XENOGEARS!

[Ayen]

I finished my Rush 2 review early so I decided to get a head start on the next one. Only played the demo of this game back in 98 or something and never got around to playing the full game until right now.

Took a moment to realize I had to press X to get the main menu screen to pop up because I thought it was still loading. That's another thing this game likes to do, load. I noticed a considerable lag between going to a new area and coming out of the menu screen in the game. What's the cameraman's fascination with the zoom button, anyway? Can you get closer to the screen!?

I like the animation. Reminds me of other animes I used to watch back then like Record of Lodoss War and one anime that also dealt in robots that I can't remember the name of. Game does that annoying "Let's trigger the opening scene if you wait at the title screen too because why not?" Don't understand developers who do that. Wait, there's a jump button? WOOHOO I'm jumping on the bed (literally the first thing I did).

I can move around when NPCs are talking? That's cool. Except all the time I think they're done talking just to walk away two steps and find they're not done yapping. My back is turned to you, boy, that's your cue to shut up.

I'm in the Forest of the Black Moon and just ran into Elly after I accidentally Lahan Village. The Doc said I should go, so I go. I like Fei so far, but after three straight Final Fantasys where a character had amnesia that storyline is starting to wear thin on me. The flashbacks of his memory have at least been enjoyable. Can't help but notice the overworld looks identical to Final Fantasy VII, but that may just be due to hardware restraints, I don't know. Shame about Alice. She was pretty. Midori is the best character though.

"..."

Interesting theory. How'd you reach that conclusion?

"..."

And then?

"..."

But what about the troll problem?

"..."

Ooh, catty. Your mom's hot.

[Fynn]

I like Fei so far, but after three straight Final Fantasys where a character had amnesia that storyline is starting to wear thin on me.

Oh boy, are you in over your head

As for the VII-looking world map - you know this game was actually planned to be released as FFVII, right? That may be why. They ultimately didn't do it because it got too dark.

[NeoCracker]

Funnily enough, I will actually be doing a podcast tomorrow for my blog with Justin Clause over from the Escapist where we will argue/debate/discuss the game.

[Ayen]

I like Fei so far, but after three straight Final Fantasys where a character had amnesia that storyline is starting to wear thin on me.

Oh boy, are you in over your head

As for the VII-looking world map - you know this game was actually planned to be released as FFVII, right? That may be why. They ultimately didn't do it because it got too dark.

I'll have you know my head is perfectly sized to fit my body.

Ah man, I was going to say that too, but I wasn't sure if it was or they just took ideas they scraped from FFVII and used it here.

Whoa, Fei and Elly just had a fight. They only known each other for fifteen minutes.

[theundeadhero]

When I first played through the game in the 90s I thought it was amazing. When I replayed it about five years ago it was all I could do to finish it. Maybe I grew up, maybe the game didn't hold up, or maybe it was just the timing, but it's hard to want to go back to any time soon.

[Fynn]

Whoa, Fei and Elly just had a fight. They only known each other for fifteen minutes.

And yeah, the gameplay has aged really poorly to the point that I don't know if I'd want to replay it, but the story still remains one of the most ambitious in gaming, IMO.

[Vyk]

Arguably one of the best amnesia stories. So it's a real tragedy that you got to it so late and the others ruined it for you

[Ayen]

I've actually been enjoying the little flashbacks to Fei's past. I may come to like the execution, it's just the premise that makes me roll my eyes.

"..."

lol, good one.

[NeoCracker]

When I first played through the game in the 90s I thought it was amazing. When I replayed it about five years ago it was all I could do to finish it. Maybe I grew up, maybe the game didn't hold up, or maybe it was just the timing, but it's hard to want to go back to any time soon.

It's a strange one. There really are things about this game that are absolutely brilliant. Other things about the game are damn near unbearable though. Maybe be the only game I know of whose highs and lows are this extreme.

[Ayen]

Man a lot has happened in just a few hours. I made it into a desert, found some parts for my Gear, met a guy named Grahf who wants to kill God (didn't he hear the old German saying?), story started talking about religion, I got captured, almost drowned in sand, fought a pirate and he 'go stuck in quicksand.' Nice typo.

The robot battles have been the most enjoyable part of the game for me. I like the regular battles okay, too. What I can understand of them anyway.

[Fynn]

I hated the Gear fights. I always found it so stressful that I could run out of fuel

Still, good for you if you enjoy them! Disc 2 is basically just Gear fights, zero regular ones

[Ayen]

I haven't ran out of fuel yet, so there you go.

[Fynn]

I haven't ran out of fuel yet, so there you go.

Me neither. I was just scared I would

[Pumpkin]

Ugh I hated the gear fights with a passion. The gameplay in general is pretty poor for me

But the story is excellent, one of the best video game stories ever

[Vyk]

I, too, adored the gear fights. You can charge yourself for fuel. I'm not sure if that ever really added to the intensity for me. It may have in the back of my head. But most of the fights in the gears were just intense and dramatic and I loved it. Granted it was usually a gauntlet of boss fights, but it was nice that they were all story related and there was always something at stake. And that sure added to my enjoyment. I suppose if I ran out of fuel a lot or died a lot, it would have been a whole different story for me though