Well, well, well... you don't a much stronger start to a game than that! Xenosaga III REALLY impressed me in its opening act. This is by far the most polished product of this trilogy, and we're excited to share our incites with you on all the great symbolism and strong setups here.

Following her resignation from Vector, Shion teams up with Scientia to investigate the company’s secrets while Allen takes her place looking after KOS-MOS. Meanwhile, Canaan, Jr., Jin, chaos, MOMO, and Ziggy investigate a landmass floating through space that originated from Lost Jerusalem. Margulis attacks them in response, and the landmass is swallowed up in an inverted pocket of hyperspace, which the Elsa also falls into. Meanwhile, Shion visits Allen and sees a demonstration of two new weapons for fighting the Gnosis—T-elos, a battle robot meant to replace KOS-MOS, and Omega, a mech created from the remains of the Proto Omega and piloted by Abel. After the test, T-elos' creator, Roth Mantel, informs Allen that KOS-MOS will be scrapped in favor of T-elos. Because KOS-MOS's weaponry is the only way to break into the hyperspace pocket and save the Elsa, Shion leads the group into the facility and rescues KOS-MOS, guided at one point by Abel. Nephilim visits Shion frequently during this time, and Shion begins to experience a series of blackouts where U-DO contacts her. These events are observed by Wilhelm, who is working with the Testaments to find Abel his Ark. Entering the hyperspace pocket, the group finds the Elsa and investigates the area, encountering both Albedo and Virgil and learning that the Vessels of Anima powering their E.S. mechs are critical to the Testaments' plans. They are then confronted by Mantel—who reveals himself as the Red Testament—and T-elos. T-elos nearly kills KOS-MOS, but Shion's pendant activates and seemingly transports the group to the planet Miltia fifteen years in the past.