Picked this series up recently and have to say its the most fun I've had with my playstation in a while. I've already played xenogears/chrono games and almost all the final fantasies so would love to hear about other games.
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Picked this series up recently and have to say its the most fun I've had with my playstation in a while. I've already played xenogears/chrono games and almost all the final fantasies so would love to hear about other games.
Well I don't know any other RPG that is cutscene heavy like Xenosaga (by the way I love the games too). But if it's just jRPG's for the PS2 you are talking about, then there's a huge library of them!
Tales of Abyss
Rogue Galaxy
Suikoden V
Digital Devil Saga 1 + 2
Valkyrie Profile 2
Grandia III
Star Ocean 3
Dragon Quest VIII
Hope that helps.
Xenogears?
Xenosaga is a somewhat unique series at this point in the gaming continuum, so it's hard to suggest similar things. I think Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is your best bet, but it's still very different in some crucial ways.
Maybe it would help if you expanded on which aspects of Xenosaga you like.
If you're looking for a game with overly long cutscenes, linear gameplay, an annoying protagonist and a stupidly complicated, pretentious storyline you can't go wrong with Metal Gear Solid 2, even if it isn't an RPG.
Damn right! MGS2 does the whole "Xenosaga" thing better than XS, before XS ever did it! OoO Seriously though, I DO love MGS2. I've replayed the game endlessly. I think it's incredible fun, and I love its ludicrously over-the-top cinematics and fun, post-modern age (don't make me link to Tim Rogers, people). Hell, MGS1-3, really. I don't know how many people consider them to be RPGs, but I do; just not turn-based, but they share enough other things in common with the JRPG genre. Tactical Espionage Action/RPGs, w00t!
If you love the Xeno series' focus on awesome, thoroughly Japanese Mecha craziness, then I'd reccomend another game by Kojima Productions: Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner. ZOE2 is the best thing to ever have mechs, EVER, and is also the greatest action game of all time in my opinion. It's not an RPG, but if you have even the slightest love of mecha: BUY IT. It will change your life, and ruin other mech-related things for you.
I have found that a lot of fans of XS seem to enjoy the .hack// series, specifically the recent "G.U." trilogy that hit the PS2. I have all three, but haven't gotten around to them just yet.
Beyond those, you need to be looking at the "Shin Megami Tensei Renaissance" for the PS2. These are the RPGs that completely ruined XS for me, as they are infinitely more polished and well-written, but also cover similarly epic and unique moral/philosophical/religious ground. If you want a place to get started, I reccomend the just-released Persona 3: FES. It is THE definitive Persona 3 experience (being both a director's cut to the original P3 release, as well as a sequel to it), and is available for $30 new. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and both Digital Devil Saga games are absolutely 10/10 brilliant, and they've recently experienced a re-print (my local game stores have multiple copies of each).
To anyone suggesting Xenogears: read the first post.
At any rate, those are the only games I can think of that are "similar" to XS. I really can't reccomend Shin Megami Tensei enough. For my money, they offer all of Xenosaga's strengths, they do away with the weaknesses, and are ultimately superior experiences that I will likely always cherish.
Whoops.
Dammit. I was elected to lead, not to read.
If you like the sheer complexity of a story, read a book.
But if you like complicated gameplay, try a PCRPG.
Or play Lost Odyssey *nodnod*Quote:
Originally Posted by Laddy
Movies.
Movies don't have the depth of books. Not even close.
Case in point, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Many have tried to make it into a movie, or even a series of movies. All have failed. A movie cannot do justice to Covenant.
This thread is about books now? I thought it was about alternatives to Xenosaga.
Also, make a thread about movies vs. books so I can point out why it's silly to judge an entire medium by how easy it is to adapt a piece of work from a completely different medium into it. :P
Thanks for all the replies so far. For the people wondering I liked nearly all the aspects of it but most importantly the complexity and the story telling. I read lots of books but for me its not just the same to read about a great story as it is to play one. I don't really prefer sci/fi to fantasy as long as the story as interesting. Long games/series tend to grab my interest more then short games. Graphics aren't an issue to me either. I'm looking at the shin megami series you recommended Alucard and so far it sounds exactly like what I'm looking for.
You are probably referring to intense story driven games. In that regard the metal gear solid series would probably be your best bet (although if you aren't a big shooter fan you might not like it much).
That is the only other series that I can think of that rivals the xeno games as far as story goes.
I'm going to second Alucard on MGS series as well as the MegaTen series as they are both absolutely beautiful and deep series that have destroyed my perception of what a game should be. Suikoden is another series with complex storytelling though its about politics so I hope thats not a turn off. Have you played FF Tactics or the Ogre Battle series?
If you aren't into shooters you can always watch the metal gear solid series off of youtube. There are always people who put there playthroughs on youtube these days.