History VideoGame / Xenosaga

* ''Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht'' (2002) [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] -- "The Will to Power"

* OneGameForThePriceOfTwo: The series consists of three separate games, of which only Episodes I and III are long enough to qualify as full-length [=RPGs=]. Episodes I and II were originally intended to be a single game which was subsequently split in two. The so-called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXDk8ufe7I8 8 Minutes and 8 Seconds]]" trailer for Episode I showcased events such as Jin and Margulis's sword duel and the activation of Proto-Ω--two events which occur near the climax of Episode II. The combined Episodes I&II were later released as a UsefulNotes/NintendoDS game, [[NoExportForYou which never made it out of Japan]].

* TechnoBabble

* BleachedUnderpants: Chocolate Shop (most commonly known as Choco), the artist of several mechas, KOS-MOS first design and the Vector logo in the first episodes and the main character designer in Ep. III, is a known hentai artist, which explains the {{Stripperific}} outfits for the female protagonists.

* SuperWeight: Has its own diverse entry on the page.

* Cameo: In an e-mail Shion can get during episode 1, it’s revealed that Shion is friends with [[{{Videogame/Tekken}}Kazuya Mishima]].

* {{Bishonen}}: chaos (no capitalization needed) and, to a lesser degree, the kid [[DesignerBabies URTV]]s.

* BonusBoss: Several per episode.
* BookEnds: in ''Episode III'' E.S. Levi is both the first and last boss battle fought on board the E.S. units, not counting [[BonusBoss Omega Id.]]

* CloningBlues: Subverted by Jr. and Gaignun, as they are involved in the founding of an independent space colony for wayward genetic experiments to eke out a peaceful living. Played entirely straight with Albedo.

* FanDisservice: Albedo plays EvilIsSexy to the hilt...usually for the benefit of [[NoYay preteen-looking]] [[ArtificialHuman Realians]] and [[{{Twincest}} his own brother]], all while crossing one MoralEventHorizon after another. In a sillier example, in the latter two games, everyone, not just the more-or-less humans, gets an optional [[BeachEpisode swimsuit]]. Including [[HollywoodCyborg Ziggy]]. It's an unflattering Speedo and ridiculous man-bra of a rebreather harness. In purple. With swim fins. Less justifiably, some gamers, apparently fearful of {{Wardrobe Malfunction}}s, would list Jin's fundoshi as well. Allen's 20's style single piece swimsuit could almost count, and there's chaos'...bulge in the first game. He lost it in the subsequent games, thankfully.

* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: In regards to boosting, at least, because the enemies can boost over you, no matter what. Did you boost first? Too bad! The computer decided to override you and boost itself! And you cannot override the computer! This naturally includes bosses too, where boosting could be very crucial. This can lead to the boss attacking three times and leaving you almost dead with sometimes only one chance to heal yourself between turns. It's especially egregious in ''Episode II'' where the number of enemy boost charges are visible, and yet in some cases they can still boost even if they have no charges available.

* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: In regards to boosting, at least, because the enemies can boost over you, no matter what. Did you boost first? Too bad! The computer decided to override you and boost itself! And you cannot override the computer! This naturally includes bosses too, where boosting could be very crucial. This can lead to the boss attacking three times and leaving you almost dead with sometimes only one chance to heal yourself between turns.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* BoobsOfSteel: KOS-MOS and T-elos. Not just an IncrediblyLamePun--they are stronger than many HumongousMecha, and (at least when KOS-MOS is in her final form) are the most pneumatic cast members.

* OffModel: The aforementioned AnimationBump in ''Episode I'' sometimes resulted in the bumps overlapping with the reular CG cutscenes, as KOS-MOS was really the only character to receive said bump.
** ''Xenosaga The Animation'' is particularly egregious in this regard. It's pretty much a nonstop stream of Quality, in comparison with the character art/models for Episode I.

* BladeOnAStick: ES Reuben and Joesph use polearms. So does Pellegri when she's on foot.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: When Jin and Margulis have their fights in Episode II, they're notably rather down-to-earth despite their CharlesAtlasSuperpower capabilities, and while there are some flashy movements, all of it is fairly realistically choreographed and relatively practical. But they're also both somewhat stumbling about for parts of the fights, Jin's injury in the first not withstanding, and clearly not as good as the story touts them to be. Then you look at the flashbacks and realize the two of them, for as badass as they are, got ''old''; [[RetiredBadass Jin himself]] remarks that becoming a bookstore keeper hasn't done him much good for his skills. They're so extraordinarily powerful that any individual attacks would paste most other combatants, but are ultimately mundane and rusty by their own standards.

* BareYourMidriff:
** Over the course of the series, Shion goes from a mini-skirted uniform to a positively {{Stripperific}} display of tummy.
** KOS-MOS gets in on this with her first costume in the final game.
** Played with in one of KOS-MOS's powerful attacks from the first game. At first it seems like her costume is coming off to reveal midriff, then it's revealed that under her costume is merely a giant energy cannon.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:By the time Episode III's credits roll, all but one of the antagonists are dead or otherwise out of the picture, three party members (Jin, chaos, and KOS-MOS) are either dead/gone or incapacitated, all of the series's supernatural figures have ascended to another plane for the time being, and about 90% of human life in the universe has been transformed into Gnosis.]]

* GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke: U-Do, Realians (imcluding [=MOMO=]), and the [=URTVs=] (including Jr. and Albedo) are all Geneically Engineered lifeforms.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Your party consists of an android, a SuperPrototype artificial human, a cyborg, a different type of artificial human clone, a samurai, a GeniusBruiser martial artist HotScientist, and [[spoiler: Jesus, or at least, the guy who performed Jesus' miracles on his behalf]].

* DitzyGenius: Shion, in contrast to [[GeniusDitz Miyuki]]. Shion is a talented robotics engineer with a Masters degree in engineering, who was hand-picked by the brightest mind in the galaxy to be his right hand (and eventually his fiancée). Her skills are unparalleled when it comes to mechanics and complex computer sciences. However, she also has the social skills of a brick in mid-flight. She psychologically torments her subordinates, hypocritically moralizes to others, broaches touchy subjects in the most inapt ways imaginable, manipulates others to further her own goals, treats her only surviving family like shit, and willfully glosses over flaws in her domestic abuser BastardBoyfriend to the point of [[FaceHeelTurn Face-Heel Turning]] over the vocal objections of ''the entire party''.

* CutscenePowerToTheMax: Deals it out in spades, almost all of the characters are infinitely more powerful in cutscenes than actual gameplay. This applies to any story related bosses as well. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:the bosses tend to be [[UptoEleven twice as infinitely more powerful]] in cutscenes, and have the annoying tendency to kick your ass after every one of your "victories".]]

** A Website/YouTube user decided to put up every cutscene and compile them into a long movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvbXiOvWFp0 Episode 1]] is [[UpToEleven seven hours and nine minutes]] long. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPWCJ-ybDro Episode 2]] is just under four and a half hours. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4xGqTk_h5s Episode 3]] is almost [[UpToEleven NINE HOURS]].