Japanese publication Mainichi Interactive managed to get ahold of a Monolith Soft representative to ask a few questions about the upcoming Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus spoke Zarathustra) for PlayStation 2. Asked about the selling points of the series' third installment, the representative explained first and foremost the game will answer many questions raised in its two prequels. As previously reported, Monolith Soft has responded to calls for a longer story. Episode II's was heavily criticized, as fans considered its main storyline too short. The representative explained that the development team's main aim was to provide a satisfying conclusion to the series, while eliminating the weaknesses of the previous installments. Monolith Soft also promises a "stress-free" control scheme and close to no loading times when entering a battle. The interview sadly did not include any questions regarding the development studio's future projects.

Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra will be available in Japan on July 6th. Namco Bandai will release the US version sometime this fall on this side of the Pacific.

• Mainichi Interactive