t13monkeys's Full Review: Xenogears for PlayStation 1
Since most folks already know this game is good, I'll start of by answering the question (if you want the review it's later in my opinion):
Where Can I Find This Rare Game?
A legitimate copy of Xenogears is almost impossible to find by the time you read this review. Yet many may want to own this game, whether you are a first time player believing in the hype or have borrowed this game before and now wish to return to the wonderful Mech/Anime future of Xenogears.
So where can a gamer purchase this game? There are a number of options, yet all are somewhat costly, except for the last.
1) Ebay.com – Xenogears sells for around $50 here at a final price and usually comes with a strategy guide. Often times, the Xenogears game is used already but in good-condition. A factory-sealed copy can fetch a much higher price, usually around $90 depending on the buying mood.
2) Half.com – Fixed priced Xenogears at around $50+; all used copies. These copies may or may not play well on your Playstation depending on the condition, so a buyer has to beware and purchase cautiously.
3) Amazon.com Marketplace – a copy of Xenogears here is rare, but occasionally can be found. This is a good place for serious bargain shoppers. A used copy here is often cheaper; I found one around $40.
4) If all else fails, or if you are a gamer looking for a copy but unable to commit $60, you’ll have to resort to Chinatown bootlegs, or illegitimate copies. Yes, it’s sad but true. Xenogears is otherwise unattainable, and I have been searching for it at game stores. There is no chance of buying this at a store, it is completely sold out and will never ever be in stock again. While there will be millions of Final Fantasy VIII releases, Xenogears will perhaps always be understocked. Therefore, bootlegging is a final resort. I don’t really feel this is criminal, since whether or not you buy a used or illegitimate copy, Squaresoft is not earning any money from you. I would all encourage you all to get a legitimate copy, but really, if there are no legitimate copies to get, one has to resort to desperate measures. A bootleg can be found on the web for around $3-5.
I would provide an email so that gamers can petition to Squaresoft, but the clever company has no email address to listen to gamer’s concerns other than technical issues. All I can say is make some noise. Send emails to playstation US and complain away. Post angry messages at the boards at ps.ign.com. GO!! The Future of Xenogears depends on you.
Now for a long review on Xenogears that simulates the length of the game….=D
Why Xenogears is controversial:
Xenogears nearly did not make it to the United States. It was due to the fact that SquareUSA was questioning whether religion really belonged in a video game. Yet, Xenogears doesn’t really go too crazy on religion. It’s about god, yes, but not really in a deep or profound way. The game doesn’t try to brainwash you either. All it does is look at religion and attempt to rationalize it by creating a physical supreme science-fiction space alien and other weird mumbo-jumbo stuff like that. For most gamers, you won’t care or even notice any of the philosophical thoughts in the game. It’s not really controversial messages either; it just makes the game cool. After some deliberation, Square decided to carefully translated and bring it over to the States.
Storyline – 9.8/10
This is the most amazing epic story on the Playstation period. No other RPG is as long, detailed and dialogue-driven as Xenogears. The game is over 60+ hours guaranteed for a first time player, and is worthy of being played again. The storyline is completely linear, but it would definitely have to be for a game of this scale. Xenogears goes into a deep, complex conspiracy about who controls the Earth. Basically, some government faction is involved with a project to recreate mankind. As you uncover this whole conspiracy, you discover who’s really in control you realize it’s up to you to open that can of Whup-A** and save the universe.
Sounds almost cliché, and perhaps it is, but its too well-done to ignore. Playing Xenogears is like playing every anime film you’ve ever watched. There are mech robots, anime cut-scenes, funky profound anime lines on life, and the occasional wishy-washy moment. If you love Gundam X, you’ll probably love Xenogears. I have a feeling that Xenogears may have actually stole some of the ideas from Gundam X, the mechs kneeling down, the forest scene with Fei Wong, and the carriers that launch mechs, but it’ll really give a kick out of the anime-fan to experience this all in an RPG.
In the game, you start out as Fei Fong Wong, a punk-looking, yet non-threatening, and unusually mature kid. Living a normal happy content, town life, one day some mechs come looking for you and rip up the whole town. You do battle with them, and when the carnage is over, the town blames the destruction of the town on your reckless fighting and you become banished. From there, the plot picks up. You’ll find yourself in desert worlds, floating cities, forests, huge huge Death Star like environments, underwater ships and an entire slew of environments. Fei also meets up with a very original cast of fighters, Rico, a Blanka-like green silent beast that looks somewhat similar to the dude in FFIX, Elly, a government worker who becomes Fei’s love interest gradually, and more.
Only downside to the plot is that it is a bit hefty and if you’re not focused into the game you may not get everything the first time around. To enjoy Xenogears, you must be an active player. If you hit the B button too quickly because you don’t like some of the long dialogue sequences, you may skip essential text sequences for the game.
Graphics – 10/10
No game on the PSX can match Xenogears. It’s colorful, detailed, and most of all in full 3-D. Unlike Final Fantasy with its pre-rendered backgrounds, Xenogears is rendered real time and as a result, you can use your L and R buttons to rotate the screen left and right. This is similar to the 3d engine used in Dragon Quest 7.
The use of this engine really enhances the game. That’s because all the cut scenes utilize this engine, zooming in on the characters and rotating around them. There’s minimal load time, and lots of cool camera angles and environments to examine. The places are vast, so being able to rotate them really brings out the sense of size and also keeps it interesting.
The artwork is also a bonus. Well-drawn anime faces are placed next to the textboxes, allowing players to determine facial expressions and so on.
There are anime cut scenes in Xenogears. Unfortunately they aren’t translated (and the Japanese is dubbed out) making them confusing and senseless. However since they don’t play too much of an integral part of the game, other than for first character impressions and flashbacks, it isn’t too much of a loss.
The coolest thing about Xenogears are the mech battles that are rendered fulltime. It’s done in such Japanese tradition and looks so utterly amazing I guarantee you probably haven’t seen anything as good as this on your PSX. It’s like watching Gundam on your PSX; big robots will fly in and do battle. The camera shots are crisp and the action flows without any noticeable loadtime.
Graphics are further enhanced by the PSX2 which applies anti-aliasing to the game making it look much , much better.
Music – 9.5/10
Great haunting music by Yasunori Mitsuda. It’s a bit more serious and grave, nothing like Chrono Trigger. However it does fit the mood of the game, and is really dramatic and well done. I would say this is probably one of my most favorite game music soundtracks ever. Mitsuda utilizes human vocalists, drum beats, and violin-like electronica to create a unique sound for Xenogears.
The only downfall is I have is with the final pieces which are made to sound like hymns almost. Here it lacks melody and simply sounds like a bunch of voices going “AHHHHHH”. It might be your cup of tea or it might not.
Gameplay – 9.3/10
Xenogears isn’t as strong in this department as it should be. Because it’s so plot-based, the game turns out quite linear. There aren’t really a lot of armor or items to buy, and not as much upgrading as this game could have had. With giant mechs to upgrade, I was disappointed by how easy it was to get the right equipment for them.
There’s also no backtracking in this game. Because the plot is moving forward continually, you can expect to never return to a certain dungeon, and if you miss a certain item, you’ve missed it. Building levels is not really important in Xenogears until during the end, when the bosses begin to get much more difficult.
The battle system is alright; not ingenious and as challenging as it should have been. It’s turn-based, and so you have as much time to make your battle decisions. You can punch in different combinations of buttons to do special attacks, and since they don’t take any MP, you’ll find yourself using specials throughout the whole game. There are magic spells but they aren’t really necessary since they don’t do much more damage than the average special attack.
Dungeons are huge, and may be too big sometimes. Expect to have some time when starting this game, or continuing from a save point. It may take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hrs to find a save point, depending on how thorough you are.
When playing this game, think interactive movie, because that’s what Xenogears is. Exploration and good dialogue are aplenty, but the game lacks in battles strategy and personal decisions. There are plenty of battles with robots and guards, but they lose flavor after a while because they are slow, and monotonous.
Final Score – 9.9/10 (Not an average)
Xenogears is still a perfect masterpiece, although lacking in only a few areas; it makes up for it with its gripping soundtrack and plot. Wonderful for any anime fan, the only thing you have to commit is patience and plenty of time to finish the game. For any RPG fan, it’s definitely well worth it. I highly recommend this one.
Xenogears provides the elements that made Final Fantasy VII popular, and adds original features such as giant fighting robot action, dramatic hand-dra...More at eBay
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