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Well, Andrew recently asked his QnA readers to make a convincing
argument for Xenosaga's greatness. Since there's not really a way to
make a truly convincing case in a brief column letter, I've decided to
write an editorial instead. Please note that this is not a game
review, but a testament to how Xenosaga is just as (and more so)
effective a RPG in all facets as any other.
First of all, the thing we all know. The story is brilliant. Not only
in terms of game stories. It has prompted me to read much religious
literature, such as the Gnostic text "Pistis Sophia". From such study,
I have realized even more so how cleverly crafted it is, and how far
beyond the "religious references" seen in many RPGs nowadays it goes.
Xenosaga is bringing to light some very big issues about the real
world, about humanity. Subtly implemented social commentary and satire
lies within, and if you look hard enough you may uncover it and learn
something, and be entertained all the while. RPGs place a heavy
emphasis on story, and Xenosaga exceeds many other attempts in terms
of depth, scope, and even length.
What about all that "watching"? Well, it's Xenosaga's considerably
more effective alternative to sitting around for similar lengths of
time pressing "X" or "A" to wade through blocks of text. Surely
everybody has spoken to the same old NPCs for a 1/2 hour and then
talked to the interesting "mysterious town sage" for a minute and then
moved on. In Xenosaga, you get a 1/2 hour with the interesting stuff.
It effectively gets to the point and emphasizes the drama. If you're
upset about no action for a 1/2 hour, you may want to look into
investing in an action game. RPGs are primarily about story, and XS
delivers as well as any other in a unique format that has no downfall
but the inability to run between each character before the next line
is spoken during scenes.
So, if we want all that, "just read a book", they say. But alas, XS
has plenty of game. Sure, the environments are mostly limited to
spaceships, but it's not at all boring. The experience is as
interesting as any other RPG setting. There are useful items
everywhere. Running around trying to find things you need for the
(very rewarding) minigames will keep you busy. It has the shops and
the NPCs like any other RPG. In dungeons, you're always busy trying to
figure out how to make the next battle advantageous to you through use
of the environment. The battle system is challenging, fun, tactical,
innovative, and gorgeous to look at. Even if you find all that
monotonous after a while, there's (surprise!) lots of FMV in between
to spice things up, unlike many RPGs in which the dungeon begins to
drag on. No negative differences when compared to other famed RPGs
with regard to gameplay. There's always something to do and something
to find which is more than can be said for some games of the same genre.
A big complaint is the lack of music. I feel that this criticism is
not fully thought through by many. It is nonsensical to complain about
the lack of music, as after running around for a short while the next
FMV or battle begins and the music returns. Your ears are never devoid
of music for too long. There are lots of sounds and ambiences to fill
up the frequency range in between scored moments. The music that IS in
the game is brilliant. We can expect nothing less from Mitsuda-san.
Sticking music everywhere in the middle of space would likely ruin the
setting's feel. Monolith tried forcing music everywhere on Episode 2
because of all the complaints, and most critics now agree that it
doesn't fit.
If one can manage to stop being the perpetual over-active critic for
40 hours or so, they will realize that Xenosaga is a great game in
every aspect, and its innovations to the genre do nothing but enhance
the experience. There is little reason not to like it if you've
enjoyed any other high-quality RPG.
(...and for those who are reluctant to play Xenogears for the same
reasons as Xenosaga, I must clearly state here that XG and XS are two
entirely different gameplay experiences, so get yourselves in gear for
Xenogears!)
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