Xenosaga I & II (2006). Play online

Summary

Xenosaga I & II is a Nintendo DS rework of the first two Xenosaga episodes, adding new characters and shifting the Episode 2 perspective from Jr. to Shion to align the narrative flow. The title blends the classic story with fresh scenarios, giving long‑time fans a slightly altered but familiar experience.

Gameplay is displayed from an angled two‑dimensional view, with cinematic scenes on the top screen and menus, party info and email‑based glossary on the bottom. Battles unfold on a 5×6 grid, each character receiving a physical and magical action per turn; three AP unlock a double attack and cinematic strike, while a filled Boost meter grants extra turns and formations provide buffs such as HP regeneration.

Exploration lets you wander freely, crack open chests, shop for gear and use EVA pads to recover HP and ether points (EP). Enemies appear via random encounters that teleport into the separate battle arena, and a UMN email service stores lore for the curious.

The project was co‑developed by Monolith Soft and Tom Create, with series creator Tetsuya Takashi overseeing the script, Yuichiro Takeda writing dialogue, Hiroshi Takeuchi redrawing designs, and Kousuke Yamashita composing the score. Voice work is limited to victory cries.

Released only in Japan in March 2006, it earned a Famitsu 31/40 and RPGFan 82%, moving about 38 500 units and receiving praise for its story and combat depth while some critics warned of the heavy text load.

Storyline

Xenosaga I & II retells the events of Xenosaga Episode I and Episode II while expanding on characters and narrative. The scenario was drafted and supervised by series creator Tetsuya Takahashi, aiming to incorporate originally cut material. Episode I’s script required only minor tweaks, staying close to Takahashi’s initial draft. Episode II saw larger changes: flashback sequences were rearranged for smoother flow, the Immigrant Fleet faction received far more detail, and the origins of the central character Jr. were greatly expanded. A major shift moved the viewpoint to main protagonist Shion Uzuki, replacing Jr.’s original perspective, which allowed the story to be fleshed out. To tie the two parts together, characters from Episode II appear in cameo roles during Episode I events.