Game Stats
Genre	RPG
Platform	PlayStation
Format	CD-ROM
# of Players	1
Released Jap	02.11.1998
Released US	10.20.1998
Released EU	N/A
Aprox. Length	60-75 hrs.
Reviewer Rankings
Battle System	9.0
Gameplay	9.0
Music	11.0
Originality	9.0
Plot	9.0
Replay Value	9.0
Sound	9.0
Visuals	8.0
Difficulty	Hard
Overall
9.1

Xenogears

By: Square

Reviewed By: Avenzatha

Xenogears stands tall and shakes the RPG world! This game ranks as my personal favorite simply because it offered me what so few video games do -- a thoughtful and credible plot with meaningful sub-plots coupled with a sympathetic cast of characters. There are 9 playable characters; each a distinct individual with a story to tell. Add to that the well rendered graphics and outstanding music of Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross) and you've got a game that will hold your interest and pique your imagination even after you turn off your PlayStation.

Nearly banned for North American release because of perceived religious controversies, Xenogears charges in where well armed angels do not fear to tread. Though the story centers around a not-so-subtle commentary on corruption within the Catholic church, it still retains enough fantasy elements to pull off a great story without offending people of faith. But because of the religious elements, Xenogears transcends the norm for video games and gives us a story that leaves us thinking. Who or what is the god of this world? Is he running the lives of the people or is there another "force" behind him? While some parts of the story are rather hard to follow (and many of them only make sense when you play the game a second time), this doesn't make the game too confusing to enjoy. In fact, for myself, it spurred me on to wrap up all those loose ends!

The battle system was fantastic for it's day and still is one of the better systems. Characters each take their turn and build up experience points toward learning deathblows. These deathblows can then be used in a "combo" for a devastating attack. The graphics designers have captured the power and grace of martial arts movements in a way that just makes battle a pleasure to watch especially when the characters are in their Gears, or giant robot-like fighting machines. Put those moves together with some great sound effects and you've got an entertaining battle system.

The game takes approximately 75 hours to play through thoroughly with an eye toward building up levels to gain every deathblow, and the difficulty level of Xenogears is moderately high and remains challenging on subsequent plays though naturally some scenarios become easier. The final boss is one of the more difficult bosses to beat in my opinion.

The one major criticism I have of Xenogears is that the dubbing on the anime cut scenes was so poorly done. It's truly the worst dubbing of any game I've seen. Add to that the gender-less anatomy in scenes with naked people and the anime scenes become downright annoying. Also, the second disc contains a lot of reading and very little action. My understanding is that there should have been much more action but deadlines and funding were running out and the second disc was rushed through production. We can only imagine now what a perfectly outstanding game Xenogears might have been if the creators had given it its due.

Overall, despite its flaws, and although some of the plot elements have been overused in other games (the amnesiac young man sets out to find himself and save the world) thanks to the involved story and unique game play it is still one of the best RPGs going right now and well worth playing.

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