Xenosaga is a good RPG that stands apart from the crowd... a whorthwile pick for RPG fans.
One thing that almost any review will make note of is the story. The plot of Xenosaga is definitely its strong suit. The game neglects the typical teenagers-collect-8-crystals-to-save-the-world to bring you a sci-fi drama filled with plot twists and endearing characters. The cut-scenes in this game run rather long... longer than most any game in my memory. Indeed, some scenes can take a half-hour or more! Thankfully, the longest cutscenes are punctuated by save points, and any cutscene can be paused or skipped. People looking for an action-driven game should stay away... you will most certainly be sitting and watching as much as you play. Thankfully, these cutscenes turn out to be both relevant and entertaining. I honestly never minded watching them... it comes off as a kind of entertaining sci-fi anime.
Speaking more on pace... this game is a slow-paced one, even when held to RPG standards. Along with the cutscenes, exploring the large maps takes a considerable amount of time, and oftentimes battles will run several minutes each. In addition to this, you will have plenty to do with the almost-too-deep leveling system. Characters earn not one but FOUR different kinds of experience points when leveling up... and these points are spent to learn new abilities, increase statistics, and power up your magic and special attacks. Not only that... but characters can also equip, upgrade and outfit AGWS (giant robots) which they can call forth and use in battle! Its certainly a lot to swallow when you first approach it, but it's nothing that can't be learned.
In addition to all this, the game will constantly beg you to get yourself sidetracked. Old areas can be revisited to find new items and secrets. In addition to the main quest there are also a handful of minigames you can unlock and play at your leasure. The deepest of these is a collectable card game called Xenocard, which is loads of fun and nearly deep enough to be a game on its own! You can use your game money to buy booster packs to augment your collection and build decks, and there are hundreds of cards to sample from. I found this game particularly fun (as I am a fan of CCGs myself) and could go on about it in its own review if allowed. In short, you will never be short on distractions should you wish to take a break from the main quest.
The graphics in Xenosaga are pretty good for a PS2 game. Though there is a distinct lack of anti-aliasing, the environments have an appropriate amount of sci-fi drab and the character models look fantastic. The anime styling is spot-on, to be sure. The attack animations are bright and colorful. My one complaint here is that some of the special attacks are a bit drawn out and over-stylized, and you may get worn out on them... especially once you unearth the ability to launch them every round.
The sound effects in this game are solid. The voice acting is well-done but not perfect... about as good as you can expect for a game with so much dialogue. A lot of the music is forgettable in this game, and some of the more prominent tracks are reused often. I kindof wish there was more music in this game, I got tired of many of the main themes by the end.
The Verdict:
Xenosaga is an RPG that will appeal to fans of the genre. Those who can tolerate its long cutscenes, slow pacing, anime styling and complicated micromanaging will find the excellent gameplay and story well worth it. Add in all of the wonderful minigames (including the impressive Xenocard) and the package is complete. Unfortunetly, this game's complicated nature may make it a less-than-optimal choice for those looking to enter the RPG genre. However, I would not discourage anyone from giving it a try... excepting those completely turned off by the repetitive turn-based combat typical of games of this type.
It is also worth noting, Xenogears aside, that this game is installment one of a three-part RPG. The game's plot abruptly ends with several loose ends left to be tied up in Xenosaga II and Xenosaga III. Though all three of these can be found on the cheap (this particular installment made Greatest Hits) be aware that this series will warrant a significant time commitment on your part. This first game can be completed in about 40 hours, but you could easily commit more than double that amount in finding secrets, playing Xenocard and leveling your characters.
So go on and give it a try! It's a different style of game, but quite entertaining in its own way... as an RPG fan, I'm glad I own it.
+Good character design and voice acting
+Plot is convoluted and interesting
+Minigames galore
+Xenocard
+Long cutscenes are pausable and skippable
-Graphics and sound can be a little too drab sometimes
-Some battles can take several minutes
-Micromanaging can get very time consuming sometimes