First Xenosaga Episode II screenshots

[ohmrbill]

A couple links:

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/428/428956p1.html

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/xenosaga2/news_6071768.html

They've drastically altered the character designs for this installment. It seems they're trying for a more realistic look, ala Final Fantasy.

Personally, I don't like the new designs at all. Besides the fact that the anime-style designs were one of the things I liked about the first one, I think it's very jarring to change the characters' looks this much mid-story. Plus, some of them look just plain ugly (most noticeable is MOMO, in this (http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/xenosaga2/screens_6071768.html?page=6) shot).

As for gameplay details and the such, Monolith is supposed to reveal all that on the 21st.

EDIT: The official site is now up, where you can get some clear screenshots: http://www.namco.co.jp/cs/ps2/xenosaga2/index.html

[DianaGohan]

I don't think it looks that bad. Yeah it sucks that it's changing in the continuing storyline, but at least the art's not that horrible. I'm looking forward to news of gameplay and story, which is suppose to happen on the 21st, so I'll just wait till then.

[Jowy Blight]

I'm not too keen on changing the looks of characters in an on going series like this. Why did Shion loose her glasses? Did she suddenly develope good eye sight or something? I really do hope they decide to cut down on the cinamas this time. Don't get me wrong. I liked them, I just wish that sometimes I could of been doing a little more playing of the game.

[ohmrbill]

Judging from the scant information that Monolith has released so far, it sounds like they do indeed plan to cut back on the cinemas do to all the complaints. What worries me, is that if they don't also cut back on the plot (which would be very, very bad, IMO), it just means we'll have long stretches of dialogue boxes to read. And I think everyone would rather watch a cinema than read text boxes. I think they should keep the same amount of cutscenes, but just add more game play to balance it out.

Now what I do like about Episode II that I'm seeing so far are the new mechas. (seen in this (http://vega.cs.tku.edu.tw/~u90190385/outside/src/1058365874234.jpg) shot, and the upper-right corner of this (http://vega.cs.tku.edu.tw/~u90190385/outside/src/1058360955861.jpg) shot). I thought that the mecha designs were pretty dull in the first one, so I'd say there's a marked improvement in this area.

[RZetlin]

I'm not in favour of the more realistic designs.

What made original Xenogears special was it's anime designs.

[Jowy Blight]

I'd be willing to put up with long cut scenes if they would balance it out with gameplay, which would also mean more story. :) At least the mechs do infact look more creative, especialy after looking at all those generic looking mechs from Xenosaga Ep: 1. They still aren't quite the level of the Xenogears mecha yet.

I'm guessing all the original VA's will be back for this one as well, right?

[ohmrbill]

Yeah, I assume all the VA's will be the same, but we won't know for sure about the dub until they release info about its localization.

And speaking of the Xenogears mecha, it seems like they're leading into more. The reports are saying that the new ones are much larger than the A.G.W.S, and Simeon (Albedo's), Asher, and Issachar were the names of anima relics in Xenogears. Not only that, but Asher was the anima relic aligned with Citan's Omnigear.

[Beat]

Yeesh. Some of those designs look butt-ugly. I just hope the new one doesn't have friggin hour-long cutscenes!

[Conekiller]

The new designs aren't that bad. I kinda liked the heavy anime-look it had. BUt changing the look of charactrs in mid-story is wrong (all you wind waker haters out there, hush up)

I really need to experience these "hour long cutscenes" I may run out and rent it before my frined re-claims his PS2 (and after I finish .hack//INFECTION)

[David Lucas]

While I did think it was gorgeous, I played up until I had to be Shion running around with Spaghetti for 5 hours. I can honestly say that there are times where you'll have 14 minutes of cutscenes, then you regain control of a character, only to walk 5 seconds before another cut scene begins. I didn't get real far in the game before I let a friend borrow it, but I really hope it has more of a Xenogears feel midway through the game.

Xenogears was my 3rd favorite PSX game (1) MGS, 2)FF7)

[ohmrbill]

Some people are bringing in more reports (from here (http://www.namco.co.jp/cs/ps2/xenosaga2/index.html)), and I've got some good news and bad news.

First the bad. The music will NOT be done by Mitsuda this time.

So who WILL be doing the music this time? This leads me to the good news... none other than YUKI KAJIURA of Noir and .hack//SIGN fame!!

Although I'm a big fan of Mitsuda's work in games and am sad to see him go, the thought of Kajiura doing the music excites me greatly.

And in other news, it seems Kunihiko Tanaka is still doing the character designs. This surprises me considering how different they suddenly look.

[Catlover]

Why did they have to change the designs? I'm okay with the new designs, but couldn't they have waited till they had a new set of characters? I liked the cut-scenes, because with the anime-ish designs, it felt like I was watching a CGI animated anime. Now it's just going to be "Xenosaga II: Der Husene Hagen Final Fantasy". Ah well, hopefully the story will be just as good as the last one.

[ohmrbill]

Monolith released a bunch of info today, so here's a rough (very rough) translation of some of the information revealed at the event (copying and pasting from Kouli of GameFAQs):

- Jr. is the leading role

- There will be a Limited Version

- No Price yet

- Limited Edition will be similar to the Xenosaga Episode 1

- Direct continuation

- Couple puzzle in Episodse 1 will beame clear in Episode 2

- As we know already, new staff members

- Then there are comment from couple staff members {the same crap...}

- Episode 2 is set for Winter 2003

- Episode 1: Reloaded contains a 3 Minutes trailer of Episode 2

- They are using 'Motion Capture'...

- More detailed version of how Jr's people, U.R.T.V died...

- More on Music, As you might able to tell, It's definitely Yuki's style...

- More on story, direct continuation {I know I said it already}... It begins when the crew heading to Second Miltia; Story centers around Jr, and surprisingly, Jin Uzuki is controllable right in the beginning... {flashback?}

- As for controls of the game, similar to the previous game, of course, there are new features just added to improve last game's battle system... To show Sense of quality{feels of your hands?} and sense of rhythm of the battle...

- the guys at the events start talking about MOMO, then MOMO's mom{forgot her damned name}, then things kinda gets funny, cuz they can't reveal more than that, so...... ^_-

- the words on KOS-MOS' forhead, it was hidden within the helmet in Epiosode 1, now reveal, and to show her starting to have more human feelings...

- Shion is not wearing glases this time, explain by an event in the game...

And there are some new screenshots from the event here: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20030721/ep2.htm

I'm hoping IGN (or someone) will have a more complete report soon, as well as the trailer.

[ZeroFate]

Jin Uzuki is controllable right in the beginning...{flashback?}

Well, it shouldn't be a flashback considering Jin was in the final scene in the game when the Elsa lands in 2nd Miltia. He's watching the Elsa from a cliff.

Jr. is the leading role

Well, I would have wanted them to focus more on Kos Mos and Chaos. Jr. just never really interested me, although that might be because i don't know what a U.R.T.V is.

I actually love the new look, I think it's a whole lot better than the Anime-ish look of Ep.1. Shion's glasses got on my last nerves too, that far into the future (Well... past) and she has huge coke bottle glasses. Glad they're gone. The only person I think look's weird is Kos Mos, maybe it's because her helmet is gone now but I don't like the way she looks...

Now it's just going to be "Xenosaga II: Der Husene Hagen Final Fantasy"

I don't think the game will be like Final Fantasy at all. That's just the graphics. You're forgetting about the storyline which is a lot more complex than any story from the Final Fantasy Series.

I can't wait for Ep2, even though most likely we'll have to wait until Winter 04 to get our hands on it. :shrug:

Oh well, at least I'll have FFXI: Online, .Hack, and Star Ocean 3 to keep me busy...

[ohmrbill]

Well, it shouldn't be a flashback considering Jin was in the final scene in the game when the Elsa lands in 2nd Miltia. He's watching the Elsa from a cliff.

In the trailer, it looks like they show how Margulis got his scar (and I bet you can all guess who did it ;)). Hence the flashback speculation.

And in other news, according to AnimeNation (http://animenation.net/news/), there is an anime adaption planned for Xenosaga:

"Impress Corporation has reported a brief confirmation from development studio Monolith Soft that there are plans for an anime adaptation of the Xenosaga Playstation 2 RPG series."

This wouldn't be too surprising, considering many people have said Xenosaga would mak a better anime than a game, anyway. :p