| 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.
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.
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! =)
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!
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 . |
Xenosaga
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