Xenosaga: Episode II - Jenseits von Gut und Böse

Overview

Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse is the middle entry in Monolith Software's Xenosaga trilogy. The game features a new art style compared to the first, discarding the more overt, anime-like character designs for more realistic figures, as well as a new battle system. Clear save data from the first game could be uploaded into Episode II for bonus content.

Episode II is the only entry in the Xenosaga series that was released in Europe and other PAL territories. The PAL release was labeled as a 'Collector's Limited Edition' and contained an additional DVD featuring all of the cutscenes from the first game as a means to introduce PAL audiences to the story. The running time of the DVD is approximately three hours.

Story

As the second game in the series, the plot of Episode II focuses on developing the universe and characters introduced in the first game. This is partially done by means of a flashback through a new character called Canaan. He and chaos embark on a mission to rescue any surviving URTVs after their conflict with U-DO. The game also formally introduces Shion Uzuki's brother Jin, who joins the core group of protagonists.

The main plot once again focuses on Albedo and his attempt to extract the Y-data from MOMO so he can release the seal on Old Miltia, where the mysterious Zohar sleeps. A large portion of the game's story is dedicated to the history behind Albedo, Rubedo (Jr.), and Nigredo (Gaignun), who were raised together at the Yuriev Institute.

Gameplay

Battle System

Rather than expand further on the concepts behind Episode I's battle system, which in itself was influenced heavily by Xenogears, Monolith heavily altered the combat system to focus in a new direction. Enemies and allies alike now have three attack zones, labeled A, B, and C, which can be individually targeted. Hitting any zone will cause damage, but every enemy has a specific weak zone that if targeted enough will cause them to enter break status. While in this state, the enemy cannot attack, will receive extra damage from additional attacks, and they can be either knocked to the ground or popped up into the air. When knocked prone, it costs the enemy one turn to recover.

The advantage to breaking an enemy comes from the boost feature, which allows one party member to get in a free attack on an enemy. For example, the player could inflict break status on the enemy, knock them into the air, and then deal an additional two or three boost attacks to hit them while they are still airborne for massive damage.

Like the first game, party members can also fight using mech suits called E.S. units. However, unlike the first game, the player is no longer able to switch characters into their E.S. units at any time. Their use is instead restricted to specific sections of the game.

Soundtrack