Misplaced Pages

Xenosaga

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Vector Industries) Role-playing video game series Video game series
Xenosaga
Genre(s)Role-playing
Developer(s)Monolith Soft
Tom Create (I & II, Pied Piper)
Namco Mobile (Pied Piper)
Publisher(s)
Creator(s)Tetsuya Takahashi
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Mobile, Nintendo DS
First releaseXenosaga Episode I
February 28, 2002
Latest releaseXenosaga Episode III
July 6, 2006
Parent seriesXeno

Xenosaga is a role-playing video game series developed by Monolith Soft and primarily published by Namco. Forming part of the wider Xeno metaseries, Xenosaga is set in a science fiction universe and follows a group of characters as they face both a hostile alien race called the Gnosis and human factions fighting for control of the Zohar, an artifact connected to a god-like energy called U-DO. Gameplay across the series is similar, with the characters being guided through a linear narrative and fighting enemies using a turn-based combat system. The party fights both on foot and in a variety of mechs.

Tetsuya Takahashi created Xenosaga as a spiritual successor to the Square-produced Xenogears, for which he founded Monolith Soft with help from Namco; multiple Xenogears staff returned, including co-writer Soraya Saga. Following the release of the first game, the Xenosaga series was given over to new staff with Takahashi both supervising the project and providing the draft scripts. Under the new staff, the original script saw several changes and its planned six-part structure cut down by half. The series made considerable use of Biblical imagery and elements of the works of Carl Jung and Friedrich Nietzsche, with the subtitles of the main trilogy drawing from the works of Nietzsche.

Reception of individual titles has been positive, although journalists have commented that the series was too ambitious. While the first game met with strong sales, the series as a whole was a commercial disappointment. The first game also received both a manga and an anime adaptation, the latter being dubbed and released in North America. Following the end of the Xenosaga series, Takahashi and other team members started a new project to rebuild morale, which became Xenoblade Chronicles. Characters from Xenosaga would go on to appear in multiple crossover games.

Titles

Games

Xenosaga spans five different games sharing a single continuity; the three mainline games for the PlayStation 2, a spin-off and prequel for mobile devices, and a remake of the first two entries in the trilogy for the Nintendo DS. Each title in the trilogy features a subtitle taken from the published work of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Release timeline
2002Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
2003
2004Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
Pied Piper
2005
2006I & II
Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
  • Xenosaga Episode I was first released in Japan on February 28, 2002, for the PlayStation 2 (PS2). Its North American release came on February 25, 2003. An international version titled Xenosaga Episode I Reloaded was released in Japan on November 20, 2003. The game's subtitle, Der Wille zur Macht, was taken from the native title of The Will to Power, a posthumously published collection of notes written by Friedrich Nietzsche.
  • Xenosaga Episode II was released on June 24, 2004, in Japan for the PS2. The game was released in North America on February 15, 2005. In Europe, the game was published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe on October 28, 2005. It is the only game to have been released in Europe. The subtitle, Jenseits von Gut und Böse, is taken from the native title of Nietzsche's philosophical novel Beyond Good and Evil.
  • Xenosaga: Pied Piper was released across three episodes between July and October 2004 for Vodafone mobile devices. A version for NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service was released on July 5, 2006. Pied Piper remains exclusive to Japan. Its subtitle is inspired by the German fable of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
  • Xenosaga I & II was released in Japan on March 30, 2006, for the Nintendo DS. The game is a remake of Episode I and Episode II, with redrawn artwork, gameplay adjusted for a portable platform, and additional story elements based on cut content from the home console versions. Like Pied Piper, Xenosaga I & II remains exclusive to Japan.
  • Xenosaga Episode III was released in Japan on July 6, 2006, for the PlayStation 2 console. It was released in North America on August 29 of the same year, published by the then-rebranded Namco Bandai Games. The game is the last entry to have been released in the Xenosaga series to date. The subtitle, Also Sprach Zarathustra, is taken from Nietzsche's novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

Additional media

Following the release of Episode I, a supplementary disc titled Xenosaga Freaks was released on April 28, 2004. The disc features a visual novel segment featuring multiple characters from the game, a minigame dubbed XenoPitten, a dictionary that explains the game's terminology, and a demo for Episode II. Freaks was part of a movement with the Xenosaga series to turn it into a multimedia franchise, with the project growing substantially larger than previously planned. Xenosaga Episode I was adapted as a manga by Atsushi Baba and published through Monthly Comic Zero Sum. It was later released in three volumes by publisher Ichijinsha between 2004 and 2006. Additionally an anime adaptation titled Xenosaga: The Animation, which adapted the events of the first game, was produced by Toei Animation. Originally broadcast on TV Asahi between January and March 2005. the anime was later licensed and dubbed for a North American release; originally licensed by A.D. Vision, the North American rights are currently held by Funimation Entertainment. Multiple staff from Xenosaga: The Animation later worked on Xenosaga I & II.

Common elements

Gameplay

Gameplay in the Xenosaga series feature similar gameplay across its various entries. The core gameplay revolves around the player controlling a party of characters navigating different environments including dungeons, with combat initiated when exploring environments and touching sprites representing enemy groups. Combat makes use of a traditional turn-based battle system, with basic mechanics involving the spending or conserving of Action Points (AP). Battles feature combat using both human party members, and in mecha known under different titles in each game. Episode I introduces the basic gameplay and combat systems. Episode II incorporates multiple levels of attack types which different enemies are weak to, combined with alterations to the performance of mechs. Episode III further expands upon the system, and mechs have expanded functions including dedicated dungeon environments. Xenosaga I & II reworks the gameplay systems; combat takes place during random encounters while exploring, and characters are arranged and have elements of their combat dictated by their placement on a grid. Pied Piper incorporates gameplay systems similar to Episode I adjusted for mobile devices, with navigation separate from battles which take place in a virtual zone tied to the narrative.

Setting

See also: List of Xenosaga characters

The Xenosaga series takes place within a single science fiction universe. In the year "20XX", humanity discovers the Zohar—a primordial artifact which connects to the realm of a god-like energy dubbed U-DO—is discovered on Earth and allows travel beyond the Solar System. A disaster causes Earth's location to be lost, becoming known as "Lost Jerusalem". By the game's events, humanity has adopted a new calendar system dubbed "Transcend Christ" (T.C.), with the series' events beginning in T.C. 4768—equivalent to A.D. 7278, with humanity forming a Galaxy Federation. Planets are connected through a warp travel network called the Unus Mundus Network (U.M.N.), managed by Vector Industries, which also controls interests in the Federation's military. Existing alongside humans are Realians, synthetic humans who hold equal status with natural humans. The Federation is attacked by the Gnosis, an ancient species revealed to be formed of souls who rejected U-DO. Vector develops two different weapon systems to fight the Gnosis: humanoid mecha dubbed AGWS (Anti Gnosis Weapon System), and the similar but more powerful KOS-MOS battle androids. There also exist more advanced AGWS models called E.S., powered by Lost Jerusalem artifacts called Vessels of Anima. A key backstory event is the Miltian Conflict, which occurred fourteen years before the events of Episode I. Beginning as a war between the U-TIC Organization and the Federation, it escalated when a group of Realians went berserk when an experiment to suppress U-DO's energies went wrong. Miltia was lost in a space-time anomaly. Key organizations include the Federation government; the Kukai Foundation, a group that acts as a shelter for enhanced humans including U.R.T.V.s; Vector Industries, a megacorporation controlling the U.M.N.; a splinter faction called the U-TIC Organization; religious cult Ormus, which funds U-TIC; and the Testaments, a group of men who have been granted a form of immortality following their original deaths.

The first game follows series protagonists Shion Uzuki and prototype battle android KOS-MOS escaping a Gnosis attack and traveling to Second Miltia aboard the passenger freighter Elsa, where they meet a young man called chaos. Together with U.R.T.V. and Kukai co-founder Jr., the group thwart the plans of Albedo Piazzolla, Jr.'s biological brother. In Episode II, Albedo uses information gathered during the events of Episode I to open the way to the original planet Miltia, which becomes the focus of a conflict between the Federation and Ormus. Ormus' leader Sergius gains control of a powerful mech called Proto Omega, destroying Miltia in the process. He is then killed by the Testaments, who give Albedo control of Proto Omega, forcing Jr. to kill him. In Episode III, Shion, KOS-MOS, chaos and the rest of their group confront both the Testaments—which includes a resurrected Albedo—and Vector CEO Wilhelm. Wilhelm is revealed to be an immortal being stopping the universe's destruction through eternal recurrence. The group defeats him, then KOS-MOS and chaos help banish the Gnosis to the region of Lost Jerusalem. Shion and Jr. set off to find Lost Jerusalem and save the universe. Pied Piper follows the character Jan Sauer—later known as the cyborg Ziggurat 8 (Ziggy for short)—as he investigates the crimes of a cyberspace-based serial killer a century before the events of Episode I.

History

Concept and development

The creator of Xenosaga was Tetsuya Takahashi, who had previously worked at Square on multiple projects including entries in the Final Fantasy series. Together with his wife Soraya Saga, Takahashi created a proposal for Final Fantasy VII; while rejected, they were allowed to develop the proposal as its own project, titled Xenogears. A sequel to Xenogears was allegedly in the planning stages, but it was never released. Wanting to create his own project, unable to get suitable funding from Square, and disagreeing with Square's focus on its major franchises such as Final Fantasy, Takahashi left Square and founded Monolith Soft with a number of staff from Xenogears. Creating the proposal for Xenosaga during 1999 as a six-part series, development began on the first game in 2000 under the codename "Project X", taking two years to develop with a staff of between 60 and 100 people, with around 20 of them being veterans of Xenogears. The team were helped by Namco, who provided funding and acted as the publisher. The scenario was written by Takahashi and Saga. The Xenosaga series, while carrying over thematic and design elements from Xenogears, is an unconnected spiritual successor to that game.

Following the release of Episode I, Takahashi and other Monolith Soft staff reassessed the series and the general structure of Monolith Soft. Takahashi, who had acted as the first game's director, stepped down to allow the Xenosaga series to grow. He gave the development of Episode II and future Xenosaga projects to a team of younger developers. The new team decided to shift the game's focus based on player feedback and expand the series into other media. Takahashi continued to act as a supervisor to ensure the series remained true to the original overall plan. The draft, created by Takahashi and Saga, was turned into a script by Norihiko Yonesaka, who needed to condense and even cut several events from the original draft to fit it into a single game. Saga later commented that these changes resulted in the planned scenario for Episode III also being changed. A portion of the intended narrative of Episode II was turned into the plot of Pied Piper. Pied Piper was co-developed by Monolith Soft, Namco Mobile and Tom Create. Following the completion of Episode II and Pied Piper, Saga left the series.

When Episode I and Episode II were remade as Xenosaga I & II, which was Monolith Soft's first portable title and co-developed with Tom Create. Takahashi worked with scenario writer Yuichiro Takeda on the scenario, which was to both include the original games' events and incorporate elements and scenarios cut from the original versions. While doing this, Takahashi and Takeda needed to keep the scenario consistent with the in-development Episode III. The volume of the game's scenario and Takahashi's wish to cut as little story as possible resulted in the game being given a two-dimensional artstyle. Episode III, which began development during the last development stages for Episode II, was designed to be the last entry in the Xenosaga series. In addition to up the story of Shion while also leaving room for further entries if there was enough demand, further adjustments were made to both gameplay and graphics based on combined staff comments and fan feedback. Takahashi supervised the project and created the draft, with the script again being written by Yonesaka.

The Xenosaga series incorporates multiple references to Biblical mythology, Jewish mysticism and Gnosticism; several character, object and place names (such as Nephilim, Zohar, Gnosis, Merkabah) are taken from sources within these belief systems. The universal structure incorporates elements of Zen, with the names of central characters KOS-MOS and chaos being deliberate homages to the universal concepts of order and chaos. It additionally draws on the philosophy and literature of Carl Jung and Nietzsche. Nietzsche in particular is heavily referenced throughout the Xenosaga trilogy, with each entry taking its subtitle from the native title of one of his famous works; for Episode I and Episode II, the subtitles tied directly into the story themes and characters. The subtitle of Pied Piper likewise tied to the game's narrative.

Music

Main article: Music of Xenosaga

The score for Episode I was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, who had created the music for Xenogears. Mitsuda worked with Takahashi to create tracks based upon specific locations and scenario elements rather than general recycled tracks for segments of the game. For Episode II, the music was composed by three people: Yuki Kajiura, who had found fame as a composer for anime series; Shinji Hosoe, who worked on Street Fighter EX and the Ridge Racer series; and Ayako Saso, who had composed for Galaxian and Street Fighter EX. Kajiura worked on tracks which played during cinematic cutscenes, while Hosoe and Saso composed other cutscene music and gameplay tracks. Hosoe and Saso worked together as part of the Super Sweep music group, but they did not collaborate with Kajiura on any tracks, or even meet with her during the game's production. Kajiura returned to create the entire score for Episode III, drawing upon the game's concept art and scenario when creating the music. All three games have received album releases, although both Episode II and Episode III saw large portions of their scores go unreleased due to varying factors.

Reception

In an article for 1UP.com about video game series that had ended prematurely, Scott Sharkey felt that no-one was surprised when the series ended with Episode III as he deemed the series far too ambitious. Jeremy Parish, writing for USGamer, felt that Takahashi managed to " through" despite his planned six-part series being cut down by half, with Episode III being a satisfactory conclusion to the series' storyline. He also noted that Xenosaga showed a trend with Takakashi's work of being ambitious to the point of needing to compromise the original plan due to external limitations. Blake Peterson, in a feature on the Xenosaga series, felt that the success of later Xeno titles—which took a different approach and had met with critical and commercial success—meant that the Xenosaga series would not be continued.

Individual titles

Japanese and Western review scores
As of July 26, 2017.
Game Famitsu Metacritic
Xenosaga Episode I 33/40 83/100 (35 reviews)
Xenosaga Episode II 33/40 73/100 (45 reviews)
Xenosaga I & II 31/40 —
Xenosaga Episode III 33/40 81/100 (34 reviews)

Episode I received positive reviews upon release. The narrative was generally praised for its complex structure and cinematic approach, while its gameplay was seen as enjoyable despite initially being complicated even by genre standards and the mech segments not feeling consequential. The graphics and music were generally praised, although the latter was felt to be too sparse. Episode II, which had seen its gameplay and graphics reworked from Episode I, received praise from critics for both these adjustments and the refocusing of its narrative despite the latter's short length. The replacement of some of the original English voice actors also came in for criticism.

Episode III received praise for its narrative and the way it concluded the series' overarching plot, but many felt that there was too much need for knowledge of the original games for it to be enjoyable for newcomers. The battle system and character customization also saw praise, although other gameplay aspects such as side activities divided opinion. Xenosaga I & II was generally praised by critics; while some more technical elements of the story slowed the pace, the narrative was generally seen as the game's strongest feature, while the general gameplay and battle system were also praised for removing the more convoluted elements from the mainline titles. In import reviews, it was commented that the extensive amount of Japanese text would be the largest barrier for those who wished to import the game from Japan.

Sales

Episode I managed a strong debut, selling over 240,000 units within three days of its release, and becoming the seventh best-selling game in Japan during 2002. It was also a commercial success internationally, going on to sell over one million copies. Episode II debuted at #2 in sales charts, going on to sell 280,000 in Japan during 2004. It also saw commercial success in North America, although no sales figures were revealed. Despite this, Episode II underperformed commercially, reaching just over 50% of Namco's projected sales target. Xenosaga I & II met with poor sales, with its debut being seen as disappointing for the still-popular series, and going on to sell over 38,000 units during 2006. Episode III debuted with sales approaching 124,000, noted as being the lowest debut for the main trilogy. Selling over 181,000 copies in Japan during 2006, it went on to sell 343,000 units across Japan, mainland Asia and North America by February 2007. Takahashi later stated that the series as a whole had underperformed.

Legacy

Main article: Xenoblade Chronicles

The initial success of Xenosaga turned Monolith Soft into a popular developer, with Namco placing the company alongside Namco Tales Studio as a valuable development partner. Following the release of Episode III, and the mixed reception received by the series as a whole, the entire development team were in a state of low morale. Partly to boost team morale and create a game players would enjoy, the team developed a new RPG for the Wii. Originally titled Monado: Beginning of the World, its title was eventually changed to Xenoblade Chronicles. During its development, the team moved away from the narrative and design techniques used for the Xenosaga games, which were considered old-fashioned. The success of Xenoblade Chronicles led to the development of further Xenoblade Chronicles titles. In a later interview, Takahashi stated that he would be willing to develop further titles in the Xenosaga series if funding was provided.

The character KOS-MOS was included as part of the playable cast of Namco × Capcom for the PlayStation 2, a crossover title developed by Monolith Soft featuring characters from both Namco and Capcom-owned game franchises. KOS-MOS and her rival from Xenosaga Episode III T-elos appeared in Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier. Supporting character MOMO was later introduced alongside KOS-MOS and T-elos in the game's sequel Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier Exceed. Both KOS-MOS and T-elos starred in Project X Zone for the Nintendo 3DS, a spiritual successor to Namco × Capcom from the same development team. KOS-MOS also appeared in its sequel Project X Zone 2 alongside Xenoblade Chronicles heroine Fiora. KOS-MOS and T-elos made cameo appearances as titular blades in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.. KOS-MOS's head armor from Xenosaga I makes a late game appearance in Tales of Arise as part of its artifacts system. KOS-MOS was added as a playable character during a limited-time event in Tales of the Rays, additionally, costumes based on MOMO, T-elos and Chaos were added for other playable characters.

Notes

  1. Zenosāga (Japanese: ゼノサーガ)
  2. Zenosāga Episōdo Wan: Chikara e no Ishi (Japanese: ゼノサーガ エピソードI 力への意志)
  3. Zenosāga Episōdo Tsū: Zen'aku no Higan (Japanese: ゼノサーガ エピソードII 善悪の彼岸)
  4. Zenosāga: Paido Paipā (Japanese: ゼノサーガ パイド パイパー)
  5. Zenosāga Wan & Tsū (ゼノサーガ I&II, stylised as Xenosaga I・II)
  6. Zenosāga Episōdo Surī: Tsaratusutora wa Kaku Katariki (Japanese: ゼノサーガ エピソードIII ツァラトゥストラはかく語りき)
  7. Zenosāga Furīkusu (Japanese: ゼノサーガ フリークス)

References

  1. ^ Xenosaga.jp -Xenosaga EPISODE III- PRODUCTS (in Japanese). Xenosaga Portal Site. Archived from the original on 17 July 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  2. ^ Peterson, Blake (3 December 2015). "Monolith Soft and Nintendo: Why We'll Never Get More Xenogears/saga". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  3. 【PS2】人型戦闘兵器も登場！ 『ゼノサーガ エピソードI 力への意志』 (in Japanese). Famitsu. 29 December 2001. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  4. Witham, Joseph (21 December 2002). "North American Xenosaga Site Launches". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  5. ゼノサーガ エピソードI リローディッド 力への意志 (in Japanese). Xenosaga Episode I Reloaded Website. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  6. ^ Sato, Ike (8 June 2001). "Xenosaga Preview". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 8 December 2001. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  7. Winkler, Chris (30 May 2004). "Huge Xenosaga Episode II Update". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  8. Young, Billy (11 December 2004). "Namco Announces Pre-order Campaign for Xenosaga Episode II". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 14 December 2004. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  9. Gibson, Ellie (5 September 2005). "Xenosaga II comes to Europe". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  10. ^ "Preview: Xenosaga Episode II". 1UP.com. 2004. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  11. ^ Monolith Soft - ゼノサーガ パイド パイパー (in Japanese). Monolith Soft. Archived from the original on 3 May 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  12. バンダイナムコゲームス、iモード「Xenosaga Pied Piper」本編から100年前を舞台にしたオリジナルRPG (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. 5 July 2006. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  13. ^ ゼノサーガ エピソードI・II / 製品概要 / バンダイナムコゲームス公式サイト (in Japanese). Xenosaga I & II Website. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  14. 『ゼノサーガ エピソードIII［ツァラトゥストラはかく語りき］』のアイテムを先行配信！ (in Japanese). Famitsu. 29 June 2006. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  15. "NAMCO BANDAI Games Ships Xenosaga Episode III for the PlayStation 2". GameZone. 29 August 2006. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  16. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (13 April 2006). "Xenosaga III To North America". IGN. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  17. ゼノサーガ フリークス (in Japanese). Xenosaga Freaks Website. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  18. ナムコ、「ゼノサーガ フリークス」続報 ドタバタアドベンチャー「ぜのコミ」を紹介 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. 20 February 2004. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  19. ^ 週刊ゼノサーガ. Weekly Xenosaga Episode II (in Japanese) (3). SoftBank Creative: 6–12. 2004.
  20. ZERO-SUMコミックス - Xenosaga EPISODE I(1) (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  21. ZERO-SUMコミックス - Xenosaga EPISODE I(2) (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  22. ZERO-SUMコミックス - Xenosaga EPISODE I(3) (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  23. ゼノサーガ THE ANIMATION (in Japanese). Toei Animation. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  24. Carle, Chris (19 June 2007). "Xenosaga Anime Series Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  25. "Funimation Picks Up Over 30 Former AD Vision Titles". Anime News Network. 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  26. ^ Kasavin, Greg (21 February 2003). "Xenosaga Episode I Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  27. ^ ゼノサーガ エピソードII 善悪の彼岸 - 戦闘 (in Japanese). Xenosaga Episode II Website. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  28. ^ ゼノサーガ エピソードIII ツァラトゥストラはかく語りき - Battle System (in Japanese). Xenosaga Episode III Website. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  29. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (24 February 2003). "Xenosaga Episode I Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 14 January 2006. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  30. Fahay, Rob (7 October 2003). "First Impressions - XenoSaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 30 June 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  31. Torres, Ricardo (3 November 2003). "Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose Updated Impressions". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  32. ^ Parkin, Simon (13 September 2006). "Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  33. ^ Baker, Michael (2011). "Xenosaga I + II - Staff Retroview". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  34. ^ Chandran, Neal (31 August 2007). "Xenosaga I•II Review". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  35. ゼノサーガ - ゼノサーガ パイド パイパー (in Japanese). Xenosaga Portal Site. Archived from the original on 24 May 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  36. Mobile - ゼノサーガ パイド パイパー (in Japanese). ITMedia. 2004. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  37. Fraundorf, Friz (2001). "Xenosaga Preview". The Gaming Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 13 August 2001. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  38. ^ ゼノサーガ エピソード 3 【ツァラトゥストラはかく語りき】 公式コンプリートガイド [Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Official Complete Guide]. Namco. 4 August 2006. ISBN 4-9023-7210-X.
  39. ゼノサーガ エピソードII 善悪の彼岸 - 世界観と物語 (in Japanese). Xenosaga Episode II Website. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  40. Monolith Soft (25 February 2003). Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (PlayStation 2). Namco.
  41. Monolith Soft (15 February 2005). Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (PlayStation 2). Namco.
  42. Monolith Soft (29 April 2006). Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (PlayStation 2). Namco Bandai Games.
  43. Monolith Soft - ゼノサーガ パイド パイパー - 第1章 (in Japanese). Monolith Soft. Archived from the original on 26 July 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  44. Monolith Soft - ゼノサーガ パイド パイパー - 第2章 (in Japanese). Monolith Soft. Archived from the original on 26 July 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  45. Monolith Soft - ゼノサーガ パイド パイパー - 第3章 (in Japanese). Monolith Soft. Archived from the original on 25 July 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  46. ^ Yip, Spencer (11 June 2010). "Soraya Saga On Xenogears And Xenosaga". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  47. "A New Xenogears Game?". RPGFan. 22 October 1999. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  48. ^ Creator's Talk - Tetsuya Takahashi (in Japanese). Sony. 2002. Archived from the original on 5 February 2005. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  49. ^ Johansson, Martin (2002). "Xenosaga - The Power of Will". SUPER Play (in Swedish) (April 2002).
  50. ^ Sato, Ike (8 November 2001). "Xenosaga Interview". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 5 December 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  51. ^ "Xenosaga series loses key writer". GameSpot. 19 January 2005. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  52. ^ ゼノサーガ エピソード2 公式コンプリートガイド [Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse Official Complete Guide]. Namco. 27 July 2004. ISBN 4-9023-7203-7.
  53. ja. Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 6 June 2003. Enterbrain. 23 May 2003. pp. 34–35.
  54. ^ ゼノサーガ I・II / 原案・監修高橋氏・脚本竹田氏スペシャル対談！ (in Japanese). Xenosaga I & II Website. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  55. ^ トムクリエイト 開発履歴 (in Japanese). Tom Create. Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  56. Winkler, Chris (1 December 2004). "Xenosaga, Baten Kaitos DS-Bound". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 5 May 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  57. "Reader Q&A: Xenosaga Episode III". IGN. 10 August 2006. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  58. ^ Evans, Eri (19 December 2013). "22: The Struggle with Gnosis - Ancient Religion and Future Technology in the Xenosaga Series". Playing with the Past - Digital Games and the Simulation of History. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 343–356. ISBN 978-1-6235-6728-6.
  59. ゼノサーガ SPECIAL FAN BOOK with DVD. SoftBank Publishing. 7 September 2001. p. 3.
  60. Mitsuda, Yasunori (6 March 2002). "Xenosaga Original Soundtrack liner notes". DigiCube. SSCX-10062. Retrieved on 13 September 2017.
  61. ^ Kotowski, Don (26 May 2009). "Anime Boston 2009: Interview with Kalafina and Yuki Kajiura". Original Sound Version. Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  62. ^ Greening, Chris (26 January 2010). "Interview with Shinji Hosoe". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  63. Kajiura, Yuki (7 July 2004). "Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse Movie Scene Soundtrack liner notes". Victor Entertainment. VICL-61431/2. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
  64. 出口裕子 (2004-07-02). "サウンドスタッフインタビュー" [Sound staff interview]. Shūkan Zenosāga II Vol.4 週刊ゼノサーガII Vol.4 (in Japanese). Softbank Games. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  65. Maas, Liz; Thomas, Damian; Farand, Eric (17 March 2002). "Xenosaga OST". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  66. Nozaki, Keiichi (12 July 2006). "Xenosaga Episode III Also Sprach Zarathustra Original Sound Best Tracks liner notes". Victor Entertainment. VICL-61975/6. Retrieved on 14 August 2017.
  67. Sharkey, Scott (2009). "Top 5 Games That Ended Halfway Through". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  68. Parish, Jeremy (6 July 2015). "On This Day in Video Game History: The End Of Xenosaga". USGamer. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  69. ^ (PS2) ゼノサーガ エピソード II [善悪の彼岸] (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  70. "Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille Zer Macht for PlayStation 2 on Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  71. "Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose for PlayStation 2". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  72. ^ (DS) ゼノサーガ I・II (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  73. ^ (PS2) ゼノサーガ エピソードIII ツァラトゥストラはかく語りき (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  74. "Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra - Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  75. "Review: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht". GamePro. 24 February 2003. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  76. Nutt, Christian (13 February 2003). "Reviews - Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  77. Alley, Jake (10 March 2003). "Xenosaga - Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  78. Parkin, Simon (10 November 2005). "Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 18 December 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  79. "Review - Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose". GamePro. 15 February 2005. Archived from the original on 5 March 2005. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  80. Massimilla, Bethany (11 February 2005). "Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  81. Nutt, Christian (11 February 2005). "GameSpy: Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  82. Dunham, Jeremy (15 February 2005). "Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  83. "Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Review from GamePro". GamePro. 13 September 2006. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  84. Massimilla, Bethany (30 August 2006). "Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  85. Vasconcellos, Eduardo (26 August 2006). "GameSpy: Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  86. Dunham, Jeremy (30 August 2006). "Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 23 October 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  87. Martz, Josh (2006). "Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Staff Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  88. Winkler, Chris (10 March 2002). "Xenosaga Tops Japanese Sales Charts". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  89. 2002年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP300 (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  90. Clayton, Philip (26 May 2004). "Namco Announces Profits, Release Dates". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  91. モノリスの新作3タイトル発表！『ゼノサーガエピソードII』では『I』の謎が明らかに！ (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. 21 July 2003. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  92. Jenkins, David (2 July 2004). "Latest Japanese Sales Charts - Week Ending June 27". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  93. Winkler, Chris (14 February 2005). "Namco Posts Third Quarter Results". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  94. Maragos, Nich (25 May 2005). "Namco Posts FY2005 Results". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  95. Winkler, Chris (29 April 2006). "Xenosaga Episode III - First Look Preview". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  96. Boulette, Bryan. "Crunching Numbers: DS vs. GBA". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  97. 2006年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP500（メディアクリエイト版） (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  98. Jenkins, David (14 July 2006). "Mario Bros. Tops Japanese Charts For Sixth Week". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  99. "2006年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP500" [2006 Game Software Annual Sales Top 500]. Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 2007 ファミ通ゲーム白書2007 [Famitsu Game Whitebook 2007] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 2007.
  100. "Bandai Namco Announces 3rd Quarter Results". RPGFan. 17 February 2007. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
  101. ^ "Iwata Asks: Xenoblade Chronicles 3D for New Nintendo 3DS". Nintendo UK. 2015. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  102. モノリスソフト新作発表会～ＥＰＩＳＯＤＥ ２００３～ (in Japanese). Namco. 2003. Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  103. Kohler, Chris (29 January 2010). "Nintendo To Publish The Last Story, Mistwalker RPG". Wired. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  104. Gifford, Kevin (17 February 2010). "All About Xenoblade". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  105. Mackey, Bob (10 April 2015). "How the Xenoverse Got Its Groove Back". USGamer. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  106. "Xenoblade 2 : à la rencontre de son créateur, Tetsuya Takahashi" (in French). GameKult. 22 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 June 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  107. Namco × Capcom - キャラクター (in Japanese). Namco × Capcom website. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  108. 「ナムコ クロス カプコン」発売10周年を記念したイラストが公開 (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  109. フロンティア、集う！ (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Entertainment. 14 March 2008. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  110. 強力な技で行く手を阻むライバルに立ち向かえ!!『無限のフロンティア スーパーロボット大戦ＯＧサーガ』 (in Japanese). Famitsu. 14 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  111. 【動画つき】新キャラクター＆序盤シナリオ紹介！『無限のフロンティアEXCEED スーパーロボット大戦OGサーガ』 (in Japanese). Famitsu. 10 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  112. ゼノサーガシリーズからM.O.M.O.が参戦！ 「無限のフロンティアEXCEED」最新情報 (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. 22 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  113. "Ein Interview und viele Screenhots zu Project X Zone" (in German). JPGames.de. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  114. 『ゼノサーガ』シリーズ/登場作品/PROJECT X ZONE/バンダイナムコゲームス公式サイト (in Japanese). Project X Zone Blog. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  115. Romano, Sal (9 September 2015). "Project X Zone 2 adds Fire Emblem, Xenosaga, and Xenoblade characters". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  116. "Tales Of The Rays Announces Xenosaga Collaboration - Noisy Pixel". noisypixel.net. 2023-12-24. Retrieved 2024-01-09.

External links

Xeno
Xenogears
Game
Related
Xenosaga
Games
Related
Xenoblade Chronicles
Games
Related
Crossover games
Companies
People
Video game franchises owned by Bandai Namco
Original
Licensed
Category
Categories: