Japan's renowned game developer SQUARE ENIX is releasing a new model kit in its "STRUCTURE ARTS PLUS" series, featuring the Gear "SIEBZEHN" (Japanese: ゼプツェン), piloted by Maria, from their classic masterpiece Xenogears, originally released in 1998. It is scheduled for release in October 2023.
The game Xenogears was released in February 1998. Initially proposed by renowned producer Tetsuya Takahashi in 1995, it was originally considered as a potential sequel to the classic RPG Final Fantasy series, but later decided to become a new, independent game. The game's background story is incredibly vast and epic, spanning tens of thousands of years and divided into multiple chapters. Its unique human-machine combat system also garnered significant praise from players. Due to not meeting its initial sales targets and having resources diverted during the later stages of development, which led to a significant difference in gameplay experience, SQUARE ENIX did not release an official sequel. Tetsuya Takahashi later left to NAMCO to create Xenosaga. For many years, this title has remained one of the SQUARE ENIX games many fans hope to see remade.
The Gear "SIEBZEHN" (ゼプツェン) is piloted by Maria Balthasar. As a child, she and her parents were captured by the Solarians. Her father, Nikola, was forced to develop the "Man-Machine Integration" system (人機融合ギア). SIEBZEHN was the first prototype of this project and lacks a cockpit. Therefore, Maria typically stands on its head and controls it via voice commands. Its armaments include missiles and a gravity cannon. Incidentally, SIEBZEHN is German for "seventeen," a concept derived from Daitetsujin 17.
This SIEBZEHN model kit from the STRUCTURE ARTS PLUS series is also produced in 1/144 scale. It stands approximately 19 cm tall. The individual parts are pre-colored, allowing for a faithful recreation of SIEBZEHN's appearance from the game once assembled. It features a good range of articulation and includes interchangeable hand parts, as well as a display stand.
Xenogears STRUCTURE ARTS PLUS 1/144 PLASTIC MODEL SIEBZEHN
Reference Price: 16,280 JPY (tax included)
Scheduled Release Date: October 28, 2023
Dimensions: Approx. W141.5mm x D121.2mm x H191.8mm
