A good RPG by Namco, but what's with the gameplay?
Here are the pros and cons:
Cons:
1. Gameplay (battle mode) is dull, repetitive, and has very limited moves or actions to choose from
2. Opponents or monster types are very limited and that they look almost the same except with the color; only with different stats and names.
3. What makes it worse is that different villain types which look alike have exactly the same moves, and does not have its own exclusive special move
4. Villains have only about 3-4 moves used in battle mode
5. No weapons and armor to choose from
6. Extremely small area or world map (actually: city maps)
7. Experience is automatically gained by "Reserve" characters who are not involved in the actual battle
Pros:
-Overall graphics are smooth and detailed, with high resolution.
-Story is rich and deep (hence the "saga" word)
-Numerous optional or side missions to take
-Narrative description of current progress when loading from memory card
So maybe Xenosaga series tend to concentrate mostly on the story alone, ignoring diverse actions in battle mode. It may be worth playing but don't expect this game to be better (at least in gameplay) than Final Fantasy series.