GameSpot Xenosaga Preview (2001)

We track down the latest info on Monolith Soft's upcoming Xenosaga.



Developed by Namco's subsidiary, Monolith Soft, Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht is neither a sequel nor a spin-off of SquareSoft's Xenogears. Tetsuya Takahashi--who directed Xenogears and is now the vice chairman of Monolith's board of directors--claims that "Xenogears ended up differently from how I envisioned it. So we [Monolith Soft] have decided to hit the reset button and start all over again with a science-fiction [story], which will be presented through a series of episodes encompassing the beginning to the end of the universe." Either way, fans must be rejoicing--this role-playing title for the Sony PlayStation 2 both does his visions justice and gives birth to the Xenosaga series. Takahashi adds, "There will be six episodes planned in all, all of which are divided into three major parts. I already have the story plotted until the middle of episode five in my mind, but certain ideas may be perceived as old-fashioned as time goes, so we'll try to be flexible to changes." The series is certainly in good hands under the talents of Monolith Soft, which is mostly composed of former Xenogears development staff, with Takahashi himself as the director and scriptwriter. Returning to their roles in the upcoming game are character designer Kunihiko Tanaka, mech designer Junya Ishigaki, and composer Yasunori Mitsuda. Some new additions also include both Kouichi Mugitani and Takumi Sakura as supporting mech designers. Mitsuda's gorgeous compositions will be performed by the talented London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the game will be produced by Hirohide Sugiura, chairman of the board of directors.


[The article continues but I only consider this first part to be of interest. The entire preview can be found at http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xenosaga-preview/1100-2771884/ ]

 


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