Xenosaga Episode 3 is amazing and easily hit the heights of Xenogears for me.
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I just played Xenogears for the first time and I'm officially blown away - what now?
- Thread starter Samiya
- Start date
Xenosaga Episode 3 is amazing and easily hit the heights of Xenogears for me.
Xenogears is the best story I've ever played in a rpg. The only downside is that we only get this game but it's a treat definitely worth the time to experience the game.
As what to do next? Buy the sophia framed painting (or poster of if ebay for $20), buy the square enix figures ($70ish a piece), play xenosaga and xenoblade games, or possibly a replay with the japanese voices and english subs.
As what to do next? Buy the sophia framed painting (or poster of if ebay for $20), buy the square enix figures ($70ish a piece), play xenosaga and xenoblade games, or possibly a replay with the japanese voices and english subs.
Dude.
Allen standing his ground against that Kevin jackass made me shed a tear.
Episode III is awesome.
You might be right but I don't want to chance it. It could be catastrophic.
Regarding the translation - I kind of agree that it needs a new one, but at the same time so many of those lines are goddamn iconic.
This post made me want to make a top 50 list of Xenogears lines/quotes. You've tickled my utricles!
OP
OP
The Zohar, fresh when I got it done in the shop. Was pretty psyched at how the artist even managed to get Kadomony in properly.
Wow, that is beautiful! I'm very jealous.
If you're okay with playing visual novels, then I think disc 2 is fine for what it is. Better that than nothing, for sure.
Yeah I've heard some great thing about Xenosaga 3, but having to play through ~80 hours of the first and second seem a tad much. Isn't it possible to just go straight to 3 or will it be much less impactful?
Also, 3 is going for several hundred bucks on Ebay, so I guess it's pretty much out of the question. Isn't there a PS2 remaster coming out by Bandai Namco at some point? They did one for .hack so surely Xenosaga would be in the cards, I imagine?
It's great. I think the whole game is underrated. Story wise it's incredibly ambitious for its time, it's crazy that it was originally planned to be six parts.
Also pain is an awesome song
It's been a while, but I think Xenosaga I & II never came out in Europe, so they released a DVD movie of the two games there.
That might be enough for the plot, but you would miss out on subtle queues or easter eggs.
There's no PS2 remaster planned unfortunately. The most realistic means of playing it would be by emulator.
Remastered Xenosaga Collection Not Happening, Says Tekken 7 Producer | Digital Trends
Bandai Namco has decided not to proceed with a Xenosaga HD collection, according to Tekken 7 producer Katsuhiro Harada, who in 2014 called on fans to express interest on the project to get it off the ground. The Xenosaga series is comprised of three episodes that were released for the PlayStation 2.
www.digitaltrends.com
I can't wait to read through all the posts on this thread. The story of Xenogears still blows me away after all these years. The cast of characters is so large and interesting, the themes of the story are so intriguing, and I honestly think it's not all that complex once you get a grasp on it (I think the translation makes it seem quite a bit more complex than it really is, but man, I wish we had an officially translated Perfect Works!).
But before even reading all of this thread, I wanted to jump in to say that it's things like this that make me really frustrated with some of the industry's neglect about backwards compatibility and preservation + accessibility. It's criminal that a game like Xenogears will soon very difficult for people to buy and play (legally).
Sure, you can spend $100s of dollars to obtain working hardware and a disc copy, or you can seek out the game via emulation, but those being the only options are going to functionally limit the new audience of gamers who will every play Xenogears. Just the additional friction of not being able to easily buy and play games like these on new hardware will be just enough to turn people away.
But before even reading all of this thread, I wanted to jump in to say that it's things like this that make me really frustrated with some of the industry's neglect about backwards compatibility and preservation + accessibility. It's criminal that a game like Xenogears will soon very difficult for people to buy and play (legally).
Sure, you can spend $100s of dollars to obtain working hardware and a disc copy, or you can seek out the game via emulation, but those being the only options are going to functionally limit the new audience of gamers who will every play Xenogears. Just the additional friction of not being able to easily buy and play games like these on new hardware will be just enough to turn people away.
I replayed the game last year and have been blown away all over again. There's absolutely nothing like Xenogears out there. It's a one of a kind (even though very flawed) masterpiece. A one in a million experience.
Now you read the article detailing the time takahashi and team went through after making xenogears
kotaku.com
From Xenogears To Xenoblade: The History Of Monolith Soft
If you’d told me back in 2006 that Monolith Soft would go on to become one of Nintendo’s most talented and indispensable first-party development groups, I would have said the same thing as everyone else: “The guys who did Xenosaga?”
kotaku.com
I just discovered the FF Brave Exvius x Xenogears collaboration Square did 2 years ago 😭
That high-res character artwork really makes me wish we could at least get a remaster with updated UI.
Square remembers the game existed every few years to pump a lil money out of fans and then forgets again. Welcome to our hell. Now imagine you played it at release and they've been doing his to you for two fucking decades
No, do not go straight to Episode 3.
Episode 1 is good game and should absolutely be played. It has some major pacing issues (multiple 45 min+ cutscenes) but it's a damn solid JRPG from a gameplay standpoint and the story and characters are instantly intriguing. Beyond the excessive length of the cutscenes (which are good just way too long) the only major hit against it at the time of release is that it didn't provide much closure. But that's not a problem anymore. For me I would say it's one of the better JRPGs of the PS2 generation.
Episode 2 is the problem child of the bunch. Mainly because the battle system, while interesting, can make random encounters take *forever*.
So absolutely play Episode 1 but maybe consider just watching a youtube playlist of all of Episode 2's cutscenes.
Now start the real gauntlet OP and play the other Xeno games. Each series rights are held by different publishers so while you will never see them crossover in a big way. You'll see each new series find ways to connect itself to the previous one. It's cute, and it will drive you mad since we rarely get anything more then the references and hints.
The key to Ep 2's battle system is that you're meant to be constantly analyzing enemies and swapping in party members who can exploit their weakness. Often there's only one character who can do it. Using the wrong characters on the wrong enemies is what makes battles take "forever." If you know what you're doing, most battles should take a reasonable amount of time. Though the constant analyzing and swapping does get old. Still, I think Ep 2 is underrated. Definitely the weak link in he trilogy, but not as bad as its reputation.
I'd rather play Xenosaga 2 than 1, though I agree that 2 is the least essential of the bunch. If you're a Xeno fan you have to play all three.
Play all the other Xeno games. They're all excellent, trust me.
Xenosaga 1-3 - Don't let people convince you into skipping 2. All 3 are great and necessary for appreciating the whole story
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitve Edition - This is the weakest "Xeno" game, but its still good.
Xenoblade Chronicles X - The misunderstood Xeno game. The least story focused, but it's themes still match that of all other games.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - If you want more Xenogears, this is the closest you're gonna get for now. XC2 is the most like Xenogears and Xenosaga in it's story and themes and I place it right up there with Xenogears.
Also, if you haven't, PLEASE check out Chrono Cross too. It is an amazing game and amazing sequel to Chrono Trigger.
welcome to this (sad) club, OP!
Unpopular opinion: Skip the xenoblade games they are mostly trash except for the (great) soundtrack .
Xenoblade is pretty good if very uneven.
what I can definitely recommend though is grabbing Blu-ray from the concert at the square Enix store, get some good headphones, sit back, and enjoy a great orchestral version of one of the best soundtrack in videogame history.
I'm glad you like the one who bares fangs at God- it's under appreciated mitsuda genius.
Unpopular opinion: Skip the xenoblade games they are mostly trash except for the (great) soundtrack .
Xenoblade is pretty good if very uneven.
what I can definitely recommend though is grabbing Blu-ray from the concert at the square Enix store, get some good headphones, sit back, and enjoy a great orchestral version of one of the best soundtrack in videogame history.
I'm glad you like the one who bares fangs at God- it's under appreciated mitsuda genius.
Under appreciated? I feel like I see it come up all of the time in any discussion of Mitsuda's music. Probably more than anything that isn't from Crono Trigger or Cross.
Ep 1 isn''t absolutely a bad game, it's actually one of the most unique and ambitious things Takahashi has done. Ep.2 is the only bad one but it's like 20 hours long anyway.
Are you using any filter for the sprites or is that the emu's default look? I really enjoy the look of it
As for the thread's question, Xenogears was my fav game, from a plot point of view, back when I played it 7 years ago. I still gotta play some other recommended games such as: 428; FFT. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for more suggestions
As for the thread's question, Xenogears was my fav game, from a plot point of view, back when I played it 7 years ago. I still gotta play some other recommended games such as: 428; FFT. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for more suggestions
Really? I feel like I never see it mentioned ! Sorry - I guess I feel it should be mentioned even more :)
OP
OP
It's been a while, but I think Xenosaga I & II never came out in Europe, so they released a DVD movie of the two games there.
That might be enough for the plot, but you would miss out on subtle queues or easter eggs.
There's no PS2 remaster planned unfortunately. The most realistic means of playing it would be by emulator.
Remastered Xenosaga Collection Not Happening, Says Tekken 7 Producer | Digital Trends
Bandai Namco has decided not to proceed with a Xenosaga HD collection, according to Tekken 7 producer Katsuhiro Harada, who in 2014 called on fans to express interest on the project to get it off the ground. The Xenosaga series is comprised of three episodes that were released for the PlayStation 2.
Thanks to you both. Really sad to see about no re-release of the Xenosaga trilogy. It would definitely increase my motivation for actually playing them and the prices of used copies of 3 is absolutely bonkers at the moment. I guess I can try to check them out at some point in the future in case I somehow get a better paying job lol.
lmao
Hey Samiya, I'm gonna echo the Xenosaga recommendations. 1 is a decent jRPG, 2...has its issues but is extremely story relevant (and the battle system isn't bad), and 3 is a wonderful game. Overall the Saga is worth a play through, especially if you're hankerin' for more Xeno stuff.
BUT...I'm also gonna recommend something out of left field. It's a little DS game called Infinite Space.
If you enjoyed the character drama, lore, & epic scale of Xenogears, this game does all of that. It's not set in a similar universe and it's not a jRPG, but what it is is an amazing story. It's a space opera with tons of politics but also space magic and lots of wonderful character moments as well as a setting that is beautifully realized.
Again...it is a DS game, and not even one with a huge budget so don't expect the production values of something like Gears, but the writing makes up for it.
Basically it boils down to one part visual novel, one part spaceship management, and one part rock/paper/scissors space combat.
If any of that sounds appealing to you I can't recommend it enough as a Xenogears fan.
BUT...I'm also gonna recommend something out of left field. It's a little DS game called Infinite Space.
If you enjoyed the character drama, lore, & epic scale of Xenogears, this game does all of that. It's not set in a similar universe and it's not a jRPG, but what it is is an amazing story. It's a space opera with tons of politics but also space magic and lots of wonderful character moments as well as a setting that is beautifully realized.
Again...it is a DS game, and not even one with a huge budget so don't expect the production values of something like Gears, but the writing makes up for it.
Basically it boils down to one part visual novel, one part spaceship management, and one part rock/paper/scissors space combat.
If any of that sounds appealing to you I can't recommend it enough as a Xenogears fan.
OP
OP
Thanks, but the aesthetics of the Xenoblade games, especially the character designs, are extremely off-putting. It really looks ghastly. I think I can stomach the Xenosaga designs, especially 3 looks to be pretty decent. But the Xenoblade games, I just can't handle how the characters look.
I'll definitely check out Chrono Cross at some point, it's been in my backlog for a while, so thanks for the reminder.
You can't imagine my immediate disappointment in taking Xenosaga 1 home, popping it into the PS2, entering a battle, and then not getting a 3D version of Xenogears.
I still haven't beaten those games for that reason alone. And I have all of them.
Is this available on PS3? Might have to plus that ok boy back up to cop before here shut down. I think I got all the FF's but I'm sure there's some S-E classics I'm missing.
Man, I'm not joking when I say I fight the desire to play through Xenogeras at least once a month. Not only is my backlog massive, I legitimately do not have time to go down the rabbit hole required to take in this game the way I truly want to.
So with that, I recommend listening to Retrograde Amnesia: Comprehensive JRPG Retrospective podcast for an awesome analysis Xenogears. It quelled my desire to play through the game... but only for a bit.
So with that, I recommend listening to Retrograde Amnesia: Comprehensive JRPG Retrospective podcast for an awesome analysis Xenogears. It quelled my desire to play through the game... but only for a bit.
I legit feel like I wrote this post. lol
OP
OP
Yes, it's on the US PSN store but it will be taken down soon. Used physical copies go for around 150 dollars these days, if not more.
I also agree with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 being the closest experience out thete to Xenogears, but take this with caution as the plot is not that good and the character Interactions can be a bit too "anime" (and definitely It doesnt have that misterious and tragic atmosphere) .
And yes, I'm sorry but you will never find something as deep as Xenogears :(
And yes, I'm sorry but you will never find something as deep as Xenogears :(
Xenogears remains my favorite game ever. I love just about every aspect of it, even disk 2. Also kind of glad they never did much merchandise, because I bought what little I could find. Have the Perfect Works artbook, got hold of the Elly version of the Millennium Collection release, and bought the Weltall figure they released a few years ago.
Nintendo should just buy the rights from Square and let Monolith give us the Takahashi Cut.
Also, Samiya , Square sells the bluray of the live concert they did a few years ago, and it's great.
Nintendo should just buy the rights from Square and let Monolith give us the Takahashi Cut.
Also, Samiya , Square sells the bluray of the live concert they did a few years ago, and it's great.
I haven't weighed in on this yet so I might as well:
The Xenosaga games were massive disappointments to me. I wont say whether to play them or not, as I honestly haven't played any of them since release. That kind of says something right there, though.
Xenoblade 1 and 2 were better. Xenoblade 2 especially incorporated a bunch of themes and even story beats from Xenogears that I appreciated. Xenoblade 1 is pretty good, and I can see why certain folks *love* it, but it's still not up to Gears level. It's certainly worth playing and you can consider both Xenoblade 1 and 2 Xeno-methadone for your fix. Xenoblade X is pretty cool, but very much its own thing, IMO.
The Xenosaga games were massive disappointments to me. I wont say whether to play them or not, as I honestly haven't played any of them since release. That kind of says something right there, though.
Xenoblade 1 and 2 were better. Xenoblade 2 especially incorporated a bunch of themes and even story beats from Xenogears that I appreciated. Xenoblade 1 is pretty good, and I can see why certain folks *love* it, but it's still not up to Gears level. It's certainly worth playing and you can consider both Xenoblade 1 and 2 Xeno-methadone for your fix. Xenoblade X is pretty cool, but very much its own thing, IMO.
I know it may be hard to convince you otherwise, but please don't let any stylistic preferences put you off from playing the Xenoblade games. I also think both X and 2 especially are terrible looking design wise, yet they're very fantastic games.
Its my favorite JRPG, ever. It probably changed my life (played it back in 1999, when I was in high school).
I would really really REALLY like a remaster (a remake would probably be impossible, due to the sheer scope and themes).
Btw: I prefer the raw look, but if you are going to filter the graphics, try XBR instead. It will still filter the 3D parts but the 2D sprites will look a bit more cohesive compared to the background (in your samples they look way too blurry). XBR's algorithm works great for Xenogears 2D sprites on top of the 3D levels. (Try with a scanlines or aperture grille shader or overlay on top as well)
Also: you may want to check this out.
