Xenosaga Episode II - Premium Box (2004) Released exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation 2, this Premium Box is the collector’s edition of Xenosaga Episode II. Honestly, it’s one of those PS2 releases that feels like it came from a completely different era. Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse was released in 2004 and continues the story of Shion, KOS-MOS and the crew of the Elsa. The series was already known for its huge sci-fi universe, long cinematic scenes and all the philosophical stuff that made Xenosaga feel so unique. But this Premium Box is really what caught my attention. Inside the box: • The two-disc PS2 game • A Tab Bike figure • A standing KOS-MOS figure • A seated KOS-MOS figure for the Tab Bike • Three interchangeable weapons • Display stands • A visual book filled with artwork from the game What I love about releases like this is how unnecessary they are, in the best possible way. You obviously don’t need a tiny KOS-MOS sitting on a Tab Bike to play Xenosaga II, but someone at Namco thought, yeah, let’s put all of that in a huge box, and honestly… I’m glad they did. It just feels very early 2000s Japanese collector edition. Big boxes, random figures, weird accessories and a lot of effort put into something that was clearly made for people who already loved the game and the universe. And that’s probably what I love most about collecting PS2 games. It’s crazy to think about how many different collector’s editions used to come out back then, especially when today we’re sometimes lucky to even get a physical copy of a game, even when it’s a huge release. I think that’s what I miss the most about that era. You could get a game with a figure, an artbook, some random accessories and a huge box, just because. Looking at some of these editions today, it’s honestly hard to believe they actually made them. #Xenosaga #XenosagaII #Playstation2 #PS2 #Collector - @hiddengemplay