The last game in the Xenosaga trilogy.
There is a lot of good. But some bad. The problem is that the bad is real bad.
The art direction has been fixed. Everyone looks great. The music is great. The menus have been improved and so have spending points. Even a lot of the voice actors from the first game have returned!
Combat is much closer to the first game. It still a bit slow and simplified but generally fun.
Story is vastly improved but rushed. There are less long cutscenes. A lot more reading and non voice acted parts. Which is sad considering it's what the other games are known for. Now there are a lot of dialog boxes with character avatars instead of cutscenes. It can make the game drag a little. But all in all, the story answers most questions. End the series well. Although as I said it's rushed.
Now the biggest problem of the game is that is painfully easy until the final area. The final area has a set of mech boss fights, like between 4-5 of them, which are near impossible. Like so intensely punishing for no reason. I played this on an emulator. I had to save state after ever move that was successful in order to win. This game broke me where I took like 8 months to a year off. I went back and grinded. And I still had to save state to win. Once the mech boss fights were over, the rest of the game was super easy as I was OP. But those mech boss fights are terrible.
And that is why I cannot recommend this game. It's a fantastic game up until that last area. The difficulty curve however is unforgiveable.
Also, the reward you get for a completed save file from Xenosaga 2 is not good. Not worth your suffering to get.
So that's the Xenosaga series all reviewed. I can only recommend the first. I have great nostalgia for them. But I recognize their massive flaws.
There is a lot of good. But some bad. The problem is that the bad is real bad.
The art direction has been fixed. Everyone looks great. The music is great. The menus have been improved and so have spending points. Even a lot of the voice actors from the first game have returned!
Combat is much closer to the first game. It still a bit slow and simplified but generally fun.
Story is vastly improved but rushed. There are less long cutscenes. A lot more reading and non voice acted parts. Which is sad considering it's what the other games are known for. Now there are a lot of dialog boxes with character avatars instead of cutscenes. It can make the game drag a little. But all in all, the story answers most questions. End the series well. Although as I said it's rushed.
Now the biggest problem of the game is that is painfully easy until the final area. The final area has a set of mech boss fights, like between 4-5 of them, which are near impossible. Like so intensely punishing for no reason. I played this on an emulator. I had to save state after ever move that was successful in order to win. This game broke me where I took like 8 months to a year off. I went back and grinded. And I still had to save state to win. Once the mech boss fights were over, the rest of the game was super easy as I was OP. But those mech boss fights are terrible.
And that is why I cannot recommend this game. It's a fantastic game up until that last area. The difficulty curve however is unforgiveable.
Also, the reward you get for a completed save file from Xenosaga 2 is not good. Not worth your suffering to get.
So that's the Xenosaga series all reviewed. I can only recommend the first. I have great nostalgia for them. But I recognize their massive flaws.
Hannibalmick
3 months ago