Xenogears
1998
- role-playing (rpg)
- fantasy
- science fiction
- single player
The story
Xenogears Blends Authentic RPG Gameplay with Exquisite Hand-Drawn and Computer-Generated Animation in a Grand Science Fiction Tale. An intricate storyline involving many human and non-human characters will prove to captivate audiences of all ages. Players can rotate the amazingly detailed 3D gameplay maps 360 degrees, and have the ability to navigate around the environment by jumping and climbing. In battle, mega-robots can be controlled, adding great variety to play. A new real-time combat system eliminates restrictive menus, using button commands to provide fast-paced, intuitive action. Players can wield dramatic magical spells or engage in real-time polygonal robot vs. robot battles. Combined with dynamic camera angles and intense lighting effects, Xenogears is an experience that won't be forgotten.
What it’s like
Dusty ochre deserts, sun-bleached ruins and dim interiors lit by lanterns, with polygonal characters set against painted backdrops, give it a wistful, sun-faded look. Its anime cutscenes move in bursts of hand-drawn animation, and the 3D overworld can be spun freely around its towns and dungeons. Mitsuda's score swings between sweeping orchestral strings, sparse piano and haunting, almost sacred choral vocals, so quiet exploration can feel as heavy as the battles. Robot combat arrives with thudding, mechanical weight, and spells bloom in bright, cinematic bursts. The pace is slow and digressive, with long stretches of talk, a shifting cast and a plot that keeps folding back on itself. Its mood is melancholic and cerebral, with a steady undercurrent of grief, war and existential dread. Violence is frequent and sometimes graphic, with bloody battles, deaths and cruelty, and there are mature themes and suggestive content. It suits a long, uninterrupted night at home for players who want a sprawling, philosophically minded epic with mecha, and who don't mind a story that stays heavy for a long time.
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