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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Xenogears
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 23 votes
Read user comments
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Game Info
Publisher: Squaresoft
Developer: Square
Genre(s): Role-Playing Game
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: October 20, 1998
Summary
In the Xenogears world, you will fight your opponents either bare handed or in giant robots. Characters mature as they gain experience and become stronger as you upgrade their equipment. Each character also has a unique robot. Just like the characters, the robots need to be upgraded as your opponents get tougher. You have to visit the Gear Part Shops where you can install various parts. Depending upon the situation you are in, you have to be flexible and find the most appropriate parts for the robots. [Squaresoft]
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Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Games Domain
Combining good action, dark drama, a splash of anime, and lots of Really Big Robots, this game is the must-buy Playstation RPG of the season... Square’s greatest masterpiece since it started producing for Playstation, and I highly recommend this game to anyone who’s even heard of "Final Fantasy."
Read Full Review >RPG Fan
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 >IGN
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 >Gamestyle
Has a very deep and engrossing (perhaps blasphemous, hence the furore) tale to tell.
Read Full Review >netjak
The dungeons in the game are far too tedious and aggravating for me to ever want to go through them again. Even beyond all that, though, Xenogears remains one of my favorite games ever because of its unsurpassed story and characters, and I think that says something.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Xenogears' reliance on story, subtlety, and mood make it Square's most anime-like RPG thus far, in many ways making the game one of its best.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
An extremely popular anime-style role-playing game of epic proportions. [Jan 2004, p.189]
Gamezilla!
This game is geared (ha ha) more for the RPG player, and I can say that it could have possibly converted me into one with a little more action.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
Playing this game is kind of like getting into a good book. The first few hours may be boring or even painful, but once you get into it, you'll be up until the wee hours of the morning flipping pages (or pressing buttons) trying to find out what happens next. And let me tell you - the story is first-rate and the plot gets thicker than a pint of Guinness straight from the tap.
Read Full Review >Adrenaline Vault
In a lot of ways, Xenogears seems more like a novel than a game. Partially due to the amount of time you spend reading on screen text while the game plays itself, and partially due to the complexity of the plot.
Read Full Review >Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
A deep, long (70 hours!), story-driven RPG that tackles some of the weightier issues out there... Yet another winner from Squaresoft. [Nov 2001, p.54]
All Game Guide
Unlike most role-playing games from this company, there are two different battle systems.
Cheat Code Central Platinum
Casual gamers may be scared away by the lack of flash but Xenogears is still one of the better RPG's I have played. I recommend it to anyone looking for a deep, Anime-like story to be wrapped up in.
Read Full Review >GamePro
A relentlessly slow plot, plodding dialogue, and the unfortunate fumble of the robot interfaces's potential keeps Xenogears out of that stratosphere enjoyed by its far superior cousin, "Final Fantasy VII."
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Eric T gave it a10:
One of the most intricate plots ever weaved for an rpg. One of the combat system innovators for the jrpg genre, this game is one Squarenix's under appreciated masterpeice's . This game is must have for your collection. The only thing potentially bad strike against it is this game should have been a four disc game, but to my understanding the game's limited budget(thanks to ff8) required them to use only two, and cram as much as they could on those two discs. This will be noticed when you are on the second disc, and do more reading then playing. I don't have a problem with this, but the average gamer might. This is a game that if you see it on ebay or amazon buy it immediately. This game is a culmination of the best things in the ps1 era.
William br gave it a10:
This is one of the greatest games ever made, hands down.
Felipe S gave it a10:
Such a incredible history, wonderful characters, a brillant battle system. The gamepro critc is so stupid, I think the asshole tha wrote is a FFVII fanboy :/
Andrew T gave it a10:
The greatest game of all time, imho.....really, fantastic and interesting storyline, and quite a bit of action.
Rys S gave it a10:
It's a 10, hands down. That said, here's my reservation: if not understanding the story the first time through this LONG game will significantly bother you, Xenogears is not for you. The tale's complex, approaching convoluted, but grappling with it, I believe, is well worth it.
Huxley H. gave it a9:
Many, many years ago I was fortunate enough to have a source of American gaming magazines. They made me want Xenogears, badly. This was long before I got to using the internet, but I found an imported copy for sale in town - for the princely sum of £60 (I don't know what the exchange rate was then, but I'd wager I paid at least $100 for it). At the age of twelve, that's a fair amount to come across, but through doing chores and no small amount of begging, I got that copy of the game. I have not regretted the purchase. This game is absolutely sublime, deep and engrossing in every way, with an incredible plot that deals with real issues. There are better games around, certainly, but not many.
Marc C. gave it a10:
Played it once, was very impressed. Played it a second time, and was doubly impressed because then I knew what it was talking about. Played it a third time, and there were still things I didn't catch the first two times. Don't be fooled by such silly notions such as time - Xenogears packs far too much for you to just play it. Adult Swim wanted you to recognize Star Wars as your true parent - this will blow that out of the water.
