Now That Xenosaga Is Canon, Bandai Namco Needs To Remaster It

I’m a big fan of the Xeno series. It started with Xenosaga back when I was an undergrad and continues to this day with the most recent DLC for Xenoblade 3, Future Redeemed. There’s a complexity to this metaseries’ narrative that has yet to capture me the same way. Xenoblade is as close to Xenosaga as fans like myself have come to getting a remaster, and while I had become content with that over the years, the recent “radio scene” in Future Redeemed rekindled my desire like nothing else.

Future Redeemed’s main protagonist, Matthew, and his party are taken aback by the revelations broadcasted on the radio in the background when they meet Na’el, his sister. The radio’s logo bears the name Vector, which is significant in the Xenosaga series as it represents Vector Industries, a crucial company within the story. Shion Uzuki, the protagonist, works for its CEO, Wilhelm, and the company is entangled in darkness and conspiracy throughout Xenosaga.

One of the most obvious references is to Dimitri Yuriev, a prominent antagonist from Xenosaga Episode 3. Although there is a slight spelling difference in his name, the similarity suggests it’s the same character. Dimitri is a Designer Child with genetically enhanced traits and a long lifespan, and he leads his own research Institute.

The radio also alludes to the practice of colonization on other planets, reminiscent of events in Xenosaga in which humans venture into space and Earth becomes known as Lost Jerusalem. The last line from the radio, spoken by Dimitri, asks listeners to “please stay with us,” leaving players wondering about the future of the franchise and adding excitement to the mix.

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Timeline-wise, Xenosaga came before Xenoblade, back when Monolith Soft was still with Bandai Namco. The PS2 series contains three games and even had an anime created for it. Sales-wise, the games weren’t up to Bandai Namco’s standards, and the final three parts to the original six-part saga had to be condensed within Xenosaga 3. I was thankful that the series had got the chance to conclude, and back in 2006, on my initial playthrough, I was satisfied with the conclusion. But upon replaying the entire series several years ago, the third game, while still very good and one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played, leaves me wanting more, especially with its open ending.

What makes Xenosaga so good is also what makes Xenoblade good: its complex narrative. Monolith Soft has this story building ability to layer on different mysteries that keep you engaged for the long haul, but most importantly pay off in big ways. The revelations that unfold are mind-blowing and usually transcend the video game’s story and reflects our world in some thoughtful ways. The trilogy as a whole is good, but it’s the third entry that elevated it to a monumental achievement. Not only was the story executed well, but the snappy combat still stands as one of the best I’ve experienced.

Monolith’s partnership transitioned to Nintendo when it officially bought the developer, which to me, meant that the previous Xeno games had been left in the past. This was sad because you can tell that so many of the story elements found in the previous Xeno games were transferred over into Xenoblade’s DNA. That was a big reason why I even got into the series and got a Nintendo Switch.

Story elements like the Conduit made it into the Xenoblade series. A mysterious godlike crystalline object, the Conduit appeared in Xenoblade 2 and played a key part within Xenoblade’s universe. Any Xenosaga fan would raise an eyebrow at its presence because look-wise and story-wise; it was very similar to the Zohar, which played the same godlike role in Xenosaga’s universe. The connections were all theoretical back then, though.

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And then just like that, one radio signal confirmed that Xenosaga’s lore is a part of Xenoblade. Monolith Soft went so far as to thank Bandai Namco and Xenosaga in the credits of Future Redeemed. But why do all of this if it was meant to be just a nod to the previous Xeno games? This involved two companies making negotiations with one another, shaking proverbial hands, and making business decisions.

It’s hard for me not to believe that, on some level, Xenosaga will be making a comeback after so much effort was put into making the connections so obvious, all the way down to agreed licensing rights between Bandai Namco and Nintendo. There’s something that they want to bring into the future, and that’s gotta be a Xenosaga remaster, or so I’m hoping.

I have the entire trilogy, including the original copy of Xenosaga 3 that I preordered back in 2006. The English version of the third game, which was never released in Europe, is generally priced around $200 or more! It’s become a collectible—a rare game that has only increased in price since Xenoblade has continued to gain popularity. There was the news a while back that Xenosaga wouldn’t be remastered because it wasn’t “worth the risk” but perhaps now, with all this commotion and lore-linking, the risk is now worth taking. For the love of everything, the two companies are already working together to bring Baten Kaitos, another Monolith Soft-created Bandai Namco game, to the Nintendo Switch.

I would be satisfied with quality of life changes to the game, such as updated graphics, remastered audio, and gameplay rebalances. The first entry could especially use a tweak to its A.G.W.S. system. The mechas were added into the game in order to bring a creative layer to the combat, only to be quickly dismissed as long as you spend a decent amount of time grinding the characters and leveling up their attacks. Loading times for battles within Xenosaga 2 could definitely use an upgrade as well. And as for Xenosaga 3…well, I’m fine with just graphics being overhauled. In a way, I guess you can say that I’d be fine with Bandai Namco and Nintendo giving Xenosaga the “Baten Kaitos treatment”—nothing drastically different, just a chance for new Xeno fans to see where many of the concepts in Xenoblade came from, and to see where the popular Kos-Mos, who appeared as a Blade in Xenoblade 2, came from.

Now is the time Bandai Namco. Don’t let me down.

Next: It’s Time to Make Xenoblade X: Definitive Edition