September 28, 2007 - The Xenosaga universe began as a vision of considerable magnitude - a six-part storyline that would evolve across different gaming platforms and fuel the passion of fans for years to come. Somewhat similar to Square Soft’s Xenogears, a title for the original PlayStation, the universe of Xenosaga (beginning with Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille Zur Macht in February of 2003) lured players into a powerful plotline supported by a cast of passionate and believable characters. Despite the original intentions of Monolith Soft, the game’s developer, and Namco Bandai games, its publisher, it appears that Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra is the end to the series.

If there is one common denominator amongst the three Xenosaga installments, it is the cinema-driven and text-scrolling fashion in which the games tell their stories. Xenosaga Episode III alone boasts that it houses over eight hours of movies and in-game voiced scenes - a goodly chunk of time if you consider the approximate 40 hours it takes to the complete the game. Although not necessarily a negative aspect for fans of the series (especially those whom enjoy tapping the X button until they develop fingertip calluses) anyone new to the franchise may find their patience wearing thin as Character Z’s face pops into the text window for the umpteenth time. Considering the amount of information and resolution required for this game to be the last in the series, sitting through long bits of dialogue is a common scenario.

Despite this minor annoyance amongst the series, Episode III makes the lengthy cut scenes worthwhile with its attractive and rewarding story. A year after the end of Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose, Shion Uzuki has left her job as Chief Engineer at Vector to pursue her own vendetta. The game itself begins with Shion joining up with Miyuki Itsumi, the magnanimous yet slightly annoying systems programmer, to break into Vector’s S-Line division databank. Their target? Classified data on Lemegeton, the apparent Zohar control program. Information in hand, Shion begins to suspect Vector’s involvement with the gnosis - an alien race that attacks from an alternate universe, and rebukes the ideals of the company for a new home: Scientia. To ice the cake, Shion discovers that her father may have even had a hand in the gnosis invasion. Thus unravels the beginning thread in a complex story that will leave those that complete the game in a state of quiet awe and consideration.

Anyone familiar with the franchise will quickly relate to the title’s battle scheme, although a few fresh tricks are in play. There are two general modes in which the characters can fight, on foot or in E.S. mobile suits. When on foot, the basic options seen in the previous titles are all at your disposal, including the ability to attack, guard, and use items. Where Episode III shines combat-wise is its break and boost systems. When the break bar fills on an enemy or a team member, that character is rendered immobile for two turns. Although a nuisance when its one of your teammates, the tradeoff is that stunned enemies make for easier kills. Unlike the earlier titles, this time around the boost system requires you to use your extra turns in a careful manner, as you will have to determine which abilities and special moves are best suited for the situation at hand. This adds a bit more depth and strategy to the scope of the game.

As for the E.S. combat, the standard rules apply to these gargantuan metal flyers as well. Each one is equipped with a Vessel of Anima, and each of these artifacts allows the machine to do various attacks. That in mind, the exposition of flying around whilst exchanging powerful attacks and combos is right on and makes for some very exciting action scenes. However, despite the extreme amounts of damage your E.S. can do to the enemy, these battles become much harder later on. The simple reason is that unlike your standard, on-foot party, the machines cannot be revived and thus disappear from the battle once defeated. Although a greater challenge as the game goes on is a welcome endeavor, losing battles due to lack of resurrection abilities can turn into a rather excruciating ordeal.