t is 4,000 years in the future. Earth is gone and humanity has been scattered among the stars. It is not alone there—in seeking to uncover fundamental truths about the universe, humanity has uncovered a powerful, cryptic golden monolith known as the "Zohar." This in turn has attracted the attention of the Gnosis, an alien race for whom space and time are mere distractions, and who want the Zohar for themselves.
Xenosaga is a prequel of sorts to Xenogears, a cult favorite released in 1998 for the original PlayStation. It's not a direct prequel, because different companies own the two titles, but
they draw from the same themes. It's technically a fantasy role-playing game, and shares many of the same characteristics as its more established kin, the Final Fantasy series. Unsurprisingly for a Japanese import, the game's artwork is done in the manga style, augmented by cutting-edge computer graphics.
A single-player game, Xenosaga is divided into three modes: cinematic, quest and combat. The cinematic mode consists of numerous cutscenes that advance the story, and don't allow for player interaction. Quest mode allows the player to take a more active role in exploring the game's various settings. Finally, the combat mode presents turn-based, Final Fantasy-like conflicts in which the player controls one or more characters fending off a like number of enemies.
Combat includes the typical hand-to-hand and ranged combat options using a variety of far-future weapons. These options are augmented by "ether," a techno-magical force that can either enhance existing attacks or create wholly new ones. There's also the requisite mecha, which in this game are called A.G.W.S. (Anti-Gnosis Weapon Systems). Characters capable of piloting the A.G.W.S. have the option of moving in and out of the humanoid battle armor at any point in combat.
The sin of cinematic overload
Xenosaga is a game that people will either love or hate based on what expectations they have going into it. Those looking for a role-playing game similar to Baldur's Gate, which is heavy on the action and light on the cutscenes, are going to be sorely disappointed. Even those experienced with more cinematic games like Final Fantasy may be surprised. This is because, at its core, Xenosaga is more like a movie that occasionally allows its viewer to participate than a traditional RPG. Gameplay is skewed heavily toward the cinematic, with cutscenes that last upwards of 30 minutes. And the cutscenes often follow one another in rapid succession—at one point early in the game, the player enters "quest" mode and walks into a corridor, which triggers a five-minute cutscene. After switching back into "quest" mode again, the player walks 20 feet, opens a door—and triggers another cutscene.
Furthermore, the game's quest mode lacks some of the basic functions of a normal RPG—there's no ability to jump onto terrain, and no auto-mapping to track a player's progress. There are no random encounters—instead players can see every encounter before they reach it, and act accordingly. These limitations, combined with the lengthy movies, will instantly turn off anyone who's interested in hacking and slashing his or her way to galactic glory.
That said, those who don't mind a game that frequently turns into a movie (or a movie that occasionally turns into a game?) will find Xenosaga offers a rich, enticing story. The game draws heavily on philosophy and religion, often in unexpected and—to some—heretical ways. For example, in the real world, "gnosis" (the name for aliens in the game) refers to the belief that the god that created heaven and earth was a flawed and false god, and as a result, creation itself is not perfect. In one cutscene, the phrase "ye shall be gods" flashes on the screen as a password. That's a line from the Bible, used by the serpent while it was tempting Eve with the fruit of knowledge. It comes right before the main character's about to test a new high-powered android. And then there's the game's subtitle: "Der Wille zur Macht," a phrase written by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche which means "the will to power." Few can invoke Nietzsche without inspiring debate—the fact that the phrase is on the game's cover speaks volumes about its creators' intentions.
Coupled with beautifully rendered graphics, the game's complex, occasionally confusing story provides a feast for player' minds—if this is what they're hungry for. And that's the key: Players really have to want to experience this game. Those who are looking for more active entertainment would do better to look elsewhere.
I went into Xenosaga with no foreknowledge of its style of gameplay. As a result, the first lengthy cutscene hit me like a brick wall. The cinematics and the awkward quest controls initially turned me off to the game, but eventually the story pulled me back in. It's an interesting game—but definitely not for everyone.
— Mark
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