Support NeoGAF

[West Texas CEO]

Even before playing Xenogears, I have heard how much of a masterpiece it’s story is. So naturally, that the biggest thing I was looking forward to when I played this game. And you know what? This story is a masterpiece. There's simply nothing like it. Easily on the level of Xenoblade 1 or even higher than that. The opening cutscene had me intrigued from the start and while the Kislev arc was pretty slow, I still found myself wanting to keep playing. I’ve heard about the complexity of Xenogears’ story, but I didn’t see it at first. I’m one that tends to look at things at face value. However, after reading about the themes and topics of the game, I came to appreciate it more and holy shit, there’s a lot. There’s the obvious stuff like religion, which every Xeno game has, but then you get to stuff like the deeper meaning of society, human nature, etc..









So yeah, this game is a JRPG masterpiece and if you haven’t played it, you should.

As for where I would rank it compared to the other Xeno games, well, I’ve only played Xenogears, Xenoblade 1, and Xenoblade 2. I haven't played X or the Xenosaga Trilogy but X will be in some of the rankings below since i'm decently familiar with it:

• Story: Xenogears=Xenoblade>Xenoblade 2>>Xenoblade X
• Characters: Xenoblade 2>Xenoblade 1>Xenogears (but Fei x Elly>>Shulk x Fiora>Rex x Pyra/Mythra)
• Gameplay: Xenoblade 2>Xenoblade 1>Xenogears
• Music: Xenoblade 2>>Xenoblade 1>Xenogears>Xenoblade X (but Small Two of Pieces>Beyond the Sky=One Last You)
• 
  
• Overall: there is no ranking overall, I love them all equally. I mean, Xenoblade 2 is still my favorite but that’s only because one of them has to be the favorite. Of the three Xeno games I’ve played, they are all masterpieces. You can’t rank masterpieces. You can rank their individual parts but you can’t rank the overall package. These games are just that good.

 

[Yoshichan]

The absolute fucking gigantosaurus-rex of JRPGs. Quite literally the best story/plot of all JRPGS, maybe even of all genres. It's absolutely mind-boggling how the couple would come up with some of the ideas represented in the game.

 

[TintoConCasera]

One day I should give this one a go. What's the issue with the second disk? I've seen people say it's pacing is shit or something and that has put me down on playing it a few times. Is it that bad? Or just a meme?

For me, the best story in any JRPG would probably be Dragon Quest V. The feels man.
I also liked the character backstories in Valkyrie Profile. Mature, well written and well delivered, at least as far as I remember.

 

[West Texas CEO]

One day I should give this one a go. What's the issue with the second disk? I've seen people say it's pacing is shit or something and that has put me down on playing it a few times. Is it that bad? Or just a meme?

They cut down the quality on Disc 2 because they were running out of money and were producing Final Fantasy 7 at the same time. And in a tight spot, you know which one of those is going to get the priority.

So, basically disc 2 of Xenogears got rushed. People have actually dug into the game's files and found all sorts of things that the developers wanted to do, but never had a chance to. Trivia tidbit: the original manuscript for the Xenogears story submitted by Tetsuya Takahashi and Soraya Saga (the authors) was intended to be a pitch for Final Fantasy 7, but it got rejected because it was "too dark and complicated for a Final Fantasy". But Square still liked it, so they greenlighted it as a separate game.

 

[ChazAshley]

Obligatory posting of these videos to explain the crazy (awesome) plot:



Seriously, I enjoyed what I could understand as a teenager playing this game. But after watching and understanding the story, my love for Xenogears grew even more. Loved the battle system, loved the characters (except maybe Chu chu) and absolutely love the music.

Just give me a HD remaster and you have my $$$ Square.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

No lies detected.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Unless you have played every game in existence, it's difficult to make this claim. Although I have not played a game since that has beat it, many have come close, like Radiant History.

 

[EruditeHobo]

I haven't revisited it since a handful of years after it came out... but it is an epically great JRPG story. Some of the most fun turn-based combat that I've played, as well.

I never got into/understood the gears combat... seemed much, much less interesting than the main combat, almost like a minigame in comparison. Those were always just sections to get through, to me.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

It's called Suikoden 2


(I haven't played Xenogears though)

I've played both. Xenogears is better and Suikoden 2 is amazing.


An overly ambitious amalgamation of sources from different from series, Gundam, Evangelion, Five Star Stories, Giant Robo.

I need to finish Xenoblade 2 and actually play the Xenosaga games but Xenoblade or Cross doesn't EVEN come close. Not one bit.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

One day I should give this one a go. What's the issue with the second disk? I've seen people say it's pacing is shit or something and that has put me down on playing it a few times. Is it that bad? Or just a meme?

It’s not bad IMO. You just get like the “cliffs notes” version. The game is like 55 hours with NO filler. Their only fault is they had so much story to tell that they couldn’t cram it all in.

If disc 2 were realized to the same level of detail as disc 1 it would easily be another 30+ hours and I’m not sure if that would be a good thing.

Anyway I have to agree, it’s kinda depressing to think that 25 years later Xenogears is still the biggest, most epic story ever attempted in a video game. I doubt it will ever be surpassed and I can’t think of any devs who I’d even trust to do something on this scale.

 

[Clear]

Nier/Automata is better and more ambitious.

Fight me!

 

[Alexios]

Because you grew up and can criticise new things more than you're willing to do for old favorites from when you didn't have the same capability to do so and almost everything seemed brand new and special whether it was to that degree or not. Disc 2 goes by way too fast. I liked Grandia more.

Also, Japanese stories need to start explaining shit rationally and logically rather than throw their whole plots out the window at the end in order to rely on some philosophical deus ex machina that is actually divine intervention or something close to it a la Evangelion (or even BSG from the West).

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Nier/Automata is better and more ambitious.

Fight me!

No it isn't lol. Nier Automata has some amazing scenes but that entire games legacy is ruined by coomers and simps.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

I mean it is an interesting and good story but I dunno if it is really that innovative or unique, other games have pieces of the plot here and there. I actually replayed it for the first time since release last summer, I definitely picked up a hell of a lot more this time than I did back then. But just because something is referencing or is influenced by something else doesn't make it deep and complex. Anyone can hamfist that stuff into a story if they wanted.

 

[fart town usa]

Perpetually on my backlog. I've made a go a few times over the decades but only got a few hours in. Someday I will tackle this beast.

To go along with what you were saying OP, my buddy in High School would just beam when he talked about this game. He didn't even game much then but he would absolutely gush over Xenoblade and how good the story was.

 

[Yoshichan]

Nier/Automata is better and more ambitious.

Fight me!

Imagine thinking a game that lives on m’ladies and simps is more ambitious than a game that had 4 prequels and sequels planned if it wasn’t for the botched budget the team got.

 

[Katajx]

25 years?

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

It’s not bad IMO. You just get like the “cliffs notes” version. The game is like 55 hours with NO filler. Their only fault is they had so much story to tell that they couldn’t cram it all in.

If disc 2 were realized to the same level of detail as disc 1 it would easily be another 30+ hours and I’m not sure if that would be a good thing.

Anyway I have to agree, it’s kinda depressing to think that 25 years later Xenogears is still the biggest, most epic story ever attempted in a video game. I doubt it will ever be surpassed and I can’t think of any devs who I’d even trust to do something on this scale.

Its a shame that nobody ever, idk, came along and finished it. Its one of the few games that could actually use a remake.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

I love Xenogears especially the story. It has the best Story out of all the Xeno games

The only franchise that can go toe to toe with Xenogears in the Story, Character and World Building/Mythos department are The Legend of Heroes games

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

It had with RPGS on PC many times.

Also 35 years? Xenogears came out in the 80's?

 

[T4keD0wN]

What? Is it even possible for a JRPG to have a good story and not be a massive cringefest?
Sounds impossible, my brain cannot comprehend this. Is it really that good?

 

[U n i o n 0015]

I love Xenogears especially the story. It has the best Story out of all the Xeno games

The only franchise that can go toe to toe with Xenogears in the Story, Character and World Building/Mythos department are The Legend of Heroes games

Definitely agree with this. There was a lot of hype about the story in Xenoblade, but I was pretty disappointed in it, having played Xenogears decades earlier.

 

[Kacho]

What? Is it even possible for a JRPG to have a good story and not be a massive cringefest?
Sounds impossible, my brain cannot comprehend this. Is it really that good?

I really enjoyed the game when I was 15 (amazing combat) but I couldn't tell you a thing about the story. I recall it being really confusing.

 

[Patrick S.]

Man, I used to have a copy of Xenogears I imported from the US, and never got to play it before I sold it for like €65 or so because I was super broke. Now, after reading this thread, I'd love to get another copy of the game and finally play it, and now people are asking for like €250-300. Crazy

 

[TintoConCasera]

What? Is it even possible for a JRPG to have a good story and not be a massive cringefest?
Sounds impossible, my brain cannot comprehend this. Is it really that good?

Not every JRPG is a highschool, power of friendship waifubait cringe fest.

It's one of the reasons why I love SMT III and IV so much, those games throw a lot of morally grey stuff at you that makes you think and ponder your own personal values.

 

[Digity]

For anyone who wants to jump down the rabbit hole, check these series of videos out.



21 episodes and most are several hours long but totally worth it. I’ve already rewatched it twice now lol.

They go super in-depth into all the themes of the story.

 

[West Texas CEO]

25 years?

Also 35 years? Xenogears came out in the 80's?

That's my fault. I am so terrible at math.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Its a shame that nobody ever, idk, came along and finished it. Its one of the few games that could actually use a remake.

I’m torn. I would love a remake but I don’t know who I’d trust to do it.

If Monolith did it, it’d be like a 120 hour game loaded with filler side quests, waifu/pedo shit, 5 million items in your inventory, drawn out dialog scenes, and a bunch of over complicated gameplay systems that quickly turn into busy work.

If Square-Enix did it, either it’d be an ugly + poorly performing remaster or a bland half-baked 65/100 remake.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Yeah, that story and those characters were mindblowing in 1998.
Xenogears is a much better product than the one it’s inspired from. They took the basis of Evangelion and made a better story with better characters and better writing. The fact that Anno managed to make a disaster out of the Evangelion remake when all the Xeno games managed to tell good stories (even if not as good as ‘Gears) is further proof of that.

The only thing that keeps me from replaying Xenogears on a regular basis is its length. There’s very little you can do to keep the total playtime under 50 hours if you want to get to the final battles well prepared. On my first playthrough I got there quite unprepared and I was about to call it quits. Than I got very lucky against the boss’s minions and somehow managed to beat that final gauntlet.

 

[TGO]

35 years?
Was there a NES Version?

 

[West Texas CEO]

35 years?
Was there a NES Version?

I meant 25 years, sorry.

That said, I think the richness of Xenogears' story won't be surpassed in the next 10 years, either.

 

[Naked Lunch]

Hate to break it to you - but most of the best stories - books, movies, comics - you name it - are from the past.
Really shouldn't be surprising.
From Grapes of Wrath - to Watchmen - to Mulholland Drive - to Silent Hill 2.

I dont get the consensus that everything newer should be better.

Oh yeah - and Xenogears is awesome

 

[Fbh]

Now that's a game that could use a remake/remaster.

What? Is it even possible for a JRPG to have a good story and not be a massive cringefest?
Sounds impossible, my brain cannot comprehend this. Is it really that good?

There was a point in time when JRPG's were trying different approaches and telling interesting stories. The execution wasn't always great but at least here was an attempt.
Then someone figured out that going all in on generic shounen jump style anime, melodrama, power of friendship and waifus was more profitable.

 

[Amiga]

Disagree. it could have been if they had seen through disk2.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Played it a long time ago and don’t remember it being as great but it was a long long time ago.

I do remember hating the battle system though

 

[existensmaximum]

Serious question: it's not super pretentious and convoluted? I've never played it but I always got that impression. Would definitely be interesting to give it a go, but I often struggle with Japanese storytelling to be honest.

 

[ACESHIGH]

I tried to play it on duckstation but encounter rate pissed me off. Unless there is some way to mod that I can't see myself playing it. This game really needs a remaster with battle speed toggles and more.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Serious question: it's not super pretentious and convoluted? I've never played it but I always got that impression. Would definitely be interesting to give it a go, but I often struggle with Japanese storytelling to be honest.

I wouldn’t say so. FWIW I found Xenosaga to be WAY more convoluted and pretentious than Xenogears.

It’s a big and complex story but I rarely got the sense that they were intentionally making things convoluted or trying to make it seem more deep/philosophical than it actually is (with the exception of a couple unintentionally hilarious scenes that sorta add to its charm)

 

[Myths]

I mean it is an interesting and good story but I dunno if it is really that innovative or unique, other games have pieces of the plot here and there. I actually replayed it for the first time since release last summer, I definitely picked up a hell of a lot more this time than I did back then. But just because something is referencing or is influenced by something else doesn't make it deep and complex. Anyone can hamfist that stuff into a story if they wanted.

More or less this is where I stand. It seems like people just call it complex, deep, and the “best writing/story ever” just because it merely shoehorns in a lot of religious undertones and existential junk that’s been done time and time again. It does nothing impressive, to me, as a game nor does it use its narrative in the medium to do a anything groundbreaking.

Chrono Trigger did it better as a package, and with a far simpler story. I just refuse to separate the two. Work both the story and game mechanics/design into one to really demand intrigue.

 

[Clear]

No it isn't lol. Nier Automata has some amazing scenes but that entire games legacy is ruined by coomers and simps.

Dude.

With the Nier games Yoko Taro starts out from a simple premise: "what if characters in a story became aware of that existence, and attempted to rebel from their scripted destiny and eventually subvert the author's intentions" From the starting point he blows it out into an existential fable involving the entirety of philosophic history, the extinction of the human race at its own hand, the ghosts of that "humanity" reoccuring in the machine life-forms that come after and their evolution both physically and metaphysically.

Along the way we get heapings of comedy, tragedy, parody, pastiche, meta-commentary on games, and at the last a hard reminder that the meaning is found in the journey and what we take from that journey.

The Nier games are on a whole other level in terms of high concept and exploration of that concept. All this on less than A-tier budgets, and all spanning out from a "joke" ending on a game that at the time seemed like a nihilistic parody of what JRPG's were supposed to be.

That's God-tier in my opinion.

 

[Comandr]

Disc 1 of Xenogears is so good. And then the fuckin wheels fall off.

 

[Sensei]

I can't be objective with this one, since it's one of my favourite games of all time.

One one hand I'd love a remake, but on the other I fear what they might do without (most of) the original team involved in the project.

 

[fart town usa]

Hate to break it to you - but most of the best stories - books, movies, comics - you name it - are from the past.
Really shouldn't be surprising.
From Grapes of Wrath - to Watchmen - to Mulholland Drive - to Silent Hill 2.

I dont get the consensus that everything newer should be better.

Oh yeah - and Xenogears is awesome

Wise words. Makes sense considering your username.

 

[lachesis]

Well, I gave up at the final disc where it went to entirely on reading. Since English is my 2nd language, I gave up.
I didn't want to read a novel - I just wanted to grind and level up my character and all, and the ending - and the final disc was just like a cold shower telling me, hey - this game is not for you.

I don't remember much of it's story - but I do remember that it just reminded too much of Evangelion in its presentation and all.
As much as I appreciate the effect of Eva and all, the rampant self-important, pompous type of unfriendly storytelling - (and that coming from Five Star Stories fan) - it quickly lost my interest.
Too much lore, not enough meat (gameplay) to chew.

It would have been a good Anime. Perhaps a good visual novel. Given a chance, if it's translated in my native language - perhaps I would give another chance. But not in English... and for that, I find myself envious for the native speakers.

 

[Katajx]

That's my fault. I am so terrible at math.

I’m sorry. I read the title and waited for someone else to catch on. You’re good

 

[Mozzarella]

I have not played it at the time and now i think its too old and the gameplay isn't good anymore for me to play it, i am sure its a great story but i dont know if i can get into it, especially considering the pace new games are coming out and how i have work and all that, my time is more limited at this day and age.
For me the best JRPG story was Suikoden 2.

But i did play Xenoblade Chronicles and it wasn't good, just recently Xenoblade 3 in particular was a mediocre story, it falls apart chapter 5 towards the end, i also hated Xenoblade 2, so i dont know if i will love the old classic or not, but my friends who generally share a similar taste to mine say that Xenogears is great, while Xenoblade is waifubait mediocrity, so i'd rather believe that indeed Xenogears is amazing, granted we all agree Xenoblade 1 is the best of the trilogy when it comes to story, but best in gaming? hell nah.

 

[BryceNobody]

Well damn, might have to give this a go. Couldn’t really get in to Xenoblade, but heard enough that I feel like Xenogears deserves a shot.

 

[jshackles]

This thread's title makes me feel older than I actually am.

Seriously though, Xenogears is a goddamn masterpiece. Anyone who says otherwise is uninformed.

 

[Katajx]

Seriously though, Xenogears is a goddamn masterpiece. Anyone who says otherwise is uninformed.

I think this was the first non Final Fantasy JRPG I gave a shot. I really liked Gundam at the time and this game blew me away.