Final Fantasy VII's 1997 release did more than just set a standard for Japanese RPG (JRPG) games and RPG games in general - it also ushered in the golden age of JRPGs at a time when the video game industry was getting used to making and playing 3D games.
As the company that developed and published Final Fantasy VII, Squaresoft (now known as Square Enix), is raking in the effects of doing such an accomplishment left, right, and center. Doing so allows them to capitalize on the craze around the JPRG genre by developing more of them at the same quality as Final Fantasy VII.
One of those games is Xenogears.
Xenogears History, Key Details
Xenogears is a JRPG developed and published by Squaresoft for the PlayStation 1 in 1998 in Japan and by EA in the US, per the Xenosaga Wiki.
The game follows the story of Fei Fong Wong, an exile forced to deal with chaos without and within himself, as he finds the means to face his destiny and uncover the truths behind mysterious forces operating in his world.
Gamers who previously played the game when it came out would notice some similarities with the anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion," and they'd be right to do so - the anime and the game's cutscenes were both animated by the same studio: Gainax, per Game Rant. The similarities don't end there, either, with Xenogears featuring as many mechas as "Evangelion" does.
Meanwhile, the game itself comes with the traditional turn-based RPG style the Final Fantasy games prominently feature, but it comes with a few unique features that make it stand out from those games, per IGN.
While the game does have the Active Time Gauge system that Squaresoft games typically have, it also comes with a combo attack system that lets players string different physical attacks together depending on the number of usable accumulated AP points.
Instead of using an AP system, Squaresoft decided to replace it with Attack Levels that increase using low-level attacks for Xenogears. As the Attack Level increases, players can execute special attacks that can deal significant damage to the enemy, making fighting gigantic bosses or sob-bosses rewarding to both mind and eye.
Speaking of graphics, the game comes with a mix of 16-and 32-bit worlds made possible by rendering all characters in highly detailed sprites and setting them against a 3D polygonal world. This combination resulted in a better-looking world than the one found in Final Fantasy VII; it could even let you jump and run across the screen without worrying about the camera.
Xenogears Reception, Legacy
Critics and gamers received Xenogears with warm and open arms, with Metacritic and IMDb giving it a score of 84 and 8.9/10, respectively. Many found the game's mix of dark drama, anime, mechs, and great gameplay a winner difficult to beat by even some of the more modern JRPGs in the market.
There are some hiccups in the game, such as an unwieldy rotating camera that doesn't work as intended on some points. Thankfully, this issue is easily forgivable as it doesn't happen too often to become a nuisance.
Gamers who wish to play the games that follow Xenogears should consider playing the Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles, which serve as Xenogears' successors.
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