Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra

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Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra

Developer(s)	Monolith Soft
Publisher(s)	Namco Bandai
Picture format	480i (SDTV)
Release date(s)	July 6, 2006 August 29, 2006 TBA TBA
Genre(s)	RPG
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	CERO: C (Ages 15 and up) ESRB: T (Teen)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Media	2 X DVD

Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (ゼノサーガエピソードIII ツァラトゥストラはかく語りき, Zenosāga: Episōdo Surī: Tsaratusuto Hakaku Katari ki^?) is an RPG for the PlayStation 2, it is the third and final game in the primary Xenosaga trilogy. Also sprach Zarathustra, literally "Thus spoke Zarathustra", is also the title of Friedrich Nietzsche's most famous work, which introduced the concept of the Übermensch and popularized the phrase "God is dead". The game was released on PlayStation 2 on July 6, 2006 in Japan and on August 29, 2006 in North America.

1 Development
2 Story
3 Gameplay
4 Critical Response
5 Preorder Bonuses
6 Merchandise
7 Music
8 Xenogears Allusions
9 Voice cast
- 9.1 English Version
- 9.2 Japanese Version
10 External links

[edit] Development

In September 2005, it was officially announced that Episode III would mark the premature end to the series, which was originally planned to span six titles. The cast from Episode I and II will return; Minor protagonists Allen Ridgeley, Canaan and Miyuki Itsumi are playable characters for the first time in the series, albeit only briefly. The keyword database, which was absent from Episode II, has returned in Episode III with enhanced features like images and the ability to view in-game models of characters, enemies and mecha. The database has a new feature called "Memory Code" in which any cut scene can be viewed, provided it has already occurred during gameplay in an existing save file. Episode III takes place one year after Episode II, with E.S. units from Episode II and the Zohar Emulators and "techs" from Episode I making a return.

[edit] Story

It is one year after the events of Episode II and Shion Uzuki has left Vector Industries. After the "Missing Year" fiasco, in which she uncovered information that revealed her former employer's shadowy intentions and her father's involvement with the U-TIC organization, Shion joined the anti-Vector group, Scientia. While separated from her comrades from previous Xenosaga games, save Canaan and Miyuki, she is inexorably drawn back into their intertwined fates when she is contacted by Allen Ridgeley. Shion travels to Fifth Jerusalem, where the previous Xenosaga crew is reunited. At the CAT Facility, a mysterious new researcher, Roth Mantel, has unveiled a next-generation model of android named T-elos, who bears a startling resemblance to KOS-MOS. After a series of experimental demonstrations, overseen by such VIPs as Juli Mizrahi, Mantel informs the Vector staff that the KOS-MOS project is being scrapped. Jr. and the others stage an infiltration into the CAT Facility and recover KOS-MOS before rendezvousing with the Durandal and the Elsa.

[edit] Gameplay

chaos performing a Special Attack

For the first time in the Xenosaga series, attacking during battle is done by making selections from a menu rather than using the square, triangle and circle buttons to perform various combos. The Menu selections include attack, tech, ether, special attack, item, guard, change, and escape.

When any combatant takes damage in battle, their Break Gauge will increase. When the gauge is full, they will enter Break Mode. In this mode they will be stunned for two turns, rendering them both unable to act and vulnerable to critical strikes. This applies to the player's characters as well as all enemies and bosses. There are specific Techs which increase an enemy's Break gauge a great deal, but do little actual damage.

The Boost system from the previous Xenosaga games makes its return. When the Boost Gauge reaches at least Level 1, the characters can use the Boost command to take their turn next regardless of their position in the turn indicator. Enemies can perform this tactic as well. The Boost Gauge is also used to facilitate Special attacks; all Specials require at least two Boost levels before they can be performed, with some requiring three levels or more. By equipping particular accessories, the player's party can attain up to Boost Level 9.

Finish Strike is achieved when a character or E.S. uses a Special Attack to eliminate an enemy. Doing so grants the party improved post-battle bonuses, as the Experience, Skill points, and G (gold currency) are increased by 50%.

[edit] Critical Response

Episode III received generally good reviews, and the majority of media and fan outlets felt that the game improved upon Episode II, which many considered a disappointing sequel to the first installment. Specifically, many felt that the new battle system, although typical RPG fare, was an improvement over the complicated "zone break" system used in Episode II, and that the voice acting was much improved with the return of several popular voice actors which were inexplicably recast for Episode II (notably Lia Sargent as Shion and Bridget Hoffman as KOS-MOS).

The North American release of the game, however, was criticized for a number of obvious cutscene edits that many felt were damaging to either the atmosphere or overall story of the game. The majority of these edits were for scenes of violence and blood that would have elevated the game beyond the "Teen" rating given by the ERSB to the "Mature" level. This official reason from Namco is puzzling, especially when Episode I is taken into consideration. Episode I featured several scenes with heavy blood flow and it received a "Teen" rating from the ESRB. While the storyline remains identical in both the original Japanese release and the North American versions, the exclusion of certain violent scenes is quite noticeable, especially in a scene midway through the story in which a child reacts to the death of another character by "putting [the blood] back" in the dying individual. In the North American version, the child has nothing in her hands and several shots are shown of an area presumably splattered with blood, but that looks immaculate and clean in this version. Another scene where a character is pierced through the shoulder and leg by a weapon is also completely bloodless, whereas the scene is accompanied by a spray of blood in the Japanese version.

Similar edits were made to both Episodes I and II, particularly involving scenes related to the psychologically disturbed character Albedo, though fans generally agree that they were handled more tactfully than Episode III’s edits.

According to Bandai-Namco's 3rd Quarter 2006 results, Episode III sold 343,000 copies in Japan and North America.[1]

Famitsu review: 32/40
IGN Review: 8.0/10
Gamespot Review: 8.0/10
Gamespy Review: 3.5/5
GamePro Review: 4/5
RPG Fan Review: 89/100
PSM Review: 8/10 [2]
OPM Review: 9/10 [3]
Electronic Gaming Monthly Review: 7.5/10 [4]
- MetaCritic's Review Average: 82%

[edit] Preorder Bonuses

In Japan, anyone who preordered the game received a special DVD with the name Xenosaga Alle spezielle DVD. "Alle spezielle" is German and means "all special" in English, although the grammar and wording is not correct to be understandable for Germans ("(Eine) Ganz Besondere DVD" would be correct, though still awkward-sounding. In Germany phrases like "Bonus-DVD" or "Xenosaga - alle Teile // Sonder-DVD" would have been used). There were three different North American preorder bonuses available at different stores: an exclusive art book (GameStop), a life-size poster of T-elos (Game Crazy) and a limited edition version of the game with special box art (Best Buy).

The special DVD contains a collection of trailers, concept art sketches and merchandise images from all Episodes as well from side projects such as Xenosaga FREAKS.

[edit] Merchandise

Memory Card depicting the Episode III characters

Soundtrack to Xenosaga Episode III

[edit] Music

At the start of Episode III's development, Yuki Kajiura (Xenosaga Episode II, .hack//SIGN, Noir, and Madlax) became the sole composer for the Xenosaga series. A handful of remixes, arrangements and reappearances of tracks from the "Xenosaga Episode II:Movie Scene Soundtrack" appear in the game. The game soundtrack, "Xenosaga Episode III: Original Sound Best Tracks (Yuki Kajiura selection)" was announced for a 2CD release on July 12th. It consists of 40 tracks selected by Yuki Kajiura from the game (It is not a complete release of all the tracks). The ending theme of the game is called "Maybe Tomorrow", sung by Emily Curtis. The soundtrack also contains vocals by Eri Itoh. The soundtrack follows the style of Kajiura's Episode II soundtrack with several key themes from Episode II, chief among them KOS-MOS' theme, appearing throughout the game.

[edit] Xenogears Allusions

Episode III is also notable for its numerous overt and subtle allusions to its spiritual predecessor Xenogears through the designs of characters, machines, story elements, and characterizations. Some of the references to Xenogears in the game include:

The song heard in the background on the game's title screen sounds vaguely familiar to "Faraway Promise"; the song that is played in Xenogears when Fei and Citan look upon the rotating statue that rotates and emits pinkish energy.
The background track played while exploring Abel's Ark contains several leitmotifs from Yasunori Mitsuda's "One Who Bares Fangs at God," the theme of Xenogears' final boss.
Nephilim - Elly Van Houten
Abel - Abel / Fei Fong Wong
Jin Uzuki - Citan Uzuki
Wilhelm - Emperor Cain / Krelian
Mai Magus - Maria Balthazar
Aizen Magus - "Old Man" Isaac Balthazar
Aizen Magus' shack in front of Dabrye Mine - Shevat
Ω Universitas - Weltall / Weltall-2
Ω ID - Weltall-ID
Ω Res Novae (Post Transformation) - Xenogears
Ω Metemphyscosis - Deus
Ω Metemphyscosis's mini-gears - Weltall and Vierge (in the form of angels in the final Deus battle)
Abel's Ark's core - Deus' core
Abel's Ark (Post Transformation) - The Eldridge
Natus Flamma - Andvari
Natus Glacies - Fenrir
Natus Lumen - El Renmazuo
Natus Tellus - El Stier
Leupold - Seibzehn
Merkabah - Merkabah ("Merkava" in the English version of Xenogears)
Erde Kaiser Sigma - G-Elements
The Planetary Disappearance Incident - The incident of the same name from the Perfect Works
Lost Jerusalem - Lost Jerusalem is seen as a blue world surrounded by a ring, similar to the planet that the Eldridge crashes on in Xenogears.