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I reviewed Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (the absurdly subtitled finale in Monolith Soft's equally absurd space-opera RPG franchise) in the issue of EGM that we just completed (#20 cool , but nobody's going to see that mag for a few weeks. And since any'review-like' comments are still under embargo, I can't really go into my thoughts about the game...but I must say, I'm rather disappointed that Namco Bandai chose to censor several of the game's cut-scenes.

Now, censorship isn't new to the Xenosaga franchise--the first game featured one disturbing scene (involving jailbait Realian MOMO) that was edited for the U.S. release. I'm not entirely sure of exactly what was cut from XS3, but I've confirmed that at least three cut-scenes have had substantial amounts of blood/gore edited out. Yeah, Namco made these cuts in order to get a "Teen" rating from the ESRB, but I still find it all a bit upsetting. Xenosaga was always intended as a mature, complex RPG...and it's discouraging that Namco wouldn't allow the final chapter to come out with a Mature rating.

Maybe one day they'll go back and actually remake this whole monstrosity in the way the team originally intended....

http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7382810&publicUserId=1002415

NOoooooooooO

I seem to remember Episode I having some blood and guts parts in it. I wonder why they changed it... Think the Bandai part has a reason?

http://www.allrpg.com/games/xenosaga/images/12.jpg

Look at that! That was in the first one, I don't get why they couldn't just rate it M.

Nah, if they wanted a wider audience they would have gangsta shootings. Also games like GTA and such that are rated M still have a huge audience of people. Mostly under the age of 10.

Hopefully it's just blood, and gore, and nothing that will harm the story.

... ok I just saw the japanese cut sceens... and the censored a BUNCH of other stuff >.< Really STUPID stuff. http://bluelaguna.net/movies/xs3/fmvs.php

I won't say which ones, but if you look at the pics, and have played the game you'll know what was taken out.

Ok, here's KINDA a spolier but i'll still white text it.




SPOLIER READ IF YOU WISH
At the part where Kevin I guess attacked Wilhelm. In the Japanese version Kevin stabs him with his arm, in the american version they cut that part out, and you don't see it instead you see a green thing. Also the part where Shions parents die, and Young Shion is holding something, and she says that it won't stop moving. Well in the English version there isn't anything in her hands. http://bluelaguna.net/viewimage/xs3/fmvshots/1460/23.jpg there's what's she is holding.

ALSO I'M SO SORRY! I posting a link to a pic X.X

Here's http://bluelaguna.net/movies/xs3/fmvs.php here you can see the entire gallery.

As my friend said "I guess as long as there's no blood shown it can be ratied T regardless of the story"

PG-13 movies have more blood/sex then Xenosaga III english version did... I guess I just don't get it...

Yes; I found all these cuts and edits to be appaling, and diminishing to the intellegence of the audience and the game itself.

In todays society, Parents don't really care anymore what their kids play or watch anymore it seems. ( I take this from the fact that a mother with 3 kids, all under 10, tried to purchase 3 tickets for them so they could watch The Decent by themselves, because she didn't want to see it. The Decent was rated R for grusome gore, language, and nudity.)

To top it off, the majority of this series' fanbase is actully in the high scalce of teen to adult, as in 15-25.

Some of these cuts were just so balatently stupid, such as Shion's shower sceen. The way the japanese filmed it, was artistically beautiful and was still docile - you never saw Shion nude, because of the steam and fog. Yet just because you see an uppan shot; Oh noes! It's wrong! PATHETIC!

One sceen I know of rather well, had a large amount of gushing blood from a stab wound. Think about it though, your gonna gush blood, if you get stabbed. Simple as that.
Instead? Nah, you just get stabbed. Nothing happens, you just get a hole in you. You look fine. Nah, you don't bleed.

It is my hope they make some kind of collectors Anthology that has every little edited detail put back into all the games. But that's a far cry from now. *sighs* Ah well.