In the 21st century, a team of researchers uncovered a strange monolith in the region of Kenya that is home to Lake Turkana. The substance that was found inside of it, which was eventually given the name Zohar, has emerged as a source of tremendous power in a very short amount of time. In the end, humanity was successful in reaching the stars, and they went on to create the Galaxy Federation and colonize the known universe.
In the year 4767 T.C. (Transcend Christ), which corresponds to the year 7277 A.D. in the ancient year-counting system, humanity has long since abandoned the planet Earth, which has been renamed Lost Jerusalem and deleted from star maps, as the means to go it is no longer known. The original Zohar substance was found to be too dangerous and was imprisoned on the planet Old Militia. Since then, the majority of mankind has resorted to using Zohar mimics, which are less potent devices than the actual Zohar substance. Despite this, there are organizations that continue their search for the authentic Zohar, as they believe it to be the key that will unlock the door to Jerusalem’s rebirth.
In the meantime, a new extraterrestrial race known as the Gnosis has appeared. The Vector Corporation has come to the conclusion that the most effective method of defense against the Gnosis will be the creation of an android known as KOS-MOS. This research is being led by a young engineer by the name of Shion Uzuki. After Shion and her team have successfully completed KOS-MOS, they come under attack from the Gnosis. As a result of a chain of unfortunate occurrences, Shion finds himself the target of the terrorist organization known as U-TIC as well as other shadowy people, all of whom appear to be searching for the hidden entrance to Old Militia. Other characters become involved in the conflict, and eventually, Shion comes to the realization that she is not alone in her struggle and that the initial attack by Gnosis was only a small part of a complex, multi-layered conspiracy. This realization occurs after other characters become involved in the conflict.
A sci-fi role-playing game in the Japanese manner, Xenosaga: Episode I – Der Wille zur Macht is the first chapter of a trilogy and shares many of the same themes and gameplay aspects as Xenogears. The game is also known as Xenosaga: Episode I – Der Wille zur Macht. The combat system is very similar to the one seen in Xenogears (combo attacks, AP and EP gauges, etc.), with the exception that random encounters are not a part of it. Instead, the adversaries are now visible, and it is possible to sidestep fights altogether. During combat, the player is provided with an on-screen preview of the few upcoming turns of both allies and enemies. This enables the player to make tactical decisions based on who is most likely to act next. A rolling slot advances with each turn as well, bestowing a bonus on any action taken during that round, such as additional damage or bonus experience points. If the adversary is in a position to gain an advantage, the player has the option of expending a character’s boost gauge in order to cut in and act next. However, the adversary also has the ability to boost, and enemy boosts will always take precedence over player boosts.
Each playable character has their own individualized tree of ether spells that they can learn by expending ether points that they have earned in combat. In order to purchase lower-level spells, higher-level spells must be purchased first. After a spell has been purchased, so long as it does not require a special ability possessed by the character who initially purchased it, any other character who can afford to pay twice as much for the spell will be able to purchase it and learn it as well. If a player has enough action points during their turn to board their Anti-Gnosis Weapon System, they are able to utilize it in combat. The Anti-Gnosis Weapon Systems can be outfitted with a variety of weapons and accessories, and they can also be equipped with those items.
