04.20.04 - 11:25 PM
Namco has revealed new gameplay details about its upcoming PlayStation 2 RPG Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Boese (Beyond Good and Evil). This time certain dungeons can also be explored while riding E.S. series mechs. Occasionally, players may also enter or exit them, while moving through a dungeon. As previously mentioned, the role of mechs will increase significantly compared to Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (The Will to Power), when their role was mainly supportive battle weaponry. The enemy detection system of the prequel also returns, as the game will warn players once an enemy has spotted the characters. Traps which lower your enemies' fighting capabilities will also be back. In some dungeons rubble might block your way. With the "smash plug-in" however, you can easily blow up the hindrance and occasionally also discover enemies or some hidden treasure underneath it. Another useful application of the plug-in is demonstrated in a forest-like dungeon. A trunk standing next to a small river can be brought down so that it serves as a bridge over the river.
Namco has also announced the first sidequest, called G2 Campaign. Shion and Co. have to survey various and grant them their requests. Granting a certain person the request he or she is asking for, will net players items or combination techniques. To keep track of the total of 36 requests, there will be a sub-menu listing various information such as the request's content or the person's profile. Monolith Soft will also stick with the E.V.S. of Episode I, which allows to re-visit previously cleared dungeons in order to build levels or get items you might have missed earlier. Fans of the prequel will also be glad to hear that the Professor and Assitant Scott will return and with them a lot of variations of their most powerful invention, the Erde Kaiser. Just like in Episode I however, the player first has to collect various parts of the robot and bring them to the entertaining duo. Many of those parts will be hidden behind the red doors, known as Segment Addresses. A total of 18 of those special treasure rooms exist in Episode II, waiting to be unlocked.
We have also updated our Xenosaga Episode II gallery yet again, with 29 new screen shots and 3 mysterious pieces of artwork worth checking out. Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Boese will be available in Japan on June 24th. The standard edition will carry a price tag of 6,980 yen ($64.38 US), whereas the limited edition will cost 17,800 yen ($164.18 US).
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| Chris Winkler |