It has been a very long and bumpy road for the die-hard Xeno series fans these past couple of years. The dismal performance of Episode II last year did not go unnoticed by the producers. However, while the next game in the series would only be a year and a half in the coming, it carried with it the ominous tag of being the "final game of an epic trilogy". For a series initially conceived as a six-part tour de force through Gnostic mythology as filtered through space drama, having it end half way is almost as disappointing as Episode II's sales were. But man, what an ending.
Picking up a year after the events of Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits Von Gut Und Bose, the game once again centers around Vector Corporation's wunderkind Shion Uzuki and her by-now familiar complement of interstellar comrades. Shion herself has retired from Vector during the so-called missing year, and has hooked up with a pseudo-anarchist organiztion called Scientia, whose aim is the unveiling of the truth surrounding the all-pervasive Unus Mundus Network. However, time is running out for the crew of the Elsa von Brabant: word comes down that KOS-MOS is to be scrapped; Jin learns that the U-TIC Organization and its shadowy backers Ormus are about to make their move on the still-elusive Zohar; and Shion is experiencing odd hallucinations and fainting spells, most likely connected to her close encounter with a Gnosis back in the opening moments of Episode I. It all adds up to only one thing: the end is near. For everyone.
While the game does tend to make use of some of the advances in technology that Episode II introduced-- specifically the much nicer character models and art style-- Episode III returns, in its gameplay at least, to the style set forth in the first game. Initially very cutscene-heavy, the game quickly starts to follow a standard progression of plot exposition, dungeon, boss, repeat. It's the tried-and-true console RPG formula, and it serves the game very well; still, it would have been nicer to allow the player to explore the worlds set forth in a somewhat freer fashion. Dungeons are straightforward linear affairs and not terribly complex; there are few puzzles and none overly frustrating (though the final puzzle is a somewhat tricky affair compared to the rest).
Since the game's genesis as Xenogears in 1998, the battle system has been a very hit-or-miss aspect to the series' installments. Episode I featured a playable, if somewhat unrefined, system; Episode II was tweaked but repeatedly ran afoul of the law of unintended consequences. Episode III's battle system is, in actuality, the apogee of the series. Battles are evenly balanced, with no real advantage being conferred either to the player or the enemies. Either in a hand-to-hand situation or piloting the four E.S. craft, you'll be engaged and challenged. Also of note is that the encounter rate has been scaled back a little. You'll still have advance notice of the enemies on-screen, and they'll still chase you if you come within range, but there are far fewer foes wandering the maps.
There's little new territory being explored here, which tempers the excitement I'd have for it otherwise. One of the most interesting things I noticed about the battles, though, is that the enemy party can be split into multiple waves-- that is, while only five will come at you at a time during a battle, other robots will be waiting in the wings to take the place of their fallen comrades. I really wish more games could take this into account. My only real complaints are pretty typical of all console RPGs, of course-- powerlevelling destroys the challenge of the battles, and unfortunately the game encourages level grinding due to a sharp increase in the curve shortly after the start of Disc 2; also, the battles seemed to run a little slow, and an option to increase the speed of battle message display would have been nice, or at least some shorter attack animations.
Episode III is, without a doubt, the single most engaging story I've seen all year. To wrap up a storyline that's been seven years in the making takes a LOT of cutscenes, and make no mistake-- you will likely be watching the game more than playing it. However, it's not an entirely unenjoyable experience. The graphics are, as always, visually breathtaking. Character models have undergone a second makeover, and the overall art style finally seems to fit the characters and world. The cinematics and movies are directed with an expert touch and would look right at home on an IMAX screen. Say what you will about the gameplay, but Monolith knows how to tell a story.
Fans of the series will also be pleased to note that many of the English voice actors from Episode I have returned to fill their roles again, seemingly to sweep the jarring cast changes of Episode II under the carpet. Voice is more prevalent through the game, as well, as most of the character dialogue is given full acting. Wendee Lee, the voice director, has done wonders with the dialogue and really brought it to life-- while I do have some reservations about some of the lines, overall it was very powerful. Yuki Kajiura returns to score her second Xeno game, and her music remains as moving and amazing as ever; but most importantly, it's everywhere-- there's no discernable stylistic difference between the cinematic score and the gameplay score.
Incidentally, the series has suffered quite a bit of power creep relative to other long-running RPG legacies. I'm not going to outright spoil anything for you, but when you realize just who two of your party members are meant to be incarnations of, it becomes increasingly difficult to take the challenges of the remainder of the game (about another two hours) seriously. And the last two hours are probably among the bloodiest, in terms of killing off main characters, of any series.
The final time for most players of Episode III will likely be just under thirty hours, and that's if you take your time and read through the database entries. I honestly doubt many players will want to run through the game again, as there's little variation in the way it progresses. There's some interesting options in terms of skill progression and a very minor amount of subquests to be done, but the majority of the game's replay will likely come from the included mini-game, HaKoX. It plays like a cross between Lemmings and Chu Chu Rocket; spawn points produce characters, who follow the ground beneath them. The player can help or hinder the character's progress to goal points through "gimmicks" which are controlled in an on-off fashion by the controller's face buttons. It's an interesting game and definitely a pleasant distraction, but it's not a compelling reason to keep playing the game once the final credits roll. By rights, I would have preferred it to be a standalone game, probably budget-priced. If Monolith wants to raise some cash for a potential Episode IV, that would be the way to do it.
It's hard to say why Episode III is an improvement over Episode II; it's kind of like trying to explain why a roast beef sandwich is better than a sucker-punch to the crotch. The story has a strong sense of cohesion and gives an excellent feeling of accomplishment at each step in the process; the battle system remains engaging and interesting throughout the game; it's presented in such a wonderful and consistent style; and it doesn't descend to a point where you ask, "Why am I doing this again?" It certainly won't appeal to everyone-- in fact, it feels like it was made just to prevent a fan revolt by leaving the series as a huge cliffhanger-- but those folks predisposed to the style of game that the Xeno series exemplifies will find very little to complain about.
