It has been suggested that List of Xenosaga cast members be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Xenosaga (ゼノサーガ, Zenosāga^?) is primarily a series of video games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco. Xenosaga's main story is in the form of a trilogy of PlayStation 2 video games. Several side stories and spinoff projects have also been developed, as well an anime adaptation. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Xenosaga. ... Image File history File links XenoLogo. ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a universal phenomenon. ... Monolith Soft or MLSI is an entertainment company (not to be confused with Monolith Productions) in Japan, specializing in creating video games for various consoles like the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and cellphones. ... Namco Ltd ) is a amusement company based in Japan, best known overseas for video games development. ... A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature or film, that are connected and can generally be seen as a single work as well as three individual ones. ... The PlayStation 2 , abbreviated PS2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... It has been suggested that List of Xenosaga cast members be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that List of Xenosaga cast members be merged into this article or section. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ...

The Xenosaga series serves as a spiritual successor to the game Xenogears, which was released in 1998 for the PlayStation by Square (now Square Enix). Outside of allusions, stylistic connections, and design similarities, there is no relationship between the two storylines. The creator of both Xenogears and Xenosaga is Tetsuya Takahashi, who left Squaresoft in 1998 along with Hirohide Sugiura. Using funds from Namco, they started Monolith Soft and the Xenosaga project. A spiritual sequel or spiritual successor is a sequel or successor to a computer or video game, movie, comic or even a stage play. ... Xenogears ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... The Sony PlayStation ) is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid-1990s. ... Square Co. ... SQUARE ENIX (Japanese: スクウェア・エニックス) is a Japanese producer of popular video games and manga. ... Allusion is a stylistic device or trope, in which one refers covertly or indirectly to an object or circumstance that has occurred or existed in an external content. ... Tetsuya Takahashi (高橋 哲哉 Takahashi Tetsuya) (born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan) is currently the head of game software company Monolith Soft, Inc. ...

The first game in the primary trilogy, Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht ("The will to power" in German) , was released in February 2002 in the Japanese market, and then in February 2003 in the American market. Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse ("Beyond Good & Evil") was released in June 2004 in Japan and February 2005 in North America. Xenosaga: The Animation, an anime based on Episode I, premiered on TV Asahi in Japan on January 5, 2005. Xenosaga: Pied Piper, a 3 chapter-long cellphone-based game depicting the history of cyborg "Ziggurat 8" 100 years before the start of Episode I, was released in Japan in July 2004. Pied Piper was not released in the United States. Released in July 6 2006, Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra is the final title in the Xenosaga series, effectively cutting the initial projection of the series in half (see section). A retelling of the first two episodes (titled Xenosaga I & II) was released on the Nintendo DS in March 2006 in Japan. The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... TV Asahi Corporation ) (TYO: 9409 ), also known as EX and Tele-Asa ), is a television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jan Sauer (Ziggurat 8) Ziggurat 8, commonly called Ziggy by MOMO and friends, is a combat cyborg assigned the task of recovering and protecting MOMO, the prototype 100-Series Observational Realian. ... It has been suggested that List of Xenosaga cast members be merged into this article or section. ... // Manufacturer Nintendo Product family Nintendo DS Type Handheld game console Generation Seventh generation era First available NA November 21, 2004 JP December 2, 2004 AU February 24, 2005 EU March 11, 2005 ZH July 23, 2005 Connectivity Wi-Fi and Local Wireless Online service Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, LAN Units...

All three episodes of the main Xenosaga trilogy are named after the books of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. The first episode is named after The Will to Power, a book published posthumously by his sister Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche. Several Nietzschean concepts and references appear throughout the series. Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 - August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. ... The will to power (German: Der Wille zur Macht) is a concept prominent in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. ... Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, ca. ...

Story

Plot summary

It is the year T.C. 4768, and mankind exists on distant planets and artificial colonies. Earth is seemingly gone; it has been erased from starmaps and renamed "Lost Jerusalem". The capital of all known space is Fifth Jerusalem, where the Galaxy Federation supposedly keeps watch over mankind. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

For the past fourteen years, a mysterious enemy known as the Gnosis has attacked man's colonies seemingly indiscriminately. It is largely believed that the Gnosis were brought into the universe by a scientist named Joachim Mizrahi during the Miltian Conflict of T.C. 4753, but there is more to that story than the public really knows.

The Zohar, a central artifact and plot device in the Xenosaga series..

Since its discovery on Lost Jerusalem, an artifact known as the Zohar has been highly sought after, despite having caused the disappearance of Earth. Several factions — chiefly the underground Ormus society and the aforementioned Galaxy Federation — wish to harness its power. Both groups believe that the Zohar's significance is threefold; is a power source, the cause of the Gnosis crisis, and the key to U-DO, a being from a higher dimension. Thus, the two factions believe that the Zohar could be the key to the Gnosis destruction and a pathway to unlimited power. At the same time, the Kukai Foundation, an independent organization secretly founded by the autonomous Second Miltian government, also seeks to gather the Zohar and the Zohar Emulators while investigating the conspiracy surrounding them. Image File history File links Original_Zohar_Xenosaga. ... Image File history File links Original_Zohar_Xenosaga. ...

Since the age of Lost Jerusalem, many researchers have studied and attempted to control the Zohar. Among the results of this research was the development of several Zohar Emulators. However, the original Zohar's power still eclipses the energy output of any known Emulator, despite the fact that one of the Emulators caused the disappearance of the planet Ariadne. More importantly, no Emulator is capable of the true function of the Zohar.

As a result, the Ormus society and the Galaxy Federation are obsessed with finding the original Zohar that was sealed away on Miltia at the end of the Miltian Conflict. However, the key to unlocking Miltia and the Original Zohar is contained within the Y-Data, which is hidden within the mind of a Realian called MOMO. In order to retrieve the Y-Data, Ormus hatches a plot against the Galaxy Federation and its allies by using a series of dummy organizations and insiders, as well as its military force, the U-TIC Organization and an enigmatic figure known as Albedo. In turn, the Galaxy Federation employs a cyborg named Ziggurat 8 to rescue MOMO and act as her bodyguard. A character/reference from the Xenosaga series. ... Albedo, U.R.T.V. Unit 667 Albedo Piazzolla ) is a main antagonist of the Monolithsoft RPG Series Xenosaga. ...

Meanwhile, Vector Industries, the largest corporation in existence and the primary arms manufacturer for the Galaxy Federation, is currently researching new ways to use nanotechnology to build an unstoppable anti-gnosis battle android, code-named KOS-MOS. This is quite unusual, since androids have been replaced for many years by artificial life-forms known as Realians. However, Vector Industries and their head of first R&D division, Shion Uzuki, have other ideas. Shion, a simple software researcher travelling on the starship Woglinde, becomes involved in a conspiracy not only to control the mysterious Gnosis and Original Zohar, but to reshape the destiny of all mankind. Corporate redirects here. ... KOS-MOS Ver. ... Shion Uzuki ) is the main protagonist in the PlayStation 2 trilogy known as the Xenosaga series. ...

Detailed information on the storyline aspects of Xenosaga is available at Xenosaga lists and at the Xenosaga Wiki [1]. The following are lists dealing with the Xenosaga series. ...

Playable characters

Xenosaga features a cast that is slowly introduced as the series develops. The following is a brief description of the playable characters featured in the series, in order of playability. Lt. Virgil, Mary Godwin, Allen Ridgeley, Miyuki Itsumi, and Canaan are only playable for a short period of time; therefore, they will be listed last.

Shion Uzuki — The chief engineer of Vector Industries' first R&D division, Shion is a young woman who is the lead designer in the KOS-MOS project and also specializes in Realian technology. However, during events that take place between Episodes II and III, Shion distances herself from Vector. Shion is unaware of the fact that her role in the story is greater than it appears. Shion Uzuki ) is the main protagonist in the PlayStation 2 trilogy known as the Xenosaga series. ...

KOS-MOS — KOS-MOS is a female battle android developed by Vector Industries (primarily Shion and Kevin Winnicot). Although her development was delayed by an incident two years prior to Episode I, she becomes fully functional during the Woglinde disaster. KOS-MOS has a strong loyalty to Shion that is only overruled by unknown commands from Vector Industries. KOS-MOS Ver. ...

Ziggurat 8 — A humanoid cyborg who wishes to become a complete machine so he will no longer remember what it was to be human, or his tragic past. Ziggurat 8 ("Ziggy") befriends MOMO while rescuing her from the U-TIC asteroid "Pleroma" during Episode I. Ziggy's past rises again in several instances, primarily in Episode III. Jan Sauer (Ziggurat 8) Ziggurat 8, commonly called Ziggy by MOMO and friends, is a combat cyborg assigned the task of recovering and protecting MOMO, the prototype 100-Series Observational Realian. ...

MOMO — A female 100-series Observational Realian developed by Joachim Mizrahi and modeled after his daughter Sakura, MOMO is captured by the U-TIC Organization because she carries valuable information: the Y-Data. MOMO soon befriends Ziggurat 8 when he rescues her from Pleroma. A character/reference from the Xenosaga series. ...

chaos — An enigmatic figure who appears to be a silver-haired teenager (a flashback scene reveals that he hasn't aged since the Miltian Conflict). A member of the Elsa crew, chaos' origins are unknown. However, he does possess the mysterious power to destroy Gnosis with the touch of his hand. chaos from Xenosaga: Episode III chaos ) is a playable character in the Xenosaga series. ...

Jr. — A U.R.T.V. unit who played an integral role in the Miltian Conflict, Jr. is actually a man trapped in a child's body due to his gene modification. Currently, Jr. is a leader of the Kukai Foundation, which is run by his fellow U.R.T.V., Gaignun Kukai. Jr. ... The following is a list of main protagonists in the Xenosaga series. ...

Jin Uzuki — Shion Uzuki's older brother, Jin Uzuki runs a bookstore on Second Miltia. However, he was once a sword-wielding Federation commander who attempted to unlock the truth behind the Miltian Conflict. In Episode II, he joins the quest to confirm what he learned about the Conflict. Jin Uzuki (ジン・ウヅキ) is Shion Uzukis calm, composed, and older brother. ...

Lt. Luis Virgil — A (former) soldier in the Miltian government, and a veteran in the Miltian Conflict fourteen year prior to Episode I. On board the Woglinde during the Gnosis attack, Virgil is playable for a short time, until he is eventually killed by KOS-MOS. He reappears later as the Blue Testament. The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ... In the PlayStation 2 role-playing game trilogy Xenosaga, the Testaments are Wilhelms closest assistants and servants. ...

Mary Godwin — Second in Command of the Durandal and chief of the Kukai Foundation's Strategy division. On the U-TIC Battleship in Episode I, Mary is a playable character, but does not have an in-battle character model. Instead, she pilots a pink A.G.W.S. unit in every battle. The following is a list of main protagonists in the Xenosaga series. ...

• With Mary, a Federation Soldier is also playable. But, like Mary, has no character model and pilots an A.G.W.S in battle. This soldier seems to have no connection to the story at all.

Canaan — Introduced in a flashback at the beginning of Episode II, Canaan is a Realian who was involved in the Miltian Conflict. He is a mysterious special type of Realian and was unaffected by the phenomenon which caused standard Realians to go berserk during the incident. Canaan accompanied chaos on a mission to secretly infiltrate Militia and assist the U.R.T.V.s. During the mission, he came into contact with Jin Uzuki and accepted a record of the Y Data into his own memory bank. In Episode III, Canaan joins Shion in her quest. The following is a list of main protagonists in the Xenosaga series. ...

Miyuki Itsumi — Another member of Vector Industries, and something of a fan of Shion. Miyuki was once a member of Vector's second R&D Division. She tendered a request to transfer to first R&D Division and was accepted, becoming one of Shion's underlings. In Episode III, Miyuki sides with Shion and joins her in her quest to get to the bottom of Vector's corruption. The following is a list of main protagonists in the Xenosaga series. ...

Allen Ridgeley — Shion's assistant and friend, Allen is the second in command of the KOS-MOS project. Although two years older than Shion, he is relatively new to Vector Industries and is her junior in the organization. Allen often acts shy around Shion because he is in love with her, although she is rather oblivious to this fact. Allen joins the party in Episode III to act as a support (yet rather obsolete) in the past Miltia whilst infiltrating Labryinthos a second time. Allen Ridgeley Allen Ridgeley is a protagonist in the main trilogy of the Xenosaga series. ...

Allusions and influences

Like Xenogears, Xenosaga contains religious and historical allusions, which often involve names and terms. For example, "KOS-MOS" is derived from the Greek 'kosmos', originally meaning "ornament or decoration", eventually coming to mean "universe, order, and harmony". Another example is chaos, who is also identified as "Yeshua". Furthermore, "Abel" and "Abel's Ark" are references to a biblical figure of the same name. The Zohar in space in the first Xenosaga game also bears the Hebrew phrase "bereshith", which means "in the beginning." Xenogears ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ... HIStory - Past, Present and Future, Book I is a double-disc album (one half greatest hits, one half studio album) by American musician Michael Jackson released in June of 1995 by the Epic Records division of Sony BMG. The first disc, (HIStory Begins) contains fifteen hit singles from the past... chaos from Xenosaga: Episode III chaos ) is a playable character in the Xenosaga series. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... The Zohar (Hebrew: זהר Splendor, radiance) is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. ... Genesis (Hebrew: , Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah, the first book of the Tanakh and also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ...

Both Xenogears and Xenosaga revolve around a mysterious golden monolith referred to as the Zohar; which is similar to the monolith in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey; that is present at and is even the catalyst for many events that change mankind profoundly. The first game in the Xenosaga series, Episode I begins when humanity first discovers the Zohar. Coincidentally, Also sprach Zarathustra, is also famous for being featured in the movie, and is also an adaptation of Nietzsche's magnum opus, which serves the title for the third game in the series, "Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra." Xenogears ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... “Kubrick” redirects here. ... A movie poster from the original release of 2001 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is an immensely popular and influential science fiction film and book; the film directed by Stanley Kubrick and the book written by Arthur C. Clarke. ... Also sprach Zarathustra, op. ... “Also sprach Zarathustra” redirects here. ...

Xenosaga's storyline has several influences, including Gnostic plot devices. Intertwined with the symbolism of the series are themes of Nietzsche, Sartre, Jungian psychology, and the biblical Book of Revelation. Buried beneath the mythological and psychological references are the questions the series asks, which often deal with the meaning of life and the truth behind figures and artifacts. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 - August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. ... Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (June 21, 1905 – April 15, 1980), normally known simply as Jean-Paul Sartre (pronounced: ), was a French existentialist philosopher and pioneer, dramatist and screenwriter, novelist and critic. ... Jungian psychology refers to a school of psychology originating in the ideas of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and advanced by many other thinkers who followed in his tradition. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

While the connection in storyline to Xenosaga and Xenogears is only speculative, they do have stylistic connections. Like Final Fantasy has its chocobos and Cids, the Xenos share stylistic similarities, such as their use of anime style, similar feels to character designs and locations, and gameplay similarities, such as button-mapped attacks, big combos, and mech battles. And there are plenty of design throwbacks in their characters. Nephilim looks like Elly, Shion's outfit in I is very similar to Elly's, and chaos looks like Billy without the habit (overcoat). In addition, Shion's and Jin's last name of "Uzuki" happens to be the last name of Citan from Xenogears (although it was not Citan's real last name). Jin and Citan are also skilled swordmen with long hair and a thirst for knowledge, and additionally, Jin's character design in Episode III is extremely reminiscent of Citan's. A minor character from Episode III, Mai Magus, shares the likeness of the Xenogears character Maria, and her mech Leupold bears a similar design to that of Seibzehn, Maria's Gear. Overcoat (left) and top coat (right) from The Gazette of Fashion, 1872. ...

While the timeline of Xenosaga does not correspond completely to that set out in Xenogears, the two are partially synchronous. T.C. 4767 is the year the events of the game take place, according to the Xenogears Perfect Works Book, but in that same year the Eldridge is supposed to have been launched and no mention of that is made in Episode I. However, Xenosaga does use several elements, themes, and plotlines from Xenogears. Perfect Works is a series of ultimate videogames related books published by Digicube. ...

In addition, there exist references to Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. The ship on which Shion starts in "Episode I" is the Woglinde, a reference to a Rhinemaiden in Das Rheingold. Indeed, the large weapon formed by the Woglinde II, the Floßhilde and the Wellgunde borrows its name from all three Rhinemaidens. In addition, the ship Dämmerung can be seen as a reference to the fourth and final opera of the ring cycle, Götterdämmerung. This article is about the series of operas; for the film, see Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King. ... A reference from the PS2 game series Xenosaga. Length:1000m Built by Vector Industries and loaned to the Federation Marine Corp, it was the first battleship specifically built to combat Gnosis. ... For the famous train, see Rheingold Express. ...   (Twilight of the Gods – see Notes) is the last of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. ...

Primary trilogy

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht

One of the twelve Zohar Emulators (top left).

Main article: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht is a Role Playing Game for the PlayStation 2 and the first title in the series. Der Wille zur Macht, translated as "The Will to Power", is a reference to Nietzsche's thus named concept of an assumed rudimentary a-teleological force that elicits all activity stinted to existence itself. Image File history File links ZoharEmulator. ... Image File history File links ZoharEmulator. ... The will to power (German: Der Wille zur Macht) is a concept prominent in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. ...

Episode I serves as an exposition to the storyline; it introduces or mentions most of the main protagonists and antagonists, establishes a plot involving the Gnosis and the recovery of the Zohar Emulators, and provides foreshadowing to important past or future events. Several plot points - such as the significance of the Miltian Conflict, the manipulators behind the U-TIC Organization, and the backstories and motivations of many characters - are left unanswered for the player to question prior to playing Episode II.

Episode I generally received high marks, although critics were mixed about a variety of issues (see section). The game's battle system introduces new concepts not common among popular RPG titles, and the majority of the soundtrack (composed by Yasunori Mitsuda) is performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Yasunori Mitsuda (光田 康典 Mitsuda Yasunori, born January 21, 1972) is a Japanese composer, sound programmer and musician best known for his work in video game music, specifically Xenogears, Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, Mario Party and Chrono Trigger. ... The London Philharmonic Orchestra (frequently abbreviated to LPO), based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ...

Episode I was not released in the UK because at the time, the religious symbolism and terminology that featured in the game was deemed inappropriate, the standards for which have dropped significantly.^{[citation needed]}

Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse

Main article: Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse

Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse is a Role Playing Game for the PlayStation 2 and the second installation in the series. The subtitle Jenseits von Gut und Böse translates to "Beyond Good and Evil", and is taken directly from the title of a book by Friedrich Nietzsche. Beyond Good and Evil (German: Jenseits von Gut und Böse), subtitled Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future (Vorspiel einer Philosophie der Zukunft), is a book by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1886. ...

Episode II continues the storyline started in Episode I. The backstories and significance of Albedo, Nigredo/Gaignun, and Rubedo/Jr. are developed. Multiple secret organizations are uncovered, including Ormus and Hyams. The Gnosis take a back seat for Episode II; instead, the main plot focuses the search for the Zohar, which culminates in a crisis at the location of Old Miltia. The cast from Episode I plays an important role in the events that transpire on Old Miltia. Although there are several loose ends and characters unaccounted for in Episode II, it concludes without a sudden cliffhanger. This is underscored by the fact that Episode III will take place a full year later. The following is a list of major villains/antagonists in the Xenosaga series. ... The following is a list of main protagonists in the Xenosaga series. ... Jr. ...

Episode II changes some of Episode I's elements, including different graphics, a modified battle system, new music composers, and shorter cutscenes. These changes led to mixed results (see section). Moreover, after the release of Episode II, several Monolith Soft employees were removed from the project (see below). Xenosaga (ゼノサーガ Zenosāga) is primarily a series of video games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco. ...

Despite the fact that Episode I has never been released to Europe, Sony & Namco had tried to release Xenosaga series in Europe, starting from the second episode.^{[citation needed]} To attract the gamers they released it in a special Collectors Limited Edition box that contains a Special, low quality, 3 hour DVD with the cut-scenes that were shown on the first episode.

Even though Xenosaga was considered a best seller in Japan and US,^{[citation needed]} it has made bad sales in Europe.^{[citation needed]} The reason was probably because the Xenosaga series in Europe was known mostly by players who were using mod-chips on their consoles and were playing games using imported versions from the US or from Japan, and most likely they had already played the second episode by the time it was released in the US.^{[citation needed]} The rest of the European gamers preferred to ignore this release, since the game title in the box was referred as "Xenosaga Episode II" which has made clear that it was the continuation of a game that they have never played.^{[citation needed]} The game did not draw the Europeans attention either since the second episode was considered the weakest of the trilogy.^{[citation needed]} Also, the three disc boxset was priced higher than it's RRP by many European stores.^{[citation needed]}

Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra

Main article: Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra

Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra is the third and (as of now) final game of the primary series. It has been released on PlayStation 2. Also sprach Zarathustra, literally "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", is also the title to Nietzsche's most famous work, which introduced the Übermensch and popularised the phrase "God is dead". The cover for the first part of the first edition. ... Zarathustra can refer to one of two people: Zarathustra, also spelled Zarathushtra or Zoroaster, was an ancient Iranian prophet, founder of the Zoroastrian religion. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... God is dead (German: Gott ist tot; also known as the death of God) is a widely-quoted and sometimes misconstrued statement by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. ...

In September 2005, it was officially announced that Episode III would mark the premature end to the series, which was originally expected to span six titles. [2] Episode III continues the storyline using the current cast of characters, with the addition of several playable characters (Allen Ridgeley, Miyuki, and Canaan). Episode III was released in Japan on July 6, 2006 and in North America on August 29, 2006 by Bandai/Namco.

The battle system has been changed, foregoing the button-combo interface style of the two previous games in favor of a more traditional menu-based system. This new system does retain some traditional Xenosaga features, such as Ether spells and Tech Attacks.

Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra seems to lead off from where Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht left off on Shion and KOS-MOS' story, following with the strange appearance of T-elos (a blueprint is found in Episode I on the U-TIC battle ship of T-elos) and KOS-MOS' mysterious blue-eyed form. Shion seems to see both T-elos and KOS-MOS in the form of a dark long haired brunnette in some rare circumstances. The following is a list of major villains/antagonists in the Xenosaga series. ... Modern blueprint of the French galleon La Belle. ...

Due to the fact that the first episode had never got a PAL release and the second episode had made bad sales, Sony and Namco decided that they shouldn't release the last episode in Europe either.

Side stories

Xenosaga: Pied Piper

Released on mobile phones in Japan, Xenosaga: Pied Piper is set 100 years prior to the start of Episode I. It explores the past of the cyborg character Ziggy when he was a human named Jan Sauer and working for the Galaxy Federation's counter-terrorism task force. Jan Sauer (Ziggurat 8) Ziggurat 8, commonly called Ziggy by MOMO and friends, is a combat cyborg assigned the task of recovering and protecting MOMO, the prototype 100-Series Observational Realian. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ...

The events take place on planet Abraxas a.k.a. Michtam. Notable characters include Dr. Sharon Rozas, who becomes Sauer's wife; and Joaquin, Sauer's stepson. His team of subordinates consists of Melisse Ortus, who witnesses Jan Sauers's suicide and later founds Scientia; Lactis, an early model Realian equipped with "Canaan"; Erich Weber or as later discovered, Voyager; and Mikhail Ortmann, an experienced U.M.N. operator. The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ... The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ... The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ... The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ... The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ... The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ... The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ...

The purpose of Xenosaga: Pied Piper is to develop the back stories of some of the most important yet rarely felt presences in the Xenosaga universe, including Ziggy, chaos, Wilhelm, Voyager and Dr. Dimitri Yuriev. The plot itself spans three chapters. It centers on Sauer and his team as they track a serial killer known only by the hacker alias "Voyager", who kills his victims using the U.M.N. network. The game was also Soraya Saga's final contribution to the Xenosaga project. A translation script can be found at http://zarathustra.kaisho.org/ Wilhelm A character/reference from the Xenosaga series. ... The following are side characters from the PS2 series Xenosaga. ...

Xenosaga I & II

Originally under the working title Xenosaga DS, Xenosaga I & II is a retelling of the first two episodes of the game for the Nintendo DS handheld system. The game's script (with ideas from Tetsuya Takahashi) is by Yuichiro Takeda, who worked on Xenosaga: The Animation. Hiroshi Takeuchi, of Cowboy Bebop fame, is responsible for character art, which has been promised to be dramatically different from the PlayStation 2 titles. Music for the game is being composed by Kousuke Yamashita, who scored the soundtrack for Xenosaga: The Animation. Other previous work includes the Hana Yori Dango and Mahou Sentai Majirenjaa Tabidate live-action television series and Nobunaga's Ambition video game series. Yamashita is the fourth composer to score a Xenosaga video game, following Yasunori Mitsuda, Yuki Kajiura and Shinji Hosoe. Xenosaga I & II is Namcos upcoming sci-fi games for the Nintendo DS, which includes 2D remakes of the title games. ... // Manufacturer Nintendo Product family Nintendo DS Type Handheld game console Generation Seventh generation era First available NA November 21, 2004 JP December 2, 2004 AU February 24, 2005 EU March 11, 2005 ZH July 23, 2005 Connectivity Wi-Fi and Local Wireless Online service Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, LAN Units... Original run April 3, 1998 – April 23, 1999 No. ... Boys Over Flowers, known in Japan as Hana Yori Dango (花より男子) is a Japanese manga series written by Yoko Kamio. ... Mahou Sentai Magiranger (魔法戦隊マジレンジャー, meaning Magical Squadron Magic Ranger) was Toeis 2005-2006 production of the Super Sentai television series. ... Nobunagas Ambition (original title, Nobunaga no Yabou) is a 1988 turn-based strategy game by Koei, focused in the Sengoku period of the history of Japan. ... Yasunori Mitsuda (光田 康典 Mitsuda Yasunori, born January 21, 1972) is a Japanese composer, sound programmer and musician best known for his work in video game music, specifically Xenogears, Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, Mario Party and Chrono Trigger. ... Yuki Kajiura ), born August 6, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese composer and music producer. ... Shinji Hosoe, also known as sampling masters MEGA and MEGATEN, is a Japanese composer most famous for creating the in-game music of Ridge Racer, Keyboardmania 3rd mix and many early 90s Namco arcade games. ...

Xenosaga I & II is not an exact retelling of the previous two games; some major changes have been made to the storyline of the game without changing the pre-existing elements which the first games have already laid out. Some scenarios have been edited and some new but minor characters have been included in these new parts. The Episode II portion of the game, originally told through Jr.'s perspective, will now focus on Shion, much like Episode I and Episode III. The Episode II portion of the game has been completely rewritten by Xenosaga creator Tetsuya Takahashi, which expands and enhances the storyline. This fills in some of the holes caused by Episode II, allowing for a better understanding of the plot and reducing the amount of questions that will be unanswered in Episode III. Jr. ...

The game plays out on the DS' top screen from an isometric perspective while the bottom touch screen is used to issue commands and navigate menus. The game's battle mechanics follow Episode I's style as opposed to Episode II. ^[3] An isometric drawing of a cube. ...

Xenosaga I & II was released in Japan on March 30, 2006. No mention has been made thus far as to an international release. It received an overall score of 31/40 in Famitsu (individual reviews: 8/8/8/7). ^[1] Cover art for Issue 1 of Famitsū magazine, June 1986, then known as Famicom Tsūshin Famitsū abbreviated ファミ Fami) is a Japanese video game magazine published by Enterbrain, Inc. ...

Other projects

Xenosaga: The Animation

Main article: Xenosaga: The Animation

An anime based on Xenosaga, titled Xenosaga: The Animation, premiered on TV Asahi in Japan on January 5, 2005. The anime itself follows the story of Xenosaga closely, albeit removing several scenes and adding others. Some scenes were entirely re-written for the show's purposes. The pacing has the viewer running through the first ten to fifteen hours of gameplay of Episode I in the first five episodes. Given the nature of the anime, it works best as a supplement to Episode I; some points that the game explained poorly or didn't explain at all are brought to light in the anime. Despite the changes, many fans prefer The Animation over the movie DVD of Episode I given with pre-orders of Episode II, saying that the DVD was a poorly assembled group of cutscenes; the quality of the DVD is significantly lower than that of the original PlayStation 2 cutscenes. The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... TV Asahi Corporation ) (TYO: 9409 ), also known as EX and Tele-Asa ), is a television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The series was licensed by ADV Films in June 2007. The first volume in the series was tentatively scheduled for September 2007.

Xenosaga: The Manga

In 2004, an official Japanese manga adaptation for the series was written by Atsushi Baba and serialized in Monthly Comic Zero Sum. As of 2006, Baba has finished development of Episode I's adaptation and is currently working on Episode II. It is believed that the manga will focus more closely on character development rather than scientific, religious jargon and mysterious shadow games much like with the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga.^{[citation needed]} Manga )   (pl. ... Monthly Comic Zero Sum ) is a monthly manga magazine, generally for women, published by Ichijinsha. ... Original run October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996 No. ...

Xenosaga: A Missing Year

A web series started by Monolith designed to bridge the one year story gap between Episode II and Episode III, or appropriately between Xenosaga I&II and Episode III. The series has seen the reappearance of Shion Uzuki, KOS-MOS and Juli Mizrahi and also introduces Episode III's Doctus and a young girl named "Nephilim". Please note that this is not the same "Nephilim" that Shion has seen in previous games. There is a fan-translation of chapters 1-4 up on Labyrinthos. However translation of further chapters has been put on indefinite hold due to the announcement by Namco USA that the Missing Year will be translated and posted up on the Official English Xenosaga III site ^[4].

Series controversy

In recent years, the Xenosaga project has seen the removal and resignation of staff who were contributors to the game Xenogears and/or the first episode of Xenosaga. As of Episode II, scenario writer Soraya Saga was removed from the Xenosaga team. According to a column by Saga, the original draft of Episode II was drastically altered. (However, most if not all of the plot details removed from Episode II, as originally described in Soraya's FAQ, have been included in Episode III.) This information was removed from Saga's website. While Saga is not working on the series anymore, Tetsuya Takahashi continues to be involved as a scenario planner. The music composer, Yasunori Mitsuda, has also left the Xenosaga series as of Episode II. After these events, Episode III was declared to be the last primary Xenosaga episode.

Tetsuya Takahashi, Kunihiko Tanaka (character designer), and Yasunori Mitsuda have been contributors to the series since its origins. While Tanaka re-illustrated the characters for Episode II, he has since distanced himself from the project as well. Kunihiko Tanaka is a Japanese artist and character designer. ... Yasunori Mitsuda (光田 康典 Mitsuda Yasunori, born January 21, 1972) is a Japanese composer, sound programmer and musician best known for his work in video game music, specifically Xenogears, Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, Mario Party and Chrono Trigger. ...

With the cancellation of the series at Episode III, several other Xenosaga projects initially announced ended their development cycles. Episode IV (said to have been in simultaneous production with Episode III), Episode V, Episode VI and two games being developed for an unknown platform known as Xenosaga: Frontier and Xenosaga: Exceed were all summarily cancelled when Namco pulled the plug on the series.

Namco Bandai has however expressed some interest in continuing the Xenosaga series past the original trilogy. As noted in a FAQ with IGN [5] their answers seem to suggest a willingness to fund additional games, albeit hinging on sales results of Episode III. IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. ...

Question: Any plans on bringing new Xeno series to PS3?

Namco Bandai: The answer for this question is related to earlier questions. There are no plans at this point but we might consider bringing new Xeno series to PS3 if there are huge fan requests and sales.

Question: If Xenosaga Episode III is the last game of the Xenosaga series no matter what, would that change based on fan requests and sales? Is there a chance that Namco Bandai will make more games based on the Xenosaga universe (RPG or not)?

Namco Bandai: Yes, the Xenosaga universe is a grand concept and the number of ways we can think of to expand on this is infinite. We look forward to seeing player's reactions to Xenosaga III, and if reactions are good -- who knows!

Footnotes

1. ^  RPGamer announcement Deals with information relating to the development of Xenosaga I & II, as well as some details on Episode III.
2. ^  IGN DS Xenosaga I & II preview Used for most information regarding Xenosaga I & II.
3. ^  Soraya Saga's website Information relating to staff issues were deleted from Saga's webpage.
4. ^  Namco Nation Forums Announcement by "NamcoTara", a site admin, that the Missing Year will be translated for English audiences.

References

1. ^ Latest Famitsu review scores. GamesAreFun.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Science fiction
• Richard Wagner

Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Xenosaga

• Xenosaga.com Official English Xenosaga site
• Xenosaga.jp Monolith's official Japanese Xenosaga website
• Labyrinthos - Extensive information on Episode III
• Zohar Project French fansite
• Xenosaga TV Asahi Xenosaga anime website
• Xenosaga series at MobyGames
• Xenolegacy
• Xenonation
• Xenosaga reviews at Game Rankings
• Xenosaga II reviews at Game Rankings
• Petition for Continuation of Xenosaga A petition to encourage Namco-Bandai and Monolith Soft to continue their work on Xenosaga series.
• Xenosaga Continuation Petition This petition is for the continuation of the series. The publisher is in the midst of sending Namco a letter via snail-mail to show the adoration for the series.

Xenosaga Wikia

• Character database
• Event database
• Organization database
• Planet database
• Starship and vehicle database
• Term database