus of the game . However , the shift in focus serves wonders in hindsight , since the various flashbacks into the past allow us to see how most of the less major characters tie together . I don't want to ruin any surprises for anyone , but just let me say that basically every character that has a speaking role is all tied together in some way to the events 14 years prior on Second Miltia . It was important to have this part of the story because it serves as a bridge between the first and upcoming third installment . Without it , many of the motives that drive each of the characters would not be understood . Why was Jr . so close to MOMO in episode 1 ? Why was Juli Mizhrahi reluctant to see MOMO , her supposed daughter , who is also a machine ? What led to Jr . and Albedo being on Second Miltia , and what were they doing ? How is chaos involved with anything at all ? What happened in Ziggy's past ? Who is Nephilim ? Who is Wilhelm , and who is the red cloaked man who speaks with him ? These questions and more are either answered or considered in this installment . Now , the game does go to great lengths to raise new questions , but it does so in the process of clearing up several other things that were left unclear about the characters themselves from the first part .
It would be better to call the first installment a swashbuckling action adventure , whereas this one is more of a character study . I'm not saying that this doesn't have some of the most exciting cutscenes in video game history , but it is much more intriguing when we have characters like chaos and newcomer Jin sitting down in the twilight begin philosophically discussing human nature in the context of their own experiences . This game really is a stepping stone that puts it into epic status , where the story is sweeping and spans over generations of experiences of dozens of different people .
If you go into this game expecting gameplay , you're playing the wrong genre , let alone game . RPGs haven't been original since FFIV introduced Active time battle anyway . But if you go into episode 2 understanding that you are about to experience something that transcends simple video games , you will be more than happy with this . This is by no means a great game , but the story is simply beyond anything you've ever read . You don't play Xenosaga , you experience it . Perhaps Xenosaga would have been served better as a gargantuan series of novels , but Tetsuya Takahashi chose to make video games , and I have to respect that .
034 4 Before I begin this review , I'm going to say that I am not going to explain many things about the gameplay since all those who reviewed the game before me point it out more than once .
The main problem with the game is that , as the first one , it is way too short . Judging from the production time for each of the first two installments thus far ( about two to three years each ) it is unlikely that any of the following installments are going to be any longer , as it would take twice as long to make a 50 hour game on this scale . Second , the difficulty is there , somewhat , but my first time through the game , even through the dozens of boss battles , I never actually died . Never . The first episode was much more difficult .
NOW , for the main point of my review . . . one does not play Xenosaga for groundbreaking gameplay , so hearing people talking about the bad decisions with the battle system or the repeating dungeons makes no sense . With Xenogears ( episode 5 of the series for those who haven't played that masterpiece ) , the gameplay was important . In Xenosaga , one plays in order to get to the next cutscene . The story IS the reason why Xenosaga has the kind of popularity it has . Its the reason why people talk about it on countless forums and write fanfics . Episode 1 had a great foundation-setting story that introduced the main players of the first 3 episodes of the 6 - part saga ( episode 3 will be the last with Shion and co . , although reportedly KOSMOS and chaos are going to continue on until the very end , hmmmm . . . ) . The story in episode 2 does not disappoint . In fact , I think it was better than the first one . Let me explain .
In episode 2 , the focus for about sixty or seventy percent of the game is on Jr . , Albedo , Gaignun , and MOMO . Other characters , including KOSMOS and even the gnosis , take back seat to the URTV subplot . Now , one might call this heresy , since Shion is the main character , arguably , and she is not the main focus of the game . However , the shift in focus serves wonders in hindsight , since the various flashbacks into the past allow us to see how most of the less major characters tie together . I don't want to ruin any surprises for anyone , but just let me say that basically every character that has a speaking role is all tied together in some way to the events 14 years prior on Second Miltia . It was important to have this part of the story because it serves as a bridge between the first and upcoming third installment . Without it , many of the motives that drive each of the characters would not be understood . Why was Jr . so close to MOMO in episode 1 ? Why was Juli Mizhrahi reluctant to see MOMO , her supposed daughter , who is also a machine ? What led to Jr . and Albedo being on Second Miltia , and what were they doing ? How is chaos involved with anything at all ? What happened in Ziggy's past ? Who is Nephilim ? Who is Wilhelm , and who is the red cloaked man who speaks with him ? These questions and more are either answered or considered in this installment . Now , the game does go to great lengths to raise new questions , but it does so in the process of clearing up several other things that were left unclear about the characters themselves from the first part .
It would be better to call the first installment a swashbuckling action adventure , whereas this one is more of a character study . I'm not saying that this doesn't have some of the most exciting cutscenes in video game history , but it is much more intriguing when we have characters like chaos and newcomer Jin sitting down in the twilight begin philosophically discussing human nature in the context of their own experiences . This game really is a stepping stone that puts it into epic status , where the story is sweeping and spans over generations of experiences of dozens of different people .
If you go into this game expecting gameplay , you're playing the wrong genre , let alone game . RPGs haven't been original since FFIV introduced Active time battle anyway . But if you go into episode 2 understanding that you are about to experience something that transcends simple video games , you will be more than happy with this . This is by no means a great game , but the story is simply beyond anything you've ever read . You don't play Xenosaga , you experience it . Perhaps Xenosaga would have been served better as a gargantuan series of novels , but Tetsuya Takahashi chose to make video games , and I have to respect that .
039 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Oh my . What has namco done ? ! To me Xenosaga II was such a dissappointment and a heartbreak ! I impatiently waited for a couple of years with high hopes after finishing the first one for the second part of the series . I found Xenosaga 1 to be a wonderful game . The music was great ( it was performed by the Boston Orchestra ) , the graphics were good , the storyline really enthralled me , and I fell in love with the characters and found most of their voice actors perfectly fitting . In fact , it still remains as one of my favorite games . Then , when the store got Xenosaga II , I immediately shelled out $55 to get it . I started it , got a little far in the game , then stopped because it was so mangled . They changed the characters looks , which was fine by me , but then they changed their VOICES . My god .
KOS-MOS ' new voice actor sounds like she's bored throughout the game , I don't know WHY they didn't stay with the old one .
Shion's voice is now whiny and annoying , she's sounds like a total snob . The old voice sounded kind and soft .
MOMO's voice is now REALLY annoying , before she was just somewhat annoying .
Chaos ' voice is actually MUCH better , I like his , it now really suits . All the rest of the characters voices are the same , which is good .
The storyline got very mangled , and is now even harder to follow without the word database from before . I just don't see why they got rid of the UMN stuff . . .
THE BATTLE SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY HORRIBLE . I have NO idea why they decided to do that . They also messed up the techs , the skills , and items . They make it much more complicated than it should be . I sincerely hope that this system will go back to the much appreciated old one in Xenosaga III .
The music was DISGRACEFUL ! IT sounded like they went on the internet and got a whole bunch of MIDIs ! Either that or horrible elavator music ! It was NOTHING like the sweet tones of the Boston Orchestra ! I had to hit mute on the parts with no characters talking .
So , overall , this game was , well , a failure next to the first one . I grew bored of this game after only a little while and found myself wishing I hadn't spent my money on it . The game has been sitting in the same spot for a good three months now , since I got so bored with it . Be aware this is only my view of the game , so maybe YOU would actually find it to be the best game out there and worth the price . Either way , I hope you pick the decision that's right for you : )
040 4 Oh my . What has namco done ? ! To me Xenosaga II was such a dissappointment and a heartbreak ! I impatiently waited for a couple of years with high hopes after finishing the first one for the second part of the series . I found Xenosaga 1 to be a wonderful game . The music was great ( it was performed by the Boston Orchestra ) , the graphics were good , the storyline really enthralled me , and I fell in love with the characters and found most of their voice actors perfectly fitting . In fact , it still remains as one of my favorite games . Then , when the store got Xenosaga II , I immediately shelled out $55 to get it . I started it , got a little far in the game , then stopped because it was so mangled . They changed the characters looks , which was fine by me , but then they changed their VOICES . My god .
KOS-MOS ' new voice actor sounds like she's bored throughout the game , I don't know WHY they didn't stay with the old one .
Shion's voice is now whiny and annoying , she's sounds like a total snob . The old voice sounded kind and soft .
MOMO's voice is now REALLY annoying , before she was just somewhat annoying .
Chaos ' voice is actually MUCH better , I like his , it now really suits . All the rest of the characters voices are the same , which is good .
The storyline got very mangled , and is now even harder to follow without the word database from before . I just don't see why they got rid of the UMN stuff . . .
THE BATTLE SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY HORRIBLE . I have NO idea why they decided to do that . They also messed up the techs , the skills , and items . They make it much more complicated than it should be . I sincerely hope that this system will go back to the much appreciated old one in Xenosaga III .
The music was DISGRACEFUL ! IT sounded like they went on the internet and got a whole bunch of MIDIs ! Either that or horrible elavator music ! It was NOTHING like the sweet tones of the Boston Orchestra ! I had to hit mute on the parts with no characters talking .
So , overall , this game was , well , a failure next to the first one . I grew bored of this game after only a little while and found myself wishing I hadn't spent my money on it . The game has been sitting in the same spot for a good three months now , since I got so bored with it . Be aware this is only my view of the game , so maybe YOU would actually find it to be the best game out there and worth the price . Either way , I hope you pick the decision that's right for you : )
082 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
this is a good movie . but it's bad game .
the cutscenes are probably the best i've seen . the storyline far surpasses the first game .
but GYAH , the gameplay is AWFUL ! for the first 5 hours or so , the battle system seems worth playing around with . then you soon realize . . . there is no playing around with it . you do the SAME THING EVERY FIGHT . no new moves . you get new ethers , but you NEVER USE THEM unless they are healing ethers , and even then . . . the items are better . you can't buy upgrades ( you don't even get money ) which is NOT GOOD .
if you finished the first one , you NEED this one . . . just for the story . if you can waddle your way through the awful gameplay , that is .
083 4 this is a good movie . but it's bad game .
the cutscenes are probably the best i've seen . the storyline far surpasses the first game .
but GYAH , the gameplay is AWFUL ! for the first 5 hours or so , the battle system seems worth playing around with . then you soon realize . . . there is no playing around with it . you do the SAME THING EVERY FIGHT . no new moves . you get new ethers , but you NEVER USE THEM unless they are healing ethers , and even then . . . the items are better . you can't buy upgrades ( you don't even get money ) which is NOT GOOD .
if you finished the first one , you NEED this one . . . just for the story . if you can waddle your way through the awful gameplay , that is .
090 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I preordered Xenosaga Episode II , and did actually receive the DVD . I was so excited to receive the game , until I read EGM's review , and then I was a bit worried that I wasted 50 bucks .
However , I suppose this game and the gamer can have a love or hate relationship .
Xenosaga II changes the looks of the characters , the battle system , and some of the voice actors .
To be honest , I liked some of the new features , and of course , the story was very juicy .
The good things about this game : The story is as complex as the first , introducing only a few new characters and continuing RIGHT where Episode I left off , except for a 1 hour flashback where they introduce Canaan and Jin . The battle system is faster and the zone and Double Techs are nice , but require some practice to get right , and the Double Techs can be almost impossible to get on some . The character's new looks are smooth , though some may like the old anime style . I don't mind , either is fine . The environments are beautifully rendered , very colorful and rich . Music in the cutscenes is stunning , by the new composer Yuki Kajiura . The ending is the entire reason to play this game , though , in my opinion , though the story itself is good .
Some Misses on their part : Though the battle system has improved in speed , the characters moves once again get very stale very quickly . If you have Jr . use a OOOO attack , he will say Eat this ! four times in a row , and it's enough for you to want to rip your hair out , especially when you're in a long boss battle . The bosses will also do this , especially if they like a certain attack , and their's are longer sayings . The voice acting for Jr . , Albedo / Gaignun , and Margulis was stunning , however , Namco changed many of the voice actors . Shion's isn't that noticable , so I won't gripe about it , however , KOS-MOS is a big disappointment . The first voice actor for her was perfect , playing the android role very well , however , the second game has her sounding more like a teenage human girl than a battle android . ( I'm picky on these things . ) MOMO's voice wasn't that great either , having her sometimes sound like a constipated old woman in battle when she says certain things . Her voice is more like that of a 3 year old learning how to talk than a 12 year old girl . chaos ' voice was changed , but for the role he plays , it's probably better that way . His voice is deeper and more mature sounding now . Canaan's voice actor wasn't that great , and though he wasn't supposed to show emotion when talking , if Canaan was grunting or making a sound when he was hurt , it sounded terrible . I noticed that Namco used many of the voice actors from Tales of Symphonia in Xenosaga II . And , the biggest gripe is how short the game is and how many threads it leaves untied . The game can be completed , with many GS campaigns , all cutscenes , and a level of around 40 in about 25 hours . Episode I clocked around 45 hours for me on the final save point ; a big cut in time . Also , the game leaves many things unexplained , such as where did Orgulla come from ? Or the Patriarch ? Never explained . Let's hope that they are maybe explained in Episode III . Also , they don't have an encyclopedia in II . I enjoyed the encyclopedia in I , and was hoping they would have one in the second installment , but , alas , they didn't .
Based on opinion :
Many people don't like the fact that the series has extremely long cutscenes . However , without them , I really question how the story could be told as it is so complex . The cutscenes have been cut down to about 6.5 hours compared to about 8 in the first game . You can skip these cutscenes , however , and not worry about them .
Recommended ? All in all , I recommend the game for somebody who PLAYED THE FIRST GAME . If not , you will be so lost , you won't know what the heck is going on . If you got the DVD , great , watch it and perhaps go online to get more on the story . If not , then go buy episode I and play it before Episode II , or it won't even be worth it . However , I do recommend this to a fan of the series .
091 4 I preordered Xenosaga Episode II , and did actually receive the DVD . I was so excited to receive the game , until I read EGM's review , and then I was a bit worried that I wasted 50 bucks .
However , I suppose this game and the gamer can have a love or hate relationship .
Xenosaga II changes the looks of the characters , the battle system , and some of the voice actors .
To be honest , I liked some of the new features , and of course , the story was very juicy .
The good things about this game : The story is as complex as the first , introducing only a few new characters and continuing RIGHT where Episode I left off , except for a 1 hour flashback where they introduce Canaan and Jin . The battle system is faster and the zone and Double Techs are nice , but require some practice to get right , and the Double Techs can be almost impossible to get on some . The character's new looks are smooth , though some may like the old anime style . I don't mind , either is fine . The environments are beautifully rendered , very colorful and rich . Music in the cutscenes is stunning , by the new composer Yuki Kajiura . The ending is the entire reason to play this game , though , in my opinion , though the story itself is good .
Some Misses on their part : Though the battle system has improved in speed , the characters moves once again get very stale very quickly . If you have Jr . use a OOOO attack , he will say Eat this ! four times in a row , and it's enough for you to want to rip your hair out , especially when you're in a long boss battle . The bosses will also do this , especially if they like a certain attack , and their's are longer sayings . The voice acting for Jr . , Albedo / Gaignun , and Margulis was stunning , however , Namco changed many of the voice actors . Shion's isn't that noticable , so I won't gripe about it , however , KOS-MOS is a big disappointment . The first voice actor for her was perfect , playing the android role very well , however , the second game has her sounding more like a teenage human girl than a battle android . ( I'm picky on these things . ) MOMO's voice wasn't that great either , having her sometimes sound like a constipated old woman in battle when she says certain things . Her voice is more like that of a 3 year old learning how to talk than a 12 year old girl . chaos ' voice was changed , but for the role he plays , it's probably better that way . His voice is deeper and more mature sounding now . Canaan's voice actor wasn't that great , and though he wasn't supposed to show emotion when talking , if Canaan was grunting or making a sound when he was hurt , it sounded terrible . I noticed that Namco used many of the voice actors from Tales of Symphonia in Xenosaga II . And , the biggest gripe is how short the game is and how many threads it leaves untied . The game can be completed , with many GS campaigns , all cutscenes , and a level of around 40 in about 25 hours . Episode I clocked around 45 hours for me on the final save point ; a big cut in time . Also , the game leaves many things unexplained , such as where did Orgulla come from ? Or the Patriarch ? Never explained . Let's hope that they are maybe explained in Episode III . Also , they don't have an encyclopedia in II . I enjoyed the encyclopedia in I , and was hoping they would have one in the second installment , but , alas , they didn't .
Based on opinion :
Many people don't like the fact that the series has extremely long cutscenes . However , without them , I really question how the story could be told as it is so complex . The cutscenes have been cut down to about 6.5 hours compared to about 8 in the first game . You can skip these cutscenes , however , and not worry about them .
Recommended ? All in all , I recommend the game for somebody who PLAYED THE FIRST GAME . If not , you will be so lost , you won't know what the heck is going on . If you got the DVD , great , watch it and perhaps go online to get more on the story . If not , then go buy episode I and play it before Episode II , or it won't even be worth it . However , I do recommend this to a fan of the series .
093 4 this was a very good game from namco . too bad the graphics and gameplay isn't as fun as the first one . still if you like rpgs go get this game .
102 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
I bought this game with a great deal of anticipation . I had absolutely loved the first game , and I even hail that game as one of the best Sci-Fi RPG's of all time . I got this game and was immediately immersed in the opening scenes and first few steps of gameplay . When I got to the first boss fight that wasn't a flash back , I was swept with a deep despair . . . . . . I realized that i absolutely hated this game with all my heart and soul .
This game is the biggest disappointment I've experienced since i played Final Fantasy 5 ( which I personally think was the worst game in that series ) . They kept the same characters ( though with a few disappointing voice cast changes ) , they upgraded the character design models ( well most of them ) and they still had the same amazing story that made me love the first one . The story in this game actually delves deeper into the complexity of the world this game is set in , and answers several questions left over from the first game , as well as adding new ones . everything was generally kept the same , but as with all RPGs in a series , people always assume that they need to completely change part of the operational makeup of the game to add a new feel , something that doesn't make you feel like you're playing the same game again . More often than not , it's the battle system , in this case it was one of the biggest mistakes in gaming history .
Game Informer called this game a dropped ball of Devil may Cry 2 proportions and they were right . The battle system in this game has something to do with zones and certain attack forms that correspond to them , it really doesn't matter . All you need to know is that the enemies remain at about the same level of strength as they were in the previous game , but the strength of your characters is severely handicapped . All of the relished special attacks and super moves from the first game are gone , and replaced with pale little sissy slaps that conveniently have the same names . I actually had to have characters wait to charge up points to launch a succession of attacks ( much like you did in the first game to use special moves ) just to be able to inflict as much damage as a casual kick did in the first game . This makes fighting in this game , the most frustrating and completely uninteresting part of the entire game and , this being an RPG after all , IT ENCOMPASSES 1 / 2 OF THE FREAKING GAME .
I played through to the end ( don't ask me how i tolerated doing it , it'll just piss me off more ) and in terms of the story it was a homerun . The story is once again amazing , but sadly carries all the depth the game has to offer . if this had been a 3 hour animated film , it would have been worthwhile , but as a game this is a pale imitation of the greatness of Xenosaga 1 . If you're curious about the story , buy a cheap copy of it , use a cheat machine to blast through the game quick , soak up all there is to the story and then sell it or return it . You won't feel bad , there isn't any game to be played here beyond watching the cutscenes .
103 4 I bought this game with a great deal of anticipation . I had absolutely loved the first game , and I even hail that game as one of the best Sci-Fi RPG's of all time . I got this game and was immediately immersed in the opening scenes and first few steps of gameplay . When I got to the first boss fight that wasn't a flash back , I was swept with a deep despair . . . . . . I realized that i absolutely hated this game with all my heart and soul .
This game is the biggest disappointment I've experienced since i played Final Fantasy 5 ( which I personally think was the worst game in that series ) . They kept the same characters ( though with a few disappointing voice cast changes ) , they upgraded the character design models ( well most of them ) and they still had the same amazing story that made me love the first one . The story in this game actually delves deeper into the complexity of the world this game is set in , and answers several questions left over from the first game , as well as adding new ones . everything was generally kept the same , but as with all RPGs in a series , people always assume that they need to completely change part of the operational makeup of the game to add a new feel , something that doesn't make you feel like you're playing the same game again . More often than not , it's the battle system , in this case it was one of the biggest mistakes in gaming history .
Game Informer called this game a dropped ball of Devil may Cry 2 proportions and they were right . The battle system in this game has something to do with zones and certain attack forms that correspond to them , it really doesn't matter . All you need to know is that the enemies remain at about the same level of strength as they were in the previous game , but the strength of your characters is severely handicapped . All of the relished special attacks and super moves from the first game are gone , and replaced with pale little sissy slaps that conveniently have the same names . I actually had to have characters wait to charge up points to launch a succession of attacks ( much like you did in the first game to use special moves ) just to be able to inflict as much damage as a casual kick did in the first game . This makes fighting in this game , the most frustrating and completely uninteresting part of the entire game and , this being an RPG after all , IT ENCOMPASSES 1 / 2 OF THE FREAKING GAME .
I played through to the end ( don't ask me how i tolerated doing it , it'll just piss me off more ) and in terms of the story it was a homerun . The story is once again amazing , but sadly carries all the depth the game has to offer . if this had been a 3 hour animated film , it would have been worthwhile , but as a game this is a pale imitation of the greatness of Xenosaga 1 . If you're curious about the story , buy a cheap copy of it , use a cheat machine to blast through the game quick , soak up all there is to the story and then sell it or return it . You won't feel bad , there isn't any game to be played here beyond watching the cutscenes .
133 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
THIS PREVIEW HAS SPOILERS OF THE GAME PLEASE DON T READ IT IF YOU DIDN T PLAY IT !
I played Xenogears and when i saw Xenosaga Episode was kinda short compare xenogears in battle system but was ok because xenosaga was like an introduction .
OK improvements :
Gameplay was Longer than Episode 1 ( I ended Episode 1 with everything in 42 hours ) in change Ep2 ( 88 + ) .
Sidequest is like a plus if you want it to do it if you don t you can end the game anyways .
The Idea of Epiloge after you finish the game was very cool because you could kill special bosses and get better and kill the final boss overkilled and stuff like that .
Chaos Jr Momo Shion & Kosmos Looking was improved they looked more grow up .
Battle system to put them up or down depending who you were using or fighting as well double Tech attacks
All Characters were able to use all magic skills as long you buy them with your skillpoints and making able with the sidequests .
Momo Bow was a very nice improvement and now she can be a very good Damage Dealer
Recover Mp while stock was a good idea as well to use ep freely without any trouble .
People complain because history was focus in Jr and URTVs but the title says itself ( Jenseits von Gut und B se ) means Beyond Good and Evil wich means Rubedo worring for the ladies in danger and his Red Dragon mode wich makes him go out of control ( possible reason of Sakura Death ) , Albedo and his obssesive love for rubedo but at the same time to kill him as well , Nigredo wich refused to do a mission ( involved with Rubedo ) and killed his own father but he plays as good person at the moment as albedo said Giving life from 1 hand and delivering death from the other .
Honestly second episode history role was more development than first one because wasn t an introduction and we were starting to know how things were going . . .
What they did wrong :
I don t see how they could think throw away the tech attacks was going to be a good idea . . .
Good Thing they added the tech attacks & special attacks in ep 3
You had to do stock a lot of times to make a good combo between characters ( wich made battles kinda boring )
Music in battle was kinda boring compare to Ep 1
Voices of Chaos ( sounded boring . . . ) Kos-Mos ( like Fake silly girl trying to play as a robot ) Shion ( Pushing and like I m better than you ) Momo ( Very Annoying ) sad thing is my main team is Chaos Kosmos & Momo thats why i got sad for that voice changes but they said they refix their voices as episode 1 in the third and last episode .
Ep 1 has almost 8 hours of movies Ep 2 4 : 30hours ( i guess for the complains of the long movies )
I still don t get it movies give more motion of the storyrole of the game wich is most of the attractive things Xenosaga has over most of the games . In Episode 3 is 4hours of full motion movies but plus the speak texts with faces included while characters move and do stuff like Valkyrie Profile
They cut completly the close up when they cast spells or hit lights and stuff most of the time you see characters back all the way while you are fighting . ( they fix that in ep3 )
In Resume as everyone know Episode 2 had bad things but as well good things ( as every game ) no they shouldn t did it bad when they noticed the things people like of the game itself . Good thing is they fixed most of the bad stuff of Episode 2 to Episode 3 . Battle system soundtrack and characters voices all is better only thing i didn t like of episode 3 battle mode is they make it appear as an average rpg system ( attack , ether , tech , special tech , and others ) so forget the 4 combinations to make a tech attacks & ethers cost ep ( cp ) special attacks cost boosts . i wonder if attack will give some ep ( cp ) later . Even with all this i recommend you to buy it before you get episode 3 because you will be losing a lot of storyline if you don t and more now they cost 20 dollars each ( or less )
Atte :
Roy_Masters
134 4 THIS PREVIEW HAS SPOILERS OF THE GAME PLEASE DON T READ IT IF YOU DIDN T PLAY IT !
I played Xenogears and when i saw Xenosaga Episode was kinda short compare xenogears in battle system but was ok because xenosaga was like an introduction .
OK improvements :
Gameplay was Longer than Episode 1 ( I ended Episode 1 with everything in 42 hours ) in change Ep2 ( 88 + ) .
Sidequest is like a plus if you want it to do it if you don t you can end the game anyways .
The Idea of Epiloge after you finish the game was very cool because you could kill special bosses and get better and kill the final boss overkilled and stuff like that .
Chaos Jr Momo Shion & Kosmos Looking was improved they looked more grow up .
Battle system to put them up or down depending who you were using or fighting as well double Tech attacks
All Characters were able to use all magic skills as long you buy them with your skillpoints and making able with the sidequests .
Momo Bow was a very nice improvement and now she can be a very good Damage Dealer
Recover Mp while stock was a good idea as well to use ep freely without any trouble .
People complain because history was focus in Jr and URTVs but the title says itself ( Jenseits von Gut und B se ) means Beyond Good and Evil wich means Rubedo worring for the ladies in danger and his Red Dragon mode wich makes him go out of control ( possible reason of Sakura Death ) , Albedo and his obssesive love for rubedo but at the same time to kill him as well , Nigredo wich refused to do a mission ( involved with Rubedo ) and killed his own father but he plays as good person at the moment as albedo said Giving life from 1 hand and delivering death from the other .
Honestly second episode history role was more development than first one because wasn t an introduction and we were starting to know how things were going . . .
What they did wrong :
I don t see how they could think throw away the tech attacks was going to be a good idea . . .
Good Thing they added the tech attacks & special attacks in ep 3
You had to do stock a lot of times to make a good combo between characters ( wich made battles kinda boring )
Music in battle was kinda boring compare to Ep 1
Voices of Chaos ( sounded boring . . . ) Kos-Mos ( like Fake silly girl trying to play as a robot ) Shion ( Pushing and like I m better than you ) Momo ( Very Annoying ) sad thing is my main team is Chaos Kosmos & Momo thats why i got sad for that voice changes but they said they refix their voices as episode 1 in the third and last episode .
Ep 1 has almost 8 hours of movies Ep 2 4 : 30hours ( i guess for the complains of the long movies )
I still don t get it movies give more motion of the storyrole of the game wich is most of the attractive things Xenosaga has over most of the games . In Episode 3 is 4hours of full motion movies but plus the speak texts with faces included while characters move and do stuff like Valkyrie Profile
They cut completly the close up when they cast spells or hit lights and stuff most of the time you see characters back all the way while you are fighting . ( they fix that in ep3 )
In Resume as everyone know Episode 2 had bad things but as well good things ( as every game ) no they shouldn t did it bad when they noticed the things people like of the game itself . Good thing is they fixed most of the bad stuff of Episode 2 to Episode 3 . Battle system soundtrack and characters voices all is better only thing i didn t like of episode 3 battle mode is they make it appear as an average rpg system ( attack , ether , tech , special tech , and others ) so forget the 4 combinations to make a tech attacks & ethers cost ep ( cp ) special attacks cost boosts . i wonder if attack will give some ep ( cp ) later . Even with all this i recommend you to buy it before you get episode 3 because you will be losing a lot of storyline if you don t and more now they cost 20 dollars each ( or less )
Atte :
Roy_Masters
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Simply put , Xenogears + Xenosaga 1 & is the absolute best storyline , and best role playing experience on the PS2 to date .
I do strongly believe that Xenosaga 2 has the best storyline in any RPG I have ever , ever played , including Final Fantasy 7 , Xenogears , and hundreds of others . Because RPGs are strongly reliant on storyline for gameplay , I consider this to be the pinnacle of Role Playing on the PS2 . Final Fantasy X comes close , as does Star Ocean , but in terms of storyline , this game beats them .
However , I did have to mark down for a few other minor flaws . This game is highly a niche game , only for those who enjoy the style , and the sci fi setting . It's also very short . . . . .20 hours if you play straight through ( no leveling up ) . Maybe 38 - 42 hours if you take up the side-quests and want a strong character .
Gameplay : The first Xenosaga highly relied on cut scenes and narrative . In fact , I absolutely could not stand the battle system . Xenosaga Episode 2 still relies heavily upon that storytelling through hours of cut scenes , but it fixes the battle system .
The battle system is , simply put , one of the most fun turn-based systems I have ever experienced . While Xenosaga Episode 1 ' s battle system seemed slow and unwieldy , Episode 2 has a fast paced , action packed , and highly challenging battle system .
You have 3 characters on the screen at just about all times , these characters can be switched off in a manner much like FFX , but it costs a turn in this game , causing it to be more tactical .
Each turn you have many options ; you can attack ( more on various attacks later ) , stock ( save a turn for the next turn in order to get a combo ) , use ether ( read : magic ) , or change your battle party .
If you choose to attack , there is a whole slew of options here as well . Most importantly is learning the weak points of the enemy . Every enemy , including bosses , have a certain attack combination that will be most effective against them . When you attack , you can press either square , which is a B zone attack , Triangle , which is a C zone attack , or circle , which is another B zone attack . Certain characters also have an A zone attack , but this is only against flying opponents . You must expierament with the enemies in order to learn the zones they are weakest in . Sometimes , you may be required to ' stock ' for a turn in order to attack the enemy in its weak zone .
What is the advantage of attacking weak zones ? you ask . Well , it allows for large scale , damage pounding comboes that are absolutely essential in this game . Once you have hit all of the enemy's weak zones , you can do a break on them . This involves the circle button . Once a character is ' broken ' , they can be tossed into the air , or attacked while prone on the ground . This can add up to tons of damage if you plan your boosting right .
Boosting is another integral part of the combat system . Pressing the R1 button brings up a 3 slot meter which is sometimes empty , but it may feature the character potraits of some of your characters . If you press R1 , and then the button ( square , triangle , or circle ) that that character's potrait is on , they will boost forward , and immediately after the acting unit has taken its turn , this new character will have a turn .
Enemies , however , can take advantage of all of these systems as well . If you do not plan well , or randomly attack without comboes , the enemy will break you , boost ahead several times , and can easily destroy one of your characters in one short , brutal assault . Countless times my entire party was destroyed by simple enemies that should have been no problem , merely because I did not plan ahead . You will get very , very used to seeing the game over screen . The plus side of this difficulty is that you feel real exhiliration when you win , it is a great accomplishment . Note that even with power levelling , it won't help you much in some situations , believe me , I tried .
Finally , there is Ether . Ether skills are basically magic , if you know anything about RPGs at all , then you know basically what is present here , healing ether skills , attack ether skills , nothing big .
I forgot to mention the E.S . units . These are basically mechs , and were called A.G.W.S . in Episode 1 . Many points in the game involve you using these to move around and fight , and now they have an independant battle system . It's basically the same as the one with your characters on screen , except that you only have one attack a turn , no comboes or anything like that . It is just an added piece of fun to an already awesome game .
There is a skill system in place . After every battle you earn class pointss and / or skill points . These can be spent on getting new ether skills , or new upgrades to your characters that can make them more resilient when you equip them . Every character has the same skill set , and this is a minor flaw that slightly brings down the gameplay score , but not the overall enjoyment in the least .
Finally , one other flaw with the gameplay is that there are no weapons , and no armor . Both of these are RPG standard fare , and it seems kind of odd to not have either . This may just be something the developers decided not to do that I disagree with , but it still seems a little odd . Note that this really does not detract from the game in any way .
In Xenosaga 2 , they also opted to add a lot more puzzle solving than episode 1 had . The interesting thing is that these puzzles , while challenging , don't take away from the gameplay expierience at all . In fact , I found many to be very enjoyable .
The storyline of this game is simply incredible . But , keep in mind that it is basically required that you have beaten Xenosaga episode 1 if you want to understand it at all , or at least be acquainted with the story in some manner . If you haven't played it , the best way is to get the bonus DVD that came with the game , there are probably some somewhere around , maybe even on ebay , that allows you to see 4 hours of cut scenes from the original . This can substitute in for those who dont want to spend the 60 - 80 hours required on Xenosaga episode 1 to beat it .
Anyway , I digress , Xenosaga 2 ' s storyline is more of the space opera fun . Often times I got very emotional , and the game can tug on your heartstrings . In the ending sequence of the game , a spectacular event lasting about 15 minutes , I was seriously in tears . This game can do that to you , the storyline is that good . It is also filled with entrigue , betrayal , new discoveries , and new secrets . It is truly incredible . I have seen certain reviews that say the storyline doesn't solve everything , it doesn't solve all the mysteries . Let me tell you something : it's not supposed to . Xenosaga is going to be a 4 - 8 part series , and the storyline is continuous . It makes no sense at all to have the story be complete in only episode II . I see no reason why anyone could possibly complain about it .
Graphics : The graphics of Xenosaga 2 are basically the same as they were in episode 1 . No real improvements at all . They are still great though , and the cut scenes are gorgeous . My one real complaint here is that the lip sync is sometimes off ( a problem with just about every RPG with voice overs ) , and some of the environments are a little dull . This is made up for in the environments that are simply breathtaking .
Sound : The soundtrack of Xenosaga Episode 2 is godlike . From the opening theme to the battle music to the catchy Japanese sounding tunes that ring in your head forever , this music is INCREDIBLE . The voice acting is also absolutely superb , I have zero complaints , this is a rarity . Sound effects are also very appropriate , and very well done .
Value : The game is hurt in the value department only because of its length . To put it in perspective , the first playthrough took me about 28 hours , but more like 30 if you count all the times I died and had to go back to the point I got killed at . After you win , you can use your game clear file to access even more goodies like some bonus bosses , dungeons , and side quests , and this helps make up for the shorter length . Personally , I think its the best $50 I have ever spent .
Tilt : Finally , the overall enjoyment . This game is simply the most enjoyable game I have played on the PS2 . I completed it after several all-night gaming sessions , and it will most likely keep you up too . The Role Playing experience here is superb , the storyline is possibly the best in RPG history , and the battle system is incredible and in depth . There is virtually nothing not to like . As an avid RPG gamer , I recommend this game as highly as is possible . However , there are a few things to consider : can you handle the challenge , and do you like the Space Opera / Anime feel ? If you answered yes to both , get this game .
011 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Alot of reviews have been given for this game as REALLY BAD . I'm one of those people who lets things slide . I'm a big RPG gamer . If you're just looking for fighting in a game . Stay away from this one . This needs alot of role playing consciousness . It has a FANTASTIC storyline ( surperior to alot of other RPGs ) , but the game should have been a movie if you ask me . This game goes back to the past , alot of flashing back and forth and alot of surprises . On The Trio as I would say . Jr . Albedo and Gaignun . Don't worry about other characters . They're not as important here . But don't let that get you down .
It summerizes everytime I turn the game on to back where I left off , ( loading from memory card ) so that should help people who dooesn't game much . I couldn't understand why people wouldn't get the storyline if the UMN at the beginning of the game allows a feature to review what has already happened . I'm guessing people are giving irks about that .
I would probably complain about the voice actors and battle system , alot of people would probably say the same thing . I do not mind KOS-MOS ' voice actor as much as Shion and chaos . chaos ( Yes no caps ) is too stoic for me , after playing Xenosaga I ( over and over in order to get his character down , hey he's not human ! ) , I'd say he doesn't add much to the action in the beginning where all the cool fight scenes are . The beginning of this game , IS AWESOME . Yes AWESOME . ( Voice actors killed it . )
Shion , I would say , is a mess , her attitudes and momentum throws me off everytime a new situation becomes bad . How can she sound so perky all the time ? I would definately go with the voice actor in Xenosaga I if I were to choose between the two . And the old voice actors are wonderful as always , Albedo , Jr . , Gaignun , and Captain Matthews . Yar they're the same .
The battle system , yes it's a pain . You're not actually fighting . You spend most of your time stocking up and letting your enemies rag doll you most of the time . Stocks are like AP in Xenosaga I , except you can only add one stock each turn , or use an ether Stock 1 to add a stock to another character . After you attain a certain amount of stocks you are presented a number of combo options . The more stocks , the better combo . It becomes an issue because I would have to run around and train in the same area in order to get enough levels or TM points ( in order to get Medica All , it becomes valuable , trust me . ) I was hoping that this game system would take a tiny bit from Final Fantasy X ( because you can to switch characters in battle ) however , unlike FFX , this only allows share of spoils ( TM points EXP etc . ) to the remaining three characters standing in battle . It becomes a real disadvantage if you have characters that have some abilities , but not others . ( Medica , Revert , Refresh , etc . although they all have the same abilities to learn , such as Psycho Pocket . ) I would suggest picking three main characters and if you do have a strategy guide , ignore the character reccomendations . I chose to maintain Jr . , KOS-MOS , MOMO , or Ziggy . ( Robotics addict . ) Unlike Xenosaga I , tech attacks are only avalible with doubles . So say you have KOS-MOS and Shion , if you have the key for the ability Double X-Buster with a boost and a certain amount of stocks , you can do a tech a attack . Once per battle .
Also , alot of people are confused about break zones . It's hard to explain in words , there are tutorials in the game . But it's something so that you think you'll always have to rely on combos . It's like suppose you have an enemy with a break zone of B , A .
On your controller there's a :
O which represents A or B ( Some characters such as Shion and MOMO have only B as combos so you press O all throughout for a B )
Triangle which represents C
Square which represents B
Those buttons represent letters . Characters have combos accordingly to the buttons you press . So you attack with Square and O . Then their zone is broken . You give more heavy damage by following the character with O buttons for break bonus this just means you successfuly broken through their break zone and you are currantly giving more than average damage .
This all comes down to your characters . Characters have different combos . It's much more simple to play it rather than explain it . There's more to it though . Battle slots are still there , and a few more quirks .
A few notes :
Jr . - A bit weak . He doesn't have a lot of enemies that has a weakness for him . But I use alot of skill upgrades so that he gets to make quick work of Albedo .
KOS-MOS - She's super strong against Gnosis . ( Fitting of course . )
MOMO - She's a super valuable asset . I use her ALOT . Her ether bow kills .
Ziggy - He's good against anything . Like bosses .
Another battle system irk is the Move command . I use that command to do efficient back shots . But the stupid thing is that if I move to the other side , my character is facing his / her back towards the enemy . Then I'll have to wait next term to attack in order to make her face the enemy . ( Confusing ya . )
Speaking of areas , the maps are smaller compared to other games I played , so there's fewer enemies to bash . A bit convienient but gets tiresome if you're trying to get treasures around the block . The UMN encephalon has changed . Now you don't have to worry about exiting through a plate . Just start menu and exit . But I really hate knowing that two disks can only contain about 30 maps . It goes by fast . I mean , really fast . Before the first disk was over I was halfway through the stradegy guide . ( And I don't usually buy stradegy guides . ) The only things that are making the game longer are the GS campaigns , I'd totally reccommend that you do it or else you won't get all the nifty stuff that would make gameplay a bit more exhilerating . Like double tech attacks and all those other cool items . ( Believe or not I haven't used any item in the game yet , not even a Med Kit . ) I'm a thrifty person , knowing that there is no currency = no shops . And I hate the puzzles in this game . It gets on your nerves eventually . Even little tiny puzzles .
The maps are beautifully rendered . One thing I'm ticked off about is that there's no radar . You just have to wait to be ambushed unless you memorize every quirk in the area ( which doesn't take a lot since you eventually visit the maps over and over . ) Sometimes you can't even smash the traps before the enemy ambushes you .
Although I can't say the same for the characters , even though it's become all realistic , it's become too femme for me . KOS-MOS ' new design throws me off , and that's why I put the bathing suit on her for battle , Shion is also a bit femme for me . But I would totally think guy gamers would fall for them eh .
I would also say the same for the guys , they grown cuter , but I still am not pleased with the new character design after I played it .
E.S.s I almost forgot about that . ( I was reading other reviews . ) Piloting the E.S . is like the A.G.W.S . only more bulky and cooler . The thing that pissed me off for the E.S . is that it's slow on the maps . No matter which E.S . you chose , Dinah , Zebulan , Asher . It's slow . Pathetically slower than the human lead characters . I would love it if they had more abilities and hope that they STOP STOCKING UP . I almost died because half-way I did not have Zebulan ( that's the only E.S . that can use ether = heal ) . But I love the E.S . Much more detailed and beautiful things than the A.G.W.S .
Music is a bit more techy . Very techy . I don't like most of the soundtrack . Gives me a headache . I love orchestra , but that's me . ( like Chrono Cross , FFX , and Xenosaga I etc . )
Three stars , it's not the living saga , there's not a true game thing going on . Not enough for me to play over and over . If you're into SCI-Fi storyline , random philosophies , techy mechas . ( Like me ) This game would probably love you . But not as much for me . ( And I ain't no star wars fan but I'm loyal enough to keep Xenosaga as my favorite RPGs )
031 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Simply put , Xenogears + Xenosaga 1 & is the absolute best storyline , and best role playing experience on the PS2 to date .
I do strongly believe that Xenosaga 2 has the best storyline in any RPG I have ever , ever played , including Final Fantasy 7 , Xenogears , and hundreds of others . Because RPGs are strongly reliant on storyline for gameplay , I consider this to be the pinnacle of Role Playing on the PS2 . Final Fantasy X comes close , as does Star Ocean , but in terms of storyline , this game beats them .
However , I did have to mark down for a few other minor flaws . This game is highly a niche game , only for those who enjoy the style , and the sci fi setting . It's also very short . . . . .20 hours if you play straight through ( no leveling up ) . Maybe 38 - 42 hours if you take up the side-quests and want a strong character .
Gameplay : The first Xenosaga highly relied on cut scenes and narrative . In fact , I absolutely could not stand the battle system . Xenosaga Episode 2 still relies heavily upon that storytelling through hours of cut scenes , but it fixes the battle system .
The battle system is , simply put , one of the most fun turn-based systems I have ever experienced . While Xenosaga Episode 1 ' s battle system seemed slow and unwieldy , Episode 2 has a fast paced , action packed , and highly challenging battle system .
You have 3 characters on the screen at just about all times , these characters can be switched off in a manner much like FFX , but it costs a turn in this game , causing it to be more tactical .
Each turn you have many options ; you can attack ( more on various attacks later ) , stock ( save a turn for the next turn in order to get a combo ) , use ether ( read : magic ) , or change your battle party .
If you choose to attack , there is a whole slew of options here as well . Most importantly is learning the weak points of the enemy . Every enemy , including bosses , have a certain attack combination that will be most effective against them . When you attack , you can press either square , which is a B zone attack , Triangle , which is a C zone attack , or circle , which is another B zone attack . Certain characters also have an A zone attack , but this is only against flying opponents . You must expierament with the enemies in order to learn the zones they are weakest in . Sometimes , you may be required to ' stock ' for a turn in order to attack the enemy in its weak zone .
What is the advantage of attacking weak zones ? you ask . Well , it allows for large scale , damage pounding comboes that are absolutely essential in this game . Once you have hit all of the enemy's weak zones , you can do a break on them . This involves the circle button . Once a character is ' broken ' , they can be tossed into the air , or attacked while prone on the ground . This can add up to tons of damage if you plan your boosting right .
Boosting is another integral part of the combat system . Pressing the R1 button brings up a 3 slot meter which is sometimes empty , but it may feature the character potraits of some of your characters . If you press R1 , and then the button ( square , triangle , or circle ) that that character's potrait is on , they will boost forward , and immediately after the acting unit has taken its turn , this new character will have a turn .
Enemies , however , can take advantage of all of these systems as well . If you do not plan well , or randomly attack without comboes , the enemy will break you , boost ahead several times , and can easily destroy one of your characters in one short , brutal assault . Countless times my entire party was destroyed by simple enemies that should have been no problem , merely because I did not plan ahead . You will get very , very used to seeing the game over screen . The plus side of this difficulty is that you feel real exhiliration when you win , it is a great accomplishment . Note that even with power levelling , it won't help you much in some situations , believe me , I tried .
Finally , there is Ether . Ether skills are basically magic , if you know anything about RPGs at all , then you know basically what is present here , healing ether skills , attack ether skills , nothing big .
I forgot to mention the E.S . units . These are basically mechs , and were called A.G.W.S . in Episode 1 . Many points in the game involve you using these to move around and fight , and now they have an independant battle system . It's basically the same as the one with your characters on screen , except that you only have one attack a turn , no comboes or anything like that . It is just an added piece of fun to an already awesome game .
There is a skill system in place . After every battle you earn class pointss and / or skill points . These can be spent on getting new ether skills , or new upgrades to your characters that can make them more resilient when you equip them . Every character has the same skill set , and this is a minor flaw that slightly brings down the gameplay score , but not the overall enjoyment in the least .
Finally , one other flaw with the gameplay is that there are no weapons , and no armor . Both of these are RPG standard fare , and it seems kind of odd to not have either . This may just be something the developers decided not to do that I disagree with , but it still seems a little odd . Note that this really does not detract from the game in any way .
In Xenosaga 2 , they also opted to add a lot more puzzle solving than episode 1 had . The interesting thing is that these puzzles , while challenging , don't take away from the gameplay expierience at all . In fact , I found many to be very enjoyable .
The storyline of this game is simply incredible . But , keep in mind that it is basically required that you have beaten Xenosaga episode 1 if you want to understand it at all , or at least be acquainted with the story in some manner . If you haven't played it , the best way is to get the bonus DVD that came with the game , there are probably some somewhere around , maybe even on ebay , that allows you to see 4 hours of cut scenes from the original . This can substitute in for those who dont want to spend the 60 - 80 hours required on Xenosaga episode 1 to beat it .
Anyway , I digress , Xenosaga 2 ' s storyline is more of the space opera fun . Often times I got very emotional , and the game can tug on your heartstrings . In the ending sequence of the game , a spectacular event lasting about 15 minutes , I was seriously in tears . This game can do that to you , the storyline is that good . It is also filled with entrigue , betrayal , new discoveries , and new secrets . It is truly incredible . I have seen certain reviews that say the storyline doesn't solve everything , it doesn't solve all the mysteries . Let me tell you something : it's not supposed to . Xenosaga is going to be a 4 - 8 part series , and the storyline is continuous . It makes no sense at all to have the story be complete in only episode II . I see no reason why anyone could possibly complain about it .
Graphics : The graphics of Xenosaga 2 are basically the same as they were in episode 1 . No real improvements at all . They are still great though , and the cut scenes are gorgeous . My one real complaint here is that the lip sync is sometimes off ( a problem with just about every RPG with voice overs ) , and some of the environments are a little dull . This is made up for in the environments that are simply breathtaking .
Sound : The soundtrack of Xenosaga Episode 2 is godlike . From the opening theme to the battle music to the catchy Japanese sounding tunes that ring in your head forever , this music is INCREDIBLE . The voice acting is also absolutely superb , I have zero complaints , this is a rarity . Sound effects are also very appropriate , and very well done .
Value : The game is hurt in the value department only because of its length . To put it in perspective , the first playthrough took me about 28 hours , but more like 30 if you count all the times I died and had to go back to the point I got killed at . After you win , you can use your game clear file to access even more goodies like some bonus bosses , dungeons , and side quests , and this helps make up for the shorter length . Personally , I think its the best $50 I have ever spent .
Tilt : Finally , the overall enjoyment . This game is simply the most enjoyable game I have played on the PS2 . I completed it after several all-night gaming sessions , and it will most likely keep you up too . The Role Playing experience here is superb , the storyline is possibly the best in RPG history , and the battle system is incredible and in depth . There is virtually nothing not to like . As an avid RPG gamer , I recommend this game as highly as is possible . However , there are a few things to consider : can you handle the challenge , and do you like the Space Opera / Anime feel ? If you answered yes to both , get this game .
041 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
Xenosaga II . . . . okay we all said it , the battle engine blows now . Bosses are crazy hard . All I can say is get some dag-gone sword ethers to help and put aside some time to play . Get a walkthrough somewhere so you don't have to be so tortured . I really love the Xenosaga story line so I had to get this for my collection . Alot of voice acting changed . I actually like the up-beat music of the towns you walk through . I didn't bother to do the final side-quests after you beat the game - - hey , I was studying for boards . Get it if you're a fan or you'll be REALLY lost in the third installment . The third one rocks and really makes up for number 2 .
106 4 I thought the first game was so-so ; the 2nd much better . The combat is simpler to understand but more complicated to use - you start with all the fighting techniques you're going to get . Its up to you to figure out which characters and combinations of attacks work well in a given situation . Its a bit confusing until you get the hang of it . Bosses are a bit more complicated - you need to mix up the attacks of more than one character to be effective . There's always one major weakness to be uncovered .
As far as the series - well , the story doesn't end here - if anything , it gets more complicated . Only a few loose ends are resolved , and several new ones are added .
After the game ends , be sure to save - then continue using saved data . The game continues with a huge side quest that's not series related but has a story all its own .
Over all - there's room for improvement , bt I'd say its better than FFX2 .
118 4 OK , I'm a newbie to the Xenosaga series but a long time veteran of RPGs and I played the game for about 6 - 7 hours so that's how my opinions are based . Unfortunately , I have to agree with many others that the game has very little in it's favor . The box art and the cut scenes were the high point but the latter can't hold a candle to FFX2 . I also was constantly frustrated with the combat system . Rarely have I seen a more cumbersome system for both fighting and learning skills . It almost begs you to buy a strategy guide just to make heads or tales of what to do . The voice acting was pretty bad too . It just felt like everyone was setting around some table reading their lines and waiting for their paycheck . I'm sooo glad that I only rented it ! What would I recommend instead of this ? If yor preference is Role playing with levels and skills and customization - FFX2 all the way . If you want action and a great story line - Metal Gear 3 .
129 4 This review is from :
Xenosaga Episode II ( Video Game )
At fist , as most of u will be , i was disapointed from this game . but eventualy u will get attached to this game because of the story and the cinematics . In short , this game is better than Episode I in many things but worse in one of the most important things , that is the battles fun factor .
- The game is GREAT in the story , visuals , depth , A.W.G.S fights , the new double attacks and many other things .
- It is wosrt in the characters battles because their attacks became so lame , no special attacks for each character and their is no depth in the costumizing system , i mean there is no specific ethir skill for each character so u can costumize few to have every move and neglect the others .
So i recomend this game to those who played the first episode . and those who are into the story more than the overall game play .
130 4 At fist , as most of u will be , i was disapointed from this game . but eventualy u will get attached to this game because of the story and the cinematics . In short , this game is better than Episode I in many things but worse in one of the most important things , that is the battles fun factor .
- The game is GREAT in the story , visuals , depth , A.W.G.S fights , the new double attacks and many other things .
- It is wosrt in the characters battles because their attacks became so lame , no special attacks for each character and their is no depth in the costumizing system , i mean there is no specific ethir skill for each character so u can costumize few to have every move and neglect the others .
So i recomend this game to those who played the first episode . and those who are into the story more than the overall game play .
