My Review: Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of storytelling in videogames. Oftentimes, I have praised videogames for their ability to immerse me in a story, but it is important to recognize that when I review a game- discussing story, gameplay, and presentation- I am talking about three equal parts of a greater whole. If one of these aspects is lacking, then the whole is greatly weakened. The best games are ones where the gameplay, story, and presentation are of the highest quality, and this brief tangent brings us to the subject of what I hope will be a three-part review of the Xenosaga series.

With the Playstation classic Xenogears being one of my favorite games, I was certainly interested in Tetsuya Takahashi’s first project after departing from Square and forming Monolith Soft. Originally meant to serve as a six-part, multi-generational epic that would encompass the entire universe from beginning to end (and perhaps include a remake or reimagining of the tale told in Xenogears), Xenosaga would instead be remembered as a case of failed ambition, and was cut to only three games after seeing disappointing sales. Still, the question does remain whether Xenosaga was able to still provide something special and unique, even if it would never reach its full potential. So, let us discuss the first entry in this most troubled of sagas, Der Wille Zur Macht- The Will to Power. 

Evolsaur Deck Profile- Digivolve

One of the most interesting decks from the newest era of Yu-gi-oh was the Dino Rabbit deck. Basically an assortment of cards with Rescue Rabbit and Tour Guide of the Underworld serving as a lynchpin, the deck was very powerful in its day, with its ability to quickly summon and utilize two of the most powerful Xyz monsters in the game- Evolzar Laggia and Evolzar Dolkka. A first turn Rescue Rabbit could Special Summon two level 4 Normal dinosaurs, and overlay them into a 2400 ATK monster with a Solemn Judgment effect, or a 2300 ATK monster with a Divine Wrath effect.

The thing is, the Evolzar monsters actually have their own archetype, one which, if used well, can be considerably more fun to use. These are the Evolsaurs, affectionately referred to as Digimon by some, which function as an Xyz toolbox that can summon the Rank 4 Evolzars easily, as well as utilize their own powerful effects.

So what are the Evolsaurs? Well, they are a group of Dinosaur-type monsters, supported by their Reptile-type cousins the Evoltiles. All of them are FIRE attribute, and they have a bevy of useful support cards as a result of this. The Evolsaurs effects are activated when they are summoned by the effect of an Evoltile, giving them functionality similar to the Gladiator Beasts’ ‘tagging out.’

My Review- Parasite Eve (PS1)

“They don’t make them like they used to” is a phrase that is becoming more and more relevant as far as gaming as concerned. Looking at a company like Square Enix, it might be difficult to realize that, once upon a time, their non-Final Fantasy titles weren’t relegated to pointless mobile titles and blatant cash grabs, but were instead considered to be some of their best work. In between Final Fantasy titles, gamers were treated to unique games such as Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and the subject of this review, Parasite Eve. Originally based on a Japanese horror novel, Parasite Eve blended concepts from the newly popularized Survival Horror genre with Square’s well-known style of quality RPG, creating one of the most unique games of the PS1 era. But is this ‘Cinematic RPG’ worth revisiting like other Squaresoft classics?