From the moment I reserved this game, I knew I was putting a great deal of pressure on it. As one of my ten favorite RPGs, Xenosaga 1 needed a sequal that lived up to it's glory. So when I opened the shrink wrapped box on launch day, and popped the disk into my system, my hopes could not have been higher....
And I could not have been more pleased. While the first Xenosaga
forced the user through a long tutorial before they could really get their hands on the action, Xenosaga 2 hits hard right from the very beginning, and never lets up. The opening sequence, beautiful and action packed, acts as a flashback to the Miltain conflict, introducing a two new characters and bringing back Chaos from the first game. This sequence's cinimatic brilliance had my jaw resting on the floor in amazment for it's entirety. It also acts as an introduction to the game's new mechanics, smoothly integrating it into the gameplay. I have never seen cutscenes, gameplay, and instructions blended so succesfully.
The story becomes more complex and intreguing as the game progresses, which brings me to an important point: If you haven't played the first game, understanding the second's plot can be complicated. As someone who has beaten the first multiple times, I felt perfectly at home, but some may not be as lucky. While there is an option to "review" the story of Xenosaga 1, the character devolopement of the first could potentially be lost. (As a note to new players, the story can be reviewed at a computer terminal after the flashback sequence). However, once caught up with the storyline, players should find this game impossible to put down.
Which brings me to the gameplay element. While some gamers (and reviewers)were surprised at how significantly Monolith changed the combat system, I could not be more pleased. A fantastic combo system has been brought in, which allows tremendous fluidity and tactics in battle. Few RPG battles ever reach the intensity that this game brings across. Secondly, to the shock of some, Monolith has done away with individual skill trees. While at first this may seem like Heresy, it actually creates a greater level of custimizability: As a gamer, you can choose which characters have which of the hundreds different skills you can choose from. Like Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, this allows the gamer to make each individual game unique. Another seemingly bizzare choice is the removal of stores. Thats right, you cannot buy items, another almost heretical move. But like the change in skill trees, this is done to break away from RPG cliches, and create more gamplay variety. In the first Xenosaga, there was little reason to complete the numerous sidequests scattered through the story. In this one, the sidequests reward players with valuable items and weapons. In other words, this creates motivation to explore as deeply into the game as possible, and adds tremendous longevity to the title.
The presentation of this game is also phenominal. While the graphics occasionally suffer from the PS2's famous "jaggies", they are hardly noticable, and do not interfere with the presentation. The character models are significantly more detailed and realistic than in the first game, and the worlds and environments are gorgeous and original. The voice acting is fantastic, despite changes in cast lineup,and the score is beautiful and compelling. The epic cutscenes bring across the story gracefully, and contain enough action and special effects to rival most hollywood blockbusters. The only minor problem I noticed was that battles take a two or three seconds to load, a flaw that can be easily overlooked when compared how astonishing this game truly is.
In closing, I would like to say that if you, as a gamer, dislike epic (and I mean epic) cutscenes, nontraditional action-pact gameplay, an involving story, and beautiful imagery, than this game is not for you. Should you refuse to accept change in the Xenosaga series, I could also understand that some would have difficulty accepting the new improvements and variety the series has taken. If, on the other hand, you are looking for one of the most cinematic, exciting, in depth, and original RPG's of this and any generation, you have found your match. Xenosaga 2 is not only a worthy succesor to the first game, it stands alone as one of the best games of all time.
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