<s>
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Also	I-Application
sprach	I-Application
Zarathustra	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Monolith	O
Soft	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
final	O
entry	O
in	O
both	O
the	O
Xenosaga	O
trilogy	O
and	O
the	O
larger	O
Xenosaga	O
series	O
,	O
which	O
forms	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Xeno	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concluding	O
the	O
narrative	O
of	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
I	I-Application
and	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Episode	O
III	O
sees	O
Shion	O
Uzuki	O
and	O
the	O
battle	O
android	O
KOS-MOS	O
search	O
out	O
the	O
origins	O
of	O
the	O
hostile	O
alien	O
Gnosis	O
while	O
being	O
hunted	O
by	O
Shion	O
's	O
former	O
employers	O
and	O
four	O
powerful	O
humans	O
called	O
the	O
Testaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concept	O
work	O
for	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
began	O
during	O
the	O
later	O
development	O
of	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
II	I-Application
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mixed	O
response	O
to	O
the	O
Xenosaga	O
series	O
left	O
Monolith	O
Soft	O
staff	O
in	O
a	O
state	O
of	O
low	O
morale	O
,	O
partially	O
leading	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Xenoblade	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
where	O
players	O
take	O
control	O
of	O
a	O
party	O
of	O
characters	O
;	O
during	O
the	O
game	O
they	O
explore	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
environments	O
from	O
towns	O
and	O
cities	O
to	O
dungeons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
science	O
fiction	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
I	I-Application
,	O
main	O
protagonist	O
Shion	O
Uzuki	O
and	O
her	O
creation	O
the	O
anti-Gnosis	O
android	O
KOS-MOS	O
are	O
forced	O
to	O
escape	O
an	O
Gnosis	O
attack	O
triggered	O
by	O
the	O
discovery	O
of	O
a	O
Zohar	O
Emulator	O
,	O
a	O
manmade	O
copy	O
of	O
the	O
Zohar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Albedo	O
succeeds	O
in	O
accessing	O
Miltia	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
conflict	O
between	O
Ormus	O
and	O
the	O
Federation	O
to	O
access	O
a	O
powerful	O
mech	O
called	O
the	O
Proto	O
Omega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
defeat	O
of	O
the	O
Proto	O
Omega	O
,	O
the	O
Zohar	O
is	O
absorbed	O
by	O
a	O
giant	O
ship	O
dubbed	O
"	O
Abel	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ark	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Events	O
are	O
also	O
observed	O
by	O
Wilhelm	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
working	O
with	O
the	O
Testaments	O
to	O
find	O
both	O
Abel	O
and	O
Abel	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ark	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Abel	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ark	I-Application
,	O
summoned	O
by	O
the	O
events	O
in	O
Shion	O
's	O
subconscious	O
,	O
appears	O
in	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
and	O
begins	O
causing	O
planets	O
to	O
vanish	O
as	O
it	O
pursues	O
Zarathustra	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yuriev	O
activates	O
the	O
Zohar	O
Emulators	O
stored	O
in	O
the	O
Durandal	O
,	O
intent	O
on	O
using	O
them	O
in	O
combination	O
with	O
Omega	O
and	O
Abel	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ark	I-Application
to	O
defeat	O
U-DO	O
by	O
rising	O
to	O
godhood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
group	O
successfully	O
infiltrate	O
Abel	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ark	I-Application
,	O
where	O
Jr.	O
kills	O
Yuriev	O
with	O
help	O
from	O
Albedo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wilhelm	O
reveals	O
that	O
he	O
has	O
been	O
preserving	O
the	O
universe	O
from	O
ending	O
due	O
to	O
human	O
wills	O
that	O
reject	O
connection	O
with	O
U-DO	O
;	O
by	O
capturing	O
U-DO	O
'	O
s	O
"	O
eyes	O
"	O
Abel	O
and	O
Abel	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ark	I-Application
and	O
using	O
eternal	B-Application
recurrence	I-Application
,	O
Wilhelm	O
has	O
trapped	O
the	O
universe	O
in	O
a	O
time	O
loop	O
with	O
the	O
power	O
of	O
Zarathustra	O
and	O
the	O
Zohar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
began	O
in	O
2004	O
during	O
the	O
final	O
development	O
stages	O
of	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
period	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
decided	O
to	O
turn	O
the	O
Xenosaga	O
series	O
into	O
a	O
trilogy	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
planned	O
scenario	O
and	O
some	O
elements	O
being	O
turned	O
into	O
side	O
projects	O
such	O
as	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
:	I-Application
Pied	I-Application
Piper	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
director	O
was	O
Koh	O
Arai	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
directed	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Takahashi	O
drafted	O
and	O
supervised	O
the	O
scenario	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
written	O
by	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
writer	O
Norihiko	O
Yonesaka	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
goals	O
when	O
developing	O
Episode	O
III	O
was	O
not	O
only	O
to	O
bring	O
a	O
satisfactory	O
end	O
to	O
the	O
Xenosaga	O
storyline	O
up	O
to	O
that	O
point	O
,	O
but	O
to	O
address	O
criticism	O
of	O
the	O
short	O
length	O
of	O
Episode	O
IIs	O
story	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
addressing	O
general	O
problems	O
noticed	O
with	O
both	O
Episode	O
I	O
and	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
original	O
Xenosaga	O
writer	O
Soraya	O
Saga	O
,	O
the	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
narrative	O
plan	O
for	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
resulted	O
in	O
several	O
narrative	O
shifts	O
within	O
Episode	O
III	O
,	O
deviating	O
from	O
Takahashi	O
and	O
Saga	O
's	O
original	O
draft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
scenario	O
for	O
Episode	O
III	O
includes	O
narrative	O
elements	O
Takahashi	O
originally	O
created	O
for	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
cut	O
from	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
due	O
to	O
time	O
constraints	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
designs	O
were	O
adjusted	O
to	O
balance	O
between	O
the	O
designs	O
of	O
Episode	O
I	O
and	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
expressing	O
both	O
realism	O
and	O
an	O
exaggerated	O
"	O
cute	O
"	O
artstyle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mugitani	O
's	O
mech	O
and	O
armor	O
designs	O
drew	O
from	O
both	O
the	O
Gundam	O
franchise	O
and	O
the	O
1997	O
film	O
adaptation	O
of	O
Starship	B-Application
Troopers	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
in	O
2005	O
,	O
alongside	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
I	I-Application
&	I-Application
II	I-Application
—	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
remake	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
Xenosaga	O
episodes	O
—	O
and	O
Baten	B-Application
Kaitos	I-Application
Origins	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
localized	O
for	O
the	O
West	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
and	O
8-4	O
;	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
one	O
of	O
8-4	O
'	O
s	O
earliest	O
projects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
English	O
dubbing	O
was	O
handled	O
by	O
Cup	O
of	O
Tea	O
Productions	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
original	O
voice	O
actors	O
from	O
Episode	O
I	O
,	O
including	O
KOS-MOS	O
'	O
s	O
original	O
English	O
actress	O
Bridget	O
Hoffman	O
,	O
were	O
brought	O
back	O
after	O
the	O
recasting	O
for	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Episode	O
III	O
was	O
not	O
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
previous	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
score	O
of	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
by	O
composing	O
the	O
cimenatic	O
tracks	O
,	O
Kajiura	O
was	O
brought	O
back	O
to	O
compose	O
the	O
entire	O
score	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
increased	O
work	O
load	O
of	O
handling	O
an	O
entire	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
Kajiura	O
found	O
the	O
difficulty	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
work	O
she	O
did	O
on	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
soundtrack	O
album	O
titled	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Also	I-Application
Sprach	I-Application
Zarathustra	I-Application
Original	O
Sound	O
Best	O
Tracks	O
,	O
featuring	O
selections	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
score	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Victor	O
Entertainment	O
on	O
July	O
12	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
its	O
debut	O
week	O
,	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
reached	O
number	O
2	O
in	O
the	O
charts	O
behind	O
New	B-Application
Super	I-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
with	O
sales	O
approaching	O
124,000	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
its	O
sales	O
were	O
stronger	O
than	O
Xenosaga	B-Application
I	I-Application
&	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
lower	O
debut	O
than	O
the	O
previous	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Parkin	O
praised	O
the	O
"	O
middle	O
ground	O
"	O
balance	O
in	O
the	O
character	O
designs	O
between	O
the	O
deformed	O
look	O
of	O
Episode	O
I	O
and	O
the	O
realism	O
of	O
Episode	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xenosaga	B-Application
Episode	I-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
the	O
last	O
property	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
Xenosaga	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Partly	O
to	O
boost	O
team	O
morale	O
and	O
create	O
a	O
game	O
players	O
would	O
enjoy	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
developed	O
a	O
new	O
RPG	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
;	O
originally	O
titled	O
Monado	B-Application
:	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
World	I-Application
,	O
its	O
title	O
was	O
eventually	O
changed	O
to	O
Xenoblade	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
success	O
of	O
Xenoblade	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
led	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
further	O
Xeno	B-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
