Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Namco
  • Release Date: Feb 15, 2005
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose Image
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 93 Ratings

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  • Summary: Four-thousand years into a war-torn future. Earth has been abandoned and mankind forges its existence in deep space, locked in eternal confrontation with the malevolent, alien Gnosis. With sophisticated weapons and robotics technology, humankind wages an epic battle for survival. In aFour-thousand years into a war-torn future. Earth has been abandoned and mankind forges its existence in deep space, locked in eternal confrontation with the malevolent, alien Gnosis. With sophisticated weapons and robotics technology, humankind wages an epic battle for survival. In a desperate bid to fend off extinction, the search continues for the Zohar, a legendary artifact rumored to be capable of eradicating the Gnosis and ushering in an era of universal peace. Rejoin Shion, KOS-MOS and their companions in the enthralling 2nd chapeter of this landmark multipart RPG saga. [Namco]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 45
  3. Negative: 1 out of 45
  1. Gaming Target
    90
    Namco, in trying to fix what wasn't broken to begin with, ended up loosening a few screws where the job wasn't needed.
  2. TotalGames.net
    84
    Xenosaga II is a worthy follow up with richly detailed characters and great battling, but it seems a little unfair to expect European gamers to jump onboard so late in the game.
    All this publication's reviews
  3. GamePro
    80
    A beautiful composition, but restless gamers will have a hard time sitting throught the constant cinemas... Perhaps next time developers will seriously consider integrating the story through an increased amount of real-time gameplay. [March 2005, p.90]
  4. Game Chronicles
    73
    Though the game is woefully short, the game does set a standard for RPG difficulty, which might breathe some challenge into the genre.
  5. GamerFeed
    70
    The new combat system is complicated but imaginative and adds much depth to the gameplay that was already superb.
  6. Eurogamer
    70
    Xenosaga 2, is a big commitment for any gamer. If you want to get the most out of the game you're looking at weeks of concentrated staccato playing/watching/playing/watching as you work your way through the huge narrative arc.
  7. GameShark
    30
    This definitely isn’t a title that will impress most of the “jaded gamers” crowd, and while I had fun playing it, I certainly wouldn’t describe my experience as extraordinary.

See all 45 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. LUUQ.
    Jan 6, 2005
    10
    BEST!!!
  2. StephenC.
    Mar 22, 2005
    10
    Rpg this, Rpg that, what it comes down to in the end is how good the story is. here xenosaga does not fail. the story is so good that you Rpg this, Rpg that, what it comes down to in the end is how good the story is. here xenosaga does not fail. the story is so good that you forget baout the quirks of the new edition. sit back and enjoy.… Expand
  4. zero_teenthao
    Feb 20, 2007
    10
    I just play this game and i really like this game. i really hope part 3 is just as good as part to but with more action.
  5. MartR.
    Feb 25, 2005
    8
    Having long finished the Japanese version of this game, I borrowed the English version to give it a spin. It's all mostly been Having long finished the Japanese version of this game, I borrowed the English version to give it a spin. It's all mostly been maintained. It is of course a strictly hardcore RPG, with its killer cutscenes and obscure storyline that seems to make no sense much of the time, but pulls itself together nearing the end. I enjoyed the Japanese version tremendously and here is why the English version feels so dull: the voice acting is dreadful. In a game where one will be hearing hours upon hours of dialogue, this is quite important and the English voice actors have really messed up here. Some characters are easily maintained (chaos, Junior and Shion), but then there are guys who sound like whining schoolgirls compared to their magnetic counterparts in the Japanese version. KOS-MOS is the biggest douche here, but Ziggurat and MOMO are also cursed by this impossibly bad acting that seems to plague the English-speaking world. The two points get counted off because of the killer voices, the rest is all there and then some.… Expand
  6. iKen
    Apr 12, 2020
    8
    Played on PlayStation 2.
    Gameplay: GOOD.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GOOD.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Voice Acting: GOOD.
  7. GregS
    Jan 2, 2010
    7
    What is consistent throughout the trilogy is the amazing story. It tells a narrative unparalleled in any other video game, and is just as What is consistent throughout the trilogy is the amazing story. It tells a narrative unparalleled in any other video game, and is just as strong in Episode II as in the other two. Unfortunately, the story is the only thing that kept me playing the game. The battle system, excluding the E.S. segments, is one of the worst I've ever seen, with an encounter with even the most minor of enemies taking a ridiculous amount of time. However, the battle system is nothing compared to this game's worst travesty. There is a complete lack of any shops anywhere in the game. Running low on items and need to stock up on some before going somewhere? Well too bad. That being said, if you liked the first one, buy and play through this one, because you're going to want to play Episode III.… Expand
  8. Avey123Avey
    Mar 29, 2023
    3
    Xenosaga 2 is a light improvement over the original. The combat system is more focused and leads to some genuinely enjoyable boss encounters.Xenosaga 2 is a light improvement over the original. The combat system is more focused and leads to some genuinely enjoyable boss encounters. The presence of music outside of cutscenes is a serious improvement and something the series never should have gotten wrong. And the story here feels waaaay less blatantly padded out and the game does a much better job at attempting to flesh out the original games flat characters. With all that said it's still not very good, is quite often boring, and with each babystep improvement it's counterbalanced with exacerbated problems . The game still suffers from a terrible encounter design for non boss fights, in fact with the new combat system these general encounters are even worse and feel even more padded out and repetitive. As the scope of the story broadens it becomes even more convoluted and incomprehensible (this series has an obsession with poorly thought out acronyms). And the largest egregious back peddle from the original is the terrible voice work. The original game had stilted/dated vocal delivery but this game is on a whole other level with some of the replaced voice cast and new characters. That all being said I am thankful for the shorter length, still a very mediocre JRPG, but at least one with a more reasonable length.… Expand

See all 24 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best PS2 Game of 2005
53
#53 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005