From what I've seen on YouTube, that's a roller-coaster ride which starts with the train going up pretty high above the ground, an opening thrill-inducing ascent which is promptly followed by a big drop, proceeding to stay nowhere near that initial height for the remainder of the ride. So, even if we may strongly disagree about the quality of the game, I reckon your review still holds true for both of us.
On a tangential note, are you planning on playing through the rest of the Xeno series at some point? Xenoblade Chronicles X aside (which leaves us with Xenogears and Xenosaga), they aren't close to as exploration-heavy as the ones you've played, but, seeing as you seem to have enjoyed their titular chronicles as well, I'd thoroughly recommend giving them a try.

the reason i compared it to voyage is because while voyage still literally loses energy over time like every other rollercoaster it still manages to be as exciting in its back half as it is in its front (this is the biggest sticking point in coaster design, SO many rides get boring after their halfway point like you described). this is partially due to individual elements staying intense but also because the entire return trip towards the station is built on a very gradual hill, and the track keeps a relatively constant level of prominence above it. the train is able to continually descend without riders really noticing, and it almost feels like the extra speed is coming from nowhere. the comparison was kind of a goofy non sequitur but xc1 really held me the same way through the entire game.

i bought and started xenosaga 1 a while back but left my save file sitting. it wasn't from disliking it but because i've always been really bad at following through. since covid hit i've gotten way better at finishing games (i think i actually finished more rpgs this 2020-2021 than i did from 2011-2020) so i'll wrap it up and get to the other 2 eventually. probably gears as well since ps1 emulation has become so much better in the past few years.

Thank you for the clarification, hope you derive a better understanding of yourself through your enjoyment of this game. If nothing else, I'm glad I got an answer so I could follow the message of your review.
As for your Xenosaga Episode 1 playthrough, I hope the overabundance of cutscenes (spectacular ones, if I might add) doesn't discourage you from playing the entry with the best grounded combat in Xenosaga for my money. After playing through the Xenoblade games (never got around to beating X, the game didn't seem too interested in telling its story as much as it was in letting you roam the land to your heart's content, and I've never been known for finishing every game I play either, far from it), I too went with it as my starting point for the rest of the Xeno series. It can come across as overly cinematic and convoluted for what it is, but it retroactively improves once you reach Episode 3. Leaving the first Xeno game for last is by no means a bad idea, I also did that and ended up loving it all the more. If for whatever reason Xenosaga ends up not being your thing, I urge you to at least give Xenogears a chance.