Xenosaga Episode I Der Wille zur Macht launches Monolith's ambitious trilogy. Turn-based combat, SF and religious mythology and massive cutscenes. Memorable, sometimes talkative.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
A Monolith Soft and Bandai Namco RPG released in 2002, the first Xenosaga franchise entry (Episode I - Der Wille zur Macht / The Will to Power in German). Space opera signed Tetsuya Takahashi (Xenogears) where android KOS-MOS and the Woglinde crew fight the Gnosis, hostile creatures from the U.D.O. (Universal Deity Organization). Signature turn-based combat, complex Nietzschean philosophical narrative. Japanese and US release. Xeno renaissance.
Xenosaga Episode I - Der Wille zur Macht review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Ambitious cinematic staging, polished anime design and a grandiose science-fiction universe: the game aims for a playable space opera. The long cutscenes and intricate settings compose a fresco of rare breadth. This visual direction, dark and polished, carries a saga of unabashed excess.
Signed by Yasunori Mitsuda, the score blends majestic orchestra, choirs and electro to carry a space opera of rare ambition. From the grandiose main theme to the intimate passages, the music embraces the philosophical and epic dimension of the story. This symphonic richness, sumptuous and inspired, marks a peak of the narrative JRPG.
A space opera of wild ambition, the tale follows a researcher and her battle android against a threat from beyond. Blending philosophy, religion and science fiction, it unfolds a dense, at times demanding plot of rare depth. This cerebral epic, with its teeming writing, remains a fascinating and singular object.
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Blending space opera and philosophy into a sweeping tale unfolds a JRPG as cinematic as it is dense, carried by long cutscenes and strategic battles. Following the plot, fine-tuning your characters and combing the side content fills dozens of hours. That narrative ambition earns the title a stubborn reputation as a striking sci-fi JRPG.
Technical info
💾7,1 GB📅28/02/2002
Published by Namco
Xenosaga Episode I - Der Wille zur Macht (PS2) price, value & rarity
The Japanese version of Xenosaga Episode I, a native release of this Monolith Soft science-fiction JRPG in its original packaging. A bit less common than the American edition, it appeals to those wanting this cult, dense-story saga's first form. Its interest lies in this Japanese run and local presentation rather than marked scarcity.
Is Xenosaga Episode I - Der Wille zur Macht still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2002 on PS2, Monolith Soft's project launches an ambitious saga of philosophical science fiction, mixing space opera, mythology and reflection on consciousness. The turn based combat, built on a combo and boost point system, combines strategy and depth, while the story, carried by long cutscenes, unfolds a dense and adult plot. The art direction and the careful score install a real scope. The numerous non interactive sequences and a sometimes slow pace divide. A cerebral and striking Japanese RPG, recommended for fans of complex narratives and of space opera with philosophical ambition.
