Xenosaga Episode II Goes Gold
Almost here... Almost here... Almost here...
Published: February 3, 2005
It's not long now until RPG nuts will finally get the chance to check out the follow-up to one of the most simultaneously loved/hated RPGs of the past couple years. It seems everyone who played Xenosaga Episode I either dug the overly grandiose marathon cinemas and lengthy storyline diatribes or thought them too tedious to get past. But then, what other kind of reaction could there be to the spiritual predecessor to PlayStation cult fave Xenogears?
Still, most applauded the game's engaging battle system (even as they complained of the excessive battles in certain parts of the game), and for those that made it through all the movies, the storyline proved rather exciting, though it certainly didn't make the wait for the continuation all that bearable.
Luckily, Episode II is very nearly upon us. The game went gold (a term used to signify that the final production build was stamped on a gold disc and sent off to be mass-produced) yesterday, and marks the last big hash mark on the progress bar before those of us eagerly anticipating the game's release will finally get to dive in.
“Xenosaga EPISODE II establishes a new standard for the role-playing genre and is sure to provide players with an incredible game play experience,” boasted Namco Hometek Business Unit Director Yoshi Niki. “With a tremendous following already established for this sequel, franchise fans and newcomers alike will wholeheartedly embrace Xenosaga EPISODE II when it arrives in stores next month.”
The time spent on development from the first to the second game wasn't without some upgrades to the formula. The series' anime-styled character designs were overhauled to give things a more realistic look, and the battles system got a major strategic upgrade, now requiring combo attacks and a better manipulation of the stack of turns for characters and enemies using the boost command from the first game. The storyline picks up immediately after the end of the first game with Shion, COS-MOS and crew arriving on Second Miltia to divine the secrets of defense against the currently unstoppable Gnosis alien attacks.
We'll drink in every last second of Jenseits von Gut und Böse (that's Beyond Good and Evil for those wondering about the translation) as soon as it hits our desks.
Still, most applauded the game's engaging battle system (even as they complained of the excessive battles in certain parts of the game), and for those that made it through all the movies, the storyline proved rather exciting, though it certainly didn't make the wait for the continuation all that bearable.
Luckily, Episode II is very nearly upon us. The game went gold (a term used to signify that the final production build was stamped on a gold disc and sent off to be mass-produced) yesterday, and marks the last big hash mark on the progress bar before those of us eagerly anticipating the game's release will finally get to dive in.
“Xenosaga EPISODE II establishes a new standard for the role-playing genre and is sure to provide players with an incredible game play experience,” boasted Namco Hometek Business Unit Director Yoshi Niki. “With a tremendous following already established for this sequel, franchise fans and newcomers alike will wholeheartedly embrace Xenosaga EPISODE II when it arrives in stores next month.”
The time spent on development from the first to the second game wasn't without some upgrades to the formula. The series' anime-styled character designs were overhauled to give things a more realistic look, and the battles system got a major strategic upgrade, now requiring combo attacks and a better manipulation of the stack of turns for characters and enemies using the boost command from the first game. The storyline picks up immediately after the end of the first game with Shion, COS-MOS and crew arriving on Second Miltia to divine the secrets of defense against the currently unstoppable Gnosis alien attacks.
We'll drink in every last second of Jenseits von Gut und Böse (that's Beyond Good and Evil for those wondering about the translation) as soon as it hits our desks.
