Xenosaga Episode I: Chikara he no ishi

Xenosaga: Der Wille Zur Macht is an RPG that requires great patience and a lot of time. Many people complain that the cut scenes are too long and uneventful (or in other words, pointless). I will admit that Xenosaga's cut scenes come in hefty doses, ranging from 15-40 minutes long at a time.

But believe me when I say, those cut scenes make the game.

For someone first playing through the game, the concepts and stories introduced are hard to follow and understand. It takes a lot of imagination and analyzing to follow a particular storyline. Basically put, Xenosaga does not spoon-feed you the story and what is going on. It's up to you actually put everything together. For some people, that's nice. Others though, will get frustrated with the lack of explanations in the game. I had to play through the game twice before I scratched my head and said "Oooh! So that's what happened! I get it!"

Graphics in Xenosaga are not spectacular; but then again they aren't hard on the eyes either. The characters all have different and distinct personalities. And surprisingly, they all have equally intriguing past histories. The game really does not focus on one main character.

My only real complaint with Xenosaga would have to be the sound. Vocals are fine enough throughout game (and when I say that, I mean they won't make your ears bleed), but the music gets irritating, especially during battles.

Xenosaga's battle system makes the game much easier to play in my opinion. You can see your enemies and avoid (most of the time) the annoying random battles. Tech attacks help make the battles go quicker. It's especially nice that a 1/4 of your EXP points you gain go to your reserve combatants. So no one is left behind at level 5.

All in all Xenosaga is a great RPG. As said before though, this game requires a lot of time and patience. If you are looking for a fast paced, simple story, then stay away from Xenosaga. Otherwise, you'll probably enjoy it!

Xenosaga, Episode I has to be one of the most ambitious RPGs that I have ever had the pleasure of playing. The story is truly epic. And the battle system is perhaps the best I have encountered since Xenogears. By the way, Xenogears, which came out in 1998, is actually the sequel to Xenosaga. Xenosaga, which was released two years ago, is actually a prequel. This method of story-telling is similar to the one used by George Lucas with his Star Wars.

Xenosaga starts off with the discover of a mysterious artifact in Lake Turkana, sometime during our century. The game then quickly moves forward in time, to approximately 4000 years in the future. In that distant future, man's technology has evolved to the point that would appear to us as nothing short of magic. However, even with man's technology, they have yet to unlock the secrets of the mysterious golden artifact that was discovered at the start of the game. To complicate matters, a very brutal and lethal species of ethereal beings called the Gnosis are eager to take the artifact away from man. Our weapons are useless against the Gnosis. The central character of the story, Chief Engineer Shion Uzuki, has been given the mandate to develop a humanoid Anti-Gnosis fighting system called Kos-Mos. As the story progresses, Kos-Mos goes through a development process that in the end, made her more than just a weapon of destruction into a totally unique and living being.

The battle system is fabulous. You, the player, will have option of engaging the enemy directly. Each of the main characters have a set of attacks, from the physical, martials arts type attacks to long range attacks involving the use of some very special abilities. Some of your main characters will have the ability to "pilot" giant, mechanical humanoid fighting systems called A.G.W.S. (Anti-Gnosis Weapons System). You have the option of outfitting your A.G.W.S. with a variety of weapons, such as Gatling Guns, Rifles, Grenade Launchers, Swords, Drill Claws, and Lancer Arms. Each of your main characters are also highly "customizable". You earn points during battle. It is your choice how to use those points to acquire skills, and to increase attributes for your players. Strategy plays a big role in battles. Also, unlike the typical RPG, in Xenosaga there are no random battles. So you are not subjected to fighting the same enemies over and over for the 99th time. The enemies are visible, and you have the ability to use "stealth" to avoid them in most cases.

The soundtrack is composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, who is the equivalent of John Williams in the world of RPGs. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed the soundtrack.

By the way, do not expect all of the plot lines to be resolved at the end of the game. Most will not. This is only part I, of a six-part story. I highly recommend this game. Especially for those players who demand more from their RPG than the typical, mind-numbing, overly-repetitive random battles that you usually find in the Final Fantasy series. I have also played FFX. And while it is also good, the story simply does not even come close to the size and scope of that being told in Xenosaga. I believe that a well-made RPG can do a much better job of telling a story, compared to a movie. In an RPG, you do actually get to be the main character and interact with the story. An RPG can immerse in the story to th extent that a movie could never hope to do. If you like complicated plots, epic story, fun battle system, and lovable characters, then I highly recommend this game to you.

I loved this game. Unlike the other guy that commented I think this game a breath of fresh air for RPG games. Its about time a great RPG came out that wasn't made by Square. AND, I could SEE the enemies and chose my battles unlike other RPGs that just throw you into a battle. For someone like me that takes extra time out to really build up his characters its really helpful to your enemies. PLUS NO A.T.B.!!!! YAY!!! I don't have to worry about getting killed while deciding what move would be best to use. The game is original and is EPIC. Its one of my favorite RPGs.

The graphics are great, especially playing in HD. Music is good, controls are good, and voice acting is good.

Problem is that you get way too little tech points per battle and it takes forever to really amp up your skills, and by then you are already near the end. Also there is a lot of story going on but at the same time there isn't. You meet a lot of characters but there is no resolution (I know there are 2 more parts to go but still). See this as "Fellowship of The Rings" and you will be fine. The ending is also really badass (pretty much every Kos-Mos scene is awesome).

Anyways it is too bad the second part takes a huge step back but the third kinda redeemed the series.

9/10.

I felt that Xenosaga I was a great doorway to the final story in III. It is most unfortunate that this series is as severely under-appreciated as it is, but it must be approached with an open mind. The story and the characters are well developed, and if the series had been able to span the originally proposed six episodes, we would further be enveloped in this well-written epic tale. However, it is possible that the in-depth plot could be daunting to those who shy away from reading fantasy novels; those who instead prefer first-person shooters over games that have a tendency to emotionally move the player through character development and plot revelations may encounter aggravation and impatience. However, if you are willing to delve into a believable world and have your life changed, this whole series is for you.