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My Favorite RPG ever and it's going to stay that way

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: December 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is a very fun RPG. The characters are great, the graphics for there time were so so but I'm not one to run a game down on graphics cause a game is mostly based on playablity and funfactor. The only way graphics can decrease a score on my part is if it takes away playability or the fun and in this case it doesn't take away anything at all. Well enough with my yammering im going to rate the game on a scale of 1 to 20 with these factors involved; Story, gameplay, funfactor, length, and then finally graphics.

Story-20/20

Gameplay-20/20

Funfactor-19/20

Length-18/20

Graphics-18/20

Final Score-95/100

Though not my favorite, i cannot deny it is the best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

While Xenogears is not my favorite RPG of all time, I cannot deny it's glory, therefore, while the title of "my favorite RPG" lies with Star Ocean 2, I cannot deny that this game is the BEST RPG ever fathomed on the course of mankind, after playing this game, I found myself asking, "oh my goodness . . . well, looks like i may have to stop playing RPGs . . . because no other will ever be this good, so what's the point?"

A mix of very good and very bad

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: October 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Xenogears is an odd game that manages to both excel and fail horribly at the same time.

GRAPHICS / VISUALS
For the time it came out in, the graphics are decent. When exploring sometimes becomes difficult to navigate when underground though, becuase the low-res washed out "rock/earth" textures all blur together making it difficult to tell if something is a wall, or has something you can jump onto, etc. Also, while the game allows you to move the camera, it's just a token gesture since you can't change the elevation or distance. Oftentimes you'll be completely unable to see the character as he goes between two tall buildings or things like that.

The game features some anime cutscenes which are, unfortunuately, mostly worthless. They're well drawn, but are often nothing more than something like 2 characters staring at eachother for 5 seconds; with the exception of the ending almost no plot ever happens during them.

The combat visuals, however, are great for its time. The characters do more than just move up and swing a sword. You can chain different moves together (and learn deathblows, which are powerful combinations) that are usually visually appealing. For instance, a character will run up, punch, jump in the air and do a sping kick, sweep the enenmy as they land and then finish off with a headbutt.

GAMEPLAY
While the combat graphics are nice for its era, it also makes the battles take too long (and boy are they frequent, often 1 random encounter/ 2 seconds of movement). It's like final fantasy summons all over again, making each combat last minutes upon minutes...even when you fight the enemies from level 1 when you're level 60 it still takes forever.

There is a bit of load time anytime you change rooms/go into your character menu etc. Very annoying.

My 2 biggest complaints are:

The dialogue is waaaaaaay too slow. There is a lot of excessive dialogue, a lot of repetition, and it comes on the screen so slow you'd think a 4-year old child was typing it. Sometimes you will have to go through an hour and a half worth of this only to get to a difficult part in the game, die, and have to go through all of that dialogue again without the chance to save in between.

Secondly, as many reviews here have pointed out, the 2nd disc is drastically different. I thought people were exaggerating; they were not. It happens suddenly. Exactly at the point you put the second sic in, most exploration is taken away from you. A character literally sits in a chair and tells you what happened. It becomes 1 hour of dialogue, then fight. 2 hours of dialogue, then fight, etc. You get to explore again though right before the very last dungeon.

CHARACTERS / STORY / PLOT
This is where the game is good...for the most part.

In typical squaresoft fashion (or is it just all Japanese RPGs?) the main character is fairly UNlikable. He's whiny, immature, a jerk even though he means well, and at times a bastion of self-sacrifice and purity in the name of good willing to risk everything for some small good and pulling it off through rediculous Deus Ex Machina.

Fortunately, in typical squaresoft fashion, the supporting cast is well done. There's a suprising depth to most of the characters, above and beyond most games I've seen. Most are mature, and the game itself brushes with some mature topics of innosence, when is war right/justified, the cost of it and what its worth to end one.

The story is a bit overlarge. It's good, but needed an editor to trim it down a bit as it just gets too big for its britches by the end of the game.

Overall I enjoyed the game. I'm glad to have played it, but some of the gameplay problems means I have no desire to ever play it again.

After nearly six years, still the greatest game ever made!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: May 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Xenosaga couldn't hold a candle to this game. This game is the sole reason I keep my PSone around (my PS2 won't save to PSone memory cards).

This game was probably intended to be a bone to throw to FF7 fans who were waiting two years for FF8, but it turned out to blow them both away. Granted, this isn't the best looking RPG, but FF7 was the only better looking game at the time (SaGa Frontier looked and played considerably worse). However, those of us who played RPG's before FF7 are actually able to appreciate the graphics, since they are much better looking than all of the pre FF7 RPG's (After the release of PSone and Saturn, the majority of the RPG's were still being released on SNES. Even first 32-bit RPG's looked horrible compared to Xenogears. Lunar series, anyone?)

I don't believe that this is Episode 5 of Xenosaga. If it was, the Gnosis would have completely overrun the planet due to their attraction to the Zohar and maybe the Anima Relics. Also, nanotechnology was used by the people on the Eldridge, the ship that crash landed on the planet. It's not mentioned in Xenosaga. Some people suggest that Shion Uzuki is ancestor of Citan. Those who say that weren't paying attention when the story mentions how Cain, the mother (before the split between Elly/Miang), and the Gazel ministry were the first humans on the planet and were created by Deus' Interplanetary Invasion System - which makes it impossible for ANYONE in Xenosaga to be related to ANYONE in Xenogears. I know someone is going to bring up Abel being the sole survivor of the crash, but that part comes from the Perfect Works book. Based on the game ONLY, the only thing you're supposed to know about Abel is that he's Fei's first incarnation, not where he came from or anything else. Also, Nephilim's pendant is NOT the Pendant of Nisan. Nephilim's pendant is a plain gold cross with straight crossing bars. The Pendant of Nisan is black, rough, and the bars are tapered. And there's a red stone in the middle.

In reality, nothing that happens in Xenosaga that bears any relevance to Xenogears, except maybe the origin of the Zohars. But's something that could have been put into a game that actually DOES have relevance to Xenogears. Doen't let the existence of Zohars and the "Ye shall be as Gods" in both games fool you. The whistles in the original "Legend of Zelda" and "Super Mario Bros. 3" both played the same tune. Does that mean that both of these games are from the same series? No, they just simply come from the same developer.

PLEASE READ BEFORE RATING

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 9
Date: February 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I know i'm gonna step on a lot of people's feet with this review, but it's solely my opinion.
I remember ogling at copies of xenogears for 50 bucks. I read it was the best RPG game ever, and had the best plot. I've played (and beaten) xenosaga, and that game was WELL DONE. I loved it. And so i figured "Hey, xenogears HAS to be good." (it's the fifth in the series)
So i finally bought xenogears once it became a greatest hits. And boy, am i glad i didnt pay all that money. I recieved the biggest letdown ever.
Dont get me wrong; that game DOES have a great story. But a good story with stupid characters makes for a bumpy experience. The very first portion of the game (about 4 hours) is truly captivating. However, as you get farther, you notice something; the characters keep reverting to old beliefs after they say that they've changed. It's weird! The characters develop (such as Fei saying he wont get in a Gear) and so he gets in one and fights. THEN he starts babbling about how he hates gears and wont use them ever again, and he does this OVER AND OVER.
I thought that Elhaym (eh i forgot her first name. that should tell you something, cause i have a good memory.) had the best character development, but she was the only one that struck me as 'good.'
Another thing: If something happens to a character, it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to care just because they are so dumb. That sounds like a five year old, i know, but it's unfortunately true.
The gameplay is okay...for the first ten hours. It gets repetitive really fast though. Battles basically go 'attack attack heal repeat' and really takes away from the fun.
This is a hard RPG. I died more in this than ANY other. But in my opinion, that isnt what detracts from this game. And once the game is over, you'll sigh and say "what a waste of 80 HOURS." Sure, it keeps you busy, but is that a good thing? You spend 80 hours watching characters develop and revert and see useless story threads come together in the end.
Many give this game 5 stars. I give it 3. 3 is still good, but i was expecting some groundbreaking grandiose game. And it probably is in some people's eyes. But for me, it was the biggest letdown in gaming history.

A large letdown. READ BEFORE YOU CLICK.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 10
Date: February 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First of all, three stars isnt necessarily bad. For most games it's average, good, or satisfactory. For this game, i would consider that pretty bad being surrounded by all these 5 star reviews. And i can already tell you i'm gonna step on lots of feet with this one. Here it is.
Remember when xenogears was 50 bucks? I used to drool over it and hope to get it. Never happened. So i got Xenosaga when it came out and LOVED IT. Probably in my top three favorites. (its the first in the series, xenogears is the fifth.) I figured xenogears had to be good. So when it became a greatest hits, i instantly got it. And i recieved the biggest letdown of my entire life.
The first four or five hours of this game are great. Which is why i think you all review this during that time period. After that, the game becomes a chore AND a bore.
The plot is great. Religious symbolism and other small bits are scattered throuhgout. The characters bring it screeching to a halt however. The only character that develops nicely is Elhaym. (Sad, i can only think of her last name.) Everybody else is static. Fei, for example, talks about how he hates gears and will never use one. Then he straps into one, kicks some butt, gets out, and says "I hate gears. I'll never use 'em again!" and he goes through this cycle for a large dose of the game. ANNOYING! Thats definitely what i would NOT call character development. A good plot with bad characters makes for a smelly and gooey experience.
The gameplay is not that good either. Sure, it's fun for about...yep, 4 or 5 hours. Then it becomes the same. "Attack attack attack heal repeat." The battles are harder than most other RPGs, but that's not what detracts from this game.
Also, the graphics are good for the most part. At least i liked them, but i like old school stuff like that. The anime cut scenes are really well done too. The music is okay, but also overused. There are many tracks you will hear over and over and over again.
This game is about 80 hours long, spanning two discs. At the wrap up in the end, lots of loose plot threads are tied, but do you care? NO! The characters are not likeable at all, and everything is pointless in the end. None of the religious bits will make sense unless you have a pretty good understanding of your faith. So after the final scenes play out, you'll think "Why did i just waste 80 hours of my life?" This game is overhyped. I believed the reviews; something i will never do again.
Its the biggest letdown ever. go play xenosaga if you want something similair and better. Disgaea's there for humor and lighthearted good fun. (and in my opinion better plot. Go figure.) But i suggest you TRY to borrow or rent before this one, and i'm wishing i did. Its not that the game sucks; it's just not NEARLY as groundbreaking and awesome as people made it out to be. And i'll leave you with that.

One Of The Greatest RPG's Of ALLTIME!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I remember playing the demo to this game when I bought Parasite Eve, and I was floored. I couldn't believe I was that excited about a game after playing Final Fantasy VII. The first few hours of Xenogears are some of the most alluring first hours of gaming. "Nothing is faster than the first hour of a good new RPG" right! Okay, enough of that, lets just get down to it.

Xenogears is a timeless classic that every RPGer is obligated to play. It is a downright masterpiece, even though the second disc is basically storyline and the ending. The game wasn't finished but what game is. If you add all the bad/good things about this game, the scales would bust a hole in the ground for good.

Each and every character has much personality, and you can easily get attached to all of them. There are two battle systems, out of and inside gears. A great mix and it grounds you in the scale of things.

The music, at times joyous while at other times, heart breaking. If you plan on getting this game, pick up the OST as well. Sound effects are amazing, which many people fail to mention.

The storyline is massive and hard to follow if you're not a seasoned RPGer. You might need a follow along summary just to make sure your lost. This game should be a complete novel, the storyline is amazing. If you're religious though, you might want to stray away from Xenogears.

Difficult, and that's putting it mildly. If this is your first RPG.....you'll level up to about LVL7 in "RPG skills" right off the bat. This game is very hard at times, it's the hardest RPG I've ever played! Some puzzles in this game will stump you for weeks, if not longer. While it is difficult, I STRONGLY ADVISE not to get the strategy guide until after you beat it. Playing a game along with a strategy guide ruins the experience, and takes away from the way the game was meant to be played. It's supposed to be hard!

If you're on the fence about getting this game, you shouldn't be. Go ahead and get Xenogears, see how you like it. If you don't like it, give it to me "LOL". If you want to buy something newer, play the offspin -Xenosaga Series- which span three epic RPGs. If you think this game is outdated and not worth your time then, you need to step back and understand what gaming is. Its all about the experience, and if you don't do it now, you may miss one of the best RPGs of all time!

GOSU GAME

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

One of the best RPGs EVER! This epic storyline is one you will not forget. This game is by far one of the best games ever created. Its way better then games like FF8 and FF9. Do not pass this game up.

One of Square's Best, But Think Carefully Before Buying

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

XenoGears is one of those rare games that only comes along once in a good long while. Since Final Fantasy II, Square has been known for weaving captivating stories with deep and interesting characters. XenoGears delivers the same, but this time the story comes with themes and ideas that can be incredibly controversial. If you're in the mood for a quick thrill that doesn't require a lot of thought, this isn't it. XenoGears requires a great deal of thinking, comprehending, and invested time to enjoy. Most notably, XenoGears shares many of the sentiments on organized religion that Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy X does.

Another point to consider before purchasing XenoGears is that it is actually the fifth installment of a six-episode book series known as XenoSaga. (Reading the series isn't needed to play the game.) While Sqaure didn't make the entire series and instead opted for just Episode V, the company Namco is currently making the entire series. Episode I, titled XenoSaga: Der Wille Zur Mecht (The Will For Power), is coming out in early 2003. XenoGears is a great way to get a feel for the upcoming series and will introduce you to elements that will be set in motion in Der Wille Zur Mecht. If you plan on playing some serious RPGs this year, I'd advise getting XenoGears and XenoSaga: Der Wille Zur Mecht. You will walk away from these games with some new ideas, which is never a bad thing.

Far superior to many "RPG's" today

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

And I put RPG's in quotes because its a joke to call someofthese games by that name. Xenogears is most likely the mostthought-provoking and deep RPG to ever hit a console. Good luckfinding it.

STORY AND INSIGHT (NO SPOILERS): Created by the samemasterminds that created Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, this gamewill have you question life and existance itself. It masterfullyblends fantasy and reality to create startingly realistic settings ina fictional world. The game is out-of-print, however, so manyhard-core gamers searching for this rare gem are at the mercy of theauctioneers at Ebay. So why would such a game be out-of-print? Myguess would most likely be pressure from all sorts of religiouscommunities, especially Christianity. The core of the game ispresented around organized religion in general, and presents manyglaring corruptions that most likely exist in many organized religionstoday. While the fictional religion presented in Xenogears does bearsome striking resemblance to Christianity, there are also the samenumber of factors that set it apart, such as: there is no Christ init, and the preachers go around hunting evil creatures called"reapers." However some similarities cannot be denied, but Iwill not touch upon them as they could be consideredspoilers...

GRAPHICS AND GAMEPLAY: Enough about that, now about thegameplay. The controls are simple (as in any RPG) and its easy tonavigate due to the fully 3D environments. The battle system, whilenot the deepest, is probably the most fun I've had with an RPG sofar. For fighting by hand, you create fighting combos with thetriangle, X and square buttons. Kinda like Street Fighter meets FinalFantasy. There's also a second combat system involving robots named"Gears." This one is a little more strategy involved, as themore powerful attacks you use, the more fuel you use. You don't evenget the necessary parts to heal your Gear until you're about 15 hoursinto it, thus adding more challenge.

OVERALL: Its is a greatgame.... However, the story moves extremely slow at times. Trust mewhen I say that this only lasts for a few hours. Usually when thishappens, a major plot point will occur shortly after. Give it love andpatience and you will find yourself with the greatest RPG for thePlaystation.

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