Xenogears is about as close to perfection as an RPG can get.
Platform - PlayStation
Publisher - Squaresoft
Developer - Sqauresoft
Release Date - October 20, 1998
Genre - Role Playing Game
ESRB -T (Teen)
Rarely do I find games that have a story aimed towards adults. Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 are the only ones that come to mind. It's a real shame though because these stories are quite possibly the greatest told through a videogame. My brother and I were discussing this, and he still doesn't really get it. I was explaining to him that at the end of Final Fantasy X, you can't have naked people talking about existence. It just wouldn't make sense or be right for how the rest of the game went. I enjoy stories that make you think, not about the game, but about your own life and questions your values-Something that is controversial and gets your blood riled up. This is how I portray Xenogears. Sure, it may have the teen rating, and I'm sure a lot of teens have played it, but make no mistake, Xenogears is mostly an adult game.
Xenogears' storyline has a lot of themes to focus on, but the one that seems to stand out the most is human memory. Like most RPGs, amnesia occurs, but the difference with Xenogears is that it takes this idea and goes above and beyond with it. I can't really say anything more without giving spoilers but the story is probably Xenogears' greatest strength. It's complex, controversial, and about as engrossing as a story can get. In fact, I was so absorbed into the story that the major gameplay difference, starting at the second disc, didn't bother me. This change is due to budget problems which are partially because Final Fantasy VII was in development at the same time. By the time the game starts playing itself for you, I was willing and ready to make this change. I didn't want to use up any more time exploring dungeons, I just wanted to see what would happen next, and that's what I got. It's all thanks to Final Fantasy VII (can't believe I just said).
This fantastic storyline is told through some of the best dialogue I have ever seen. It's surprisingly natural and realistic, which is why talking to villagers doesn't feel like a chore. Aside from a few translation errors here and there, the dialogue fleshes out the characters just as it should. Perhaps this wouldn't be as noticeable as it is if it wasn't for the beautiful soundtrack. Every piece is where it should be and of high quality too. I can safely say that some tracks would definitely be in my hall of fame RPG music. The graphics are not half bad either. Probably not the greatest on the PSX, but they're detailed and above average. Although, it is a bit strange when they have close ups on the characters where they no longer look like anything but blocks of different colors.
Story isn't everything, right? Well, I could argue with that, but thankfully Xenogears nails the gameplay just like it does with everything else. The battle system is simple and innovative. It involves creating combos by using the X, square, and triangle buttons which each use a different amount of AP. By doing this you create deathblow attacks and by experimenting with different combinations you can learn new deathblow attacks. It keeps things interesting and gives the turn based battles a sense of real time to them. This new system was easy to catch on, but it took me a while to truly see everything it can do. Fighting isn't just done one way though. There are two kinds of battles: on foot, and inside a Gear. Gears are those machine robot-like things you may have seen in screenshots. Gear battles are just as engaging as battles on foot and I was shocked to see how they balanced these two out so well. It's usually one of the other and you're never going to feel like you're in one battle state for too long. Xenogears has a remarkably innovative battle system that keeps everything balanced. It would take a while to go in depth with the all the parts of it so I'll just leave it at that.
What I liked:
+one of the greatest stories ever told
+entertaining dialogue
+unique and innovative battle system
+nice balance of both kinds of battles
+surprisingly good mini-games
+beautiful soundtrack
+balanced difficulty
+all around solid package of an RPG
+perfect length (took me 65 hours and didn't feel too long or too short)
+Final Fantasy-like feel without being Final Fantasy
What I disliked:
~There were not any significant flaws that bothered me. I could nitpick, but what would that do?
Random Comments
~If Xenogears was remade I think my heart would burst from excitement xD
~I saw the secret music video and that has got to be my favorite world map theme...ever
~Why does it seem like all the best games come out of budget problems or limited resources?
Obligatory (?) Score - 10/10
I almost shed a tear when I see all the hard work put into Xenogears. It has everything as it should be. The more I look back on Xenogears, the more I love it. It's truly a work of art and should not be missed by anyone craving an RPG masterpiece.
There's actually a graphical script of the game. It's pretty cool. Just choose a page and go to "all sizes" to make it large enough to read:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29956195@N08/sets/72157616535933159/
If you have any questions feel free to send me a message.
Thank you for reading,
~Vari