I know the first thing people would probably say is "might it just be nostalgia?" But I don't think so. I've replayed Xenogears fairly recently and found myself far more engaged in its narrative than any other Xeno game.
What is it about Gears that makes it more appealing? I'm having trouble putting my finger on it. Saga and Blade both share fairly similar themes, moods, motifs, and even stories. They certainly feel like sequels of some sort. So why don't I like them as much?
I guess all I can do is list what I didn't enjoy about them.
Xenosaga:
-Story moves slowly - much more slowly than Gears. I suppose this is because it's drawn out over three games, but there seems to be a lot more dead time, scenes where not much happens, or teases for what's going to come later. It makes me less invested in what's immediately going on.
-Combat is boring. Gears had snappy button based combos and pretty badass giant gear fights. Saga also has giant gears, but something about the combat feels much more sluggish.
-Story feels more pretentious than Gears. The religious references are more overt, and overall I just get a vibe that says that the story feels like it is very important and intelligent.
Xenoblade:
-I'm not much of a fan of the open world.
-There's a TON of fetch quests and collectables, my two least favorite parts of any RPG besides grinding.
-Much of the gear changes your appearance, and a lot of it doesn't look very good.
-At least in the original release, the character models were pretty ugly.
Xenoblade 2:
-Gacha system REALLY turned me off.
-Sexualized characters are mentioned all the time, and while I didn't find them as offensive as I did humorous (in the way that you laugh at something pathetic) I did find them incredibly low-brow and distasteful, which dampened my overall experience.
-Shares the same giant overworld problem with the first game.
Xenoblade X:
-Story. Not enough of it. That's my primary focus in a Xeno game.
At the end of the day, I think I enjoyed the story of every Xeno game. But only Gears offered the "complete package" for me. I guess because it plays and feels the most like a traditional JRPG.
Overall rankings for me, personally:
Story:
Gears = Blade >>> Blade 2 >>>> Saga >>>>>>>>>>> X
Gameplay:
Gears >>>>>>> Blade = X >>> Saga >> Blade 2
Overall:
Gears >>>>>>>>>>> Blade > Saga > Blade 2 > X
I know it's kind of unfair to lump all three Xenosaga games together, as there are differences between them, but they felt like a three part story to me, and I put them together in my head when I think of them.
Xeno fans, how do you feel?
What is it about Gears that makes it more appealing? I'm having trouble putting my finger on it. Saga and Blade both share fairly similar themes, moods, motifs, and even stories. They certainly feel like sequels of some sort. So why don't I like them as much?
I guess all I can do is list what I didn't enjoy about them.
Xenosaga:
-Story moves slowly - much more slowly than Gears. I suppose this is because it's drawn out over three games, but there seems to be a lot more dead time, scenes where not much happens, or teases for what's going to come later. It makes me less invested in what's immediately going on.
-Combat is boring. Gears had snappy button based combos and pretty badass giant gear fights. Saga also has giant gears, but something about the combat feels much more sluggish.
-Story feels more pretentious than Gears. The religious references are more overt, and overall I just get a vibe that says that the story feels like it is very important and intelligent.
Xenoblade:
-I'm not much of a fan of the open world.
-There's a TON of fetch quests and collectables, my two least favorite parts of any RPG besides grinding.
-Much of the gear changes your appearance, and a lot of it doesn't look very good.
-At least in the original release, the character models were pretty ugly.
Xenoblade 2:
-Gacha system REALLY turned me off.
-Sexualized characters are mentioned all the time, and while I didn't find them as offensive as I did humorous (in the way that you laugh at something pathetic) I did find them incredibly low-brow and distasteful, which dampened my overall experience.
-Shares the same giant overworld problem with the first game.
Xenoblade X:
-Story. Not enough of it. That's my primary focus in a Xeno game.
At the end of the day, I think I enjoyed the story of every Xeno game. But only Gears offered the "complete package" for me. I guess because it plays and feels the most like a traditional JRPG.
Overall rankings for me, personally:
Story:
Gears = Blade >>> Blade 2 >>>> Saga >>>>>>>>>>> X
Gameplay:
Gears >>>>>>> Blade = X >>> Saga >> Blade 2
Overall:
Gears >>>>>>>>>>> Blade > Saga > Blade 2 > X
I know it's kind of unfair to lump all three Xenosaga games together, as there are differences between them, but they felt like a three part story to me, and I put them together in my head when I think of them.
Xeno fans, how do you feel?
