[Sadistic Angel]

Now, I will not simply say Xenosaga Episode II is the worst sequel in history of games because that's only the larger whole. The fact that this game focussed so exclusively on these two would make infinite oppertunities to make them cooler, more interesting and badass. But, they did the total and complete opposite as I'll explain to you in the following very opinionated, very harsh critique of the bastardization of these two awesome characters.

Albedo:
As I truly like him a lot more than Jr. (he is one of the best villains in history, no doubt), the impression one comes away with from EP1 is that he's a good villain. He has a psycholit demeanor yet there is a method to his madness. He has a purely power-hungry objective which he'll do anything and everything to achieve. This impression was DESTROYED in Episode II. His badassitude is obliterated, transofmring this masochistic lunatic into a "tragic villain." Why? I guess because he can blow his head off and no one else can is all I can make of it. It wasn't an infection by U-DO that corrupted him as it was lead to believe in EP1. It was all beforehand, because he was an emo chicken-wuss (thank yoU Seifer) and so, we are supposed to empathize and sympathize with his plight of immortality. Instead of the impression we receive from EP1 that hs treasures this gift, they morph that love into a deeply-hidden loathing of it as it was a curse, I guess.

Then, what do we see of the grown Albedo in EPII? Nothing. No real rant about his immortality or the delightfulness of pain. No speeches to infuriate Jr. No awesome scene that emphasizes his true evilness. Instead, we get Shion saying "don't you wanna make peace with your brother?" and basically, the whole built-up extreme animosity displayed in Episode 1 between Albedo and Jr. is wiped from the face of the story.

Rubedo:
This really isn't a character flaw so much. Maybe it's just the dialogue that angered me. His repeated over-use of "bastards!", "damn you...!" and the ludicrously out-of-place line of "you damn bitch!" to Orgulla completely put me off. It was aggrivating and totally pointless.

That's my shpeal.

[KaiserDragon18]

Well...Albedo did become a little bent after learning he couldn't die, but I still believe it was his contact with U-DO that really did him in. He just became a little more emotional after learning only he was immortal.

[Terras]

I liked Albedo alot more as a character after episode 2, that's one of the 3 things I liked about that game.

[Flame]

I liked the fact that they gave him a bit of a backstory. I still belive it was the contact with U-DO which turned him totally crazy. His story is really quite tragic but it's important that we don't just see him as a total innocent. He had begun to hate the world before the contact with U-DO and had started to go a little crazy himself... the contact just propelled his anger to dangerous new heights...

I'm not explaining myself very well but I liked Episode II's Albedo. It was funny to hear Rubedo swear at first but it became a little tiresome I'll agree. The way he called Orgulla a 'damn bitch' made me think maybe there was some slight backstory or at least a background to Orgulla but alas... We're still yet to hear ANYTHING about her.

[Valince]

I believe he went crazy when he found out that he can't die. Rubedo, Nigredo and all of them would move on to the next world, while he'd continue to live in his 'eternal prison'.

[Xerno]

Well, as for Albedo I can only disagree since I thought his background (as an already mentally unstable kid) made him twice as interesting. The scene I liked most from that part was where he's scared to death when they're opening the link and he's trusting Rubedo to stay with him (which he doesn't... talk about a slap in the face from cruel reality =s ). Albedo's past story is quite angst-ridden, yes. But I thought it was very well done too. =p

Then, what do we see of the grown Albedo in EPII? Nothing. No real rant about his immortality or the delightfulness of pain. No speeches to infuriate Jr. No awesome scene that emphasizes his true evilness.

I thought the scenes Albedo projects in the space time anomaly to try and upset Rubedo badly enough to trigger Red Dragon mode were quite villainous, though. It's not like that's still really young Albedo messing around there. I'd say the scene where all those Kirschwassers are hanging onto him (in front of the graves he dug) had quite a dark feel to it. As well as beating up an already dead Sakura, not to mention what he implies he did to MOMO (though I don't believe he really did any of that: I don't think the scenes in that place fully present things as the absolute truth, as they're mainly there to anger Rubedo further).

And in the final battle he does have quite a few interesting lines as well:

"This pain feels so good, so good!"
"Come on, give me more, more, more!"
--> His "delightfullness of pain" is still there =p (but granted, it's quite minor).

"I can still feel ma pêche writhing in my hand!"
--> And here he's implying that thing again, but it happens to be just another one of his "provoking messages" (so I don't think he really did anything like that).

As for Rubedo, the swearing didn't really bother me... though I agree his remark to Orgulla seemed a bit out of place.

[Spurt Reynolds]

i agree, i did think the end with the flashbacks was rather dark.
Granted it wasnt as dark as the part on Ep1 when he's in the song of nephilim with MOMO, but it did come close.

[Denim]

What made Albedo cool in Episode 1 was that little laugh he did after being infected with UDO. And his rant. Jesus Christ, that rant was amazing.

Eh. His tragic villainness is lame, I agree. He's still cool, but I don't see him being as a cool Testament, he oughtta stayed dead and given Cherenkov a chance. His will was strong too. #####, Cherenkov's will was the strongest of anyone I've seen next to Ziggy (because Ziggy flat out refused Voyager and all that, which thousands of his victims couldn't, then after being hit by 45 thousand rockets to the back, he manages to break a ##### wall into pieces). This is because he (Cherenkov) went through all that personality conditioning and still managed to not change. Man. Amazing.


Then again, that'd ruin Cherenkov's Beach of Nothingness impact. But Albedo's I'm Free impact is shattered to pieces now, small little pieces, just like that wall Ziggy shattered.

[Spurt Reynolds]

not necessarily, i mean i think its been mentioned, but that might be what he was after from the beginning.
It kinda makes sense, as Albedo does have a large will (the part where he summons an image of the blue testament and gives a speach on will is an example).
Plus he is one of the main main characters and just to end him like it did in Ep2 wouldnt be suitable.

[Sadistic Angel]

Yes it would. It would be very suitable. From the time of Episode 1, he's ranted about the power he wants, to re-contact with U-DO and quench his thirst. He said himself in the Space-Time Anomoly that he had finally accomplished what he wanted and bringing him back as a Testament is pandering to the fans who really liked him.

[Spurt Reynolds]

Point taken, it all depends on the person really.
For example by the looks of it, you and denim arnt too keen on the Ep2 Albedo, whereas i quite like it. Everyone to their own really.

I just hope they kinda go into more detail on why Albedo became a testament.
I mean i can see when he and Jr first meet up, Jr's gonna be like wtf explain anyway, so im sure we will recieve a reasonable explanation as to why this event occured.

[Liquid_Snake]

I did remember seeing "beyond good & evil" in one of the trailer. That would mean that Xenosaga is questioning morality (thater words, even though the testaments are loyal to Wilh obvious since the Xeno series draws heavily from Nietzche's teachings). In other words. I don't think the loyalty will last forever. The usual loyalty and "good guy bad guy" circles we see in most movies and videogames won't be find in XG. They are going to change. Most likely the testament wants to attain ultimate power, if not then probably they want to become a "free spirit". Who knows, but I can say that positions and allies will change. Just look at Ep1, Ep2, Pied Piper or even Xenogears!

That is why it is very likely for the Xenosaga series to continue, besides the fact that it sells around the platinum range (XG1 that is). The story is just too immense for one or two more titles; they'll probably have around seven or more titles overall (as originally planned)

I'm expecting Xeno-goodness from Ep III.