A good story depends on a plot that keeps the viewer/reader interested, characters that one can understand and sympathize with, and subtle meanings and undertones which are not evident at first glance. By these standards, Xenogears is an excellent story. The plot, while complex, remains intriguing as it twists and turns. The characters remain sympathetic. More than most RPGs, one can relate to the characters, including the villians such as the idealistic Krelian and the neurotic Ramsus who walks the line between arrogant military man and self loathing trash. Even the secondary characters, from an old butler to a crusty sea captain to a philosophical queen, remain interesting. Unlike many games, Xenogears does not hesitate from embracing a view on modern cultural instiutions though, be warned, some of them will offend (especially the rather Nietzchian view of God and Christianity).

In terms of gameplay, remembering that this was in fact a game from 1997, Xenogears seems a little dated. The battle system, while acceptable, is fairly simple, nowhere near as complex as some current games. While the graphics are limited, they are not that offensive on the idea. The animated clips, while often short, seem a bit out of place. The music is excellent and some of it remains haunting.

Xenogears remains one of the more interesting RPGers ever made and is worth the time and attention of any RPG fan.
A good story depends on a plot that keeps the viewer/reader interested, characters that one can understand and sympathize with, and subtle meanings and undertones which are not evident at first glance. By these standards, Xenogears is an excellent story. The plot, while complex, remains intriguing as it twists and turns. The characters remain sympathetic. More than most RPGs, one can relate to the characters, including the villians such as the idealistic Krelian and the neurotic Ramsus who walks the line between arrogant military man and self loathing trash. Even the secondary characters, from an old butler to a crusty sea captain to a philosophical queen, remain interesting. Unlike many games, Xenogears does not hesitate from embracing a view on modern cultural instiutions though, be warned, some of them will offend (especially the rather Nietzchian view of God and Christianity). In terms of gameplay, remembering that this was in fact a game from 1997, Xenogears seems a little dated. The battle system, while acceptable, is fairly simple, nowhere near as complex as some current games. While the graphics are limited, they are not that offensive on the idea. The animated clips, while often short, seem a bit out of place. The music is excellent and some of it remains haunting. Xenogears remains one of the more interesting RPGers ever made and is worth the time and attention of any RPG fan.