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System: PS2
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"Xenosaga, Episode I" has made its fans waiting long and hard, and many are surely anticipating to its release. In this preview, I'll try to give you a simple introduction to the relationship between organizations important to the story, profiles of the main characters, and the weapons used by the human side against its enemy. Now, check in on the Xenosaga preview to smoothly submerge in the game's world.I. INTRODUCTION |
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B. Gnosis |
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II. CHARACTERS A. Shion 
At the beginning of the story, we find Shion Uzuki riding aboard the cruiser Wogrind on its maiden voyage to investigate a case involving a planet's disappearance and to test out KOS-MOS. Developed by Vector Industry, Wogrind is a 100-meters-long battleship designed specifically against the Gnosis. The heart of the cruiser is the bridge, where navigation and battle controls are located.At the tender age of 22, Shion is an elite member of Vector Industry, serving as the managing engineer for Vector's first development team. She is a girl who always behaves in a positive spirit and is filled with life, as if living for tomorrow. All this is in spite of the cruel, tragic experiences she has gone through- Shion lost her parents in war when she was a child, and then her first love died in an accident two years ago. Shion is in charge of developing KOS-MOS, and her main job is the development of the sentient software required to control KOS-MOS. Although a genius scientist, Shion is just another member of an enterprise. Sometimes, she will go face to face with her superiors. She starts out aboard the cruiser Wogrind but will wind up on the cargo ship Elza and joining her crew in action. |
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Her colleagues on the first development team include: |
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Other members of the Kookai Foundation include: |
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D. MOMO Translation Copyrighted 2002 by Henry H. Jerng.
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It all started with Zohar...
In the 21st century, a circular object of unknown origin was discovered at an archaeological excavation site somewhere on the African continent. The professor who received the news took out a plate and fitted it on the object. The plate glowed. As if in response to the plate, a giant ruin and a golden radiant object appeared from the sea. Our story begins from this object, which came to be called Event Transmutation Zohar.
The Federation Forces is a regular army protecting the Federation from enemy hands, such as the Gnosis. The Gnosis is an enemy whose only apparent reason for existence is the extermination of humankind. To combat the Gnosis, man is unrolling battles all over his inhabited worlds extending several hundred million light years. Fulfilling that role is the central role of the Star Cluster Federation Forces.
The Federation Forces completely relies on Vector Industry for everything, from ships to weapons.
They can be called human's natural enemy in outer space. Other than taking hostile attacks against mankind, Gnosis is an entity wrapped in mystery. Gnosis exists in that "other reality" cut off from ours, so you normally cannot come in contact with a Gnosis monster. Very special systems and technologies are needed to detect and attack them. Therefore, battles become only possible when you reveal the Gnosis using what's known as the Hilbert Effect.
AGWS is the general term for humanoid battle weapons developed to counter the Gnosis threat. Loaded with DSSS, the AGWS can capture the normally imperceptible Gnosis. They have been made smaller and lighter so they can have great advantage in terms of convenience. (In the middle of battle, you can apparently call out your special AGWS and take control of it.)
KOS-MOS is a female combat android developed by Vector Industry to oppose the Gnosis. An entity such as KOS-MOS, one entirely composed of mechanical parts, is rare in this age when technologies for Realiens is far more advanced and mature.
KOS-MOS has a height of 167 cm and weight of 92 kg. Her appearance was made to look like an 18-year-old girl's. The name KOS-MOS (from "cosmos", meaning "order") is a general term for the anti-Gnosis combat system, and she herself does not have a name. KOS-MOS is programmed to prioritize the three principles of "logic, verification, and duty" before everything else, and she will protect her developer (Shion) unconditionally. Moreover, an Imitation Personality OS is loaded on her to allow smooth communication with others. However, the words and actions of Shion and other people appear difficult for her to comprehend since she is more like a computer than a person.
Kookai Foundation is a special foundation created 12 years ago by Second Miltia, a self-governing states in the SCF. It is comprised of victims of the "Lifely Cycle Law", and its base is located on a giant orbit-less space colony. Shaped like an opened flower, the colony supports cities, beaches, and resorts where people live and play, as well as shops where one can acquire items and parts.
Shion and KOS-MOS eventually wind up on the cargo ship Elza. This super high-speed ship is 166 m in length, and it boasts of a Lohengrin class heritage. Presently, Elza is used as a cargo ship by the Kookai Foundation. On board, various personalities work as crews: Matthews, the captain; Tony, the quartermaster; Hammer, the navigator; and others. Chaos, one of the story's main characters, is also aboard the ship, and he will meet Shion and others here. It is unknown whether his meeting with them was arranged by fate or on purpose.
Considering that the Kookai Foundation is running Elza, I will introduce our next main character. While on the outside he looks like a 12-year-old kid, in fact Junior serves as a representative trustee of the Kookai Foundation. As if to prove that, he shows his considerably extensive knowledge and makes speeches frankly about his position. He is called Junior, but his real name is not made clear. His interest is in collecting antique guns and old books.
While he has a position as a representative trustee of a foundation, Junior speaks with an expression and attitude suitable for his apparent age. (Is he a good combination with Chaos?) Here are a couple of mysteries: why Junior, while a child, has such knowledge, and why he has the position of a trustee?
MOMO is a prototype to the Realien Type-100 and was made to look like a 12-year-old girl. Created by the now-deceased genius Professor Joachim Mizrahi and his wife, Professor Yuri Mizrahi, MOMO was made to look like their dead daughter, Sakura. By accumulating good deeds, MOMO hopes that she will go to Heaven and meet her father. As a synthetic human created by science, MOMO longs for "real people".
During his lifetime, Ziggy worked as the commander of the Special Operations Command Unit in the Federation Police. Then in the year 4665 T. C., he died on duty at the age of 30. Afterwards, his body was sacrifice for mechanical enhancement studies, and then 98 years later, thanks to his previously robust health, he was reborn as a combat cyborg and stationed to SCF's Contact Sub-committee. One of the Sub-committee members was Yuri Mizrahi, caregiver and creator of MOMO. When MOMO was captured, Ziggy was summoned by the Sub-committee and ordered to rescue her.