If you appreciate the work done within the wiki, please consider supporting The Cutting Room Floor on Patreon. Thanks for all your support!

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (PlayStation 2)

From The Cutting Room Floor
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Title Screen

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht

Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Namco
Platform: PlayStation 2
Released in JP: February 28, 2002
Released in US: February 25, 2003


DebugIcon.png This game has debugging material.
SoundtestIcon.png This game has a hidden sound test.
RegionIcon.png This game has regional differences.
Carts.png This game has revisional differences.


Xenosaga was intended to be the ambitious spiritual successor series to Xenogears, yet it only managed to span three games before being cancelled.

The game was remade in the Japan-only Xenosaga I & II compilation for the Nintendo DS which combines the first two games in the series. Monolith Soft's next "Xeno" series started with Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii and shares many of the same staff and similar themes.

Hmmm...
To do:
  • Document the unused enemies from the enemy list in the debug menu and unused battle encounters. (Most enemies have no graphics, but some do. Such as an unused dragon and some mech which is possibly Proto Omega.)
  • There's an image in the game (either the card game or some backstory image, I can't remember, I saw it when extracting images years ago, it may be unused) showing a front view of Wilhelm as the Vector chief. Even if this particular image is seen, there's no actual scene in the game showing the front view of the Vector chief.
  • Document the menus as well as the main debug menu. More information here.
  • Find some way to extract models to display unused ones. I can model swap them in game, but that's hardly ideal.

Debug Menus

Using the following CodeBreaker codes, one at a time, you can access some exciting debug menus...almost. Press L1 to activate the code and L2 to deactivate it.

  • Simajiri Test-Battle Debug
DA68310B B24F6D59
2A7B20BC 0C0B763E
DA68310B B24F6D44
2A7B20BC 0C09138A
  • Endou Test: has many sub-menus with more debugging options.
DA68310B B24F6D59
2A7B20BC 0C09BD36
DA68310B B24F6D44
2A7B20BC 0C09138A
  • Yajima Test: has a Movie Viewer, Full UMA and Email Browser, among other things.
DA68310B B24F6D59
2A7B20BC 0C095FB0
DA68310B B24F6D44
2A7B20BC 0C09138A
  • Karakama Test: a Sound Test.
DA68310B B24F6D59
2A7B20BC 0C0AF3A6
DA68310B B24F6D44
2A7B20BC 0C09138A
  • Yoshikawa Test: all options crash the game.
DA68310B B24F6D59
2A7B20BC 0C0B6440
DA68310B B24F6D44
2A7B20BC 0C09138A
  • .pnach format, for use with PCSX2:
gametitle=Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht [SLUS 20469]
comment=Uncomment the patches to make them work!

//SimajiriTest - Battle Debug
//patch=1,EE,20245F50,extended,0C0B763E
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000

//Endou Test: has many sub-menus with more debugging options.
//patch=1,EE,20245F50,extended,0C09BD36
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000

//Yoshikawa Test: all options crash the game.
//patch=1,EE,20245F50,extended,0C0B6440
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000

//Karakama Test: a Sound Test.
//patch=1,EE,20245F50,extended,0C0AF3A6
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000

//Yajima Test: has a Movie Viewer, Full UMA and Email Browser, among other things.
//patch=1,EE,20245F50,extended,0C095FB0
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000

//Press Start for Debug Menu
//patch=1,EE,20245F50,extended,0C0916EA
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000

//Event Tools
//patch=1,EE,20245F50,extended,0C091348
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000

//Dis. Enemy Act Info Debug
//patch=1,EE,DE92239E,extended,BCA99B83
//patch=1,EE,DE9D6CE6,extended,BCA99B83

//Display Act Info Debug
//patch=1,EE,20260998,extended,00000000
//patch=1,EE,203060F0,extended,00000000

//Display Debug Cam. Info
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000
//patch=1,EE,2030904C,extended,00000000

//Display Debug Anim Time
//patch=1,EE,202192E8,extended,00000000
//patch=1,EE,202CD320,extended,00000000

Unused Playable Characters

Found in the Samajiri Test debug menu for battle, several slots were created for unused or scrapped playable characters. Some have had more work done than others before their removal.

Shitan

Slot meant for Jin Uzuki, who was originally mean to be a permanent party member is Episode I, but the story was cut short just before you'd meet him. "Shitan" is either an early name, or a reference to Citan Uzuki of Xenogears. Unfortunately, most of the data was removed, making his slot unusable. There are many signs that he could have been fully completed before his removal.

When placed into the party, his name is set to "-----", and he uses the Soldiers portrait. At level 99, he has the highest stats of any character by a *longshot*.

Although his slot no longer has these on by default, there are several Square/Triangle and Tech attacks that were meant for him. Their names are set to "Reserve" (Or the Japanese equivalent), and all scripting for them were removed. However, their traits still exist:

  • S - Near/Slash/-----
  • T - Line/-----/Spirit
  • TS - Near/Hit/----
  • TT - Line/----/Spirit
  • SS - Near/Slash/----
  • ST - Near/Peirce/----
  • Tech 1 - Near/Slash/----
  • Tech 2 - Line/----/Spirit
  • Tech 3 - Near/Peirce/Spirit
  • Tech 4 - Near/Slash/----
  • Tech 5 - Air/----/Spirit
  • Tech 6 - Near/Slash/Spirit
  • Tech 7 - Near/Slash/Spirit
  • Tech 8 - Air/Slash/Spirit

He has twelve Ether skills, all named "Reserve" with no script attached to them.

According to the Battle Debug menu, Jin was meant to have twelve equipable weapons. A model for his first weapon (And it's sheath) exists in the game data, and can be placed on other characters in the debug menu.

Cecilia and Catherine

Between Jr. and Virgil are two slots for Cecilia and Catherine, Febronias sisters. Given their role in episode two would not allow for it, their plans were likely different in episode 1. It's likely they weren't developed at all before being cut. There are references to a couple animation files that no longer exist, but thats it.

Placing them in the party shows them with their regular names, unlike Jin (In the English version, they use their Japanese names), and they use chaos's portrait. All their stats are set to 0, even at higher levels.

Mary and Shelley

These are odd cases. Both slots are used to an extent, but not through normal means. During the raid on the U-TIC Battleship, Jr. is accompanied by Mary and a random Soldier, who are limited to their AGWS units in battle. This is a little misleading however, because while the game's UI leads you to believe it's them, the game actually has the AGWS slots injected right into the party, rather than having them as equippables as they normally are. (The same is done with Jr.'s AGWS on the Woglinde, just before this segment.) The actual characters without the AGWS can be placed in the party, however, there in no data associated with them and they're almost useless in battle.

In addition, the "Shelly" slot is what is used for the random soldier that joins. While Shelly does not join you in the final game, it seems she was meant to at some point, and her slot was repurposed for the Soldier. The Samajiri Test menu is the only place that refers to the Soldier's slot as Shelley.

UKN

In the last programmed slot for the AGWS units is the UMN Mascot known as "Bunnie". (Also known as "U-kun" in the Japanese version"). Although unusable, there is a character model associated with it, which can be loaded under the right conditions.

Unused Character Models

Hmmm...
To do:
  • Pictures!

There are a few character models that were made, but not used (Or in three cases, used *once* in ways that make them hard to make out)

  • cath and cecilia - Two unused models for Catherine and Cecelia, who look noticeably older than the children seen in the final product. They seem to be wearing battle suits of some sort, Catherine suit is blue while Cecilia's is red.
  • marglis1 - A model of Margulis, wearing a recolored version of the Federation Uniform that Virgil wears when you first meet him. Likely meant to be used for a segment postposed until Episode II, during the flashback to Jin and chaos on Old Miltia. Interestingly, he uses the face data for his normal model, with his scar in tact.
  • shi_mam - Shion's Mother who's name was revealed to be Aoi Uzuki in Episode 3. Though not unused, she appears in only two scenes, with most of the model obscured by a blanket.
  • step_mam - This model was used in one scene, where she is found dead on the floor, facing away from the camera. The name and location it was used suggest this character was meant to be Shions step-mother, a character who no longer exists in the series overall.
  • voyager - A character who wasn't introduced until the next episode, he was seen in a *heavily* filtered flashback Ziggy has just before the Gargoyle boss fight. He also has a face, though it's *very* hard to see.

There are also references to two models for characters that were cut from Episode I entirely:

  • shalron - In one debug menu, this character is placed next to k_joach, used for Joaquin Rozas, Ziggy's son, seen in one flashback scene. This was likely meant for Sharon Rozas, Ziggy's wife, who was never seen in game proper. She made her appearance in the now defunct Mobile game, Pied Piper.
  • hinlyn - Likely meant for Cardinal Heinlein, a character often mentioned but completely unseen until Episode III. This implies that Heinline and one other character who used this as an alias, were meant to be two different characters.

Unused Areas

During the initial stage of development, the story of Episode II was initially meant to be included in Episode I. As expected, there was a LOT of work put into it before that portion of the story was scrapped.

MC_UMN

These areas were meant to be the UMN control Center, seen in Episode II. Much of it is unfinished or corrupted. There are two loadable areas.

X1 MC UMN 01 1.jpgX1 MC UMN 01 2.jpgX1 MC UMN 01 3.jpgX1 MC UMN 01 4.jpgX1 MC UMN 01 5.jpgX1 MC UMN 01 6.jpg

MC_UZU

Jin's house. Unike Episode II, there are several areas of the house. Area's 4, 5, AND 8 are currently unviewable, due to bad camera angles.

X1 MC UZU 01 1.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 2.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 3.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 4.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 5.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 6.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 7.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 8.jpgX1 MC UZU 01 9.jpg

MC_MIL

Second Miltia. The game ends just before you come here, however there is some early promotional screenshots showing these areas. There are two.

MC_UDO

Loading these areas end with your character in a void. However, based on the name, it may have been the areas used for Jr.'s final battle with Albedo, seen in Episode II.

Regional Differences

The infamous scene with Albedo and MOMO was altered in the American release to remove the knife Albedo uses to threaten MOMO and decapitate himself, as well as the blood that appears in the latter part. Interestingly, the entire cutscene was re-rendered.

(Source: Various, Helsionium (video))

Hard Disk Drive

The Japanese releases support installing data to a hard disk to speed up load times.

Revisional Differences

An enhanced version of the game was released exclusively in Japan called "Xenosaga Episode I: Reloaded". This version features the English voice-acting and a few special features, including two additional armors which serve as alternate costumes for KOS-MOS (Archetype outfit) and MOMO (Kirschwasser outfit) and a play-back library of all the game's movie scenes.