One of the most mature storylines every crafted for a video game - wonderful gaming experience. I will say that some battles can last a bit longer than enjoyable necessary, but still, small distraction from a great game. Just don't play if you hate cut scenes.

I was excited for this game, seeing as how many of the people involved with Xenogears were behind this. But this game ends up a bit too convoluted. I didn't mind the long cutscenes but the story is a nonstop series of inconsistent tidbits, characters and details which do not make any sense until the final few hours of the game- and even then, you'll constantly find yourself referring to the database to figure out what's what. The characters, even the lead, never develop beyond their initial personalities. Visually, the game is very good (especially the FMVs) and the music is great, though not Mitsuda's best. The gameplay is fairly tradition with towns to explore, secrets to find, dungeons to conquer, and bosses to beat. The battle system and character development systems are very complicated and contains so many different aspects that you will spend a vast majority of your time in trail in error to find what characters and attacks work against what enemies. The game is also incredibly inconsistent in terms of difficulty. Above all, the entire game just feels slow and tedious: the long and boring dungeons, the overly simplistic but tiresome puzzles and nearly every single battle just seems to drag on. Ultimately though, if you do make it to the end, you will see that it's only the beginning of a huge saga and it will pique your interest.… Expand

i loved xenogears it is still my favorite RPG of all time . so when i heard it was getting a prequel i couldnt wait to get my hands on it . much like xenogears this game is heavily story driven and there is alot of cut sceanes which i love if its got a story that grabs me and intresting charicters . i loved KOS-MOS a kick ass female android who could bust **** up . but kinda like FF8 it has the same problems the combat system just isnt as fun mainly because the mech combat just plain sucks . the game is also very challanging and not that i mind that but it gets to the point where its very frustrating . the final boss is one of the hardest boss fights ive ever fought ina RPG i fought that basterd for almost a hout and still couldnt beat him. but some of the voice acting is some of the best ive seen. crispen freemen who does albedo really stands out . i mean wow he made that guy look like a freekin insane madman that i believed 100%. its not exactly the awsome sequel i was hoping this to be but it didnt dissapoint in the story area one freekin bit. and thats the most important part to me for any RPG.… Expand

I was a Xenogears fan and I was eagerly awaiting this game but it inevitably was doomed to let me down. It is not a Xenogears game only but for a few references.

This game is great. The gameplay is challenging and well thought-out, and you're rewarded for getting past all the tough bosses and everything with a lengthy cutscene or three. The game has a sweeping and confusing plot that really makes you think, and is thoroughly enjoyable through and through. Those who enjoy Metal Gear Solid's cinematics should love this game, but those who are put off by this kind of thing...well, you won't like this.… Expand

The best game series I have ever played! I have played all of the final fantasy games( including FF7). If your looking for a RPG game to play,hands down,get this one.

Now, this game is for a very very specific auidence. If you're expecting great, fast-paced, gameplay. Stop reading, and go play something else. The battle system for this game is seeping with mediocrity, but if you're interested in this game. Gameplay is not the reason you're considering getting this game. The main focus, no, excuse me, the only focus on this game, is the storyline, Which is incredibly deep and intriguing and if you're looking for a good story, this is your game, or Interactive DVD. The graphics aren't pushing the PS2 to it's limits but it doesn't look bad either. The voice-acting sadly, isn't impressive, it sounds pretty bad at times. Which is pretty annoying, since you're going to spend 99% of this game listening to people talk. Also, I lol'd everytime I got an e-mail from Namco trying to advertise their games to me. Remember; this is for a very specific audience, be careful when you buy this and be 100% positive you're looking for a game that'll give you a great story and a great story is all you want. Everyone else, will hate this, and should keep away. I enjoyed this personally, but I'm part of that specific audience.… Expand

This game has iffy gmaeplay, but while playing it through, I realised that I could really care less. Now, while that's not the case in most games, this game's cinematic story flows out so well that I could survive the boring battle system just to get to the next gorgeously rendered cutscene. While I realise this is more of a movie then a game, I have to say it is one extremely good movie.… Expand

Okay, if you're going to make a game that is mostly movie, you have to make the movies good. The dialogue is painfully bad, the voice acting doesn't work well with it, and most of the storyline is uncreative. While there were some intriging subplots (such as the human-turned-cyborg man saving the cyborg-turned-human girl), they are either not developed or developed badly. The characters are not only cliche but often times stupid. Most of the main characters are adolescent or younger, and come off so. The entire KOS-MOS team is composed of teenagers, who meddle about their junior-high like drama, while we are suppossed to believe that they are smart enough to develop a highly developed weapon. KOS-MOS herself, a cyborg built for combat, seems like a girl playing a robot by wearing a visor and speaking roboteese. Many of the characters even overact, such as the scarred pilot Virgil, which must be an achivement for animation. I must admit I have not played the entire game, so I cannot speak for the game after about hour 5 or so. The story may pick up, and the game may get better. After the appearance of Jr., however, I had decided that I had my fill of cheesy characters with uncreative names. So I stopped playing.… Expand

A really good game but could use fewer movies.

Xenosaga has an interesting storyline and the voice acting for the most part is not cheesy and very well acted. The game is riddled with cut scenes that are very purposeful: they add depth to the storyline. Despite the great story the gameplay does lack a little. There is plenty to do and I really enjoyed the battle card game and some of the poker. The battle system is enjoyable, however, it could have used a little more development because it becomes repetitive and is more of a chore than a joy. Also, many of the environments in which the game takes place are simple and boring. The storyline is intriguing and makes up for many of the shortcomings in the gameplay. … Expand

This game breaks boundaries of most rpgs that are available for the ps2. The only one that is equally good is Final Fantasy X. Xenosaga has abosolutely brilliant graphics. The entire concept of the game is like an interactive movie, ading rpg elements to make one fantastic, absurdly incredible game. Any fan of anime will ADORE this game, and anyone looking for a unique rpg will love it as well. Also, if you like Xenogears, then this game is a MUST-HAVE. all in all, this game is simply astounding to the wonderful story, the beautiful graphics, the lovely characer models (especially Kos-mos and MOMO are astounding), to the incredible addictive battle system that Xenogears the lovely game that rpg fans love. … Expand

For those curious "Der wille zur Macht" is German for "The Will to Power." Xenogears is easily one of the most complicated and most epic RPGs on PlayStation. Though only 2 discs, it easily spanned 80 hours for some. Can anybody truly figure out the story? No, and perhaps thats a good thing. Though you have a general idea, I have never heard anybody who was 100% conclusive down to the detail nor do I expect anyone to. Like a great novel, some things are variable, unexplained, left for interpretation, or left to investigate. Xenosaga had VERY huge expectations to fill. Could the prequel possibly meet all these expectations? The short and obvious answer, yes, it has. Xenosaga begins with introducing us to Shion Uziki (not a coincidence she shares the same last name as Citan from Xenogears). She is an engineer of a ship, but more importantly, she is in charge of a dangerous project. This project is studying KOS-MOS. A female cyborg with much power and a danger to work around because of the unsureness of how to control her. The gameplay mechanics remind me of the innovative mechanics in Chrono Cross in two ways. First, all enemies appear in front of you and chase you around. Battles are not random. This helps for the game, even if the enemies are typically faster than you. The game setups methods of avoiding detection, trying to outrun, and even setting up traps to escape them or hinder the enemy in battle. This makes not only for more strategizing, but also for keeping the player 'on his/her feet.' Second, the game is turned based and a similar type of combo/ap system. Attacks are divided into physical and ethereal. However, some characters have a special attack and can use a powerful cannon or such by pressing circle. Typically though, each move will take up 2 AP. Your bar has a maxmimum of 6 AP, but you only start off with 4. Should you block and save, you can do devestatingly powerful moves much like "tech attacks." This creates for a nice variety and plenty of different attacks. You can even choose what kind of moves are needed in order to activate it. The magic system is one of much interest. Characters have a nice arsenal of different spells they can learn and it is not a quick process. The game can be beat not having learned everyone's ether spells. The interesting thing is you can 'transfer' other magic to party members. For example, Shion might have "Heal All." If I wanted another party member to learn it, another party member can learn the spell for giving up their magic skill points to learn it. Next, the good ole gears. They are called AGWS (Anti Gnosis Weapon Systems) in this game. They don't come off nearly as big as one expects, nor as powerful. They are given a similar type of equipment like Xenogears did, even a bit more. However, they aren't nearly as strong as one would expect. They are typically best suited for "lambs" in battle. None the less, they can save you at times and add to already great gameplay. However, later on in the game you can buy even better gears for big bucks. A nice option indeeed. Finally, the computer system of Shion. In the game, Shion has the ability to jump back into places that one cannot go into with her hologram. Shion gathers information about the environment and has the data for a person to go back to the environment, and pick up things they might have missed. Though the idea is somewhat hard to believe, it easily adds to a better gaming experience. Going back to certain places to gain more experience, look for secret items, and other events make it worth wild. The game has many sidequests and mini-games. At the casino on Jr's ship, one can play card games. With Shion's hologram and certain keys, you can play drill games, gear figting, and even more. One 'quest' of particular help is the e-mails. Sometimes if you respond differently or read e-mails that Shion gets, you can receive new weapons or attacks for characters. Even better, sometimes you will have the ability to invest in stocks. Yep, you can even play intergalatic stock market. The mixed bag portion of this idea is that dividends will always pay you out amazingly high amouts of money and you'll get huge bonuses. For example, investing in certain companies might help you get a final weapon, or get great discounts at medical or AGWS equipment depending on the company. Though something tells me nobody else will complain about that . . . About the only other problem here in gameplay is the length. I beat this game in a mere 40 hours even with some sidequests done. The storyline is top notch, touching, and absolutely beautiful. It makes for a bit more sense but its not without its mysteries and mind boggling questions still. At times, it feels over cinematic to a point of fault a la "Metal Gear" , but usually there will be lots of uninterupted gameplay before cutscenes endure, so it is more even balanced. Some parts actually had the ability to move me so much I teared up slightly. The story has an eye for art, strong metaphor, and the concept of many human themes. The characters have nice backgrounds, others have more mystery, but all have a distinct tone and demeanor that grows on you. The graphics also further improve and already great game. Everything looks how one might expect, the backgrounds are elaborate and interesting, the textures fit everything correctly. The CGs are especially a visual spectacle. The voice acting follows its lead. Characters typically speak with the lips, they do it with emotion, and change tone depending on the situation. The voices fit the characters as well. The music is not as strong a region. While its the sound and music is very high quality, often it is repeatitious. Boss battles and normal battles are not different in music. The same theme plays over and over again. Part of me wishes they expanded their soundtrack a little. They recycled a bit too much in the music department and it would've been a very strong area otherwise. Overall, Xenosaga generally matches and even exceeds Xenogears in many ways. About the only suggestion I have for the future is to keep up the new ideas to integrate into gameplay, make it larger in general, and a new game option would like other great RPGs would make this game just about perfect. To only further the depth though, it is believed that your final save game will lead to extra options in Xenosaga Episode II (I forget the german title, but it translates to "Beyond Good and Evil.") Take a look at Xenosaga II screen shots if you haven't, it only shows that each game tries to further improve rather than dishing out more of the same.… Expand

This game is the best RPG EVER! Deeep storyline,android's,great graphics, awsome battle system! What else could you want, because its got it!

This has to be the best PS2 RPG game that I've ever played! Period. (I have played FF7, FF8, FF9, FF10, Xenogears, Chrono Cross and many many excellent titles, Xenosaga is still my best) It has deep story and beautiful cutscenes, the cutscenes are rendered so beautifully that I keep watching them over and over again. Some of the battles are difficult but are not impossible, good sense of tactic and attack are crucial to win every battle with minimum lost of HP. The voice over for all characters are excellent too, together with nicely drawn characters, I really thought that I live together with them. So, rush down your door and get this title if you are RPG die-harders. A must for those who like SquareSoft series. Have fun.… Expand

Wow. If I wanted to wanted to watch a movie I'd have payed a lot less. This game sucks - it's not even a game. Only reason I gave it a 2 was because it was slightly reminiscent of Xenogears. Battles are over simplified. Points system is kinda cool. Casino is too easy to win. All mini-games are lame and the Xeno-card is especially over-complicated. Story is lame and tries to be too 'deep' and meaningful. This game just sucks...… Expand

This game is one of the best RPG. The graphic is wonderful, the music and gameplay are totally great!

An excellent departure from the standard RPG's of today. Stands up to the Final Fantasy series - while not commerically, but definitely in being much more of a kick-ass game. Still under-appreciated, but Gears fans already know what that was all about.

Just beat it the other day. Hands down the best RPG I've ever played. Too bad so many people don't even give this game a chance...

This game by far, contained some of the best animation FMVs, especially Kos-Mos. And the storyline is great too !! It's worth buyin' it even to ogle at the graphics, plus the game rocks!!

I found this to be one of the most enjoyable RPGs I've played in a long time. Sure, it has an insane amount of cut scenes (which can thankfully be paused and/or skipped) and doesn't have a huge focus on the battle engine, but the story is really what this game is about. This is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you focus on the story (which you likely would if you're into console RPGs anyway), this is the ideal game.… Expand

So it has long cutscenes that do get a little long, but they are still enjoyable. The story is amazing, the graphics are good, and the gameplay is great. As for FFX, I am apparently one of the few that loved it. However, Xenosaga comes close. The only thing reason I say that is because I liked the weaponry/armor better in FF. Anyway, a great game, and I will be buying any further Xenosaga titles.

As everyone who played this game would agree on, the game has too many cutscenes. It is the closest thing however to come close to Final Fantasy X greatness. Future Xenosaga gamers, good luck on the cathedral ship chapter of the game.

This game was utterly fantastic... Xenosaga makes FF10 look like even more of a disgrace in my mind. Squaresoft, you better get your asses in gear!

This is one of the best RPG games ever made and if anyone can't handle the hourlong cinemas then stop playing RPGs cause thats what its all about. Story. Namco is giving Squaresof a run for their money cause this is way better than Final Fantasy 10...yet i still feel that Final Fantasy 7 is the best ever made ...this game comes close.

I paid good money to not play a game? Stupid idea.

This is a great game. I think it even rivals with the final fantasy games. RPG fans will love this game.

This game has everything a hardcore rpg fanatic would want! what can i say? it's just...WOW!

Awesome game with a great combat system and story, only bad thing was when I completed it and saved my clear data I couldn't load it SO DON'T SAVE WHEN YOU BEAT IT. Also I wish I didn't have to wait two years to see what the heck happens next because the end of the game leaves so many questions...alas it is slated to be a series.

Awesome game. The Graphics are a bit outdated, but they stand out so much from the rest. This game has some of the best features in a RPG, like an intricate battle system, no random encounters and thick, engaging storyline... get it !

OK, it's nowhere near Xenogears... but i'll be damned if it doesn't shove it's foot right up FF10's ego-inflated ass. I'm not the least bit disappointed in it, and I can't wait for the next 3.

Once you get the combat system down the game is great. The only thing I can call a flaw is the excessive use of cinemas, but that is enjoyable.

I think this RPG is one of the greatest out in the PS2. The whole package feels really fresh and It's a relief that one doesn't have to go through a lot of menus while in battle mode (while in quest mode one still does a lot!). Still I feel the game can be improved in some ways (graphics, overall gameloading,menu mechanics)but that doesn't keep it from me giving it the highest score. Highly recommended for any RPG fan!… Expand

As is this is one of the best games for Ps2. Kojoho however is expecting the entire story to unfold in 22 hours when the game is supposedely 80 hours long....get farther before you call the story dissiapointing. The graphics and battle system are very nice. The only thing that disappoints me is that the A.G.W.S. don't seem to have as tech attacks like 'gears but that won't kill. Other than that I can easily recommend this game unless you are religiously sensitive.… Expand

What a disappointment. the positives are a terrific battle system and some nice visuals. but the story is extremely disappointing (nowhere near the quality of xenogears) and after 22 hours of play, im tired of walking around on a bunch of similar looking spaceships. the fact that the entire game (or it seems so far) is set in deep space is also a turnoff. basically, if you like looking at spaceships and a bunch of empty space with stars, you will enjoy it. go play the new breath of fire instead: its battle system (the best ever) makes up for most of its shortcomings.… Expand

This game is completely awesome, best graphics I've seen on PS2 and best story as well. Definitely worth it.

Without a doubt, one of the greatest RPGs to ever be released as well as one of biggest visual masterpieces on the PS2. Xenosaga is simply incredible. ^^

COOL !!

Better than xenogears, somehow.