Xenogears - Is it a game that really draws you in?

[FinalBob42]

I heard mixed things about this game, especially about the combat system and the 2nd disc. What are your opinions on that? How long/challenging is the game?

[DocFrance]

Great story, great gameplay, great graphics. And it's hella long to boot.

[Shoeberto]

Oh, definately. It'll suck you in, even if you don't understand everything that goes on. I didn't, but it's still one of my favorite games. The second disc is kind of boring, but the overall experience of the game is amazing.

I don't see who would have a problem with the combat, it's brilliant. I could see them having problems with Xenosaga's system, which falls short of emulating Xenogears'.

[Silverfire82]

Hey, guys. Just registered for the forum, seeing that you guys are talking about my absolute favorate game... :D Anyhoo, yes. This game is fantastic for its time, and still is in my opinion. If you DO play it, get ready for a lot of reading.

[Destai]

Great story, great gameplay, great graphics. And it's hella long to boot.The rest is true but the graphics are terrible Im pretty sure even for its time.

[44 caliber]

Yes. I can honestly say that this an all time favorite game of mine. The story-line is amazing, I forgot all about how bad the graphics were once it drew me in.

[Gwelenguchenkus]

Actually, I lvoe Xenogears graphics.

It has a 3D environment, you can jump all over the place, and even though the sprites aren't so great, they still are pleasing to me.

The EXCELLENT music greatly enhances Xenogear's experience. Story alone didn't do it. It was the music and story together which made it so amazing.

[nik0tine]

This is a great game, and it's one of my favorite games of all time. I don't have a problem with the combat system, but I don't think it is anything too special.

However, I don't understand what the hell peoples problems are with the second disk. I LOVED the second disk. The game is long (Took me about 60 hours my first run through it) but it isn't very challenging at all. (But the story more than makes up for it) However, there are some bosses in the game that prove to be quite challenging, especially on your first go at them.

[BG-57]

It's a great game for all the previously mentioned reasons; in addition it has great villains!

I like they way it handles Gears (robots) in the game: they act like extensions of the characters and their fighting styles.

[Yamaguchi Oyabun]

Best Squaresoft game next to Vagrant Story, and FFTactics in my opinion. A must play.

[mcsspitfire]

I never bought it, only rented it. Turns out I kept renting it on and off for over three years just to finish it! It was that good! A must for anyone. I found myself entranced every time I rented it again. Very thought provoking and genius for it's time. Check it out or you'll be sorry. ^_^

[Captain Maxx Power]

Xenogear's is like a Duracell battery. It just keeps going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going until BAM you've spent sixty plus hours on it and you're not even half way through.

[Erdrick Holmes]

The game is just one huge mindfuck. The game's storyline almost makes you question reality.

[Wiegrahf42]

Yessss, Xenogears is a state of mind. Disc 2 was a letdown since I beat it in two days and I did other things those days as well.

[CloudDragon]

Most people tend to put down Disc 2 because it's entirely different from the First Disc. It was set up differently, and some say it was the way it was due to a budget cut. Myself I really like the 2nd Disc because it was different and sort of placed the story in a place I had thought it couldn't reach. Also, there are a lot of tidbits and extras on the 2nd Disc that some people may not have been aware of.

Overall this is my favorite RPG of all time. You can easily get past the graphics, and I actually liked them. The anime scenes are nice. The music soundtrack may be the best composed for any game. The story is excellent. The gameplay is excellent.

[NorthernChaosGod]

its amazing. it really sucks you in. Fast. it has a great story. wonderful music, words cannot describe how good it is. great character development. its just an amazing game.

[Lilian]

Xenogears is my favorite RPG, but it does have its issues. If you're the kind of gamer that doesn't like reading, values gameplay over story, and wants a game that starts out and gets into the action very quickly, then you probably wouldn't like it. On the other hand, if you don't mind lots of reading, think the story is the most important part, and don't mind making your way through some very boring parts, chances are you'd like it.

The second disc is very different from the first in that you end up watching the story unfold more than you actually play it. On the other hand, it's on disc two that the story really gets good and starts getting you utterly hooked, so that's not as big of an issue as it could be. The music is excellent--Yasunori Mitsuda's best work, in my opinion. The graphics are bad, but that's to be expected from a PSX game. And the gameplay is mediocre at best, but that's not what Xenogears is about. It's about the story--and yegads, does it ever have a great story.

Yes, it does draw you in, although it's slow starting off. There will be more than one time you'll probably have to force yourself to keep going (coughBabelTowercough), but I can promise you it's worth it. The good part about the slow beginning is it gives you plenty of character development first, so that when the action starts, you'll actually care about the characters and what's happening to them.

It is an extremely long game, especially if you take the time you need to really savor the story. It's not really all that challenging, although there are a few boss battles that are pretty difficult.

So...yeah. In summary, it's a pretty flawed game, but it makes for it by having a story so utterly awesome that words simply cannot do it justice.

Wow, this is a long post. I think my Xenogears obsession is showing. o_o