I'm too lazy to read everything and get involved in the argument (plus I just got Xenoblade which will soon distract me from absolutely everything else ). BUT...
Quote Originally Posted by tony12 View Post
If gameplay and dungeons is so important to you then you shouldn't be playing the Xeno games to begin with.
Wait, wait, wait... what? Gameplay is important as long as there is any. Even if you play a game for its story and character design, you will still have to make it through the "gameplay parts". If you have to spend, say, a total of 12 hours making it from boring point A's to boring point B's and button mashing X to make it through boring battles that have no impact on you, then that's certainly just bad for the game as a whole. On the other hand, exploring interesting places and enjoying intense and interesting battles will always be a great plus. A good story and good character design does not automatically mean any and all gameplay flaws are forgiven.

...this is, for example, the sole reason I really didn't like Xenosaga 2. I could accept the new character models after a while, but the terrible battle system just killed it for me. I did, however, love both Xenosaga 1 and 3. Because I found both of their battle systems totally fun and awesome. So yes, that "small" difference in gameplay was the deciding factor that made me love 1 and 3, but not 2. If you are playing a "game", then the gameplay will matter. A lot.


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...anyhow, the best track from the Xenosaga series is obviously Promised Pain. It's so epic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv7c0si2AEo