Xenosaga Episode II (PS2)

Sadly, there was no European release of 'Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht'; with 'Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose', Namco included a Bonus Special Movie DVD in the package (the game itself coming on 2 DVDs). Graphically it's gorgeous. The environments are sleek, smooth and stylish; the palette lightly-toned as there tend to be greys over blacks. The game is heavy on the cut-scenes, which were really well done, and fortunately, these can be skipped. The cast of characters were cool, their designs are represented nicely in a fairly realistic manner. The music is pleasant and the voice-acting is decent. In Quest Mode, there are ...  Read the complete review

Back in the days when the original PlayStation was still the console to own, RPG gaming was in something of a golden period. Fans could barely move for quality titles; as if the glut of Final Fantasy's and the majestic Grandia were not enough, there was a veritable feast of sleeper-hits that included Harvest Moon, Suikoden, Alundra and Legend Of Legaia to tuck into as well. For one reason or another, the same level (or volume) of success has not quite been repeated on the PlayStation2. In many ways, Xenosaga Episode II (XS2) paints an unerringly accurate picture of what's wrong with a great deal of modern role-playing games. It's a case of style over ...  Read the complete review