3/5 ★ – Lancey's review of Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse.

With the second installment, the Xenosaga series sees some changes... some good, some questionable. The good is that they toned down the overly "cute" anime look, upgraded the graphics, revamped the battle system, streamlined character leveling and most importantly, increased focus on characters and story. It's worth noting that the story is actually really interesting this time around and you'll actually see the cast develop into captivating individuals. Other changes are simply odd... like the choice of new voice actors for a few of the returning characters who really aren't any better than previous ones and the removal of a money/equipment/bartering system. But some things remains the same- the game still feels slow and tedious, puzzles are simplistic yet laborious, the battle system still contains too many variables and the difficulty remains inconsistent. The improvements are welcome but the game still feels lackluster. It's a more enjoyable experience than the first game though, mainly thanks to the accelerated story and character development (but it is a bit short; the main quest only lasts about 20-25 hours long).