Xenogears

 PlayStation
User Score
9.2

Universal acclaim- based on 397 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 364 out of 397
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 397
  3. Negative: 22 out of 397
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  1. Seryin
    Mar 9, 2013
    10
    I admit that after time has taken its toll on this game that it is a bit hard to go back to now with all these new great games out. However, Xenogears still is my favorite game of all time. I enjoyed the story greatly and once you figure out the combat system, it was one of the most fun of its time. Better than the regular turn based stuff from old rpgs.
  2. Tubie
    Jan 19, 2011
    10
    This game could have been the best RPG of all time. It's a real shame the developers ran out of funding and had to rush the second part/disc of the game. Still with all of it's flaw the story is so incredible and the combat is so amazing it puts this game as the second best RPG of all time for me.
  3. Decimus
    Jun 20, 2014
    10
    Greatest storyline of all time!!! It makes all of the RPG's out there appear childish and trivial. This RPG is a game changers and it will not leave you without pondering the events that unfold within its chapters. I will rest my case with this..... There is nothing else on the beaten path (videogame plots / RPG's) that can touch this masterpiece. People that don't get it, are eitherGreatest storyline of all time!!! It makes all of the RPG's out there appear childish and trivial. This RPG is a game changers and it will not leave you without pondering the events that unfold within its chapters. I will rest my case with this..... There is nothing else on the beaten path (videogame plots / RPG's) that can touch this masterpiece. People that don't get it, are either simpletons, or just plain impatient. My answer to that..... not everyone is born to be a scholar or grasp things of depth. However, if your the kind of person that has these qualities, this is an absolute must. I gurantee you won't be able to play it just once. The story will keep you coming back, as it does for the rest of us.… Expand
  4. maxpainis
    Mar 25, 2013
    10
    What makes a game great? It's not it's flaws, where xenogears have many, it's not the fact that it's dated by the time I played it in 2005, it's not the graphics or the great voice overs. A game is only great if it's memorable, and when you look back all these years you still remember fondly certain aspect of such a game that you can't get out of your mind. Xenogears is one such rareWhat makes a game great? It's not it's flaws, where xenogears have many, it's not the fact that it's dated by the time I played it in 2005, it's not the graphics or the great voice overs. A game is only great if it's memorable, and when you look back all these years you still remember fondly certain aspect of such a game that you can't get out of your mind. Xenogears is one such rare experiences. The storyline, the characters and the soundtrack and the overall feel I had upon completion of the game makes me look past the frustration, the grind, the seemingly rushed pacing towards the final third of the game, for all those many flaws about the game, I felt fulfilled, emotionally and mentally attached to one of these rare masterpieces of our time. The only way to do this game justice is to complete this game yourself and let it etched itself into your memories.… Expand
  5. papermanda
    Feb 13, 2014
    10
    There are very few games that deserve a 10, and this is one of them.

    Not many games and game companies are brave enough to tackle the tip of the iceberg psychology, philosophy, and spiritual concepts - especially in one game. These aspects of the game alone give it a complex story, and to add to it's appeal, there are also concepts of love, class wars (floating city vs. land dweller),    There are very few games that deserve a 10, and this is one of them.

    Not many games and game companies are brave enough to tackle the tip of the iceberg psychology, philosophy, and spiritual concepts - especially in one game. These aspects of the game alone give it a complex story, and to add to it's appeal, there are also concepts of love, class wars (floating city vs. land dweller), the age-old gear piloting conundrum, and so much more.

    The battle system is turn-based, and allows for upgradable moves based on experience in addition to the traditional equipment upgrade aspect. The other component of battle is an alternate in-gear fighting (and travel) mode which contains a different set of techniques and upgradable moves and gear equipment altogether. Two battling systems in one, each with their own complexities, attributes, and magic.

    The characters are easy to relate to even though the story may seem complex at first. It has the traditional "find out where you came from to uncover the story" starting point of now classic, and forgotten RPGs, and each character has a deep and personal back story. The story takes twists and turns and the game has a high standard of replay value because the story takes time to understand. It is clear that the story was developed and written carefully.

    Additional details include a card game that can be played as a continuing mini-game, hidden locations, and additional minigames including fighting championships and gear battles.

    There is much more I could say, but they surely don't make them like this anymore.    … Expand
  6. Serenityinaz12
    May 28, 2015
    10
    This and the Xenosaga series are the most deep and intricate plot lines I have every experienced in a video game, and I have played pretty much every game that is known for having a good story. Couldn't recommend more.
  7. nicolasnova
    Mar 7, 2015
    10
    If I had to write a review of this game in one word, will be wonderful. The people who created this game were very intelligent or maybe so stupids, because they talk about religion!!!! they had balls to created this game in 1998. Amazing game.
  8. thenix
    Jul 11, 2011
    10
    Not going into great detail but it's been my favorite game since I've played it and hasn't been beaten. A great story and fun unique gameplay. It tried more to be good than to be different and focused on the story and characters than the leveling system.
  9. urieaal
    Sep 12, 2015
    10
    If you down vote this game then you grew up after the ps1 was the top console.

    this game was easily one of the best games of its time. rarely can i replay a video game, xenogears, skys of arcadia, fallout 3 and ff7 are the only games i ever replay.
  10. RebornNightmare
    Jul 7, 2013
    10
    It may seem antiquated to give a review to a PS1 game in 2013, but this game needs more credit. The story is simply put amazing, I will make no more mention of it. The gameplay involves playing as Fei Fong Wong, Citan, Elly, amongst others, stacking button combos and building up "deathblows", which are stronger moves to put away enemies (Like Triangle/Cross would activate one, and soIt may seem antiquated to give a review to a PS1 game in 2013, but this game needs more credit. The story is simply put amazing, I will make no more mention of it. The gameplay involves playing as Fei Fong Wong, Citan, Elly, amongst others, stacking button combos and building up "deathblows", which are stronger moves to put away enemies (Like Triangle/Cross would activate one, and so on). The combos are limited to how much AP you have on a certain character. This works similarly once you get into the Gears, or what some people know of them as Mechs. I just found this game a very good experience. Although its not for everyone, I would highly recommend it, as you get a really good story, good gameplay, and characters you can actually feel for, even through the very abyssmal Second Disc of the game, where everything feels rushed, but it was still a pleasant experience to end the game.… Expand
  11. samthomas
    Nov 29, 2014
    10
    Perfection is, broadly, a state of completeness and flawlessness.
    this game is just that.
    this is the best RPG ive ever played ,fantastic characters and a incredible gameplay
  12. ArkonBlade
    Dec 19, 2010
    10
    when i played the demo of this game long ago i know this game was gona be some thing special and had to have it day one . i couldnt believe how great a RPG i was gona be playing . RPGS are made great on 1 main thing and thats story telling and intresting charicters and xenogears does it better then any other RPG ive played before it and since after it . this is still the best RPG ive everwhen i played the demo of this game long ago i know this game was gona be some thing special and had to have it day one . i couldnt believe how great a RPG i was gona be playing . RPGS are made great on 1 main thing and thats story telling and intresting charicters and xenogears does it better then any other RPG ive played before it and since after it . this is still the best RPG ive ever played . the story is very deep and there is alot of text to read so if you are not into reading alot of text for story then you arnt a hardcore RPG player. the combat system all be it simple is alot of fun and the moves you can pull off are alot of fun to wach and the coolest thing about the combat system you can fight in a giant mech . the only tiny gripe i have on this game is the magic system is for the most part useless outside of beating the rare enimy who can only be hurt by magic or healing it has no use. that tiny complaint still does nothing to hold back from this game being the best and most perfect RPG out there .… Expand
  13. Miang
    May 15, 2012
    10
    The best game I've ever played. I played it back on 1998. It is 2012 and still the best game of my entire life. Good plot, nice graphics, incredible combat system, long duration and much more.
  14. Von_Fred54
    Mar 26, 2013
    10
    Fantastic character development. Deep and thought provoking story. Amazing use of camera angles. Squaresoft baked a very unique RPG "recipe" for this title. Think 'mature-Kung-Fu-anime-style- action-RPG with all the usual Side-quests and what not Although the story is delivered rather slowly, I find it gives you more time to be drawn in to the abundance of details and the cinematography.Fantastic character development. Deep and thought provoking story. Amazing use of camera angles. Squaresoft baked a very unique RPG "recipe" for this title. Think 'mature-Kung-Fu-anime-style- action-RPG with all the usual Side-quests and what not Although the story is delivered rather slowly, I find it gives you more time to be drawn in to the abundance of details and the cinematography. ONLY DIE-HARD RPG FANS will enjoy this tale that was ahead of its time.… Expand
  15. AlienSpaceBats
    Jan 16, 2014
    9
    Ridiculously good. Ambitious to the nth degree, massive chunks of dialogue interspersed with plot and turn-based mecha combat, a real Final Fantasy beater.
  16. OnlyOneWing
    Dec 7, 2014
    10
    I just replayed Xenogears a few months ago. The first disk is great. Things become extremely complicated and a bit extreme when the second disk hits, and it moves extremely fast. There were budget issues that turned the second half of the game into what it was.
    But the gameplay is amazing, the characters are interesting, the story is engaging, Xenogears is everything you want an RPG to    I just replayed Xenogears a few months ago. The first disk is great. Things become extremely complicated and a bit extreme when the second disk hits, and it moves extremely fast. There were budget issues that turned the second half of the game into what it was.
    But the gameplay is amazing, the characters are interesting, the story is engaging, Xenogears is everything you want an RPG to be. The game is huge compared to modern games, and even many other RPGs of it's time.
    Imo, they could have ended the game at the first disk and it would've been a 10 anyway, so I won't detract any points for some of the short comings of the second disk.
    Play it! You won't regret it.    … Expand
  17. EnKira
    May 25, 2013
    10
    A beauty. Strong story, a great cast, fun gameplay. Everything just fits together in Xenogears. I just can't resist the feeling of giving this a 10/10. If you love a more mature JRPG with a plot that keeps you thinking even after you've dropped the controller and if you love a game that just nails every other aspect of a videogame, go find Xenogears. You can also download the ISO file orA beauty. Strong story, a great cast, fun gameplay. Everything just fits together in Xenogears. I just can't resist the feeling of giving this a 10/10. If you love a more mature JRPG with a plot that keeps you thinking even after you've dropped the controller and if you love a game that just nails every other aspect of a videogame, go find Xenogears. You can also download the ISO file or something if you can't find it. Can't wait to see more of the X Series after this and Xenoblade. 10/10:OMG!!!… Expand
  18. stimpak
    Jan 20, 2013
    10
    One of my absolutely favorite games of all time. A compelling story-line, top-notch music, interesting combat mechanics, and captivating characters make this an RPG worth taking a look at. Do yourself a big favor and pick this up, it's a classic in my book.
  19. ukzgod
    Sep 24, 2013
    10
    The Depth this game tried to aim for was amazing, sure the story got convoluted at times and 'slightly' confusing. But that's what you get when you try to pack in half a dozen key philosophical ideas. What in philosophy isn't confusing?
    Still for me trying to understand it is what made me like this game so much and probably rate is as my favorite game of all time.
  20. elitefour
    Nov 3, 2013
    10
    well actually this game is for a 9.5
    but what ever
    Xenogears is a innolvidable story
    with a great soundtrack,great characters and a awesome gameplay
    its so nostalgic. a Masterpiece of Square soft
  21. ShiNjixFei
    Jan 23, 2014
    10
    Truly a labyrinthine epic that is worthy of being called a tour-de-force of storytelling in virtually any medium. Xenogears is a cerebral, esoteric, and possibly didactic masterpiece possessing sci-fi and fantasy tropes embedded with the use of intricate philosophical, psychological and religious themes.
  22. exmordis
    May 3, 2014
    10
    Xenogears is one of those games, the ones that gain recognition beyond belief and send others running away screaming. Many consider it to be the magnum opus of JRPGs, and others bash it down into the depths. I, myself, consider it the former.

    The story is something else entirely. Combining nearly every trope in the game, the plot is like a mix between Neon Genesis Evangelion and Final    Xenogears is one of those games, the ones that gain recognition beyond belief and send others running away screaming. Many consider it to be the magnum opus of JRPGs, and others bash it down into the depths. I, myself, consider it the former.

    The story is something else entirely. Combining nearly every trope in the game, the plot is like a mix between Neon Genesis Evangelion and Final Fantasy VI. It aims to analyze various religious, psychological, and philosophical theories with its anime-like characters and their adventures. While VERY confusing to understand the first time, Xenogears' manages to create one of the most amazing tales ever told in all of media. The game will most likely require a few play-throughs to understand all of the messages, but it is very rewarding once you do.

    My overall opinion of Xenogears is great. I consider Xenogears to be one of the best RPGs of all time, plotwise, and I do not rate lightly. The plot draws you in and keeps you playing even when it gets confusing, and the music pulls at your emotions. The only thing I could possibly ask of this game is more; more cut scenes, and more depth to the battles. Also, the majority of the game is contained on the first disc, and so little is done with the second disc that the game should have had more in it spread over both CDs.    … Expand
  23. moricetimeofwar
    Aug 23, 2014
    10
    (my score is 9.5) Xenogears is not a game. It's a true masterpiece. Xenogears is the best RPG of the 6th generation of console. Better than Final fantasy VII and especially the VIIIth, Xenogears has the best story ever told in a video game. "Astonishing," "amazing," "emotional," those are superlatives that lends itself perfectly to the scenario of Xenogears. Never the notion of history and(my score is 9.5) Xenogears is not a game. It's a true masterpiece. Xenogears is the best RPG of the 6th generation of console. Better than Final fantasy VII and especially the VIIIth, Xenogears has the best story ever told in a video game. "Astonishing," "amazing," "emotional," those are superlatives that lends itself perfectly to the scenario of Xenogears. Never the notion of history and the absolute dominance of the latter were not much in the center of the creative process for this work. Just for the story, this game deserve a score near of the perfection. I can't believe that this game lacked of budget because of the shameful final fantasy viii (go check the score i gave to it). Don't hesitate, DON'T take FFVIII GO buy xenogears!… Expand
  24. Sephiroth_X
    Oct 28, 2014
    9
    Xenogears was supposedly to be the real final fantasy 7! But they changed the idea because the story was too controversial for a final fantasy, and well they sold the FF7 we got instead...
    Probably the best RPG on the ps1 console boasts great music, characters and overall gameplay, but is the AMAZING story the star in here, is a long game that you have to play twice or check after the    Xenogears was supposedly to be the real final fantasy 7! But they changed the idea because the story was too controversial for a final fantasy, and well they sold the FF7 we got instead...
    Probably the best RPG on the ps1 console boasts great music, characters and overall gameplay, but is the AMAZING story the star in here, is a long game that you have to play twice or check after the wikis on the net.
    The pace is not the best granted and maybe that could be fixed on a remake and the anime sequences are unnecessary as well. They did not connect well with the game.

    This game cries for a remake, leave everything intact just change some interface and graphics respecting the original artstyle, it just dont look so nice now, that problem has plagued MOST ps1 games, at least the ones that use polygons or zoom effects like xeno. (vagrant story another candidate for remake please!).    … Expand
  25. Quijote
    Mar 29, 2017
    10
    Probablemente el mejor RPG de todos los tiempos, y eso es bastante decir en un género donde conviven todos los Final Fantasy y Chrono Cross, entre muchos otros títulos excelentes, es simplemente mágico e inolvidable, toda una vida.
  26. notacarebear
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    Best JRPG ever. I spent more than 400 hours on it and each time i started from scratch it always felt like the first time. Most successful blend of an anime with an adult theme.
  27. Uomotigre3
    Jan 6, 2016
    10
    My favorite Japanese role playing game ever. I had so much fun. Squaresoft was epic in that period. In my opinion the story is better than FF7 which is my second favorite JRPG ever
  28. Frankdnb
    Jan 23, 2017
    10
    Simply put this is the best game of all time IMO. The story is amazing, the music is awesome, the character development is great, the fight sequences and leveling up is great. The only bad thing is that it was not funded well and rushed but overall amazing.
  29. Kudurcultist
    Mar 19, 2017
    10
    An unbeaten, powerful masterpiece even today. The music, the characters, the amazing plot, the dual-battle system, the places and the feeling that you have been playing something really enormous and epic. Drop the controller and you will keep thinking about the plot. But this is not a game for any player. True RPG lovers and purists will enjoy this game like nothing else even after so manyAn unbeaten, powerful masterpiece even today. The music, the characters, the amazing plot, the dual-battle system, the places and the feeling that you have been playing something really enormous and epic. Drop the controller and you will keep thinking about the plot. But this is not a game for any player. True RPG lovers and purists will enjoy this game like nothing else even after so many years. The game saw its development budget affected in favor of FFVIII and now it's under several legal issues because the devs formed another team (Monolith Soft) who is now working for Namco/Nintendo. The spiritual successor is Xenoblade. With the current status it is highly unlikely that we will ever see a remake.… Expand
  30. RioEkses93
    Feb 5, 2020
    10
    Игра шедевр! Игра от бога! Лучший сюжет за всю игровую индустрии. Лучшая музыка. Прекрасно раскрытые персонажей!
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PS1 Game of 1998
5
#5 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1998
5
#5 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1998

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Gamestyle
    90
    Has a very deep and engrossing (perhaps blasphemous, hence the furore) tale to tell.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Fan
    98
    Xenogears is a must for any RPG lover, regardless of your views toward Squaresoft. With its depth and creativity, Xenogears is my choice for RPG of the year.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    95
    With an intricate storyline, beautifully designed characters and mechs, and some of the most innovative features in an RPG, you simply can't afford to pass this game up.
    Read full review
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