PDA

View Full Version : Xenogears? Any good?



Rice Cake
05-06-2006, 08:00 PM
I want to try this game, but I don't know if its any good. Is the story just as deep as xenosaga? Or is it deeper?

LunarWeaver
05-06-2006, 09:09 PM
Another Xenosaga fan yeeesss! O_o

Err- On topic

I love Xenogears. It was done by much of the same team... Er moreso Episode I than II

The english translation of it is quite frankly horrible though.

It's like 80 hours long too, which is basically all three Episodes for the price of one. On Amazon the sucker is like 15 bucks, go buy it ^_^

Gears and Saga, though not directly connected, share many similarities and likenesses. So if you like the story of Saga, you will like the story of Gears.

Just beware of Xenogears second disc, where things get...different.

Rice Cake
05-06-2006, 09:27 PM
So there are Xenosaga fans on here

Ummm, back on topic

Okay, I'll look into it, thanks.

Vyk
05-06-2006, 09:27 PM
XG > XS. And I loved Disk 2. It really started to pull you into the story then. And its so much deeper than XS, and the characters have a lot more appeal in my opinion. Better music, which better fits the moods. And the mech battles .... in fact, battles in general. Gah. I really dunno what went through their heads while making XS. I like everything about XG more than XS. 3D anime sprites <3

Behold the Void
05-06-2006, 10:34 PM
Xenogears is far superior to Xenosaga. It's one of my favorites, an awesome and engaging storyline and all that.

Shoeberto
05-06-2006, 10:34 PM
Everything about Xenogears is better than Xenosaga, easily.

Captain Maxx Power
05-06-2006, 10:39 PM
Play Xenogears, but stop before Disc 2, and imagine what the rest of the story is like in your head. Seriously, it'd probably be more fun than "playing" through Disc 2.

The Mighty Billy
05-07-2006, 04:20 AM
Xenogears is an acquired taste, but if you can get into it, it's most definitely worth your time. As for being better than Xenosaga, I'd say "yes" and "no". As far as the plot goes, it's far more in-depth, interesting, and engaging. The battle system is unique, instead of Xenosaga's slightly more un-original battle system. But the game does suffer from being boring sometimes, whereas Xenosaga was a faster-paced game, always keeping you involved.

Give it a try.

FallenAngel411
05-07-2006, 04:29 AM
Deeper than Xenosaga? I thought Saga was as deep and cryptic as it gets. o.O

LunarWeaver
05-07-2006, 04:30 AM
I played Gears first, but liked Saga better. I'm a crazy kitten like that so ignore my letters they will only seduce you to the dark side.

The Mighty Billy
05-07-2006, 04:44 AM
Deeper in terms of length and basic storytelling. Xenosaga was certainly more in-depth in terms of backstory and overall plot.

NeoCracker
05-07-2006, 03:59 PM
Can't say anything about Gears, but Saga is easily my favorite game out there. Much better than any FF, though I too want to try Gears. I've heard good things.

Vyk
05-07-2006, 05:14 PM
Don't stop at disk 2. Just 'cause you're not as actively involved in the story doesn't mean the story itself isn't still as interesting. In fact I think it gets more interesting as you go into disk 2. Its pure story, which I think is XG's finest quality. Its strained, distilled, and unadulterated XG gold. Not so much wandering around aimlessly and getting in pointless random encounters.

Captain Maxx Power
05-07-2006, 10:44 PM
Don't stop at disk 2. Just 'cause you're not as actively involved in the story doesn't mean the story itself isn't still as interesting. In fact I think it gets more interesting as you go into disk 2. Its pure story, which I think is XG's finest quality. Its strained, distilled, and unadulterated XG gold. Not so much wandering around aimlessly and getting in pointless random encounters.

Where they focused on story, they forgot about those little items such as logical plot development, cutscenes, effective narrative and gameplay. It is a game after all. I felt like I was watching a really bad play for most of the second disc. Sitting back watching people sat in chairs chatting about all these really cool things that you wish you could actually see happening, only to be interlaced with a random plot element that makes no sense that you really wish you weren't involved in makes for a poor excuse to finish off a storyline as quickly as possible with a barrage of Deus Ex Machina.

Vyk
05-08-2006, 01:17 AM
People's biggest gripe seems to be that they are no longer actively involved in the plot. Its not like it was less linear in disk one. Monolith was under pressure from Square. Short on time. They had to make a choice. They had this huge storyline going. So it was either get it all in there and start telling it to us more than letting us run through it. Or start chopping it up just so we can run around more and jump around and get in fights. Its an interesting style of narrative for a video game. Much in the vein of a point and click adventure. Its told to you, you act within it from time to time. You're being told a story. An awesome one. The story itself was convoluted and confusing most of the time anyway, so it didn't bother me that disk 2 was more so.

Honestly, since I think they chose such an interesting style, I think I could have lived with most of the game that way. Its fascinating and trippy to me to get inside the characters heads and attempt to peice together the mysteries of the plot, a lot of which is purposely left open ended for interpretation. The story itself is so deeply philosophical and theological, it seems fitting.

But I'd vote for the plot and narrative before gameplay anyday. At least the gameplay issue isn't clunky controls or something equally crippling.

smurph
05-14-2006, 10:03 PM
I would recomend xenogears for a more mature person to understand the themes of religiona and the complicated but rewarding story in other words if u thought ff7 was a complicated story stay away from xenogears

Dreddz
05-14-2006, 10:25 PM
Its definately worth playing, Disc 2 is a let down, but still ( IMO ) very enjoyable. Cool story, great characters and an addicting battel system. Just be sure to have alot of time on your hands, cause Xenogears can take up to 50+ hours to get through.

PontiusPilate
05-14-2006, 10:48 PM
2 questions

1. Does Xenogears have an voiceovers?

2. What's the battle system like? I disliked Xenosagas battle system because it got repetetive very fast

kikimm
05-15-2006, 03:16 AM
There are a few anime cutscenes throughout the game, and they have voiceovers. Once in awhile one of the characters will say a word or two, but that's really rare.

The battle system is almost like a beat 'em up. You press attack and then make a combo out of the triangle, square, and x buttons. I don't think it's repetitive or boring at all.

The Last Ancient
05-15-2006, 03:31 AM
1. It has very, very limited voiceovers. I think it says an hour animated footage, with about 50 minutes of that happening in the first few hours of gameplay. The last 10 minutes happening at the end but it's one of the longest games ever so you barely remember it from the beginning. In fact the opening scene, doesn't make any sense or have any relevancy til the second disc.(It's such a great scene though.) Most of the characters you don't hear their voices untill the last scene(it's a kick ass scene so it's worth it.) It doesn't matter though cause it's the best games ever made with the best story, and the music is so fucking ridiculous good you don't want people talking over it. Just be prepared for much, much reading, espescially on disc 2(which is a disc many people despise, I think it's the most interesting.

2. The battle system shares a bit with xenosaga but xenogears is a thousand times better. The agws are called gears in the game, and they are a much more integral part of the game. Because it's such a long game, you do plenty of fighting both in the gears and out of them. The two forms aren't radically different, hand to hand you watch energy, can cast magic, you string things together in combo's, like say triangle, triangle, square. There are deathblow's which are as you can guess sort of limit breaks, that you need to save ap for. Each turn you gain levels, so that you can string attacks together more complicated, the longer you don't attack. So level 1 might just be only triangle, triangle, the higher levels, the more attacks. The gear's fighting is fairly similiar, you gotta watch your fuel, I forget the rest. It is a long game but I think the battle system is fun throughout, not repetitive like Xenosaga's.

I consider Xenosaga a sort of bastard stepchild of Xenogears, it has a it's moments but it's nothing to Xenogears. Xenogears has it's flaws sure somewhat crusty graphics, sometimes horrible translation, a story that is so big and complex it was probably too much for one game(all of which I feel sort of add to the charm of the game), but has by far the best story, some of the best characters, best music, and one of the greatest world's ever contained in a video game.

PontiusPilate
05-16-2006, 01:26 AM
1. It has very, very limited voiceovers. I think it says an hour animated footage, with about 50 minutes of that happening in the first few hours of gameplay. The last 10 minutes happening at the end but it's one of the longest games ever so you barely remember it from the beginning. In fact the opening scene, doesn't make any sense or have any relevancy til the second disc.(It's such a great scene though.) Most of the characters you don't hear their voices untill the last scene(it's a kick ass scene so it's worth it.) It doesn't matter though cause it's the best games ever made with the best story, and the music is so smurfing ridiculous good you don't want people talking over it. Just be prepared for much, much reading, espescially on disc 2(which is a disc many people despise, I think it's the most interesting.

2. The battle system shares a bit with xenosaga but xenogears is a thousand times better. The agws are called gears in the game, and they are a much more integral part of the game. Because it's such a long game, you do plenty of fighting both in the gears and out of them. The two forms aren't radically different, hand to hand you watch energy, can cast magic, you string things together in combo's, like say triangle, triangle, square. There are deathblow's which are as you can guess sort of limit breaks, that you need to save ap for. Each turn you gain levels, so that you can string attacks together more complicated, the longer you don't attack. So level 1 might just be only triangle, triangle, the higher levels, the more attacks. The gear's fighting is fairly similiar, you gotta watch your fuel, I forget the rest. It is a long game but I think the battle system is fun throughout, not repetitive like Xenosaga's.

I consider Xenosaga a sort of bastard stepchild of Xenogears, it has a it's moments but it's nothing to Xenogears. Xenogears has it's flaws sure somewhat crusty graphics, sometimes horrible translation, a story that is so big and complex it was probably too much for one game(all of which I feel sort of add to the charm of the game), but has by far the best story, some of the best characters, best music, and one of the greatest world's ever contained in a video game.

haha, xenogears bastard stepchild .yeah, i think the only thing that drove me to complete xenosaga is the great story and likeable characters (with decent voice acting). Does anyone know any games similiar to xenosaga except with less repetitive gameplay, but good voice acting and a strong story (not kh I,II, or Star ocean 3 because i have um)

dirkdirden
05-16-2006, 05:54 AM
xenogears is in my top 10......If it there were a few changes to the game play it would be in my top 5.


Its a very slow game so you have to have a TON of time to play it. Storyline is complex and one of the best ones out there. there are so many extra's to the game that you could very well spend 140 hours playing it....as I did. But as I said the game is pretty slow.

I personally really don't like xenosaga.....Just not my style of RPG...Too many movies.

~SapphireStar~
05-16-2006, 04:51 PM
I prefered it to Xenosaga. Its a PS1 classic. I agree it does start off slow, but it eventually picks up. Some pretty decent anime cutscenes, battlesystem is fun and there is a lot of gaming there.

I personally really don't like xenosaga.....Just not my style of RPG...Too many movies.
I agree, and also far, far too much dialogue.

LunarWeaver
05-16-2006, 06:32 PM
Er, how can you say Saga has too much dialogue when 90% of Xenogears is talking...And since you can't speed up the text to me it was actually longer then spoken dialogue o.o

Actually the disc 2 thing isn't that bad by the way, by the time you're that far into the story you won't care if it's told to you by Elmo as long as you get to hear it...Plus, Disc 1 is like a billion hours so if Disc 2 was completely fleshed out the game would take so long many people's patience might run out... I would have stuck it in for the long haul, but I think an average 80 hour clock in is more then good enough.

Plus, the battle system is superior to Xenosaga, where techniques took 3 hours to watch or didn't exist at all in Episode II, but hopefully Episode III finally finds something called 'balance'.

If anything, play it for Citan ^_^

Timber Maniac
05-22-2006, 08:18 AM
I'd really like to continue playing Xenogears, if my game happened to stop freezing during a certain boss battle with Deus on disc two


...............