Metacritic Games

Xenogears (Playstation)

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]

Squaresoft
Role-Playing Game
Players: 1
T (Teen)
Developer: Square
Released October 20, 1998

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

84 / 100

Critic Reviews

100 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."
98 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.
95 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.
93 PSX Extreme
Yet another masterpiece from the makers of all Final Fantasy games.
90 Gamestyle
Has a very deep and engrossing (perhaps blasphemous, hence the furore) tale to tell.
90 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.
90 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.
89 Electronic Gaming Monthly
An extremely popular anime-style role-playing game of epic proportions. [Jan 2004, p.189]
88 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.
83 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.
80 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.
80 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]
80 All Game Guide
Unlike most role-playing games from this company, there are two different battle systems.
80 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.
60 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."

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