Xenosaga
Platform: PS2
Genre: JRPG
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco / Monolith Soft
Before proceeding to the actual review (ultimate review, as it was outlined in the job =)), I should clarify a couple of details, it is very important. Explain what a JRPG, I will not. Understand only - for the first acquaintance with the genre better suited something simpler, clearer and more spectacular, and always with the scenes with a kiss. So, for details. First: Xenosaga was conceived primarily as a properly prepared the ideological continuation of Xenogears. Like, earlier planned to make did not work - spices are not reported or desired temperature conditions are not complied with, and now the authors have appeared complete creative freedom and a huge budget, create - I do not. Hence - that Xenosaga is perceived differently depending on whether you have seen Xenogears or not. The second part: we must clearly realize that this project is excessively ambitious. It is not a campaign - it's all fleeting, but the developers are not deprived of a healthy bit of pride, decided to simultaneously develop the genre, and the scope of the plot to catch up with Final Fantasy, and the size and reasonableness of the game world confound the things that you like - up to Herbert's epic, or say, the unforgettable series Babylon 5. Somewhere in this desire to remain at the level of efforts in its infancy, where a target was fully achieved, but in any case, its presence can be traced even in the smallest detail. The closest and perhaps only an analogy - Shenmue. On the similarity of the fate of the two projects can reflect at leisure on your own - so here is your homework.
Let's start with the principal - the plot and the design of the characters. Seeing the screenshots, many fans feared the genre once again let him get smart, even beautiful, but all the same tale about the adventures of teenagers. No doubt - little face Zion Udzuki (Shion Uzuki) and CBS-MOS (KOS-MOS, but in any case not SPA-CE =)) in the static smacks of children, and elderly people find the game in general is not so simple. But understand, the world Xenosaga - postkiberpankovsky, overcame even in the distant past, all sung by amateurs dark future issue of cloning, kiborgizatsii, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence - and the list goes on. But all the good stuff from cyberpunk inherited a bright future. And just imagine, would the normal person to leave in his face wrinkles when nanotechnology allows instantaneous and painless to do with the body of anything (like this here and now, nyayaya!)? The children are even easier - the development of information technology greatly accelerates their mental development. Read the modern press - how much there you will find stories about the young hacker geeks? And what will be a hundred, a thousand years?
Fans of cyberpunk, particularly its virtual merry-Russian variety (stone in the garden of a popular psychiatrist-writer), is particularly pleasing is a list of characters: a man, android, cyborg, robot, artificially created strange creature - almost a form of life energy, and mysterious-like to-human-but-not-quite named chaos (that way, with a small letter), which has the makings of an angel. Full set! Of course, the characters they worked properly, voiced the characters perfectly, and the rest own speculation based on the following provision: "Xenosaga - JRPG Class AAA" (not to be confused with batteries). As I have said, they all look young, but his arguments go far beyond and deeper than most consumers of video games.It is very important that the scenes are heavy and brutal in Xenosaga is - proof of the seriousness of what is happening, but deliberately stuffing game violence no one - not the main thing is here is not important.
Actually part of the story in Xenosaga is not just central and blatantly dominant position. Be prepared for what will often put off the joystick, and twenty minutes to observe the cosmic battle interspersed with dialogue. Tearful love stories do not, but fans of military and political intrigues spectacle might like. The action unfolds slowly, no direct explanation of "who is who" can not find - the information given is strictly metered and does not repeat, do not try to pass something on deaf ears! Game is designed for the viewer understands, so, for the final spot with CBS-MOS solicit retrospective reference to the beginning of the game - to demonstrate the changes occurring with the heroine or to show that no change was not - it all depends on interpretation, but the writers thought it was unnecessary. themselves have to guess. No deviations in the spirit "and now I will give long monologue about the events of the past ", the game is built on dynamic dialogue, descriptions and lyrical digressions are absent - all event demonstrates clearly. Unlike oriented protagonist Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X, here we are given the opportunity to look at what is happening from different perspectives - but only for a moment, not to spoil the surprises lying in wait for gamers closer to the end of the game. Sometimes I caught myself thinking that the developers do not want to let me even though my characters are already well aware of the plot - these "secrets Punchinello" in the game enough. But none of the characters (even Zion) is not a mapping modern man, a collective image of sitting on this side of the screen gamer, an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. They - unusual people in unusual circumstances, the same. Perhaps it is this their "not-from-this-world-susceptibility and prevented Xenosaga become massively popular; explanation of his love for KOS-MOS in the network occur, but their subtext is only a desire to demonstrate originality in their sincerity, I do not believe it.
Ending a conversation about the plot, it should be mentioned that the game is perceived solely as one sixth of the (no, not sushi, or even sushi), one big story. Compare excessively detailed narrative of events in video clips here and FF-shny approach to "the most effective use of video," the striker just in my heart. Summing up the preliminary results, the ending leaves a lot more questions than answers - they would be enough not only for another four or five games, but a dozen anime series and feature films. All the philosophical problems and the promise of the subtitle using terms like "Zohar" and "gnosis" really is, but they remain outside "to be continued", but the first episode, they just lightly marked. With regard to technical performance clips here Xenosaga, of course, at altitude. In Final Fantasy X catches the eye a strong discrepancy between the quality of graphics on the engine and pre-rendered. It came to the point that even the design of heroes are very different in different versions. In Xenosaga, like in MGS2, it is very difficult to determine where " fair "schedule begins CG. Of course, the scenes with explosions and the effect of the Hilbert PlayStation 2 could not display so realistic, but they are not knocked out of the total visual range - the whole game is perceived as a whole. It is very important.
Certainly think now that the gameplay in Xenosaga special role does not play, right? And here and there - the developers decided to make a perfect in all respects JRPG. If you prefer, you can quickly run through the game for 25-30 hours, but one-fifth of them will be spent on "work on our mistakes" - that is, re-transmission segments levels after death. For a more or less detailed study of the world Xenosaga - and here we do not mean mindless pumping - you want a half to two times longer.The game spoiled gamers optional quests, mini-games, secret bosses - like all the best games on the Square, but ... not quite the same. The main quest - find secret doors and keys for them - almost does not involve battles with powerful opponents, you just need to know where to go and what to do. Mini-games - a huge amount, and the least interesting reward you with valuable prizes, and more advanced attract attention as is. Suffice it to mention at least XenoCard - not a clone unpretentious collectible card games from Final Fantasy VII-IX, and a full analog Magic the Gathering (so-so analog, to be honest. - Ed.). As for the secret bosses, they are hidden away so well that without the help of gamefaqs.com to find them, I never got.
No random attacks of monsters in Xenosaga no, there is a possibility and avoid the fight - it comes almost to the elements of stealth action =), and get bonuses for the current battle, the enemy blew up next to a barrel of gasoline. As you can see, even in comparison with Grandia 2, the system is complicated, look at the game with a random encounter then do not even want to. Problems brought a lot of monsters - and this fact is significant. Genre demonstrated in Final Fantasy VII-X and Grandia 2 unnecessary fights in general, who had managed to reduce the risk of damage to a minimum, be returned to its roots. And Legaia 2 and Breath of Fire V, and now, and Xenosaga, in many ways, but do not give gamers an opportunity to apply too easy leveling characters, the selection of the development, searching, advanced equipment and the proper actions in combat.
In modern JRPG specialization "warrior-magician-healer" is blurred, but physical attacks and magic (plus use of objects) are two fundamentally different ways of achieving goals are often added to them non-magical and special moves. Usual in Xenosaga attack lacks both class based combat arsenal are a combination of special techniques - like magic-based, and physical-based. There is magic with a classic set of healing, attacking and changing the status spells. There are all alternative ways of warfare - the robots AGWS, with its own characteristics, the level of HP, principles of management , equipment and other things. Legacy of Xenogears, but greatly revised.
It is fair to note that the magic in Xenosaga, as is often the case, virtually useless - except for curing, and occasionally - and change the status. Items-kit is not too effective, and - which is not so often - the presence of a large supply is not a panacea in any battle, the balance in this area met perfectly. On the contrary, the attacks occurring in combination, actually differ in their characteristics from each other, often have to change the main fighters (the party consists of six people, but the war only three of them) or at least their attacks are based on the type of opponents. As in Breath of Fire, forcing gamers to build a long combo chains - they are much more efficient single blow. But this diversity also makes the fighting less boring and repetitive, if desired, may be guided not only efficiency, but also beauty. KOS-MOS, the instruments of death scythe - it is something! Male heroes such destructive force, and never dreamed of! =)
An alternative way of warfare - the use of AGWS. To name a few distinctive features: Robots can not use items, they are not the healing magic, all the special abilities of pilots are disabled, animate dead or deactivated status such as engine stop AGWS not. Restore HP, as well as block the action status only if you have special items of clothing. A selection of weapons and additional equipment is similar to that to which fans are accustomed to simulators like Armored Core - believe me, all very serious. For all the inconvenience they have robots and serious advantages: powerful attacks, a huge (2-3 times greater than that of the heroes) stock HP, almost complete immunity to physical attacks.And most importantly, they do not need to pump! The difference between the fight "in human guise," and "on the robot is just a way of leveling: people need the expo (and three special types of experience points) for the empowerment of robots - the money and only money. The latter usually is not enough - most of the monsters at all (!) Does not leave after the murder of a penny, but they can save, returning to some locations, or performing additional quests. I personally have a few hours of pure time does not get out of the casino =)
A system of pumping is possible to argue a very long time, so you better recommend a look at www.gamefaqs.com, read solyushen, but to gain the mind-mind. It is only important to understand that there are essentially dead-end branches, and - unlike, say Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X, where as no go - still something, so be it. And is not - still can not kill anyone =) Do not neglect the things that increase the efficiency of killing monsters. Among them are very cute swimsuit for Zion =) It's a pity that it was unable to fasten it to Chaos, "Chaos", it would be funny.
While writing about the chaos, remembered one more great finds! The fact that several locations initially available to you in the "peaceful" option, but then they settle down monsters. And the prescribed plot developments, and required to perform an action, and the optional scenes and dialogues to help you find out in advance "what is that" at which button to press in order to cut off the road evil monsters. Then, something to ponder over this will be no time to eat, sir!
Something about the schedule has already been said, but it's better again. Do not wait for the technical achievements of the Xenosaga (just one more level playing FFX, "only"), but the work of designers is undoubtedly strong. Especially - in everything that has the slightest relation to space technology, "earthly" locations such as sewage (fu !) is somewhat weaker. In general, the schedule lacks the obvious, glaring strengths (well, not here Sammon attacks, no), but virtually no drawbacks. The same can be attributed to the music - to be honest, this is where I hoped for the best. The famous song during last year whether E3, TGS is a pumped every self-respecting fan of JRPG ... sounds only in the final cutscene. Paradoxically, the second song (zamechatelnaya!) used ... the same place. Why not use one of them somewhere in the middle, in order to spur the desire tired, but still alive geymershi not throw the game right now and go to bed and stay for the joystick has a couple of hours? I do not know. Music places even bother ...
I feel tired I have already, so finish. So, Xenosaga - game, no doubt, a genius, but the latter-day nisprovergateli idols could not bring it up to gamers, have failed to convince. That was enough for them to add Kawainui there, a bit more humor here, a powerful visual effect - somewhere else? Undoubtedly, the design is great heroes, the English voice is perfect, but the first few hours may scare off gamers. Compare the spectacular destruction Zanarkanda in Final Fantasy X and boring journey through virtual reality, and then the ship in Xenosaga. The absence of the normal training regime - another unforgivable mistake, especially for a JRPG with a rather unusual combat system. Fans something to it will not care, but there are neophytes, with the mentality that should be treated especially carefully. So what have I to do the most mass marketed one simple thought: "Xenosaga - a game that should keep everyone." Believe me, I repeat to myself like a mantra, and all of your gaming life you get! =) Honestly, honestly .
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