QUICK WORD OF WARNING: I was notified that around the 12:00 mark in the video, the flashing lights from the Deathblow animations may be a trigger to those who suffer from EPILEPSY/PHOTOSENSITIVITY. I appreciate the heads-up, as I can see how this may be a concern! Also, general thank-you to everyone who has watched & commented on this video :) The feedback I've received has been incredible. I'm glad to have made something that resonates with so many people.
@@absoluteego Do you with your condition just randomly watch RUclips videos? I would classify that as monumentally stupid. Why don't you take any responsibility for your own actions that led you to this moment?
Okay, I've watched this video too many times to count (it became a "go-to-sleep" vid - a high honor) and I just *have* to mention the really awesome detail that Bart's eyepatch is always on the correct eye in his little text box portrait, regardless of facing. So they legit made two different text box portraits and used them *correctly* whenever the portrait changed sides of text box. Incredible. *Note: This is also true of Sigurd.
LOL bruh same!!!! i always found it a perfect video to fall asleep to/wake up hearing, his calm voice, the chill music, the deep subject matter, all beautifil lol
@Dominicn123 I like to start about 23 minutes into the video, because that's right about when the awesome desert-city music kicks in - and besides being my absolute jam, it's got a nice meditative vibe that really smooths you out. Though I will say, it does run the risk (at least for me) of later fucked-upedness invading one's nightmare and really messing with the vibe. Lawl. On more than one occasion I've had some of the darker elements make cameo "appearances" (well, more like dialogue or descriptions informing manifestations) within my nightmare. Certainly a wild ride.
I have found it to be my “last leg listen.” I’m a truck driver by trade, and I go home every weekend. My Friday run, just before I go home is 3 hours long. So I listen to this every week before my weekend during my last leg
It's really funny to me that while Bart's eyepatch is always on the correct side, they just mirrored his braid for the portrait 😂 once I noticed it I could never unsee it
I feel like there's a special kind of reviewer elite you become a part of when you cover Xenogears. It's such a complicated, messy, beautiful, ambitious project to try and unwrap and then convey to total strangers. Writing a feature length analysis on it is reaching levels of reviewer ascension that makes me awed, but also frightened in a biblically accurate angel kinda way. I can't believe how good you got at this in just six months.
Seconding the quality of videos in such a short time. You had me at Symphonia (still an all time favourite game of mine that you absolutely nailed), but each video is genuinely improving over the last. I - and all these fellow lads/ladies in the comments, I'm sure - am on board with whatever random thing you decide to dig into next, even if it's not Grandia.
Hahaha man this is so fcking true. Once you cover xenogears (less than 3 hour would be an insult) , you are automatically in the hall of fame of game reviewers. I think there are less than 5 channels who had what it takes, and I'm being generous since I since it is actually 3
I cannot believe this guy has the gall to call himself an underachiever. This was beautifully edited and narrated. Everything from the choice of game footage, of music and finally to the script just screams methodical, almost supernatural effort. You could easily run your own company with this kind of incredible talent. But you choose to grace us with your beautiful art instead. Bravo, sir.
The amount of processing power he must have to have written his script alone is astronomical. This game is almost impossible to unpack unless you have a LOT of patience for analysis. We didn't even really have functional Google when this game came out. Back in my day we had to use encyclopedia Britannica to solve the mysteries of our pixelated JRPGs!
1:36:26 "So this is the part where you tell me that if I equip her with two specific pieces of unreasonably expensive gear, I can make her the best character in the game or something" Actually, it's Chuchu (or Pip) that has something like that going on. Although Chuchu kinda sucks in the mech battles, there are consumable items that boost stats permanently when used on a character, and you can grind to get as many as you want. Thing is, if you load Chuchu up with these items until their stats are maxed out, then enter a mech battle with them, their stats in the mech battle actually scales with their on-foot stats, unlike the other party members. So they wind up doing several times the amount of damage everyone else can while using no fuel.
Also, Chuchu's healing spell works in gear combat, on gears. Its the only other way besides the fuel cost heals to get gear HP back. It isnt a lot of HP, but its something. That mixed with what you mentioned above, and Chuchu becomes a meta choice
It's hard not to think of Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Suikoden series, Final Fantasy series, FF Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Valkyrie Profile, etc.. when you think of the golden age of JRPGs. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to play these masterpieces during my teenage years. Everything just felt magical back in those days..
Yeah, same here. And I've been trying to recapture that "everything felt magical" feeling ever since '01 to little success. Maybe teenage us just felt better? If anyone knows a way to make things feel magical (that isn't drugs), let me know.
@@sigma6656 I couldn't remember every one of them when I commented on this video (I'm getting old) but SO2 was one of my top 10 and it's prolly one of the most replayble JRPGs of all time. I've played SO2 at least 5x when I was a teenager. Such a masterpiece.
FYI: The word "Soylent" was originally created in the novel Make Room, Make Room. The word was referencing "Soylent Steaks", which were made from soybeans and lentils, because it was too expensive to make meat for widespread consumption, so people had to eat vegetarian alternatives. A truck of "Soylent steaks" overturned, and it was ravaged by starving people, as even the vegetarian alternatives weren't enough to feed everyone anymore. The movie Soylent Green obviously went in a very different direction with this.
Dude, thank you for two things: 1. Taking the time to review a game that, when I originally played it in 1998 at the age of 15, I barely understood it but knew that I was being told a story that rivaled some of humanity's greatest epics. 2. Understanding and respecting the fact that, in order to even begin to properly understand Xenogears in its entirety, it requires 3+ hours to do so. Whenever someone asked me to explain this game, I merely asked them if they were free all day. Now I'll just redirect them to this video. Excellent work!
One of the best videos I’ve seen on Xenogears. As a 12 year old back in 98 this game blew my mind. I thought it was the greatest thing I’d experienced. I can now see the flaws of xenogears at 37 but the vision of the creators was huge in scope. Because of obvious circumstances it wasn’t able to be delivered and experienced at its full potential. Even tho it fell short, it still affected me so deeply that no other game had got me to a similar place and after a couple years of trying with each new Jrpg release, I ended up giving up on playing games completely. I went from Zelda: a link to the past to Secret of Mana to Breath of Fire 3 to Final Fantasy Tactics and lastly Xenogears. I wish I would of played Final Fantasy 7 before Xenogears. I played FF7 right after and tho I did like it I just wasn’t moved the same after Xenogears, and I wanted so badly to play FF7 since the moment I seen it on the shelves at the stores.
This is absolutely the same for me!! Because I played Xenogears before ever taking a crack at Final Fantasy seven, I felt it was more difficult to fully immerse myself, and be entertained as much as I was by the amazing Xenogears?!
@@emceeunderdogrising I was also 13 playing it for the first time and man, it was the first JRPG that I ever actually bought for myself and everything about it felt super special and genuinely authentic!
Hey, love your videos! Wanted to say - during the fight with Dan at the tournament, if you refuse to actually hurt him, he gets angry and throws Alice's wedding dress at Fei while running away. You get it as an item afterwards
Dude...I...don’t even know where to begin. I just absorbed this massive retrospective in a single sitting and now I’m just lying here, feeling like my brain just finished a $500, 20-course tasting menu. As you say, clearly this is an experience designed to be consumed slowly over the course of a typical JRPG-length playthrough. That said... My god, man, you are a titan of narrative distillation. I’ve watched other videos that “explain” the story of Xenogears in base, plain terms for the “casual viewer”, but with this project you’ve done something that I don’t think anyone else has. You’ve taken not just the facts of the case, but the spirit of it as well and wrapped them up into a single package that, second only to the game itself, conveys as best as possible just how incredible and vast this game and the story it tells are. You have, in effect, created the Xenogears of videos about Xenogears. I don’t know if I can offer higher praise than that. I doubt you’ll ever see this comment, buried as it will inevitably be, but I hope you do. You’ve got my subscription and instant, automatic viewership for any and all future videos you produce. Best of luck, and as with all creators that I highly respect on this platform, thanks for showing us all how well it can be done when you put in the time, the effort, and most of all the love necessary to create something truly superlative.
Thank you mate, this is an incredibly kind comment. When you work on a project for long enough, you lose your sense of how "good" it is, or if the objective is being accomplished. That to say, it is very satisfying to see the video resonating so much with yourself & others. Really appreciate the kind words & viewership 🙏
@@Majuular Holy shit, I’m so glad that my words actually made it across your desk, haha! Truly, it was my pleasure - I just finished watching your Legend of Dragoon review (I was one of the few who actually played the game when it was new-ish, so that was a nostalgic delight), and am about to commence with the Chrono Cross video. I have to say, while most of my channel is currently focused on humorous “Let’s Play” style content of my best friend and I bumbling our way through various games, because that’s what I have time to produce at the moment, the type of videos you’re putting out are what I ultimately want to pivot my output towards. I’ve done a couple of reviews, and while they take an order of magnitude more time and effort to put together, they’re definitely more satisfying to release. So…thank you for reminding me of my goals, and for being an inspiration. I sincerely hope that you get the subscriber base and level of success you clearly, absolutely deserve (and I apologise if I seem overly obsequious/sycophantic; not my intention, I really just dig your content that much). All the best! : )
I just want to say, I know no other channel on this platform that treats old JRPG's with the same love, humor, and dare I say warmth that you do. You deserve ten times as many subscribers, at the very least.
Dude your scripting, writing, editing, delivery etc. are top-tier. Up there with the best that currently do it in this "genre" of video. And your first video on SotE is not even a year old. This channel is going places, I can feel it.
Damn. after finishing this review, I got that exact same feeling of "emptiness" after I finished Xenogears the second time. (Second because I was too young to understand and appreciate everything on the first playthrough). It's a good feeling of emptiness mind you. Not the kind that just leaves you questioning your own self but the kind that makes you ask "is that it? is there more? I want more."
What an insane thing to make a 3 hours video on Xenogears, even insaner is to watch all of it, and insanely good it was. Congratulations and thanks dude, that was greatly put together and very pleasing.
Most reviewers of Xenogears tend to be somber. Probably in an effort to pay it the respect it deserves. But, you made it fun. Still hitting all the important points, while respecting the story. You missed a few gameplay details, but also brought up several deep dive concepts I wasn’t aware of. A long Xenogears deep dive video, any skilled reviewer can do that. But to make it fun with moments of creative levity while still respecting the work put into this leviathan? That’s an art, dude. Well done. Liked and subbed.
1:30:38 Babel Tower is actually part of the USS Eldridge, the ship in the game's intro sequence that originally housed Deus and crash-landed on the planet, and is the source of humanity in the world. Surprised you didn't mention/notice this. Because when I first played this game as a kid, visiting Babel Tower and realizing it was actually the Eldridge was the first genuine "A-HA!" moment in the game when things slowly started to make sense.
Yes! On top of a few other areas as well, I regret not mentioning it in the review but hey, once you hit hour 3 your brain stops working at optimal levels 😆
How have I never put this together. Are we sure about this? So the city of Shevat was also part of Eldridge? Or maybe Shevat was built atop the tower of babel after it crash landed and just used as a launch platform?
Or maybe the Tower Babel and Shevat were built from the remains of the Eldridge? Edit: Nope your are correct, the tower of babel is the Eldridge. Shevat was built on top 9000 years after the wreck of the Eldridge out of spare parts from said wreckage. So cool. I never connected the two
Also the big Jasper Cannon thing that you fire at a mirror is just one of dozens of little anti-air weapons you see get used to shoot down fleeing escape ships in the opening cutscene. One of my favourite moments of understanding the scale of the ship in the intro
Wait a second, everybody... isn't MAHANON the main hull of the Eldridge? I'm not saying Shevat and Babel weren't part of it, but there's a pretty big moment at the end where Mahanon rises out of the sea and it looks basically like the spaceship at the beginning. So the main part of it is underwater, no?
Xenogears has been the most impactful game I've ever played. I played it when I was in 7th grade and it sparked an interest in subjects that continues for me to this day. It introduced me to philosophy, helped my deal with terrible things that happened in my life at the time, and taught me so many other things. It's strange to put so much importance on a video game but Xenogears is one of those pieces of media that helped form what would become the core of my personality
No offense, but media probably shouldn't informing what becomes your core personality. Not to say the lessons aren't valid. Just that the medium with which you gained them is kind of sad. People and real relationships should be creating these experiences for you. I love videogames. Love them. But they're just a hobby. They aren't who I am.
No offense, but no-one asked about your core personality. Not to say the read was worth it. Just kinda weird when folks enter a conversation with a critique and begin talking about themselves. I love RUclips. Love it. But not every comment thread is about me.
@@armyofninjas9055 hey bud. Our interaction with media defines part of our personality whether we like it or not. The movies we saw, the television that was on in the bg, the music that is being played. Even the adverts. You can track this throughout history - art imitates life and life imitates art. Or maybe something like "governments realized propaganda works!" because it does and plenty of movies, older ones, were just straight propaganda and some still are. Even if you avoided this entirely and lived in a cave, your relatives and the people who raised you were influenced by "popular culture" which is informed or flat-out created by... media. Like TV, movies, and books. Yes, books! People can be inspired to make art after they finish accessing art, after they consume some media like TV, a book or a game. Human beings operate on stories. The fact you felt the need to specifically tell me that video games aren't who you are (which is obvious, right? you're a person with more personality than just video games) whilst you call someone else sad for resonating with the themes of the writing inside a game... it says you are insecure about that. The guy above me said it really well. Nobody expected you to enter a conversation where you begin a critique of a stranger unprompted. According to you, this person you don't know has a sad life because they gain experiences the wrong way(?) You start by telling the whole world about yourself specifically... WHEN NOBODY ASKED for the criticisms or your identity. Maybe you should create some real relationships to create experiences that aren't being scathed on RUclips!
Thanks for this. I got Xenogears after watching the first ten mins and this experience is as close to transcendental as I've come. Seriously - thanks. Rough part of life where I needed a place to dump my free time when that free time would otherwise be spent thinking myself sad. ...the "gasbagging" translation makes me think that an English person did some of the localization, or a Japanese who was taught English by a Brit, or Britishisms are used to create that quaint "RPG village" atmosphere. There's a ton of translation/transliteration errors and iffy localization in this game, so much so that there's full text translations of the game with LOADS of speculation as to what was "really meant". It's so interesting to me!! (edit i learned that a *single person* did this work. unbelievable, incredibly impressive!!!) The mistakes begin almost immediately lol. "Aveh" is probably "Av" which is a month in the Hebrew calendar but Japanese doesn't end words neatly on consonants that aren't an "n", the vowel sound on the end got put into English. Citan is probably shitan, sh'tan, which is Japanese for "rosewood". in the JP, the "Ethos" are straight-up named "The Church" which you can see might have been problematic in an American market slap-bang in the middle of the Satanic Panic's numerous ongoing trials. Being a localizer/translator in these early days must have been so mind-numbing, frustrating and confusing. Very limited internet and the developers or writers are rarely going to be able to explain what they meant by x or how a certain jumble of katakana should be spelled in English to properly represent whatever Sefirotic or Biblical thing it's named after.
As a JRPG veteran, it always blows my mind that Xenogears exists as a game. When you hold it up to what was out for it's time, it was so far ahead of the curve it's amazing. It shows in how well the game has aged. There's so much random little stuff in the game like how there's a weight system in the game and when I found out I spent way too much time at the fair eating random food to see how the characters would change appearances. It's a shame that Disc 2 looked like it needed more time to cook but even then I actually liked how things came out.
@@Starch1b2c3d4a There is a mirror at the fair and booths that sell food that you can use to change your character's weight. If you go over certain values the sprite appearance actually changes. So if you want to play the game as THICC Faye that's an option. By the Lahan village when you first go to Citan's house there is also a tree with a bird's nest egg. You can take the egg and give it to Citan's wife who will cook it for you. If you eat it, you also gain a lot of weight.
@@24hr-Gaming Each character's weight also appears in their status screen accessed from the game's main menu. Pretty amazing detail that shows some of the love that went into creating this game and its world!
Leave it to Majuular to unceremoniously drop a 3 hour long video on this massive, weird, if not charming game on a random Monday morning where I (hopefully) will be dealing with the last of this godforsaken flu. Thanks man! Appreciate the effort!
@@Majuular you ever play Vanguard Bandits/Epica Stellafor ps1 i would love to hear your take on the story and its kinda in theme with xenogears after a fashion :) though not in the destroying god time stuff and creation myth more robot fighting but medieval times!
I didn't know how much I wanted a video like this until I saw yours. Beautifully done. This is my all-time favorite game, flaws and all, even after all these years.
Xenogears has been my all time favorite RPG for decades now. Originally I was drawn to the game for a simple shallow reason, I played a demo of it that came with a different Squaresoft game, and I thought the combat system was really flashy and cool. I wasn't mentally developed enough, or knowledgeable enough, to fully understand or appreciate what Xenogears does and what it has to offer. But even as a simple minded kid I could tell that Xenogears wasn't like any other RPG I had played. There has always been something special about it and it's never left my mind ever since I first played it in 1998. I would end up replaying the game multiple times just because I had a really strong desire to understand everything that happens more fully. Even without any knowledge of Perfect Works, the problems during game development, or any kind of knowledge of psychology, you can still fell that the game has such a deeper meaning within the story. It always felt so much bigger than what the PS1 could show.
I love how long you spent giving the towns and the general ambient vibe of the game it’s due credit. Bledavik during the martial arts tournament is my gold standard for RPG towns from that era.
Same, but like 3 years ago and I played chrono trigger instead of cross. I would say FF7 has the best characters, Xeno has the best story, P3 has the best gameplay, and chrono trigger was probably best overall.
@@aaronslaton9733 I'd agree with this assessment but persona 3 needs work on the gameplay side. Doing the same procedurally generated dungeons and not being able to control characters brings it down a bit, still awesome game tho
This game has been hands-down my favorite since I first played it in 1997. My dog is even named Elly after Elhaym. One thing to note, the 2nd disk wasn't really rushed due to lack of planning, but due to the fact that their already small budget got slashed halfway through the development cycle. They fully intended for the 2nd disk to be as broad as the first, and even expected the title to span 4 discs total, but when he budget was cut severely they were faced with a conundrum. What they ended up with was a very divisive result that I personally find to be a very intimate moment with the most crucial cast members. I love the "plot chair" itself, though I agree that some segments were glossed over much too briefly. This was an excellent review of a game that has been a huge part of my life for 2-1/2 decades. Thank you for this excellent video!
@@Majuular I'd also be *very* interested in seeing you cover Grandia...though there are a massive slew of games I'd be happy about, so I'd rather that you focused on games/projects that interest you specifically.
"I don't have a problem with random battles, but every JRPG video I do I mention the random battles are too much" 😂🎉🎉 my favourite part of every video. Keep up the awesome 👍😎 content!
Greatest story of all time, game or otherwise. There is nothing quite like this masterpiece. The sheer complexity of its plot is nothing short of astounding. It's so sad that we don't see games of this sort anymore.
I've been loving your channel lately man. You have a way to make deep analysis engaging and funny that's really rare to see. So many long-form video essay channels just blandly present information with stock music in the background but it's easy to tell that you actually love these games even if a review isn't entirely positive. Keep it up man!
Just discovered your channel. I really like your style very analytic and thorough and just Meme enough without being manic, and you cover a sector of the gaming market that I truly love
11:00 And we see the first glimpse into Citan Uzuki being Xenogears' biggest bastard. "Oh, you are sick and wounded? Climb or die. You can't? Well I guess you didn't want to live that much."
It's been 24 years since I first experienced Xenogears, and I still think about it with alarming frequency. Going through this incredibly well-presented and through breakdown of how many concepts the game ambitiously juggles reminds me of why. Even at three hours, there's a lot of content and plot elements that get skimmed or skipped over for time constraints. I'm glad this is the case, because after finishing I definitely feel like starting another playthrough of the game. Thanks so much for this video Majuular, seeing someone who didn't experience the game in it's original time and context go through it now and come away with all the generally positive critique you offer makes me feel like I haven't been wasting time on it for these last two decades and a half. Although i'd argue Xenogears is the best the PSX has to offer in terms of plot density and scope, it is nonetheless in excellent company among many other RPGs on the platform that handled a variety of mature concepts and ideas that can somehow feel lacking from the genre today. You probably get requests constantly, but given the other "golden age" era games you've reviewed, I'd be thrilled to see you take the same analysis to Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, or Breath of Fire 3 and 4 should you get the chance. All excellent works that, along with Xenogears and FF7, really a capture a visual design and storytelling vibe Japanese game creators were going for in this era that I truly miss.
Xenogears is haunting. The music and story are haunting. It's almost as if everything about it breaks the fourth wall. It's hard to explain, but there's something eerie and mysterious about the entire thing. One of the best JRPGs ever made.
I've always loved Babel tower because your making your way through the ship in the intro cinematic. I've always loved seeing something in a movie or cut scene then getting it explore that space in game.
Hi Majuular, and first of all, thank you for sharing. Xenogears has a special place in my heart since I was 16 (25 years ago). I never had (yet) the chance to replay it, and your video did an amazing job in filling this gap. I really apreciated the narration and your comments, had a great time with your humor (I loved "Staying alive" playing during the character's escape), and appreciated the way you presented the various sources of inspiration for the game. Thanks for letting me live the Xenogears experience once more, and making me realize that it is much more deep, heartfelt and inspired than I remembered.
Hey dropping second post here. Just finished the video and I wanted to say, thank you for taking the time to not only play this game but to break it down and explain it as well as what it ment to you. This is one of my favorite games of all time. As I said in my other post. One that was grossly underrated. It's a true work of art. And your video displayed it like the Mona Lisa in all its glory. Thank you.
This is an incredible breakdown of Xenogears. The "Digging Deeper" section is the icing on the cake. This is probably now the definitive Xenogears video. Thank you for this deep dive. This was one of my favourite games as a teenager - I was going through a lot at the time, so this game means a lot to me - and you have done a hell of a job to tickle my nostalgia bone while helping me understand the less than shining parts of the game. Thanks.
ahhh Xenogears, the game that turns into a light novel when you put the disc 2 awesome video btw definitely going to watch this on my commute for the following week
Man, I love your review of Xenogears so much. This is exactly why I fell in love with this game many years ago, even as a kid. I felt a great kinship with the characters and sought to be like them as they suffered and triumphed in a world that saw only death, destruction, and abuse. Thank you so much for this.
I've played Xenogears over and over for twenty years and it's one of my favorite games of all time, and you still managed to change my mind on two things. The translation really does deserve credit. I still don't think it does individual characterizations very well, but it did amazing work building a coherent vocabulary for this insanely complex world. Second, I never took a second look at Hammer. I had the same view since I was a kid, that he was a greedy Judas. Now I recognize that there's a measure of empathy for a character that was struggling.
I was EXTREMELY skeptical about watching a 3 hour review on Xenogears. I have watched quite a few of these and most are literally 20 minutes to 30 minutes roughly. None of the reviews on RUclips do this title justice. IMHO this is by far the very best story in the JRPG genre to ever be told. I am seriously impressed by the amount of work and research you put into this review and want to thank you for it. There is nothing that explains the story outside of Perfect Works better than this video. I myself had thought of making a very similar video, as this game I have most likely played 5 times or more over the years since I bought it all those years ago. I was in the 7th grade when this game came out, and it impacted me due to my curiosity of issues and topics presented in this story. I am so happy to see a video that actually did this title justice. Tysm for this
Loved the video. I played this game when it came out when I was 14 and had no frame of reference for any of the broader concepts/references outside of the Soylent System but now 24 years later, several play throughs, a physical copy of translated Perfect Works, and several video essays I still find more each time I watch one of these. A few notable references that were missed in the video were as follows. Miang and Elly: Miang’s name in the English script was mistranslated. Her name was supposed to be Myah and Elly’s full name is Elehaym which when reversed can be read as “Myah El’e” which means “Myah exists here” in Hebrew. That constant reincarnation of the wave existence’s “Mother” persona and Deus’ “Miang” as a genetic memory control for its rebirth. Kadamony - Kadamony is a reference to Adam Kadmon, the primordial man who had the light of god poured into it which birthed the universe and also led to the creation/shattering of the Sefirot which were divine channels meant to link heaven and creation where Adam is tied to Keter (the crown that exists within heaven at the top of the sefirot). Given the wave existence’s nature as light/energy and Krellian specifically citing that after the defeat of Deus and ascension of the wave existence that the path of Sefirot is open that there is a strong case for the Kabbalah as a major inspiration as well. Babel tower and the Eldridge - when the Eldridge ascends we see that a considerable portion of the vessel is missing from the area fore of the bridge (fun bonus fact, there is map data in the game files that had the full bridge layout with the captain’s watch). When you look more closely at the construction of Babel tower which is built almost 90 degrees off alignment with gravity and the fact that part of the platforming sections has you ascending through residential sections that mirror the opening cutscene which further reinforces that Babel tower is actually just a fragment of the Eldridge that fell to the planet with the rest of the wreckage mostly intact. That also explains why Fort Jasper can use the mirror to redirect its shots and why the tower has a mirror capable of that feat. that also means that Fort Jasper is a repurposed defense system from the Eldridge. Honestly the Xeno series is a SHOCKINGLY deep rabbit hole to crawl down where psychology and religion intersect and the game makes you stop and think about what is really important and why people are given free will and the burdens is brings. The depth of themes through the story and the emotional music by Yasunori Mitsuda (notably far away promise/small of two pieces and Intangible Treasure) really solidified in my mind that video games could tell a story as complex and mature as any other media. The game is a hot mess in some ways but the passion for the project really carries through and as much as I’d love a remake to clean up things like the cut content on disk 2 I also fear that it would lose some of the charm and overall impact that cemented it so firmly as a cult classic and carries it forward so well.
I never had the patience to finish Xenogears, but I have gotten really into Gnosticism in my older years. The people making this game wanted to do something good for humanity- we don’t see much of that in the medium these days. Also what a video! Definitely subscribing.
Wow! Just wow! Never played this game but knew about it in my youth due to being in the JRPG scene and all that but , holy moly what a ride! It lost me there for a bit, relatively convoluted in a way that JRPGs can sometimes be, but overall very beautiful and engaging. I'm so glad you played it for me (my 30 year old self is not as patient as the teen version when it comes to old RPG gameplay and game time investments overall), but as always I loved your explanations and commentary! Not gonna lie, took the Mr and I 4-5 viewings to make it through this bad boy, but another great video for the books! Love it! Thank you for all that you do 🐿️💕
This was in my suggestions probably because I will watch anything relating to my favorite video game of all time, and wow was this a treat. One of the greatest deep dives I’ve seen on Xenogears and was also very funny. I’ve never hit the subscribe button so quickly after watching a channel’s video for the first time! Thank you for this. Incredible. ❤
I watched an entire 3 hour video without feeling dull. The way you presented this long journey was spot on in terms of humor, wording and pacing. There's something deeply unsettling about the fact that there's an infinite, unknown, mysterious, ancient universe outside of the planet where the story takes place that leaves more questions to ask, accented by the existence of a higher dimensional plane and Krelian's journey into it. The reason for this disquieting feeling is that due to the infinite size of our own universe and limited understanding of its ancient past, Xenogears slowly transcends its "SciFi" label to the point where it becomes a rather compelling theoretical take on our own reality. While works of philosophy and spirituality are nothing new, this is a game that was ahead of its time, simultaneously trying to be a succinct piece of literature, which was incredibly bold for gaming standards of 98'. I just would have loved to see how far this story would have taken its complexity if the developers actually had all the time and budget they needed for such an ambitious project. It might be far from the best in terms of playability, but I can't think of any other PS1 title that delved so deep into existentialism and religious parallels to the point where by the end it left me with chills and a strong feeling of existential dread. Other popular titles like Chrono Cross and Metal Gear also had some dense material to unpack, but the former felt obtrusively pretentious, and the latter limited its scope to more tangible subjects. In any case, I also share the sentiment that this game is easy to love but very hard to recommend due to its somewhat lackluster playable content in comparison with other top competitors of its era.
So, junior year of high school my first paper was one that compared Fei and Id to the events of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It not only got an A but was singled out as an excellent example of understanding the material. It's also worth noting that I had not read the book... and my teacher knew.
awesome video! i played this game when it was new in the winter of 98 and its still my all time favorite RPG.. i remember taking acid at a party and coming home and finishing it.. in a 8 hour session. this video brought back all the memories and even helped me understand the story even more.. so impressed that over 3 hours and not a dull moment! your script must've been a damn novel like 300 pages!
Just finished the whole 3 hour video and bravo. You did a spectacular job analyzing the themes and subtle touches that make Xenogears so special all while adding in some genuine good humor and making it easy for anyone to follow along. I love your takeaway that at its core it's a game about love.
It makes me sad, considering it's got the best story of regular Xeno games (I consider the others to be "Monado" games, as per the original title). I _will_ say Xenoblade Chronicles X could function as the incident in which humanity lost the earth and mythologized it, but maybe not, as in the year TC 4747, we don't see aliens.
@@Virjunior01 Xenoblade X is absolutely a throwback to Xenogears. They brought back a lot of the Xenogears staff for it, and its essentially what they wanted to do with gameplay back in '98, but could only achieve now.
Wow, thanks so much Andy! I'm glad this video resonated with you. I've got some big video plans for the new year, really looking forward to sharing what I've been working on!
I am one of those who played this in 1998. I still have the game and my little post-it note with hints to a puzzle. Moments like "the captain" and Bart the second protagonist, man of the sea scene. The arcs for Fei, Citan and Elly. Billy and his father. Solaris. Hammer's betrayal. Emeralda growing up because one did a bit more exploring or Chu-chu saving everyone are all very memorable and seared into my mind. The music, ive searched out certain themes several times in 20 years just to remember. There will never be a remake. Which is unfortunate, but i can always hope for it. Masterful Video and I will return to it.
A MAN OF THE SEA deserves a 10.000 years nap after this journey. Thank you for giving this game the well deserved love… it’s my favorite game of all time, and i love to see others diving in this world.
Well, that was a pleasant 3 hour jaunt. Subscribed. To me, Xenogears is a game I grew up with. For the longest time in my adolescence I wondered at the early scene in the black forest where Fei meets Elly. Elly calls him coward. Tells him he needs to take responsibility. And Fei's only retort is, "THAT'S RIGHT! I'm a coward!"" You never see a hero express that about themselves, and so you know right away that this story will be leagues ahead and different from any other story. And then, in hindsight, you eventually come to realize that is subtle foreshadowing upon both characters in the scene, and where their character arcs will end up as it simultaneously paints them as two sides of the same coin. Xenogears is a microcosm of humanity, and it is a masterpiece. Thanks for covering it!
This video just reeks of passion. I can tell you love this game. Hats off to you for tackling such a massive game. I hope you do Xenosaga soon. This is why I love long form gaming videos like this. Gus like you have such passion.
I've started rewatching videos on this channel. I'm not sure what it says about me. But it definitely says there's something special about the way you craft a review/retrospective.
I waited so long to watch this video as I went through the game, only to be incredibly rewarded. This video was hilarious and made me enjoy the game even more. Thank you so much for creating a project so enjoyable and fun to watch the whole way through!
This game is a masterpiece. An utter and complete masterpiece. No other game comes close to the depth and complexity. Edit: the game really does stand up to it's tagline. "Stand tall and shake the heavens."
Must say this is incredible and I have like 30 minutes left. Wanted to note that as far as side quests are concerned, if you go to the battle arena you can unlock like 20 different characters or something AND it is 2 player capable. That's right, Xenogears is actually a fighting game with a little card mini game side quest on top of it, with some RPG elements sprinkled in.
@@Majuular it's interesting I've watched just about as many xenogears analysis videos as I can find because it's the most fascinating piece of media to me, I have a few conspiracy reasons behind why I think Xenogears was ultimately not allowed to be competed, perhaps it was getting to close to the truth???? Anyway, every video covers different things and misses things. ResonantArc spent like 40 hours and they still missed some things that are hot topics that could be discussed as well. It's almost impossible to cover this game and do it justice, but you did an excellent job. I honestly think xenogears could be taught in colleges in high level english, psychology and philosophy classes.
When that Kislev bit opens with the pipe organ and the candles, I first thought it was a funeral service for Bart until the camera shows that it wasn't a church, it was a small room with new characters.
I played disc one of this game a few years back but due to extenuating circumstances, never made it to disc two. So thanks for taking on the gargantuan task of unpacking it! I was hooked from start to finish of this video; you really have a knack for dishing out plot in a palatable way (and I'm not trying to diminish all the hard work it took to achieve that) and it's really cool you even dipped into some of the themes, even though they're Big Brain concepts lol. Great stuff😩👌
As someone who who has basically been looking for a full story analysis rather than a thematic analysis (both equally tight don’t get me wrong) you don’t know how perfect this is I was looking for to get me through midterms!
This was an amazing video🤩🤩Seriously, the way you explained the plot , gameplay mechanics, and lore, and characters, was engaging, in-depth and funny as heck. As someone who was born in 94 in Nigeria and never had any chance to play a PS1 or any JRPGs as a kid, this was such a fun way to explore that genre of games. The story telling, deep plots, characterization were seriously outstanding back then. Also, the religious themes and use Judeo-Christian imagery is very well done, especially for me as a Catholic. I now own a gaming PC and I want to experience JRPGs just for these kinds of games. I already plan on playing Chrono Trigger and FF VI.
This game is insane (in a good way). I wonder how long the game would have been if all exposition on disc2 was actually converted to gameplay. Insane ambition. Very creative.
Finally finished it. What a massive effort this must have been. I knew it would be good when I saw the sprite sitting in the plot chair. This was the first RPG that I played where I was totally caught off guard by the whole unexpectedly post apocalyptic setting that my little kid self didn't really see coming. I particularly remember walking around that side quest in the underground city and just marveling at how a fantasy RPG suddenly had a very, very familiar setting. If there is one game I desperately want a ff7 style remake of, its this one. #2 is probably the much more simple Skies of Arcadia, another game you might find you enjoy if you get the time. Its funny to see how many of your complaints/criticisms I look in stride as a kid because that's just how games were back then. The random battles, the early game fuel issues, etc were all things I remember quite well but only after you brought them back up. I also remember that Miang fight at the end of the game (the double fight before Deus where you are in your mechs) being super hard and I didn't even really understand the whole attack level thing in the gears at all. I think I had to gameFAQs it. I hope you keep up the exceptional work. You make some of the highest quality stuff on youtube.
Thank you friend. A fair few things I bring up as gripes is mostly out of impartiality. A lot of the negative qualities don't *really* bother me, but I bring them up to be objective. Certainly as a kid, I never even would have noticed them!
That's it. You've finally reached the end of this massive game, trying to sort all the feelings it gave you. You sit there, watching the credits roll. And, as the credits come close to the end, you get this familiar but dreaded feeling: it's over. It was incredible, you've been OBSESSED with it for weeks, but it's the end. And then, at the very end of the credits, it appears: "Xenosaga, Part V" WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Alright! Guess it's not time to stop obsessing yet! Time-limited 56k internet, here I come! (and let me tell you, back in y2k, it was NOT easy finding out a definitive answer to what that was all about...)
My favorite game of all time. In 1998 I told my father for Christmas I either wanted Metal Gear Solid or Xenogears, which both came out that year. My father got me Xenogears because, as he put it, "everywhere I went I saw Metal Gear Solid everywhere, but I only found ONE copy of Xenogears." I'm so glad he chose this game. Ever since that first time playing it, I've always wished it would get the recognition and respect it deserves. This was very well done, it's a huge undertaking trying to unpack this game for strangers in the Internet, but this was a damn good job, especially all the parallels you were able to pick up with other stories in video games, film, and television. Really well done.
Fucking hell. I CACKLED when this cropped up in my feed - yeah, that running time feels right. Looking forward to digging into your take - Xenogears is one of the most beautifully broken, sprawling, epic pieces of SFF media out there, and I love it with all my heart despite it being held together with scotch tape and twine.
I'm from Indonesia. Xenogears to this day probably still the deepest & most philosophical game (or anything really!) that I've ever known. It even changed my life to become interested more into philosophy in my later years now. There is NO other game even until today that has the same massive level & scale as this game. A true masterpiece.
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
QUICK WORD OF WARNING:
I was notified that around the 12:00 mark in the video, the flashing lights from the Deathblow animations may be a trigger to those who suffer from EPILEPSY/PHOTOSENSITIVITY.
I appreciate the heads-up, as I can see how this may be a concern!
Also, general thank-you to everyone who has watched & commented on this video :)
The feedback I've received has been incredible. I'm glad to have made something that resonates with so many people.
If you like xenogears I recommend you to check front mission series
@UCWNTVSuI6tjqvoSBwqve6zA !
you need to put this into the actual video. I was triggered by your fucking video and hit my head on a doorknob. I could have died.
@@absoluteego Do you with your condition just randomly watch RUclips videos? I would classify that as monumentally stupid.
Why don't you take any responsibility for your own actions that led you to this moment?
My lll
Okay, I've watched this video too many times to count (it became a "go-to-sleep" vid - a high honor) and I just *have* to mention the really awesome detail that Bart's eyepatch is always on the correct eye in his little text box portrait, regardless of facing. So they legit made two different text box portraits and used them *correctly* whenever the portrait changed sides of text box. Incredible.
*Note: This is also true of Sigurd.
LOL bruh same!!!! i always found it a perfect video to fall asleep to/wake up hearing, his calm voice, the chill music, the deep subject matter, all beautifil lol
@Dominicn123 I like to start about 23 minutes into the video, because that's right about when the awesome desert-city music kicks in - and besides being my absolute jam, it's got a nice meditative vibe that really smooths you out.
Though I will say, it does run the risk (at least for me) of later fucked-upedness invading one's nightmare and really messing with the vibe. Lawl. On more than one occasion I've had some of the darker elements make cameo "appearances" (well, more like dialogue or descriptions informing manifestations) within my nightmare. Certainly a wild ride.
I have found it to be my “last leg listen.”
I’m a truck driver by trade, and I go home every weekend. My Friday run, just before I go home is 3 hours long. So I listen to this every week before my weekend during my last leg
Same here 😅
It's really funny to me that while Bart's eyepatch is always on the correct side, they just mirrored his braid for the portrait 😂 once I noticed it I could never unsee it
“You don’t mess with the Zohar” is unironically an apt description of the entire Xeno series.
It's all the Frankenstein story just told in a new way: "Don't play God."
Nothing good can come from humans controlling unlimited energy. It will always be used for evil eventually.
I feel like there's a special kind of reviewer elite you become a part of when you cover Xenogears. It's such a complicated, messy, beautiful, ambitious project to try and unwrap and then convey to total strangers. Writing a feature length analysis on it is reaching levels of reviewer ascension that makes me awed, but also frightened in a biblically accurate angel kinda way. I can't believe how good you got at this in just six months.
Thanks so much, I really appreciate that. Chrono Cross made for a good warm up 😆
Seconding the quality of videos in such a short time. You had me at Symphonia (still an all time favourite game of mine that you absolutely nailed), but each video is genuinely improving over the last. I - and all these fellow lads/ladies in the comments, I'm sure - am on board with whatever random thing you decide to dig into next, even if it's not Grandia.
Join us, your first task is to defeat the first boss, Calamity!
Hahaha man this is so fcking true. Once you cover xenogears (less than 3 hour would be an insult) , you are automatically in the hall of fame of game reviewers. I think there are less than 5 channels who had what it takes, and I'm being generous since I since it is actually 3
@@Majuular WARM UP?!?!?
I cannot believe this guy has the gall to call himself an underachiever. This was beautifully edited and narrated. Everything from the choice of game footage, of music and finally to the script just screams methodical, almost supernatural effort. You could easily run your own company with this kind of incredible talent. But you choose to grace us with your beautiful art instead. Bravo, sir.
all that over again this review was darn near good as the game its self. More reviews like this please.
The amount of processing power he must have to have written his script alone is astronomical. This game is almost impossible to unpack unless you have a LOT of patience for analysis. We didn't even really have functional Google when this game came out. Back in my day we had to use encyclopedia Britannica to solve the mysteries of our pixelated JRPGs!
Xenocollection already!
It worked. You commented.
An underachiever in life but and overachiever in videogame retrospectives
1:36:26 "So this is the part where you tell me that if I equip her with two specific pieces of unreasonably expensive gear, I can make her the best character in the game or something"
Actually, it's Chuchu (or Pip) that has something like that going on. Although Chuchu kinda sucks in the mech battles, there are consumable items that boost stats permanently when used on a character, and you can grind to get as many as you want. Thing is, if you load Chuchu up with these items until their stats are maxed out, then enter a mech battle with them, their stats in the mech battle actually scales with their on-foot stats, unlike the other party members. So they wind up doing several times the amount of damage everyone else can while using no fuel.
Also, Chuchu's healing spell works in gear combat, on gears. Its the only other way besides the fuel cost heals to get gear HP back. It isnt a lot of HP, but its something. That mixed with what you mentioned above, and Chuchu becomes a meta choice
It's hard not to think of Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Suikoden series, Final Fantasy series, FF Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Valkyrie Profile, etc.. when you think of the golden age of JRPGs. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to play these masterpieces during my teenage years. Everything just felt magical back in those days..
It truly was the golden age.
Yeah, same here. And I've been trying to recapture that "everything felt magical" feeling ever since '01 to little success. Maybe teenage us just felt better? If anyone knows a way to make things feel magical (that isn't drugs), let me know.
Snes' Star ocean and Tales too no?
Squaresoft was truly the pinnacle of Japanese RPG.
@@sigma6656 I couldn't remember every one of them when I commented on this video (I'm getting old) but SO2 was one of my top 10 and it's prolly one of the most replayble JRPGs of all time. I've played SO2 at least 5x when I was a teenager. Such a masterpiece.
FYI: The word "Soylent" was originally created in the novel Make Room, Make Room. The word was referencing "Soylent Steaks", which were made from soybeans and lentils, because it was too expensive to make meat for widespread consumption, so people had to eat vegetarian alternatives. A truck of "Soylent steaks" overturned, and it was ravaged by starving people, as even the vegetarian alternatives weren't enough to feed everyone anymore.
The movie Soylent Green obviously went in a very different direction with this.
SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE !!1!!111
It's a great movie. Differs from the book a whole lot but still is a great read and watch. By the way. Try the soylent blue
soylent green is actually just soybeans and lentils
that are made of people
@@elipticalecliptic481 Try the soyjack
You will own nothing and eat bugs. Egads, the future is gross.
Dude, thank you for two things:
1. Taking the time to review a game that, when I originally played it in 1998 at the age of 15, I barely understood it but knew that I was being told a story that rivaled some of humanity's greatest epics.
2. Understanding and respecting the fact that, in order to even begin to properly understand Xenogears in its entirety, it requires 3+ hours to do so.
Whenever someone asked me to explain this game, I merely asked them if they were free all day. Now I'll just redirect them to this video.
Excellent work!
One of the best videos I’ve seen on Xenogears. As a 12 year old back in 98 this game blew my mind. I thought it was the greatest thing I’d experienced. I can now see the flaws of xenogears at 37 but the vision of the creators was huge in scope. Because of obvious circumstances it wasn’t able to be delivered and experienced at its full potential. Even tho it fell short, it still affected me so deeply that no other game had got me to a similar place and after a couple years of trying with each new Jrpg release, I ended up giving up on playing games completely. I went from Zelda: a link to the past to Secret of Mana to Breath of Fire 3 to Final Fantasy Tactics and lastly Xenogears. I wish I would of played Final Fantasy 7 before Xenogears. I played FF7 right after and tho I did like it I just wasn’t moved the same after Xenogears, and I wanted so badly to play FF7 since the moment I seen it on the shelves at the stores.
This is absolutely the same for me!!
Because I played Xenogears before ever taking a crack at Final Fantasy seven, I felt it was more difficult to fully immerse myself, and be entertained as much as I was by the amazing Xenogears?!
I played it when I was 13 in 1998. Still one of my favorite games ever.
@@emceeunderdogrising I was also 13 playing it for the first time and man, it was the first JRPG that I ever actually bought for myself and everything about it felt super special and genuinely authentic!
Yeah had the similar case...although I played ff7 first witch is good becouse after xenogears there is no better jrpg.
I luckily played FF7 before XG so 7 is my fav game ever closely followed by XG :)
Hey, love your videos! Wanted to say - during the fight with Dan at the tournament, if you refuse to actually hurt him, he gets angry and throws Alice's wedding dress at Fei while running away. You get it as an item afterwards
Dude...I...don’t even know where to begin. I just absorbed this massive retrospective in a single sitting and now I’m just lying here, feeling like my brain just finished a $500, 20-course tasting menu. As you say, clearly this is an experience designed to be consumed slowly over the course of a typical JRPG-length playthrough. That said...
My god, man, you are a titan of narrative distillation. I’ve watched other videos that “explain” the story of Xenogears in base, plain terms for the “casual viewer”, but with this project you’ve done something that I don’t think anyone else has. You’ve taken not just the facts of the case, but the spirit of it as well and wrapped them up into a single package that, second only to the game itself, conveys as best as possible just how incredible and vast this game and the story it tells are. You have, in effect, created the Xenogears of videos about Xenogears.
I don’t know if I can offer higher praise than that.
I doubt you’ll ever see this comment, buried as it will inevitably be, but I hope you do. You’ve got my subscription and instant, automatic viewership for any and all future videos you produce. Best of luck, and as with all creators that I highly respect on this platform, thanks for showing us all how well it can be done when you put in the time, the effort, and most of all the love necessary to create something truly superlative.
Thank you mate, this is an incredibly kind comment. When you work on a project for long enough, you lose your sense of how "good" it is, or if the objective is being accomplished. That to say, it is very satisfying to see the video resonating so much with yourself & others. Really appreciate the kind words & viewership 🙏
@@Majuular Holy shit, I’m so glad that my words actually made it across your desk, haha!
Truly, it was my pleasure - I just finished watching your Legend of Dragoon review (I was one of the few who actually played the game when it was new-ish, so that was a nostalgic delight), and am about to commence with the Chrono Cross video. I have to say, while most of my channel is currently focused on humorous “Let’s Play” style content of my best friend and I bumbling our way through various games, because that’s what I have time to produce at the moment, the type of videos you’re putting out are what I ultimately want to pivot my output towards. I’ve done a couple of reviews, and while they take an order of magnitude more time and effort to put together, they’re definitely more satisfying to release. So…thank you for reminding me of my goals, and for being an inspiration. I sincerely hope that you get the subscriber base and level of success you clearly, absolutely deserve (and I apologise if I seem overly obsequious/sycophantic; not my intention, I really just dig your content that much). All the best! : )
I just want to say, I know no other channel on this platform that treats old JRPG's with the same love, humor, and dare I say warmth that you do. You deserve ten times as many subscribers, at the very least.
Dude your scripting, writing, editing, delivery etc. are top-tier.
Up there with the best that currently do it in this "genre" of video.
And your first video on SotE is not even a year old.
This channel is going places, I can feel it.
Damn. after finishing this review, I got that exact same feeling of "emptiness" after I finished Xenogears the second time. (Second because I was too young to understand and appreciate everything on the first playthrough).
It's a good feeling of emptiness mind you. Not the kind that just leaves you questioning your own self but the kind that makes you ask "is that it? is there more? I want more."
What an insane thing to make a 3 hours video on Xenogears, even insaner is to watch all of it, and insanely good it was.
Congratulations and thanks dude, that was greatly put together and very pleasing.
Most reviewers of Xenogears tend to be somber. Probably in an effort to pay it the respect it deserves. But, you made it fun. Still hitting all the important points, while respecting the story. You missed a few gameplay details, but also brought up several deep dive concepts I wasn’t aware of. A long Xenogears deep dive video, any skilled reviewer can do that. But to make it fun with moments of creative levity while still respecting the work put into this leviathan? That’s an art, dude. Well done.
Liked and subbed.
Much appreciated :)
no YOU'RE an art :)
1:30:38 Babel Tower is actually part of the USS Eldridge, the ship in the game's intro sequence that originally housed Deus and crash-landed on the planet, and is the source of humanity in the world. Surprised you didn't mention/notice this. Because when I first played this game as a kid, visiting Babel Tower and realizing it was actually the Eldridge was the first genuine "A-HA!" moment in the game when things slowly started to make sense.
Yes! On top of a few other areas as well, I regret not mentioning it in the review but hey, once you hit hour 3 your brain stops working at optimal levels 😆
How have I never put this together. Are we sure about this? So the city of Shevat was also part of Eldridge? Or maybe Shevat was built atop the tower of babel after it crash landed and just used as a launch platform?
Or maybe the Tower Babel and Shevat were built from the remains of the Eldridge?
Edit: Nope your are correct, the tower of babel is the Eldridge. Shevat was built on top 9000 years after the wreck of the Eldridge out of spare parts from said wreckage. So cool. I never connected the two
Also the big Jasper Cannon thing that you fire at a mirror is just one of dozens of little anti-air weapons you see get used to shoot down fleeing escape ships in the opening cutscene. One of my favourite moments of understanding the scale of the ship in the intro
Wait a second, everybody...
isn't MAHANON the main hull of the Eldridge? I'm not saying Shevat and Babel weren't part of it, but there's a pretty big moment at the end where Mahanon rises out of the sea and it looks basically like the spaceship at the beginning. So the main part of it is underwater, no?
Xenogears has been the most impactful game I've ever played. I played it when I was in 7th grade and it sparked an interest in subjects that continues for me to this day. It introduced me to philosophy, helped my deal with terrible things that happened in my life at the time, and taught me so many other things. It's strange to put so much importance on a video game but Xenogears is one of those pieces of media that helped form what would become the core of my personality
Bruh same.
Same homie.
No offense, but media probably shouldn't informing what becomes your core personality.
Not to say the lessons aren't valid. Just that the medium with which you gained them is kind of sad. People and real relationships should be creating these experiences for you.
I love videogames. Love them. But they're just a hobby. They aren't who I am.
No offense, but no-one asked about your core personality.
Not to say the read was worth it. Just kinda weird when folks enter a conversation with a critique and begin talking about themselves.
I love RUclips. Love it. But not every comment thread is about me.
@@armyofninjas9055 hey bud. Our interaction with media defines part of our personality whether we like it or not. The movies we saw, the television that was on in the bg, the music that is being played. Even the adverts.
You can track this throughout history - art imitates life and life imitates art. Or maybe something like "governments realized propaganda works!" because it does and plenty of movies, older ones, were just straight propaganda and some still are.
Even if you avoided this entirely and lived in a cave, your relatives and the people who raised you were influenced by "popular culture" which is informed or flat-out created by... media. Like TV, movies, and books. Yes, books! People can be inspired to make art after they finish accessing art, after they consume some media like TV, a book or a game.
Human beings operate on stories. The fact you felt the need to specifically tell me that video games aren't who you are (which is obvious, right? you're a person with more personality than just video games) whilst you call someone else sad for resonating with the themes of the writing inside a game... it says you are insecure about that.
The guy above me said it really well. Nobody expected you to enter a conversation where you begin a critique of a stranger unprompted. According to you, this person you don't know has a sad life because they gain experiences the wrong way(?) You start by telling the whole world about yourself specifically... WHEN NOBODY ASKED for the criticisms or your identity.
Maybe you should create some real relationships to create experiences that aren't being scathed on RUclips!
Thanks for this. I got Xenogears after watching the first ten mins and this experience is as close to transcendental as I've come. Seriously - thanks. Rough part of life where I needed a place to dump my free time when that free time would otherwise be spent thinking myself sad.
...the "gasbagging" translation makes me think that an English person did some of the localization, or a Japanese who was taught English by a Brit, or Britishisms are used to create that quaint "RPG village" atmosphere. There's a ton of translation/transliteration errors and iffy localization in this game, so much so that there's full text translations of the game with LOADS of speculation as to what was "really meant". It's so interesting to me!! (edit i learned that a *single person* did this work. unbelievable, incredibly impressive!!!)
The mistakes begin almost immediately lol. "Aveh" is probably "Av" which is a month in the Hebrew calendar but Japanese doesn't end words neatly on consonants that aren't an "n", the vowel sound on the end got put into English. Citan is probably shitan, sh'tan, which is Japanese for "rosewood". in the JP, the "Ethos" are straight-up named "The Church" which you can see might have been problematic in an American market slap-bang in the middle of the Satanic Panic's numerous ongoing trials.
Being a localizer/translator in these early days must have been so mind-numbing, frustrating and confusing. Very limited internet and the developers or writers are rarely going to be able to explain what they meant by x or how a certain jumble of katakana should be spelled in English to properly represent whatever Sefirotic or Biblical thing it's named after.
i cannot believe how good this game looks, i cant believe this isnt a indie game from 2020/ its just, unnaturally beautiful
As a JRPG veteran, it always blows my mind that Xenogears exists as a game. When you hold it up to what was out for it's time, it was so far ahead of the curve it's amazing. It shows in how well the game has aged. There's so much random little stuff in the game like how there's a weight system in the game and when I found out I spent way too much time at the fair eating random food to see how the characters would change appearances. It's a shame that Disc 2 looked like it needed more time to cook but even then I actually liked how things came out.
jrpgs have xenogears
wrpgs have planescape torment
There was a weight system? how did it work?
@@Starch1b2c3d4a There is a mirror at the fair and booths that sell food that you can use to change your character's weight. If you go over certain values the sprite appearance actually changes. So if you want to play the game as THICC Faye that's an option. By the Lahan village when you first go to Citan's house there is also a tree with a bird's nest egg. You can take the egg and give it to Citan's wife who will cook it for you. If you eat it, you also gain a lot of weight.
@@24hr-Gaming Each character's weight also appears in their status screen accessed from the game's main menu. Pretty amazing detail that shows some of the love that went into creating this game and its world!
@@megamike15 There's also Disco Elysium.
Leave it to Majuular to unceremoniously drop a 3 hour long video on this massive, weird, if not charming game on a random Monday morning where I (hopefully) will be dealing with the last of this godforsaken flu. Thanks man! Appreciate the effort!
Glad I could help alleviate the agony, get well soon!
@@Majuular Thank you! ❤
Relax and hang in there bro
@@Majuular you ever play Vanguard Bandits/Epica Stellafor ps1 i would love to hear your take on the story and its kinda in theme with xenogears after a fashion
:) though not in the destroying god time stuff and creation myth more robot fighting but medieval times!
@@dustincieslik5397 im glad seeing someone typing Vanguard bandits!
The conclusion of this analysis was so encouraging. Thanks for the hard work needed to draft this script and dissect such a complex game
Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed it :)
I didn't know how much I wanted a video like this until I saw yours. Beautifully done. This is my all-time favorite game, flaws and all, even after all these years.
52K subs? This is the most comprehensive and entertaining xenogears review on the internet. People dont know what they're missing.
Another Clarke’s novel that definetly influences Xenogears is Childhoods End. Suffice to say one of the main characters is named Krellian.
4:27~ _“Who is this nude woman, and why is she so calm about the situation?”_
Been there, dude.
Because of the “implication”
Xenogears has been my all time favorite RPG for decades now. Originally I was drawn to the game for a simple shallow reason, I played a demo of it that came with a different Squaresoft game, and I thought the combat system was really flashy and cool. I wasn't mentally developed enough, or knowledgeable enough, to fully understand or appreciate what Xenogears does and what it has to offer. But even as a simple minded kid I could tell that Xenogears wasn't like any other RPG I had played. There has always been something special about it and it's never left my mind ever since I first played it in 1998. I would end up replaying the game multiple times just because I had a really strong desire to understand everything that happens more fully. Even without any knowledge of Perfect Works, the problems during game development, or any kind of knowledge of psychology, you can still fell that the game has such a deeper meaning within the story. It always felt so much bigger than what the PS1 could show.
I wasn't expecting 3 hours OF THE FUCKING HIGHEST QUALITY. You really go the extra mile. Take my like and subscribe.
I love how long you spent giving the towns and the general ambient vibe of the game it’s due credit. Bledavik during the martial arts tournament is my gold standard for RPG towns from that era.
About 5 years ago I beat Final Fantasy 7, Persona 3, Chrono cross and Xenogears all in the same year. Xenogears was my favorite.
Same, but like 3 years ago and I played chrono trigger instead of cross. I would say FF7 has the best characters, Xeno has the best story, P3 has the best gameplay, and chrono trigger was probably best overall.
@@aaronslaton9733 I'd agree with this assessment but persona 3 needs work on the gameplay side. Doing the same procedurally generated dungeons and not being able to control characters brings it down a bit, still awesome game tho
What an experience, man!
@@aaronslaton9733 Bart Fatima sweeps the entire FF7 cast
I just ad Suikoden 2 cuz yea its the f best !!!
This game has been hands-down my favorite since I first played it in 1997. My dog is even named Elly after Elhaym. One thing to note, the 2nd disk wasn't really rushed due to lack of planning, but due to the fact that their already small budget got slashed halfway through the development cycle. They fully intended for the 2nd disk to be as broad as the first, and even expected the title to span 4 discs total, but when he budget was cut severely they were faced with a conundrum. What they ended up with was a very divisive result that I personally find to be a very intimate moment with the most crucial cast members. I love the "plot chair" itself, though I agree that some segments were glossed over much too briefly. This was an excellent review of a game that has been a huge part of my life for 2-1/2 decades. Thank you for this excellent video!
Plus more and more staff were getting reassigned to FFVII, so they were short on time, staff and money
Okay now do Grandia.
Hahaha this comment in context of the video being out for like 17 seconds is hilarious
I'LL THINK ABOUT IT OKAY
@@Majuular lmao *No pressure or anything.* 😳
SECONDED
Thirded
@@Majuular I'd also be *very* interested in seeing you cover Grandia...though there are a massive slew of games I'd be happy about, so I'd rather that you focused on games/projects that interest you specifically.
"I don't have a problem with random battles, but every JRPG video I do I mention the random battles are too much" 😂🎉🎉 my favourite part of every video.
Keep up the awesome 👍😎 content!
Greatest story of all time, game or otherwise. There is nothing quite like this masterpiece. The sheer complexity of its plot is nothing short of astounding. It's so sad that we don't see games of this sort anymore.
I've been loving your channel lately man. You have a way to make deep analysis engaging and funny that's really rare to see. So many long-form video essay channels just blandly present information with stock music in the background but it's easy to tell that you actually love these games even if a review isn't entirely positive. Keep it up man!
Thanks so much dude, I try to use videos as a way to reflect my experience. I'm glad that's coming through :)
I couldn't believe my eyes, my subscription box blessed by a 3 hour long video on xenogears, and by Majuular no less. Great day already
Oh hell yeah, I’m halfway through Disc 2, and even though Disc 2 has it’s…issues…Xenogears is still absolutely phenomenal!
From someone who did a fandub of this JRPG back in the day, thanks for giving the game the attention and care to explain what it is about to others.
Just discovered your channel. I really like your style very analytic and thorough and just Meme enough without being manic, and you cover a sector of the gaming market that I truly love
11:00 And we see the first glimpse into Citan Uzuki being Xenogears' biggest bastard. "Oh, you are sick and wounded? Climb or die. You can't? Well I guess you didn't want to live that much."
Citan has a VERY long rap sheet for his actions that lead him to be the games single biggest bastard.
God the J. Cannon
Citan doesn’t have anything on Kerellan or Miang, he’s just a little mean
This is honestly the best way to start my Monday ngl. Can't wait to watch this!
I am VERY fine with this. I apreciate your length. Keep up the good work!
This video is my go-to for anxiety grounding. 3 hours of Maj explaining things is just cozy.
It's been 24 years since I first experienced Xenogears, and I still think about it with alarming frequency. Going through this incredibly well-presented and through breakdown of how many concepts the game ambitiously juggles reminds me of why. Even at three hours, there's a lot of content and plot elements that get skimmed or skipped over for time constraints. I'm glad this is the case, because after finishing I definitely feel like starting another playthrough of the game.
Thanks so much for this video Majuular, seeing someone who didn't experience the game in it's original time and context go through it now and come away with all the generally positive critique you offer makes me feel like I haven't been wasting time on it for these last two decades and a half. Although i'd argue Xenogears is the best the PSX has to offer in terms of plot density and scope, it is nonetheless in excellent company among many other RPGs on the platform that handled a variety of mature concepts and ideas that can somehow feel lacking from the genre today.
You probably get requests constantly, but given the other "golden age" era games you've reviewed, I'd be thrilled to see you take the same analysis to Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, or Breath of Fire 3 and 4 should you get the chance. All excellent works that, along with Xenogears and FF7, really a capture a visual design and storytelling vibe Japanese game creators were going for in this era that I truly miss.
Xenogears is haunting. The music and story are haunting. It's almost as if everything about it breaks the fourth wall. It's hard to explain, but there's something eerie and mysterious about the entire thing. One of the best JRPGs ever made.
This video is a masterpiece. The editing and jokes are on another level. Excellent work!
I've always loved Babel tower because your making your way through the ship in the intro cinematic. I've always loved seeing something in a movie or cut scene then getting it explore that space in game.
Hi Majuular, and first of all, thank you for sharing. Xenogears has a special place in my heart since I was 16 (25 years ago). I never had (yet) the chance to replay it, and your video did an amazing job in filling this gap. I really apreciated the narration and your comments, had a great time with your humor (I loved "Staying alive" playing during the character's escape), and appreciated the way you presented the various sources of inspiration for the game. Thanks for letting me live the Xenogears experience once more, and making me realize that it is much more deep, heartfelt and inspired than I remembered.
Hey dropping second post here. Just finished the video and I wanted to say, thank you for taking the time to not only play this game but to break it down and explain it as well as what it ment to you. This is one of my favorite games of all time. As I said in my other post. One that was grossly underrated. It's a true work of art. And your video displayed it like the Mona Lisa in all its glory. Thank you.
Thank you for covering this. Really, thank you.
This is an incredible breakdown of Xenogears. The "Digging Deeper" section is the icing on the cake. This is probably now the definitive Xenogears video. Thank you for this deep dive. This was one of my favourite games as a teenager - I was going through a lot at the time, so this game means a lot to me - and you have done a hell of a job to tickle my nostalgia bone while helping me understand the less than shining parts of the game. Thanks.
ruclips.net/video/vtaQ5JN0OWw/видео.html
Yeah, it's much more to the point than other videos of its size. Thanks for supplying it.
ahhh Xenogears, the game that turns into a light novel when you put the disc 2
awesome video btw
definitely going to watch this on my commute for the following week
I've had this video open in a tab since it dropped and now I've finally finished watching it. A testament to the quality of the video and the channel.
Man, I love your review of Xenogears so much. This is exactly why I fell in love with this game many years ago, even as a kid. I felt a great kinship with the characters and sought to be like them as they suffered and triumphed in a world that saw only death, destruction, and abuse.
Thank you so much for this.
I've played Xenogears over and over for twenty years and it's one of my favorite games of all time, and you still managed to change my mind on two things.
The translation really does deserve credit. I still don't think it does individual characterizations very well, but it did amazing work building a coherent vocabulary for this insanely complex world.
Second, I never took a second look at Hammer. I had the same view since I was a kid, that he was a greedy Judas. Now I recognize that there's a measure of empathy for a character that was struggling.
I was EXTREMELY skeptical about watching a 3 hour review on Xenogears. I have watched quite a few of these and most are literally 20 minutes to 30 minutes roughly. None of the reviews on RUclips do this title justice. IMHO this is by far the very best story in the JRPG genre to ever be told. I am seriously impressed by the amount of work and research you put into this review and want to thank you for it. There is nothing that explains the story outside of Perfect Works better than this video. I myself had thought of making a very similar video, as this game I have most likely played 5 times or more over the years since I bought it all those years ago. I was in the 7th grade when this game came out, and it impacted me due to my curiosity of issues and topics presented in this story. I am so happy to see a video that actually did this title justice. Tysm for this
Loved the video. I played this game when it came out when I was 14 and had no frame of reference for any of the broader concepts/references outside of the Soylent System but now 24 years later, several play throughs, a physical copy of translated Perfect Works, and several video essays I still find more each time I watch one of these.
A few notable references that were missed in the video were as follows.
Miang and Elly: Miang’s name in the English script was mistranslated. Her name was supposed to be Myah and Elly’s full name is Elehaym which when reversed can be read as “Myah El’e” which means “Myah exists here” in Hebrew. That constant reincarnation of the wave existence’s “Mother” persona and Deus’ “Miang” as a genetic memory control for its rebirth.
Kadamony - Kadamony is a reference to Adam Kadmon, the primordial man who had the light of god poured into it which birthed the universe and also led to the creation/shattering of the Sefirot which were divine channels meant to link heaven and creation where Adam is tied to Keter (the crown that exists within heaven at the top of the sefirot). Given the wave existence’s nature as light/energy and Krellian specifically citing that after the defeat of Deus and ascension of the wave existence that the path of Sefirot is open that there is a strong case for the Kabbalah as a major inspiration as well.
Babel tower and the Eldridge - when the Eldridge ascends we see that a considerable portion of the vessel is missing from the area fore of the bridge (fun bonus fact, there is map data in the game files that had the full bridge layout with the captain’s watch). When you look more closely at the construction of Babel tower which is built almost 90 degrees off alignment with gravity and the fact that part of the platforming sections has you ascending through residential sections that mirror the opening cutscene which further reinforces that Babel tower is actually just a fragment of the Eldridge that fell to the planet with the rest of the wreckage mostly intact. That also explains why Fort Jasper can use the mirror to redirect its shots and why the tower has a mirror capable of that feat. that also means that Fort Jasper is a repurposed defense system from the Eldridge.
Honestly the Xeno series is a SHOCKINGLY deep rabbit hole to crawl down where psychology and religion intersect and the game makes you stop and think about what is really important and why people are given free will and the burdens is brings.
The depth of themes through the story and the emotional music by Yasunori Mitsuda (notably far away promise/small of two pieces and Intangible Treasure) really solidified in my mind that video games could tell a story as complex and mature as any other media. The game is a hot mess in some ways but the passion for the project really carries through and as much as I’d love a remake to clean up things like the cut content on disk 2 I also fear that it would lose some of the charm and overall impact that cemented it so firmly as a cult classic and carries it forward so well.
That's some really great information, thanks for the insights!
Fascinating additional info!
Your sense of humor is fantastic. You made me laugh out loud many times. Earned that sub.
I never had the patience to finish Xenogears, but I have gotten really into Gnosticism in my older years. The people making this game wanted to do something good for humanity- we don’t see much of that in the medium these days. Also what a video! Definitely subscribing.
Making this game for the good of humanity? It's a video game not the cure for cancer.
Wow! Just wow!
Never played this game but knew about it in my youth due to being in the JRPG scene and all that but , holy moly what a ride! It lost me there for a bit, relatively convoluted in a way that JRPGs can sometimes be, but overall very beautiful and engaging.
I'm so glad you played it for me (my 30 year old self is not as patient as the teen version when it comes to old RPG gameplay and game time investments overall), but as always I loved your explanations and commentary!
Not gonna lie, took the Mr and I 4-5 viewings to make it through this bad boy, but another great video for the books! Love it! Thank you for all that you do 🐿️💕
YEEES! I was waiting for this! Hearing the OST in the beginning of the video hits me with nostalgia. ❤
This was in my suggestions probably because I will watch anything relating to my favorite video game of all time, and wow was this a treat. One of the greatest deep dives I’ve seen on Xenogears and was also very funny. I’ve never hit the subscribe button so quickly after watching a channel’s video for the first time!
Thank you for this. Incredible. ❤
Thanks for the kind word Victor, glad you enjoyed!
I watched an entire 3 hour video without feeling dull. The way you presented this long journey was spot on in terms of humor, wording and pacing.
There's something deeply unsettling about the fact that there's an infinite, unknown, mysterious, ancient universe outside of the planet where the story takes place that leaves more questions to ask, accented by the existence of a higher dimensional plane and Krelian's journey into it. The reason for this disquieting feeling is that due to the infinite size of our own universe and limited understanding of its ancient past, Xenogears slowly transcends its "SciFi" label to the point where it becomes a rather compelling theoretical take on our own reality.
While works of philosophy and spirituality are nothing new, this is a game that was ahead of its time, simultaneously trying to be a succinct piece of literature, which was incredibly bold for gaming standards of 98'. I just would have loved to see how far this story would have taken its complexity if the developers actually had all the time and budget they needed for such an ambitious project. It might be far from the best in terms of playability, but I can't think of any other PS1 title that delved so deep into existentialism and religious parallels to the point where by the end it left me with chills and a strong feeling of existential dread. Other popular titles like Chrono Cross and Metal Gear also had some dense material to unpack, but the former felt obtrusively pretentious, and the latter limited its scope to more tangible subjects. In any case, I also share the sentiment that this game is easy to love but very hard to recommend due to its somewhat lackluster playable content in comparison with other top competitors of its era.
So, junior year of high school my first paper was one that compared Fei and Id to the events of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It not only got an A but was singled out as an excellent example of understanding the material.
It's also worth noting that I had not read the book... and my teacher knew.
awesome video! i played this game when it was new in the winter of 98 and its still my all time favorite RPG.. i remember taking acid at a party and coming home and finishing it.. in a 8 hour session. this video brought back all the memories and even helped me understand the story even more.. so impressed that over 3 hours and not a dull moment! your script must've been a damn novel like 300 pages!
Just finished the whole 3 hour video and bravo. You did a spectacular job analyzing the themes and subtle touches that make Xenogears so special all while adding in some genuine good humor and making it easy for anyone to follow along. I love your takeaway that at its core it's a game about love.
Still crazy that there are some people who played Xenoblade and even Xenosaga hasn't even heard of this game before.
It makes me sad, considering it's got the best story of regular Xeno games (I consider the others to be "Monado" games, as per the original title). I _will_ say Xenoblade Chronicles X could function as the incident in which humanity lost the earth and mythologized it, but maybe not, as in the year TC 4747, we don't see aliens.
@@Virjunior01 Xenoblade X is absolutely a throwback to Xenogears. They brought back a lot of the Xenogears staff for it, and its essentially what they wanted to do with gameplay back in '98, but could only achieve now.
@@epoch151 that's why when I saw the first ever teaser trailer, I almost cried. Like, it took 15 years, but they finally got the gameplay they wanted
It would help if SE would rerelease it on something other than the PS3 PSN
I have watched this video three times now. You have a gift, Majuular. I await more carefully curated content but, at your own pace :)
Wow, thanks so much Andy! I'm glad this video resonated with you. I've got some big video plans for the new year, really looking forward to sharing what I've been working on!
I am one of those who played this in 1998. I still have the game and my little post-it note with hints to a puzzle.
Moments like "the captain" and Bart the second protagonist, man of the sea scene. The arcs for Fei, Citan and Elly. Billy and his father. Solaris. Hammer's betrayal. Emeralda growing up because one did a bit more exploring or Chu-chu saving everyone are all very memorable and seared into my mind. The music, ive searched out certain themes several times in 20 years just to remember.
There will never be a remake. Which is unfortunate, but i can always hope for it.
Masterful Video and I will return to it.
A MAN OF THE SEA deserves a 10.000 years nap after this journey. Thank you for giving this game the well deserved love… it’s my favorite game of all time, and i love to see others diving in this world.
He got one! Triton in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 proclaims himself a man of the sea😂
Well, that was a pleasant 3 hour jaunt. Subscribed.
To me, Xenogears is a game I grew up with. For the longest time in my adolescence I wondered at the early scene in the black forest where Fei meets Elly. Elly calls him coward. Tells him he needs to take responsibility. And Fei's only retort is, "THAT'S RIGHT! I'm a coward!""
You never see a hero express that about themselves, and so you know right away that this story will be leagues ahead and different from any other story.
And then, in hindsight, you eventually come to realize that is subtle foreshadowing upon both characters in the scene, and where their character arcs will end up as it simultaneously paints them as two sides of the same coin.
Xenogears is a microcosm of humanity, and it is a masterpiece. Thanks for covering it!
This video just reeks of passion. I can tell you love this game. Hats off to you for tackling such a massive game. I hope you do Xenosaga soon. This is why I love long form gaming videos like this. Gus like you have such passion.
I've started rewatching videos on this channel. I'm not sure what it says about me. But it definitely says there's something special about the way you craft a review/retrospective.
I waited so long to watch this video as I went through the game, only to be incredibly rewarded. This video was hilarious and made me enjoy the game even more. Thank you so much for creating a project so enjoyable and fun to watch the whole way through!
This game is a masterpiece. An utter and complete masterpiece. No other game comes close to the depth and complexity.
Edit: the game really does stand up to it's tagline. "Stand tall and shake the heavens."
Must say this is incredible and I have like 30 minutes left.
Wanted to note that as far as side quests are concerned, if you go to the battle arena you can unlock like 20 different characters or something AND it is 2 player capable.
That's right, Xenogears is actually a fighting game with a little card mini game side quest on top of it, with some RPG elements sprinkled in.
Thanks so much! And you're totally right about that, I think this is the first comment I've noticed pointing it too. Damn, knew I forgot something 😆
@@Majuular it's interesting I've watched just about as many xenogears analysis videos as I can find because it's the most fascinating piece of media to me, I have a few conspiracy reasons behind why I think Xenogears was ultimately not allowed to be competed, perhaps it was getting to close to the truth????
Anyway, every video covers different things and misses things. ResonantArc spent like 40 hours and they still missed some things that are hot topics that could be discussed as well. It's almost impossible to cover this game and do it justice, but you did an excellent job. I honestly think xenogears could be taught in colleges in high level english, psychology and philosophy classes.
This is one of the best reviews I've ever seen.
When that Kislev bit opens with the pipe organ and the candles, I first thought it was a funeral service for Bart until the camera shows that it wasn't a church, it was a small room with new characters.
3 hour video on Xenogears! Oh hell yes! This is a masterpiece
I was 17 when I first played this. Still has great impact on me to this day. The music you put in really pulls me back to that time.
I played disc one of this game a few years back but due to extenuating circumstances, never made it to disc two. So thanks for taking on the gargantuan task of unpacking it! I was hooked from start to finish of this video; you really have a knack for dishing out plot in a palatable way (and I'm not trying to diminish all the hard work it took to achieve that) and it's really cool you even dipped into some of the themes, even though they're Big Brain concepts lol. Great stuff😩👌
I was replaying this game last month and lost the save file and gave up on replaying it. This review is probably just what I needed!
If there were a Hall of Fame for RUclips Retrospectives, this would be in it.
You did this so much justice, dude. Thank you.
The character sprite art, ❤❤❤ 10/10.
Anyway, I watched the whole 3 hours. Thanks!
As someone who who has basically been looking for a full story analysis rather than a thematic analysis (both equally tight don’t get me wrong) you don’t know how perfect this is I was looking for to get me through midterms!
Another JRPG that I need to remember to play. Good review as always!
An incredibly masterful video and analysis thank you so much for this it was very fun to watch and listen to
This was an amazing video🤩🤩Seriously, the way you explained the plot , gameplay mechanics, and lore, and characters, was engaging, in-depth and funny as heck. As someone who was born in 94 in Nigeria and never had any chance to play a PS1 or any JRPGs as a kid, this was such a fun way to explore that genre of games. The story telling, deep plots, characterization were seriously outstanding back then. Also, the religious themes and use Judeo-Christian imagery is very well done, especially for me as a Catholic. I now own a gaming PC and I want to experience JRPGs just for these kinds of games. I already plan on playing Chrono Trigger and FF VI.
Dood, this has to be the best review I've seen on anything or everything. Brilliant.
This game is insane (in a good way). I wonder how long the game would have been if all exposition on disc2 was actually converted to gameplay. Insane ambition. Very creative.
Finally finished it. What a massive effort this must have been. I knew it would be good when I saw the sprite sitting in the plot chair. This was the first RPG that I played where I was totally caught off guard by the whole unexpectedly post apocalyptic setting that my little kid self didn't really see coming. I particularly remember walking around that side quest in the underground city and just marveling at how a fantasy RPG suddenly had a very, very familiar setting. If there is one game I desperately want a ff7 style remake of, its this one. #2 is probably the much more simple Skies of Arcadia, another game you might find you enjoy if you get the time.
Its funny to see how many of your complaints/criticisms I look in stride as a kid because that's just how games were back then. The random battles, the early game fuel issues, etc were all things I remember quite well but only after you brought them back up. I also remember that Miang fight at the end of the game (the double fight before Deus where you are in your mechs) being super hard and I didn't even really understand the whole attack level thing in the gears at all. I think I had to gameFAQs it.
I hope you keep up the exceptional work. You make some of the highest quality stuff on youtube.
Thank you friend. A fair few things I bring up as gripes is mostly out of impartiality. A lot of the negative qualities don't *really* bother me, but I bring them up to be objective. Certainly as a kid, I never even would have noticed them!
Skies of Arcadia was such a sleeper banger
That's it. You've finally reached the end of this massive game, trying to sort all the feelings it gave you. You sit there, watching the credits roll. And, as the credits come close to the end, you get this familiar but dreaded feeling: it's over. It was incredible, you've been OBSESSED with it for weeks, but it's the end.
And then, at the very end of the credits, it appears:
"Xenosaga, Part V"
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!
Alright! Guess it's not time to stop obsessing yet! Time-limited 56k internet, here I come! (and let me tell you, back in y2k, it was NOT easy finding out a definitive answer to what that was all about...)
This was a nice watch
Thank you for that. It is always nice to find people that enjoy xenogears
My favorite game of all time. In 1998 I told my father for Christmas I either wanted Metal Gear Solid or Xenogears, which both came out that year. My father got me Xenogears because, as he put it, "everywhere I went I saw Metal Gear Solid everywhere, but I only found ONE copy of Xenogears." I'm so glad he chose this game. Ever since that first time playing it, I've always wished it would get the recognition and respect it deserves. This was very well done, it's a huge undertaking trying to unpack this game for strangers in the Internet, but this was a damn good job, especially all the parallels you were able to pick up with other stories in video games, film, and television. Really well done.
Fucking hell. I CACKLED when this cropped up in my feed - yeah, that running time feels right. Looking forward to digging into your take - Xenogears is one of the most beautifully broken, sprawling, epic pieces of SFF media out there, and I love it with all my heart despite it being held together with scotch tape and twine.
The music in Lahan sounds so bittersweet and knowing that it won't last makes it even more memorable.
So true, replaying that section during recording was just like "Boy, I really didn't know what was coming, did I?"
I'm from Indonesia. Xenogears to this day probably still the deepest & most philosophical game (or anything really!) that I've ever known. It even changed my life to become interested more into philosophy in my later years now. There is NO other game even until today that has the same massive level & scale as this game. A true masterpiece.
One of my favorite videos on RUclips to fall asleep to.
Bliss. Thank you.