Xenosaga: Episode II - Jenseits von Gut und Böse
About the Game
Xenosaga: Episode II - Jenseits von Gut und Böse is a direct sequel to the first episode of the science-fiction RPG Xenosaga series. The narrative takes place thousands of years in the future, when mankind has long left the Earth, which is now called Lost Jerusalem, and founded a star empire.
Story & Setting
The narrative picks up just after the concluding events of the first episode. Much of the plot's content is dedicated to exploring the past and the origins of Jr., as well as his connection to Albedo. Instead, these battles are dictated by the plot and require players to exploit the unique abilities of the mechs. The second episode continues to be heavy on story development, and also has a significant amount of non-interactive cutscenes.
Gameplay & Core Systems
Jin Uzuki, Shion's brother, who was only mentioned in the first chapter, becomes an important controllable character in the second episode. The gameplay in general and the battle system in particular are similar to that of the first game. The turn-based combat again features two types of basic attacks, which now inflict different damage on enemies of different height. Special attacks can suspend enemies in the air or flatten them on the ground, which makes them more vulnerable. Enemies can also be "broken" by specific combinations of attacks, which are in many cases the only key to victory.
Standout Features
- All enemies are visible on screen, and field objects can be destroyed in order to attract the attention of the enemy or to create a zone that will weaken it.
- Another addition is the ability to wait two or three turns in a battle, accumulating energy for a stronger attack, which can be used tactically whenever the opponent is in a weakened state.
- Another game aspect removed from the first game is money, as well as shops, weapons, and armor of any kind.
- The skill system has been re-designed, each character possessing his or her own "tree" of unique skills they can gradually learn.
- The only items in the game are healing items or keys that unlock the ability to learn high level skills.
- Like in the first episode, the dungeons contain environmental and logical puzzles to solve.
Presentation & Atmosphere
Character graphics underwent an aesthetic change: the characters look now somewhat more realistic and less influenced by anime visual style.
Audio support includes Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital 5.1, and Dolby Pro Logic II.
