When “Xenosaga, Episode I: Dur Wille zur Macht” first came out around a year ago, I thought it looked—in a word—awesome. Unfortunately for my gamer’s instinct, I couldn’t play it. At least, I couldn’t play it until a little while ago when I decided to write up a review on it. Yes, I admit it, this review was merely an excuse to play Xenosaga, but I’m sure you’ll forgive me—and you might even decide to play it yourself.

“Xenosaga, Episode I: Dur Wille zur Macht” follows the story of Shion Uzuki and KOS-MOS—an android created to fight the Gnosis. The Gnosis are alien life forms who seem practically unbeatable. Unbeatable aliens are bad news for the humans living in the vast expanses of space. Aiding the humans in their quest are the Realians—artificial humans, most of whom are “manufactured” to battle the Gnosis. Cyborgs—like KOS-MOS—make an appearance, but most are deemed “outdated” because of the new Realian technology. Whether Realian, human, or cyborg, everyone has a hand in the salvation of humanity—for if they fail, the Gnosis will decimate mankind.

Dur Wille zur Macht is rated T (teen) for violence, blood, and gore. Although profanity is not included in the rating, be forewarned that many profane words are used throughout the game. This role-playing game is definitely not acceptable for young children, and the T rating should be taken very seriously.

Xenosaga has a very intriguing story. If you are a fan of the Final Fantasy (FF) series, I can almost guarantee that you will love this series as well (yes, it is a series, Episode II is coming out on February 15, 2005). Xenosaga may be a science fiction RPG, while Final Fantasy is, well, fantasy (go figure)—but Dur Wille zur Macht has a story-line comparable to those in the revered FF series. For any true RPG lover, comparing any game to FF is a great complement to said game.

The graphics in Episode I are not amazing (definitely not comparable to Final Fantasy in this aspect)—although Episode II looks more promising. Sometimes the peoples’ hair looks like highlighted blobs. The characters don’t look like real people, which may be disappointing to some. However, the graphics are good compared to many other games. And despite the slightly outdated graphics, the battle system is smooth.

Some may find Xenosaga to be extremely complicated and frustrating. For those, my advice is to purchase a strategy guide. For hard-core RPG players, a strategy guide is most likely not necessary. The game isn’t too complicated, but is not a game to play if you don’t feel like using your head. You will most likely receive a brain-fry in return.

One aspect of the game that I especially appreciated was that, although there are long series of videos, there is an option you can choose to skip the videos and get to the playing part instead. Most RPGs don’t have this option, and they force you to sit through the videos time and time again.

All in all, “Xenosaga, Episode I: Dur Wille zur Macht” is an amazing RPG—a must-have for any RPG lover. I enjoyed the game immensely, and I’m sure many others will as well. Again, I cannot stress the necessity of discretion when considering playing this game. Many would deem it inappropriate for younger children. Decide whether or not you should play it, run down to Blockbuster, grab the game with no hesitation, rush home and enjoy the intrigue!