The Shrine

I've actually been playing the game for a few days now, I'm a little over three hours in.

First things that come to mind are the improvements: I found the battle system to be improved over the last one, though I haven't had the opportunity to explore it further than just regular hits and cure magic (I save my skill points until I actually need them, I like a good challenge, I also don't want to spend them on something useless by accident only because I haven't put enough thought into the game mechanics yet. For example, giving Ziggy a lot of magic, not a good way to spend skill points since he has low magic capabilities).

The skill system so far seems to be quite large, characters can learn double moves, and it seems that I haven't really done much exploration of this system yet.

This game has THE BEST load feature I have ever seen. When you load the game there is a paragraph which summarizes what has happened over the past little while or so. It makes things much easier for if you leave the game for a while or so before picking it up again. I found Xenosaga episode 1 to be one of those games where you couldn't put it down for more than a few days without forgetting too many important details.

So far I am liking the music in this game quite a bit better than the first; the first one had one memorable track for me, and that was the one in the UMN (with the encyclopedia and everything). This one actually sounds a lot closer to Xenogears than the first one. I am not sure who the composer is for the game, but it isn't Mitsuda.

Speaking of the UMN, I miss the fact that it isn't in the menu option for this game. I have no idea why they took this feature out, it was one of my favouites in the other Xenosaga. However, this game's story seems to be written quite differently from the style of the first. The focus is very different, it seems to be on events and organizations, so far, rather than characters.

I really liked Xenosaga, I like the second one better than the first so far. I am only three hours in though, my opinion may change before I finish it. I think that fans of the first game who want this one to be very similar to that game will be dissapointed. Overall the second game feels a little more solid. -All this with the exception of the UMN feature, which is probably not required in this one since the story seems to flow much more smoothly, no encyclopedia is required to fill in the gaps. No research required with the load feature I mentioned above.-

Things do move much more smoothly, dungeon type areas are much more fun, and story sections are much better done. I am about to see what a town is like in the game.

Overall, placing Xenosaga episode 1 at 100%, I would place this game at about 130% at this point in time. A non-fan might be more likely to agree with me than a fan of the series, I am a fan of the series, I just don't mind change like this.

I am a bit further in than you, at 10 hours in. Surprisingly I am already on the second disc. I love the game so far as well, but the fact that I am on the 2nd disc still worries me.

Xenosaga 2 is short prepare yourself lol.

Does anything important actually happen in Xeno 2, or is it another 'stay tune and maybe Abel will show up next episode!' deal?

Shit...it's out?

Been out for about a week man ^_^

I do have a strong theory on Abel already based on this game; it's very obvious if you know a lot about Perfect Works, maybe it was in Xenogears as well (I forget).

Right now I am in a relatively difficult spot, I actually died, looks like I'm going to have to dive into my skill points now. The battle that killed me was one that involved two enemies at the front, and one flying one behind me. Just bad luck in the battle, I had already fought 4 identical battles to this one, I wasn't low on magic (I use stock with focus a lot to keep my healers at close to maximum EP).

I'm not going to post my theory on Abel yet since I don't think anyone here who knows what I know about the series has played this far. I will say that the first major clue comes about 4-5 hours into the game during the dive; so you won't know what I am talking about until you actually get to that point in the game, if you have passed it, I haven't given away anything.

Anyways, on the plot so far. It seemed like the first game was really just giving a background, while this one seems to be where things really begin to move forward. Well, actually, where things really began to move forward were probably at the end of the first game, but that stuff at the end of episode 1 won't mean anything to anyone who hasn't played through Xenogears.

Anyways, once I figure out the spoiler option, if it exists, I'll post my theory on Abel. It might actually explain it later on in the game.

I think I know what part of the game you are on. Stock up and take advantage of Air and Down status as much as you can around there, it makes things MUCH easier.

I just finished disk 1 and watched the little bit at the beginning of the second disk.

I am 8 hours into the game now.

As far as the battle system goes, I very certainly like this one a hell of a lot better than the first one without a doubt. From what I have played this week, I am more secure about my opinion that I like this game a good amount more than the first one. The first one, battles really annoyed me, in this one I actually have fun working on the strategies involved in taking out specific groups of enemies. Once you get the hang of it, it is fairly easy to drill through the enemies as quickly as in Final Fantasy 10. It does have a learning curve though, I am just now getting fully comfortable with the system.

I'm not too much farther than before. Right now I am in a fortress (Mac will know where I am). I will say this though, in my opinion, Xenosaga Episode 2 is shaping up to be my favourite RPG on the console.

Yeah I know where your at. Good luck ^_^

I actually havent been playing Xenosaga lately. I have been working hard to try to finish Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne first ^_^

..... I've never even heard of that game before =P

Well, Xenosaga has been the only RPG I have been playing lately, but I think the game I have been playing the most are various WWE games everywhere from Playstation, to N64, to Playstation 2, to Gamecube. Multiplayer, always. Oh, and Mario Kart, and some racing game with good graphics that I have never heard of before.

Who knows, maybe I'll be the first one to actually finish this game, I am NEVER the first one to finish an RPG at the shrine; as far as I know. Even Skies of Arcadia, I am sure someone here actually beat me to the punch,.

You will almost defidently beat me on Xenosaga.

Shin Megami Tensei is a really popular RPG series in Japan, second only to Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. THe theme of the games is always very occult and dark. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne is the first game in the series to come to the states. its an awesome game, you should check it out for sure.

I remember the latest one sold under 300K, which is well below the Tales of _____ series.

I based that comment off of information I got from others. I dont know for fact that it is 100% accurate. All I know is that what I have played of SMT 1 and 2 for SNES has been incredible, and so has the Nocturne for the PS2. I cant wait for Digital Devil Saga to come out in about a month ^_^

Yeah, it's Dragon Quest first, Final Fantasy second, Tales third. I love Namco =)

Though it's difficult to say where each series will be 10 years from now since Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest seem to have taken a spill in popularity in Japan. I can't yet speak on Namco's RPG's, but Namco is a very prosperous company at the moment, whereas Square has been having a lot of problems lately, and Enix I am not sure where they stand/stood before they acquired Square.

Fuck Namco's RPGs. Konami's RPGs are where it's at.

I prefer Atlus RPG's myself ^_^ Though my fave RPG series, Suikoden, is Konomi.

Isn't Atlus just a publisher? They published the Quest games, and some Square games I think.

I am not 100% sure on that, I think they do a bit of both.

I guess they are mainly developers =)

http://games.ign.com/objects/025/025011.html

I know them mainly through the Tactics Ogre/Ogre Battle series which I really love.

I know them through those series, and the Megami Tensei/Shin Megami Tensei series and their spinoffs, such as Persona.