Xenosaga

[DarkMaster]

Heres what IGN said:

Closing Comments
So what does it all mean? Equipped with one of the zestier battle systems this side of Xenogears and stuffed with character development the likes of which we've never seen, you'd think that picking this one up would be a no brainer. And for hardcore RPG fans out there it will be. But for more casual followers of the Role-Playing genre and everyday gamers looking for a thrill, Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht could prove too intimidating (or too inactive) for their videogaming tastes (no matter how many pretty pictures Monolith throws their way)
For those of us who like this sort of thing, however, Xenosaga is a deeply enriching thrill ride towards the cosmos. Realistically vanquished in 30-40 hours, this epic space opera is truthfully described as a member of the PlayStation 2's elite RPG club. Not without a few gameplay-to-cinema pacing problems, Der Wille zur Macht can still stand toe to toe with the best of them; and what's most exciting of all, is that it's only the beginning of something much larger to come.

-- Jeremy Dunham


Presentation
Xenosaga's cinematography and style is so illustriously presented that few mediums (be it movie or videogame) have ever come close to capturing the space opera this finitely. 9.5

Graphics
Already a year old in Japan, the game definitely shows its polygonal age. Aliasing problems and occasional camera gripes aside, Monolith has still delivered a solid effort. 7.5

Sound
Hard to evaluate really. Ranging levels of vocal quality combined with one of the best soundtracks on PS2, there's still a lack of continuous music in almost the entire game. 8.0

Gameplay
Dominated by cut scenes, there may not be as much action as you'd like. Once you get involved though, the battle system is among the premiere RPGs of this generation. 8.5

Lasting Appeal
Plenty of mini-games and hidden items add a strong bonus to what can only be described as the best RPG plot of the last couple of years. One of the few we could see playing through for a second time. 8.0

OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 8.8

Think what you will from that. I'm buying it as soon as it comes in. I'll tell you more then.