The NZA Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Xenogears is one of square's finest (and my absolute favorite) RPGs that came from that magical period in the late 90's when Square was experimenting with all kinds of shit, and we got Vagrant Story, Einhander, Bushido Blade, Brave Fencer, Parasite Eve and all kinds of games that should one day also get their own threads, but this one's about a controversial RPG that almost didn't get here due to religious content. I dont recall Xenogears getting a lot of hype, at the time, and given that what i read was somewhat Evangelion like - religion + mechs - i was kind of iffy, and never got into the demo. After much talk, i gave it a try, and despite a repetitive combat system (like most) and an overall length of like 80 hours or so - including some of those classic controller-throwing battles (i still recall these 3 robot shark chicks beating the shit out of me for a while) - I couldn't put this one down. Id gotten my hands on it, as i recall, the same summer Spiffytee got me into Silent Hill, so i was already on a roll with great games, and having my favorite composer (Mitsuda; think of Chrono Trigger) on board only made the experience more memorable. You play Fei, a young martial artist with the typical bout of amnesia, the night before your good, small-town friend is about to wed. After some character-buliding talks, your town is raided by enigmatic figures, and after deciding out of fucking nowhere to jump into a spare mech, you promplty wipe out your enemies, despite this being your first time piloting - right before wiping the town off the planet. The only survivor, Dr. Citan, begins a journey with you, as you slowly realize - much throughout the game, actually - he knows far more than he's letting on, from your past to cities in the sky. The plot's got a ton going for it - its quite epic, sprawling a series in itself (Xenosaga, though we'll not defile this thread with talk of bastard spinoffs...damn you, Monolith), its got great characters, some of the more effective notions of love/romance ive seen in the genre, and an interesting balance of lighthearted moments and foreshadowing - and when it gets dark, the game gets dark as hell. It wasnt until recenlty id found the rumor of budget problems debunked; once you complete the bulk of the game on disc 1, much of the second disc is basically told to you in retrospect. Its an interesting style, though those turned off by heavy dialogue still cringe - and it certainly meshed better than seeing those lovely, hand-drawn anime cutscenes botched to hell and back by a mix of so-so voice acting and awful timing/dubbing....seriously, the ending had voices long after people stopped talking. You really look at this one and wonder why no one else wants a proper remake of this instead of FF VII. Anyway, i know a few of you've played - perhaps even finished - this one, but honestly, while PS1 3D graphics often dont age well, ive been meaning to buy this one back and see if it stands the test of time. Ive got the soundtracks and the artbook, i love this one so much - so if you're an RPG fan, this one oughta be on your list next to Chrono, Suikoden, Lunar, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 I loved this game. At this time I had played Breath of Fire 3 and Secret of Mana and that was pretty much the extent of my RPG playing at the time. But this game has resonated with me as one of my favorites, which is why it annoys me that to find a copy you have to throw a virgin into a volcano and pledge your life to Great Cthulhu and then sign over your first-born to actually buy it. I'm all for a remake, fuck Final Fantasy 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldron Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Really? I only had to pay thirty dollars while jobless. And yes, I'm saying that just to make your experience seem more frustrating by comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Really? I only had to pay thirty dollars while jobless. And yes, I'm saying that just to make your experience seem more frustrating by comparison. Yeah but... when Cthulhu comes I get spared, so there. But no, this is not a surprise, I paid $10 for Final Fantasy 7 a couple years ago, now I'm lucky to find it for under 50. Glad I jumped on that one when I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 yeah, either of youse see xeno or FFVII in decent shape for less than $30....holla at a ninja. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldron Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 yeah, either of youse see xeno or FFVII in decent shape for less than $30....holla at a ninja. Like I hollad at you for Rez, like, half a year ago? Pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 i knew that would haunt me. i only bought HD cause you said it was ok! ill still pay full price for Rez off you, man. its worth owning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldron Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 i knew that would haunt me. i only bought HD cause you said it was ok! ill still pay full price for Rez off you, man. its worth owning. Which is, more or less, why I own it now. Now help me remember where the fuck I put the remote control. EDIT: Found it, nevermind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted June 28, 2010 Author Share Posted June 28, 2010 Xenogears explained bish, possibly newt, few of you should dig this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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