Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra

Armchair Empire

This is a phenomenal achievement on virtually every level.

GameBrink

While these days many RPGs are attempting to change the old-school formula and divorce themselves from traditional RPG lineage, XS EP3 stays true to the formula but through fantastic dungeons, two great and very different battle systems, and a fast-paced 30 hour adventure that’s lacking in filler (so you basically get the same story that’d be in a 60-70 hour normal RPG with random filler plots), it creates a game that’s every bit as fresh as the best non-traditional RPGs. [JPN Import]

Worth Playing

They fixed what was broken, and that should be enough.

Gaming Target

It's sad that Xenosaga Episode III is as good as it is – had they made a game as polished, accessible, and fun as this one the first time around instead of getting all complicated on us, the series might have somehow been able to make it to six games.

eToychest

Xenosaga’s third episode is an outstanding game; it's one of the best games to surface of late amid a sub par crop of PlayStation 2 role-playing games, though it’s bittersweet to see the series come to an end prematurely after the second episode feel so far below expectations.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Unrepentantly intelligent, epic, and approachable, this is one of the best RPGs available today and the Rubedo of the Xenosaga series. [Oct. 2006, p.82]

Console Gameworld

The long awaited conclusion to a lengthy saga; stellar graphics; awesome battles; fantastic voice acting in cut scenes.

TotalPlayStation

The classic comedic saying that you should always leave 'em wanting more has never rung more true in an RPG. After more than a few missteps, Xenosaga recovers beautifully, and the result is one of the must-have RPGs for the PlayStation 2, without a doubt.

RPG Fan

Where this game really shines, though, is in the fun gameplay and excellent music and voice acting.

Digital Entertainment News

If you hated XenoSaga before – the long story segments, the sparse gameplay in the first 10 hours or so – then XenoSaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra, won't necessarily convert you, but for most who at least liked it, or loved it, Episode III is a great payoff for sticking with the series for all three installments!

Cheat Code Central

An excellent storyline that challenges players to understand the philosophy of life, existence, and religion, backed with solid, if a little too easy, gameplay.

Game Informer

Xenosaga Episode III has many more successes than failures. But taken in context with the trilogy as a whole, Episode III is the worthy conclusion to an epic that I hadn't dared hope it could be. [Sept. 2006, p.90]

Play Magazine

The town and dungeon environments are among the most beautiful ever to grace the PS2. [Sept 2006, p.58]

GameTrailers

If you have played a part in the Xenosaga series then you’ve already made your decision on Episode III, and it will meet your expectations if you’ve been eagerly anticipating it. But if you’re on the sidelines, it’s a game you’ll have to put serious effort towards understanding and completely enjoying.

My Gamer

For all other RPG fans looking for something turn-based to play, checking out the series is something worth doing, but playing the first two games is a must before considering getting into this one.

GamingExcellence

Considering that Namco Bandai Games and Monolith Soft originally intended Xenosaga to be a six-part story, this third and final episode manages to efficiently cap the vast majority of unanswered questions and plotlines from the first and second games.

Gamer 2.0

It’s a hard, fun, and fulfilling finale to one of the better RPG epics out there. It may not have the workings of a classic like Xenogears on the PlayStation, but it legitimately tries to offer that same blend of religion, psychology, and mythological stories that make the gamer ask questions instead of just sit there like a vegetable taking it in.

GameDaily

An extremely polished role-playing game, it doesn't necessarily do anything new for the genre, but what it does is handled well.

PSM Magazine

The beautiful, fun RPG that we always wanted to see from the series, and it brings the epic storyline to its dramatic conclusion. [Oct 2006, p.78]

1UP

The battle system helps make the rest of the game come even closer to Final Fantasy X, and this time, that's a compliment. The result is a game that's faster and a little more fun to watch.

GameSpot

Xenosaga Episode III manages to wrap things up in dramatic and mostly satisfying fashion for the memorable main cast and the universe that they inhabit, while simultaneously leaving the door open for a continuation.

IGN

Sure it may not have the greatest battle system or be the most technically brilliant, but at the end of the day it manages to keep you glued to your seat with complicated theme and mature subject matter -- that's no easy feat.

Yahoo! Games

Series fans -- and while it's a fine game, it's unlikely to appeal much to anyone else -- will lap it up, happy that such a well-loved saga is coming to a satisfying conclusion. What more could you ask?

GamePro

A deep and engaging title that makes a worthy capstone to the epic series. Like Return of the Jedi, it brings the trilogy to a satisfying close; here's hoping that they don't mess it up by releasing a bunch of prequels.

netjak

It's hard to say why Episode III is an improvement over Episode II; it's kind of like trying to explain why a roast beef sandwich is better than a sucker-punch to the crotch.

Game Chronicles

Episode III, while flawed, does provide a nice conclusion to the story, and provides enough decent gameplay to make the overall experience rewarding.

The New York Times

The last scenes are quite interesting, sometimes very moving and reasonably informative, but they also highlight problems inherent in Xenosaga’s narrative approach.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Xenosaga's long, strange trip comes to an early yet oddly satisfying end with this climactic finale. [Oct. 2006, p.112]

Eurogamer

This is a saga that has clearly been tugged and squeezed, compromised and spoiled by many, many cooks.

GameSpy

It does manage to be a solid RPG, but to get there, you have to grind through some monotonous stuff that really detracts from the game.

Games Radar (in-house)

Ambition may have outstripped ability, but there's no doubt that fans of the series will find much to love about this entry, flawed as any of the rest of them. That's the best we could have hoped for.

Gamenikki

Easily the best title in the series and it’s most likely the result of having to cram content in to the final episode.

G4 TV

Besides the fine graphics and well-balanced combat, Episode III does a lot of little things right, details in the interface like pop-up balloons for conversations (to make chatting in towns easier) and a thoroughly hyperlinked shop menu for quick and simple equipment updates.

Game Revolution

The bridge between familiarity and innovation is thin and slippery, and Xenosaga Episode III sits precariously in the middle, demanding a fee.