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View Full Version : Xenosaga: An Overview



bigjoe
03-04-2003, 03:57 PM
Set thousands of years into the future, Xenosaga:Episode I is a deep and provocative role playing game that boasts lush anime-like graphics and music composed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. But does it really live up to the heritage of the game it so proudly boasts being the prequel to? We will take a further look into that as this topic developes.

Graphics: 8

The graphics are very fluid and the charecters well modelled. For non-anime fans, It may take some getting use to the overly large eyes and the unrealistically colored hair, but when you accept the style, you will see that this game pushes it to the limit. Few three dimensional games have been able to capture this style correctly, and Xenosaga does an excellent job along those lines.

Gameplay: 5

I was not as impressed with the gameplay of Xenosaga as I was with its earlier released sequal.

In Xenogears, combat was very fluid, and each move led to another without slowing down. However, in this , not only do moves seem choppy and unnatural, but they do not string together very well. I was very dissapointed with that aspect of it. However, I do give it that it reflects the classic turned based system very nicely.

Also , no longer do you posess the ability to jump while in exploration mode. This was very dissapointing. Jumping between different heights and exploring open-endedly was a very fun part of Xenogears.

Which leads me to my next topic:Linearity. Xenogears, while linear, had at least some area to explore, and an overworld. This game consists of traveling from one point to the other, perhaps picking up a few items along the way. Very dissapointing. But tolerable, as this seems to be a trend with modern RPGs.

In a way , the entire games system of getting battle seems to mimic a certain part of Xenogears, Bart's Invasion of Fatima, where you had to sneak around, and if enemies spotted you and caught you. You went into battle mode. No battles are random. This is good in a way , but also bad , if you want to level up. You have to exit and enter the room...

Story: 7

The storyline is great, myself being a player of the games previously released sequel. However, I can see how it could be hard to understand and even boring for someone who hasnt played Xenogears before, unless of course , you are a sci-fi/anime fan, in the latter of which case, youve probably already played Xenogears.

Unless you are amused by long conversations on the bridge or deep intellectual thought, then I do not recommend this title, unless you feel comfortable with skipping through those parts (Shame on you :P)

Music: 9

Excellent music. Little more need be said. In some of the songs , if youve played Xenogears, you will recognize parts and melodies.
Very nostalgic. The only thing I have a problem with is the battle music. It makes me sleepy. But other than that, excellent.

Difficulty:7

The difficulty is about average, not too hard or not too easy. Can get a little frustrating at times, especially when the enemies are impossible to get by without sneaking, in which case, you end up dieing and having to reload from the last save point. Save a lot!

Overall:7.5

This game is worth the play , but only if youre willing to accept its flaws in favor of its story. It seems that such is the case with most RPGs these days anyway.

If youre a fan of Xenogears and/or youve ran out of rpgs, then this is defenitely worth picking up , or at least renting.

Beldaran
03-04-2003, 05:27 PM
My friend just bought this game and he said for every seven hours of gameplay, five hours are cut scenes and two hours are actual gameplay.

DarkDragoonX
03-04-2003, 07:31 PM
Originally posted by Beldaran
My friend just bought this game and he said for every seven hours of gameplay, five hours are cut scenes and two hours are actual gameplay.

Your friend is right. Strangely nough, though, I find myself liking Xenosaga, which is unusual, as with the sole exception of the LUNAR games, I hate, hate, HATE linear gameplay.

The thing is, this game's plot is pretty deep, and pokes at some interesting philosophical and theological issues. The plot isn't hard to follow, either, unlike a cetain game series where the authors apparently believe a plot is only interesting if it is more convoluted than an orgy of lesbian contortionists (*coughsquaresoftcough*). Also, this is the only game thus far that really does anime-style graphics well in 3D.

The conversations are nice, too. The dialouge never seems forced or hokey, and the game's PCs are a bit less static than the PCs are in many other games. Plus, KOS-MOS is just too damn cool. Seriously. Any 5-6 foot android that can emit an energy wave over thousands of kilometers gets the thumbs-up in my book.

Actually, I think this game would be way better as an anime-style (drawn, not 3D animation) movie. The game includes an enormus gossary of terms and defintions for the various agencies, words, and acronyms used in the game. The creation of the Xenosaga universe is on par with such works as Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad, and Star Wars. Still, as it is, I'm not unhappy with it.

bigjoe
03-06-2003, 04:26 AM
Originally posted by DarkDragoonX
The creation of the Xenosaga universe is on par with such works as Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad, and Star Wars. Still, as it is, I'm not unhappy with it.

Would you know? Have you played through Xenogears, a previously released game in the Xenosaga universe?

DarkDragoonX
03-06-2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by BigJoe
Would you know? Have you played through Xenogears, a previously released game in the Xenosaga universe?

It was one of maybe four Squaresoft games I've ever liked. If I hadn't played Xenogears, I wouldn't have even GLANCED at Xenosaga.

Orion
03-07-2003, 12:20 AM
Hte games alright, but its hard to find time to play it. I'm afraid if i pick it up I'll get stuck watchin an hour long movie, which I can't usually do cuz I'm in and out the door like once every 2 hours.