TGS: First Xenosaga details

[04.01.01] » Namco to produce prequel to Square's seminal PlayStation RPG.

   When Namco's new RPG subsidiary MonolithSoft, comprised of many ex-Xenogears teammembers, announced they were working on a game codenamed Project X, Xengears fans took note. When they unveiled the official title of Xenosaga -- written in the same font as Xenogears -- it was apparent the company was at the very least trying to build off the name recognition of Squaresoft's RPG. In a short teaser video, captured by IGNPS2, playing at the Tokyo Game Show, however, Namco has finally revealed that Xenosaga will indeed be a full-fledged Xenogears sequel.

   The short video displayed only text over a watery background accompanied by music that sounded like a remix of Xenogears' "The Beginning and The End," but there were more than enough references to that title for fans to piece together how Xenosaga will fit into the epic story outlined in the first game. Most importantly, it seems MonolithSoft's RPG will be Episode I of the six-part story -- Xenogears itself was Episode V. As outlined in the Xenogears Perfect Works fan book, Episode I covers the period from 15,000 to 10,000 years before the crash of the Eldridge, making it a prologue to the events in Xenogears.

   While any specific plot information is purely conjecture at this early point, a few firm details can be extracted from this one small point. First, Xenosaga will undoubtedly take place on a different planet from Square's game, and none of the recurring characters from Xenogears are likely to make an appearance. Since the main events in this section of the story are the creation of Zohar (specifically mentioned in the video) and "interplanetary weapon" Deus, it seems likely Xenosaga's plot will revolve around these two elements and end with the launch of the Eldridge. It also looks as though Xenosaga will have almost as wide a scope as the previous game. The trailer briefly flashes the Megaman-ish year 20XX, and later displays the date T.C. 4775. Xenogears Perfect Works places the adoption of the new calendar system, which stands for Transcend Christ, at the creation of the Zohar engine in 2510, meaning the game's story could span over 7000 years.

   IGNPS2 also revealed a partial list of the MonolithSoft staff working on the game, many of whom are Xenogears veterans.

• Director and Scenario Writer: Tetsuya Takahashi (also on XG)
• Executive Producer: Masaya Nakamura
• Producer: Hirohide Sugiura
• Music Composition: Yasunori Mitsuda (also on XG)
• Production Designer: Junya Ishigaki (Mechanical Designer on XG)
• Additional Production Design: Kouichi Mugitani and Takumi Sakura
• Art Director: Yasuyuki Honne (also on XG)
• Character Designer: Kunihiko Tanaka (also on XG)
• Screenplay: Sei Sato
• Programming Director: Toshiaki Yajima

   The biggest mystery left about Xenosaga, however, may be how Namco plans on producing a direct sequel (or in this case prequel) to a game from another company. It's highly unlikely that director Tetsuya Takahashi retained the rights to the Xenogears world after leaving Square, and Namco has made no mention of securing them from the company. Considering that Xenosaga will take place on a different world 15,000 years before Xenogears, the game may just be different enough to satisfy fans while stymieing Square's lawyers. We'll find out for sure when Xenosaga officially debuts on July 8th.

   Thanks to Dr. Forester for additional Xenogears information.