An excellent improvement to its previous episodes. Great for RPG fans and Xeno fans alike.
Shion Uzuki, a former engineer at a company well known to the galaxy as Vector Industries quits her job from her previous works in the first two episodes. She is determined to find recently discovered secrets of Vector Industries that may uncover sections of her past as well as information of the fate of the future. Later on in the beginning of the story, she is accompanied by her old friends recognizable from the first two episodes such as Jr., Ziggy, M.O.M.O. and so on, as well as new friends such as the highly skilled agent of Scientia, Doctus.
The gameplay of Xenosaga Episode III shows an excessive amount of improvements. Loading has improved in speed, motion of character models have also increased their speeds, and fighting is very easy and fun to jump into. Fighting, being the most important part of the gameplay of an RPG, consists of limited and simple menus. Characters can choose to attack using a simple attack to build power, use techniques that depend on element and hit power, use items, or move the fight along with special attacks. Ether is still a part of the healing/attacking/defending process of Xenosaga, and helps now more than it ever has. The break system has also changed and feels much more newer. Fighters, including enemies, are given a Break Limit which is shown by a small bar. The more that bar fills with red as the fighter gets hit, the weaker the limit becomes. When full, the fighters are suspended to the ground, unable to attack or move in general. This can be a great advantage when fighting, however it can also become frustrating when your limit is up.
Minigames are back, however this time it is in the form of a well made puzzle game, known as HaKox. HaKox is a 360° angled motion puzzle in which minor and major characters from the story have an objective of starting from one end of the operational "maze" and reaching the goal at the other end. The main four buttons on the face of the controller (X, O, Triangle, Square) each control a block on the maze and allow the characters to reach their goals. Although it sounds simple, it can get very difficult. HaKox is also a nice enjoyment when you want to take a break from the main game.
The graphics have highly improved in Xenosaga. Motions look excellent, character designs and details are very appealing to the eye, and the overall designs and scenery is full of color and details with well done effects. Cutscenes have two appearances, and both appearances show the beauty of the graphics. One of the appearances is shown by character faces and expressions next to their speech boxes, often seen in many RPG's. The other appearance is the commonly known cinematic cutscene type.
Voice acting in Xenosaga Episode III is one of the best in a video game. Each actor, as they did in the first episode, uses a voice that fits the corresponding character almost perfectly. The music is very well orchestrated as well. The soundtrack of this game sounds very successful due to the effort that each song carries.
A new addition to the startup menu, Data, acts as a "Xenosaga Bible." Within this new addition, you can watch summaries of Xenosaga Episodes I and II, as well as all collected events from Xenosaga Episode III. You can also view character models, enemy models, machinery models, and so on. Though it would have made more sense to add the Database to the Data menu, you may view more information on the menu of the main game. Database allows you to view information about characters (backgrounds, purposes, achievements, etc.), locations, machines, enemies, tutorials, and so on.
The designers had a sense of humor in Xenosaga Episode III. In the main game, it is possible to find new outfits for characters. Of these outfits, each character can obtain a swimsuit. When viewing events in Data, you may choose the option of viewing the cinematic scenes (shown by the color blue only, yellow is unchangeable) or speech scenes with the characters in their swimsuits. This gives a little enjoyment in re-watching certain events.
Though Xenosaga Episode III ends many lingering stories of the main characters, it almost appears to send a continuation message due to the fact that it still leaves a cliffhanger. However, the game itself is highly worth playing. It is an excellent sequel and ending to the trilogy of Xenosaga, and is also a very well made RPG. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra is highly recommended for fans of the Xenosaga series as well as RPG fans and deserves a spot on your game shelf.