I have a soft spot for works of art that make the medium crumble under the weight of the artist's ambition. This game is, to me, the greatest example of that in the history of gaming as a whole. Simply put, 1998 was not ready for Xenogears. The same year that Metal Gear Solid came out and revolutionized storytelling in video games, you have the release of perhaps one of the most complex video game stories ever told. Did you know that this game was the first time that English localizers worked directly with Square? The complexity of the science, philosophy, and religion mentioned in Xenogears cannot be overstated; JRPGs using mythological buzzwords to name things is a familiar tale, but the depth at which Xenogears uses and engages with these things is something that still hasn't been matched today. Disc 2 is perhaps the most well known thing about this game: "Xenogears shot too close to the sun and had to become a visual novel to meet deadlines" is something many people hear and then shortly thereafter decide that they don't want to get in the car if they know it's going to crash. This is understandable, but I think in a way even Disc 2 is beautiful, if not for its content. You can feel how hard the team was trying, see all the areas in which they still went the extra mile and see the scattered pieces of what could've been if the team had more time. It also adds more appreciation, and melancholy, to the amount of effort put in Disc 1. I swear, you walk into a room in any area of this game and it feels lived in. There'll be a unique arrangement of items, furniture, etc. that helps the room stand out from other areas in the game. This level of atmosphere and attention to detail is something that can only be produced if the team loves their work.
Of course, the elephant in the room is Takahashi and the Xeno Series as a whole. I don't think there are very many people who play Xenogears without having already played, or at least heard of, the Xenoblade series. In a way, having played these games adds yet another layer onto the Xenogears experience, because you can see all of the different ideas Takahashi has and how the ones that weren't able to be executed very well were used again when he had another chance. Some of the parallels between things in this games and things in the Blade series, and the way they differ from and build off of each other, are almost more meaningful than the individual content of either game. I'd say that Xenogears is required reading for anyone who considers themselves a major fan of the series, "clunkiness" be damned.
I don't necessarily see myself playing the game again, because it really is clear that the story held priority over the gameplay in this case. But either way, this game is extremely special and is something that anyone with even the slightest interest should play.
Of course, the elephant in the room is Takahashi and the Xeno Series as a whole. I don't think there are very many people who play Xenogears without having already played, or at least heard of, the Xenoblade series. In a way, having played these games adds yet another layer onto the Xenogears experience, because you can see all of the different ideas Takahashi has and how the ones that weren't able to be executed very well were used again when he had another chance. Some of the parallels between things in this games and things in the Blade series, and the way they differ from and build off of each other, are almost more meaningful than the individual content of either game. I'd say that Xenogears is required reading for anyone who considers themselves a major fan of the series, "clunkiness" be damned.
I don't necessarily see myself playing the game again, because it really is clear that the story held priority over the gameplay in this case. But either way, this game is extremely special and is something that anyone with even the slightest interest should play.