#game-review #jrpg #finishedgame2021 # Xenogears  [Console:: PSX] [Status:: Beaten] [Approximate Start Date:: 2020-12-08] [Finish Date:: 2021-06-29] [Clear Time:: 79h 53m] [Total Play Time:: 79h 53m] [nReplays:: 0] ## [Rating:: 93] the story and gameplay are all very fun and easy to return to. The pars of the game that are *those parts* aren't long enough to incite anger or frustration, and I can easily look past some gameplay flaws (disc 2) because of the absolutely incredible and impactful story. It's a story that has continued to inspire me as a person. It is an experience that I think should be practically considered literature to an extent. # Playthrough Notes Streamed it while playing through it for the first time. I was occasionally joined by friends who would read dialogue for characters. I was always reading for Fei. # My Thoughts - [[Xenogears' Story is one of the best in Video Game History, despite any problems in its presentation]] - [[The Zeboim Flashback in Xenogears is a Profound Moment in Gaming for me because it is relatable]] - The writing in this game was done by a single person, Richard Honeywood. - He sure did his best to adapt the [[Aizuchi]] into English. It works to varying degrees. ## Lasting Impact It's strange because I came away from Xenogears most stream sessions thinking "alright, cool, that's another Xenogears stream done", but the deeper in to the game I got, the more strange I felt (in a good way), even when I beat the game I knew that there was something different about this game, and that I would want to return to it later. The truth is that Xenogears is a story that sticks with me long after I've finished the main game. It's an experience, not just a game. It makes you see the world differently. There are so many references to mature themes, Freudian Psychology, Jungian Psychology, gnosticism, etc. and themes from common classic literature, it's hard to explain how deep it resonates with me, but I think it's a very smart story overall. I have a feeling this one has the potential to crack my Top 10 favorite games, and be an [[Evergreen Games|evergreen game]], in time. ## Xenogears' final dungeon would be MUCH more tolerable if it had a minimap The final dungeon in Xenogeras is far too same-looking in its spaces, between the hallways and the rotating maze, where it can easily be a huge timesink. It would EASILY be better with a minimap to show how the zones change and loop around with each other since the game is 3D and cannot be drawn by the gamer on a single sheet of paper. # Favorite Moments / Memories - The hidden Zeboim scene between Kim and Elly and their creation of Emeralda. It hits differently when Elly and Kim talk about the extinction of the human species while I life through the "once-in-a-century" pandemic. - The entire stretch of gameplay from confronting Id for the last time up to the end of the game is sublime. - ==Hammer moment== in the anima dungeon 2. # What were you doing when not playing this? - Living at my one-bedroom in Madison, alone, about to graduate college, and then living alone as a freelancer. In a way, this game was one of the ways I continued to socialize with people during one of the most isolated points in my life. # Relevant Links - VOD Playlist in embed form. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLdGe_J3R_OE49MvffZzxGmEPmpihysxrS" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> - The Resonant Arc's podcast about this game is really really good. It touches on all the themes in the game as a complement to the experience of the game as a whole. - There's a tweet that says "Xenogears is a messy piece of shit 10/10".