To get a game this good as a climax for a deeply flawed series that you love despite everything sure is a fascinating feeling.
Xenosaga 3 really is a very powerful conclusion to the series, regardless of all the problems with its development. All the previous grievances I had with Saga's story didn't go anywhere of course - damage from problems with shoddy pacing and lack of informativeness and coherence that former Saga games had can’t be undone - but the third installment handles that the best, has the most dynamic pacing and simply the best scenario.
It still feels like a compromise, unfortunately - by the end of the game it seems as if the story stops even trying to naturally present the player with its convoluted sci-fi concepts, and just hands the player a summary of a thematic meaning of the unfolding events. And there are enough storylines that are given minimal attention. But it all works pretty effectively nonetheless, and given the development problems this series suffered it was really the best choice. However it still feels a little weird considering how much attention this series has paid to its intricate sci-fi ideas before.
For a story with such emphasis on mystique and seriousness the themes and their delivery at the end comes off very sentimental and straightforward, which feels a little jarring. Like many works with such a positive life-affirming theme that it almost comes off as naive, I think this story lacks a certain edge, an unhealthy dose of pessimism and emotional intensity to let me know that the writers really mean their message of holding on to life and trying your best despite all the troubles. Though admittedly this game probably has some form of a dialogue with Nietzsche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” - a game’s inspiration - and I’m not familiar with it beyond skimming Wikipedia’s article about the Eternal Recurrence, so I may not grasp the story to its full extent.
But I don’t hold it against the game. All I said in the former paragraph is but a small remark, and overall the finale of this story was spectacular and emotional. Final scene with KOS-MOS is burned into my brain forever.
Combat is the least complex in the series, but it's also the best. This game is a good illustration that gameplay mechanics that are easy to interact with and feel good are much more important than complexity and uniqueness.
It’s a shame we will never see other planned chapters of this story, even though this one is finished. Also, KOS-MOS and T-elos are very hot.
Xenosaga 3 really is a very powerful conclusion to the series, regardless of all the problems with its development. All the previous grievances I had with Saga's story didn't go anywhere of course - damage from problems with shoddy pacing and lack of informativeness and coherence that former Saga games had can’t be undone - but the third installment handles that the best, has the most dynamic pacing and simply the best scenario.
It still feels like a compromise, unfortunately - by the end of the game it seems as if the story stops even trying to naturally present the player with its convoluted sci-fi concepts, and just hands the player a summary of a thematic meaning of the unfolding events. And there are enough storylines that are given minimal attention. But it all works pretty effectively nonetheless, and given the development problems this series suffered it was really the best choice. However it still feels a little weird considering how much attention this series has paid to its intricate sci-fi ideas before.
For a story with such emphasis on mystique and seriousness the themes and their delivery at the end comes off very sentimental and straightforward, which feels a little jarring. Like many works with such a positive life-affirming theme that it almost comes off as naive, I think this story lacks a certain edge, an unhealthy dose of pessimism and emotional intensity to let me know that the writers really mean their message of holding on to life and trying your best despite all the troubles. Though admittedly this game probably has some form of a dialogue with Nietzsche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” - a game’s inspiration - and I’m not familiar with it beyond skimming Wikipedia’s article about the Eternal Recurrence, so I may not grasp the story to its full extent.
But I don’t hold it against the game. All I said in the former paragraph is but a small remark, and overall the finale of this story was spectacular and emotional. Final scene with KOS-MOS is burned into my brain forever.
Combat is the least complex in the series, but it's also the best. This game is a good illustration that gameplay mechanics that are easy to interact with and feel good are much more important than complexity and uniqueness.
It’s a shame we will never see other planned chapters of this story, even though this one is finished. Also, KOS-MOS and T-elos are very hot.