Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (hereby referred to as X3), is the final installment of the Xenosaga series and it certainly lives up to the great expectations that fans of the series have placed on it while patiently waiting for it’s North American release. With updated graphics, a simplified battle and character development system, and more of the signature epic cinematic scenes that the series is known for, X3 delivers in ways which previous incarnations of the series have not been able to.

Graphically, it is definitely the prettiest of the series. Characters have gone through a slight redesign once again (each game of the series features its own look), and this time Shion and crew have come out looking better and more realistic than in X1 or X2. Location design has also made a huge leap forward, with the prologue containing some incredibly surreal levels that dwarves anything the design team attempted in previous ‘encephalon dives’. The numerous cut scenes have also taken a step up, looking much sharper than in the predecessors, and they probably push the PlayStation 2 hardware to its maximum limits.

The sound and voice acting in this game is once again superb. Footsteps reverberate in large halls, the crash of destroying obstacles will shake the rooms of those blessed with upgraded sound systems, and all the while an amazing jazz score will quietly compliment the action on screen. The game features nearly 8 hours of voice acting, including full voiceovers for the previously silent in game dialogue (previous games in the series only featured dialogue in the pre-rendered cut scenes.) Even the save screens talk to you, and I could not restrain my delight when first Miyuki and next MOMO appeared between chapters and verbally inquired ‘Do you want to save?’

Although the bells and whistles saw much improvement, the real strides forward have come in the game play. The battle system has been incredibly streamlined, a definite plus for those who thought the random battles of Episode 2 were a little too long and complicated (like myself.) Gone are the stock gauge and event window. Special attacks now use boost instead, which is handled similarly to X2. Basic attacks, tech attacks and ethers are all selected from a menu, rather than the assorted button combinations of X1 and X2. Speaking of this simplification, gone also are the break zones, which have been replaced with the much more intuitive break gauge. Hit an enemy enough times, and they’ll be knocked out for a couple of turns, while allowing you a higher success rate of critical hits. But beware, for your team of heroes has their own break gauges, and some enemies will target the character in your squad closest to the breaking point. Character development has also been streamlined. Tech attacks and ethers are gained by leveling up, and skills have a new ‘skill line’ system.

All this simplification allows the player to concentrate on what is important in the Xenosaga series...the story. Fans of the epic storyline will surely not be disappointed, as new plot twists, new characters and a vastly improved database function will add to the intrigue which the prior games of the series have set a precedent for. The story takes place one year following X2 and a lot has changed. Thankfully a few masterful cut scenes and the new database will fill you in on what has been going on. Speaking of the database, which was absent from X2; it has been seen wonderful improvements as well, offering categorized files on characters, events, weapons and more. It also gives you an indication on how much of it you have already filled, which gives you an idea on how much longer you have to go before the story is all wrapped up. The database also includes a synopsis of the first two episodes, so if you are a potential Xenosaga III fan, but are worried about not playing the first two games, you can stop worrying.

Although the series is coming to end sooner than was originally expected, Monolith Soft has done a wonderful job making sure that the final chapter of Xenosaga will resonate in the memories of its fans for many years to come. I heartily recommend it to series fans and all the other JRPG or anime fans out there.