Xenogears
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| Xenogears {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Square Co., Ltd. {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | February, 1998 (Japan) October 20, 1998 (N. America) |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player
Limited two-player battle mode {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Xenogears (ゼノギアス Zenogiasu) is a role-playing game released on the Sony PlayStation. It was released by Square Co., Ltd. in February 1998 in Japan and subsequently released in North America in October 1998. It was followed up by Xenosaga on the PlayStation 2, although it has been stated officially that the Xenosaga series is not a sequel or connected beyond sharing similar themes and homages.
Contents |
Gameplay
Xenogears' gameplay format is standard for console RPGs: the main characters advance the plot by traversing the game's world, which includes cities in the sky, vast deserts, and arcane ruins. Throughout the game, various characters with different strengths and weaknesses join the main protagonist, Fei Fong Wong, in his journey.
Battles are turn-based; the player chooses the party's fighting moves by pressing a combination of buttons that correspond to strong, moderate, and weak attacks. These attack combinations are limited by the number of action points (AP) that are available; a strong attack consumes three AP, a moderate attack consumes two, and a weak attack consumes one. A low-level character can use only three AP per turn, but each character has the potential to use seven AP eventually. Combinations that end with a strong attack (three AP) can trigger a more damaging deathblow if the character has learned it.
Image:Xenogears box.jpg Most of the characters can also use "magical" abilities that either aid the party or damage enemies. These abilities are limited by the number of ether points (EP) that are available. Unlike AP, EP do not replenish between attack rounds. For most characters, these abilities are called 'Ether,' although some characters' abilities have a different name, implying differences in their origins. For example, Fei's magic is called 'Chi,' and Citan's is 'Arcane.' Unlike the main characters of most RPGs, who specialize in either physical or magical strength (exclusively), the main characters in Xenogears generally are competent in both areas, although few characters have more than one or two direct damage spells.
In addition to the small-scale, hand-to-hand combat, the characters sometimes fight from within their respective combat robots, called 'Gears.' These fighting machines are often similar in fighting style and appearance to the characters that pilot them. Gear combat is different than regular combat; the combination style is reduced to a selection of strong, medium, or weak attacks that build up the attack level of the Gear with each turn until it can unleash a special, more powerful attack. The limiting factor of AP is replaced by the Gears' amount of fuel, with each attack consuming an amount relative to its power. The main characters can purchase Gear fuel, parts, and upgrades. Template:-
Plot
Summary
Image:Feiwong.jpg Xenogears' plot centers on protagonist Fei Fong Wong, an eighteen-year-old male who was mysteriously brought to his current home, Lahan, by a "Masked Man" three years prior. Because of the events surrounding his arrival at the village, Fei has no apparent memories of his childhood; the rediscovery of past events, both pleasant and torturous, prevails throughout the game. In the beginning, the player is introduced to a peaceful village, but, in RPG tradition, disaster occurs when the town becomes involved in a larger conflict between the warring nations of Aveh and Kislev. Following the dire events that befall this once peaceful landscape, Fei leaves the only home he knows and begins a quest that will leave him and his friends with the ultimate fate of humanity resting on their shoulders. Along the way, Fei and his allies will learn of the truth behind the history of the planet, a past involving extensive manipulation and a being known as "Deus".
Backstory and expansion
Much of Xenogears' plot and backstory is detailed in the Japanese-only book Perfect Works. This book, produced by the now defunct DigiCube, details the history of the Xenogears universe from the formation of Deus to the start of the game. For the avid Xenogears fans, an important aspect of the book is the explanation of the "Episode V" label that is seen after the game is completed. According to the Perfect Works schematic, Xenogears is only the fifth episode in a series of (at least) six, but the book provides minimal details about the plots of the other episodes. There is considerable debate within the Xenogears fanbase about how accurately this timeline is followed by producer Tetsuya Takahashi's subsequent Xeno title, Xenosaga, which contains many elements that were introduced in Xenogears. Sadly Xenosaga, the game that was supposed to go through all six episodes, is going to end short at three episodes due to many reasons, read the Xenosaga section for more details.
Criticism
Xenogears remains a critically divisive title, even years after its initial release. Those who praise it emphasize the game's discussions about religion and philosophy and the multitude of works from which the game draws, ranging from Star Wars to Neon Genesis Evangelion and Norse mythology. Critics, however, argue that many aspects of the game are flawed, and that its similarities to aforementioned works (particularly Neon Genesis Evangelion) are so frequent, so specific, and so similar in nature that its plot borders on flat-out plagiarism. Other plot criticms include the allegation that Xenogears, like most of Squaresoft's titles, contains many "overused" and "uncreative" plot themes and devices, and to such critics, feels like a pulp production. Examples of alleged gameplay flaws are the overabundance of cutscenes, deficient game mechanics (such as linear gameplay and change of style on the second disc); this is due to the fact that the second disc of Xenogears features considerably longer narrations and shorter dungeons than the first portion. Another criticism is of the extensive usage of allusions to Judeo-Christian religious jargon. For example, several NPCs in the game have recognizably Jewish names, such as Rue Cohen of the Kislev Battling Committee, and Bishop Stone/Stein of the Ethos; the 12 Anima Relics are named after the Twelve Tribes of Israel; and the Path of Sephirot which Krelian seeks is a reference to a Kabbalistic concept.
In a press release by Square announcing the release of Xenogears in Japan, it was stated that the game's treatment of religion in general and Christianity particular might prevent it from being released outside of Japan. However, Xenogears was released quietly into the United States, amidst very little controversy.
Game notes
Graphically, Xenogears combines 2D sprite characters with 3D environments. The environments and Gears (the game's mecha) are principally all created within the 3D engine, but the characters are created using low resolution 2D sprites. In addition to these things, Xenogears also utilizes both traditional Japanese cel-animated scenes and pre-rendered CGI movie clips during emotive or important plot points—a trait that was common in Squaresoft RPGs during this gaming era. Another commonly-lauded aspect of Xenogears is the dramatic and powerful soundtrack that was arranged and composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. Aside from Mitsuda's official music, two other Xenogears soundtracks have been published: Xenogears: Creid, another release by Mitsuda that remixes selected tracks from the Xenogears soundtrack, and Xenogears Light, a fan-arranged album.
In the years following the release of Xenogears, the speculation that the production of the title was cut short for various reasons, such as lack of funds, inability to move deadlines, etc., has accrued considerable credence, despite the lack of a reliable source. The main cause of this speculation is Xenogears' second disc of play, on which the plot seems to degenerate into repeated instances in which a few major characters narrate the events of the story rather than fully experience them. This issue polarizes the Xenogears fanbase to this day; there are those who love the game but feel that the second disc depreciated the overall experience, whereas there are others who feel that, since the storyline was the most compelling aspect of Xenogears, the switch in narrative style was appreciated. Some people have speculated that Square began to lose interest and confidence in the profitability of Xenogears. These people cite the formation of Monolith Soft, a subdivision of Namco that was composed primarily of ex-Square employees who had worked on the Xenogears project, as evidence. Monolith Soft created the Xenosaga series under Takahashi's direction, although Square still owns the rights to Xenogears.
Psychological/Philosophical Influences
Xenogears' characters were designed to allude to many psychological concepts, especially Freudian and Jungian ones. The most obvious allusion involves the nature of the game's protagonist, Fei Fong Wong, whose Freudian ego, superego, and id are discussed at length throughout the course of the game. Fei had subconsciously repressed his memories because of his unpleasant childhood, but his desire to remember elements of his past eventually leads to his discovering the truth about who he is and what his relationship with the character known as 'Id' is. (This repression also relates to the Jungian concept of the shadow.) Distinctly Jungian in nature, however, are the actions of certain characters, such as Ramsus, whose actions are driven by an inferiority complex that stems from unconscious 'nodes' that often permeate exterior behaviors of an individual.
Also, although not distinctly psychological, allusions to the theories of the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, are found in game. For example, there is the concept of the eternal return, which, in Xenogears, correlates to the recurrences of the Contact and the Antitype.
Similarities to Outside Works
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Around the same time as the game's early production, the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion was being produced, and was aired two full years before Xenogears' release.
- In both stories, the central character (Fei and Shinji) occasionally either loses consciousness or control while piloting their mechas/gears and cause mass destruction in a city or town. Consider Fei's destruction of the town Lahan, and Shinji's destruction of a portion of a city early in the Evangelion series.
- Both stories contain one or more main characters whose minds and souls are transferred to future incarnations of themselves or clones each time they die, hence, allowing them to live forever. Such reincarnation is limited only to their unique cases, and is not generalized to the rest of the world population. Such characters include Rei in Evangelion, and both Fei and Elly in Xenogears.
- In both stories, the central character falls in love with a red-headed fellow pilot who acts tough as a shield to hide her true feelings, which she is uncomfortable expressing (Elly in Xenogears, and Asuka in Evangelion). Both love interests have the same hairstyle as well, and both have either Germanic heritage (Asuka is part German) and/or Germanic last names (Elly's last name is "Van Houten").
- In both stories, the redheaded female love interest almost dies in a serious accident at one point in the story, in which she falls unconscious briefly then immediately re-awakens to destroy her attackers with amazing power and little effort. This occurs in Evangelion when Asuka falls into the 70 mile-deep ravine and subsequently destroys nine EVA mechas in three minutes, and in Xenogears, when Elly is nearly beaten to death by two of Krelian's mechas, immediately to regain her senses and destroy them with no effort in a few seconds.
- In both stories, the central character's father (Gendo in Evangelion and Grahf in Xenogears) is a conniving villain who works to bring out their son's dormant powers through abuse and planned combat. Both father figures are scarred by the loss of a loved one long ago (Yui in Evangelion, and Sophia in Xenogears), and gave away their sons.
- In both series, the main villain embarks upon a project to become "one with God." (Gendo in Evangelion, and Krelian in Xenogears). In both cases, this involves the artificial evolution of mankind by doing away with their physical bodies and uniting as one consciousness. This is referred to in both stories as the "Path of the Sephirot."
- Both stories contain a key "mother" character from long ago (Yui in Evangelion and The Mother in Xenogears) whose soul is split between two present characters (Rei/Eva in Evangelion, and Elly/Miang in Xenogears), and whose original form a key villain (Gendo in Evangelion, Krelian in Xenogears) is trying to resurrect. The key villain in both cases, also, was in love with this "mother" character, and her loss is the motive for their actions.
- In both stories, the main character has a close mentor figure (Citan in Xenogears, and Misato in Evangelion) who is either a doctor or the child of a doctor, and is exactly 29 years old.
- Both stories contain one EVA/Gear pilot who exhibits questionably homosexual traits or behaviors. In Evangelion, this is Kaworu Nagisa, who has a crush on Shinji and whom many fans believe to be homosexual. In Xenogears, this character is Billy Lee Black, who states at one point that he considered selling his body as a male prostitute to help support himself and his sister. Both Kaworu and Billy have the same light purple/silver hair color, and both are of very similar age (Billy is 16, and Kaworu is 15).
- In both stories, the main character is tormented by having killed the only person/people who showed him love after his father abandoned him.
- Both stories contain a cutesy animal character who provides comic relief and enjoys eating (Pen-Pen in Evangelion and Chu-Chu in Xenogears). Note that both animals have names that contain two repetitions of the same, single-syllable word.
- In both stories, an alien force that serves as a crucial point of contact and revelation in history crashes in a cold, snowy, remote region of the planet.
- Both stories revolve around supernaturally-powered giant piloted robots, that are revealed to not be just robots, but living biotechnological organisms.
- Xenogears and Neon Genesis Evangelion both contain copious and sometimes incongruous allusions to Judeo-Christian terminology.
- Both are related to the work of Nietzsche, specifically regarding the battle between good and evil, the exploration of the self (the ego, superego, and id), and the balance of power. Nudity is a common theme in both plotlines; it normally represents freedom or divinity.
- Both Xenogears and Neon Genesis Evangelion contain Judeo-Christian-style angels. In both series, such angels are extremely powerful supernatural enemies whose defenses can only be broken by special scientific means (namely, the giant robots piloted by the main characters), and cannot be harmed by conventional weapons.
- In the end of Evangelion, the central hero, Shinji, and his redheaded love interest, Asuka, are shown together on a beach. In the end of Xenogears, the central hero, Fei, and his redheaded love interest, Elly, are shown descending upon a beach.
Star Wars
- There is a scene in Xenogears where a key character, Rico, is sentenced to death and placed in an execution arena where he is to fight a monster known as the "Rancar." This is synonymous with the scene in Star Wars where Luke is thrown into a pit where he is to be publically executed by a "Rancor" monster. The "Rancar" monster in Xenogears and the "Rancor" from Star Wars look extremely similar, as well. In both cases, the key character escapes and the Rancar/Rancor is slain.
- A type of enemy exists in Xenogears known as "Sandman," which is exactly the same in design as the Sandmen from the Star Wars movies that Luke, the story's hero, and Obi-Wan, his mentor, encounter and battle while in the desert. It should be noted that the Sandmen of Xenogears are first encountered and primarily fought by Fei, the story's hero, and Citan, his mentor.
- Through the course of Xenogears, Fei is haunted by a dark, masked figure known as Grahf who is, in actuality, Fei's long-lost father. Grahf tests Fei's fighting skills to bring out his powers in hopes that he will join Grahf eventually. This device is directly similar to Darth Vader from Star Wars, the dark, masked villain who haunts Luke (and is really his long-lost father), testing his fighting skills and attempting to coerce him to join the Dark Side. Eventually, just like Darth Vader, Grahf comes to his senses and, just before dying after a battle with Fei, removes his mask and bonds with his son.
- In Star Wars, R2-D2 and C3PO are separated from one another (and Luke/Obi-Wan) while wandering in the desert, and are captured by Jawas, scrap scavengers who travel the desert in a large tank-like box vehicle. Eventually, the two are re-united in the Jawa transport. In Xenogears, Fei and Citan are separated from one another in the desert outside of Dazil, and are eventually captured by a military unit and are re-united inside their large tank-like vehicle. Furthermore, both the Jawa transport and the transport from Xenogears are destroyed by an outside force (Stormtroopers in Star Wars, and Bart's sand pirates in Xenogears.)
- Xenogears, like Star Wars, despite being the first release in a series of movie/game chapters, is actually a middle chapter in the series. Xenogears is referred to as "Episode 5," and the first Star Wars movie was actually Episode 4 in the Star Wars continuum.
Other
In addition to religious references and concepts, Xenogears features distinct similarities to classic giant robot anime, video games, and other assorted media.
- Rico (Ricardo Banderas), a main character in Xenogears, looks strikingly similar to Street Fighter 2's Blanka. Both are mutants who have green skin and not only orange hair, but the same hairstyle. Both have Hispanic names, are beastlike fist-fighters who regularly engage in fighting tournaments, and have issues regarding their deceased or long-lost mothers.
- In Xenogears, there is a sign outside of Dr. Citan Uzuki's office that states, "Injured, sick, all accepted. Come on in! But no deceased please." In the game Grandia, which was released two years prior to Xenogears, there is a sign outside of Dr. Alma's office in the town of Daito that contains the same passage.
- In both Xenogears and Grandia, there is an obsessive townsperson who allows you to play a "rock, paper, scissors" mini-game with him.
- Fei Fong Wong has similar traits and fighting style as martial artist Bruce Lee and his name is said to be named after Wong Fei Hung, yet another martial arts master. His appearance is rather similar to the character Wong Fei Hung as played by Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China. It is said that the director of Xenogears, and his wife, are both fans of Jet Li Template:Citation needed.
- The Yggdrasil is the name of the World Tree from Norse Mythology. Considering Square borrows heavily from Norse Mythology, this is the much more likely source of the naming of the Yggdrasil. Especially since those harbored inside the tree are supposed to be saved from Ragnarok.
- The Aerods, remote controlled flying modules used to attack enemies is very similar to the Funnels used in various Gundam series' and continuities.
- Elly's first gear, Vierge, has similarities to Fei-Yen from Virtual On.
- The Elemental's combined gears are a glaringly obvious homage, as well as slight parody of the classic Super Sentai shows with multiple vehicles combining into one giant robot complete with flashy introduction.
- When Bart finds his Omni gear, it is seated in a giant throne very similar to the one the titular mecha of Vision of Escaflowne is sitting in at the beginning.
- The Yggdrasil is similar in appearance to the Nautilus in Nadia: The Secret of the Blue Water. Later in the game, the Yggdrasil III combines with extra parts and transforms into the Super Dimensional Fortress Yggdrasil IV, an obvious homage to Macross.
- During Fei's ordeal in Kislev, the creature he battles in the sewer system is named "Redrum." This is a reference and homage to Stephen King's The Shining.
- When in the Solaris capitol, Fei and Elly eat Soylent, a popular food in Solaris. Soylent turns out to be made of people, just like the Soylent Green food product from the namesake movie, Soylent Green.
- Some of the attacks of the Xenogears mech itself are highly reminiscent of the ones used by the God Gundam in G Gundam. The God Gundam also had six seraph like wings that became wings of light during crucial moments similar to the Xenogears, although the God Gundam was more based in Far-Eastern mythology and motif than the Xenogears. It should be noted that one Japanese gaming magazine featured an interview with Xenogears' director shortly after its release. The interviewer asked "You're a fan of G Gundam, aren't you?", and the director's only response was a wide smile.
- Tolone, the Wind Element possesses a cybernetically enhanced "positronic photon brain" similar to the artificial brain possessed by Lt. Cmdr Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Tolone remarks that she hopes "we" don't get sued by the makers of "that Star Trech show" when its revealed that she has such a brain.
- Many of the sound effects used in the games opening FMV are from Star Trek: Generations. These include the communicator chirp, door chime, computer button presses, among others. The sounds are included on the movies soundtrack CD as a bonus.
- Mecha (robot) anime fans may recognize the Seibzehn as being a nod to the OVA version of Giant Robo, who like Seibzehn is controlled by a human being by verbal commands outside of any form of cockpit, and is semi-intelligent. Physically, Seibzehn is also built much like Giant Robo, sporting the same frame design and a pair of large turbines on its back (not to mention rocket punch arms).
- In Final Fantasy VII, when Cloud is in a coma, he mutters "Zeno... gias..."
See also
- Carl Jung
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Sigmund Freud
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Computer role-playing game
- Perfect Works
- Science fiction
- Square Co., Ltd.
- Xenosaga
External links
- Xenogears Official Website on Square Enix
- Yasunori Mitsuda's Homepage
- Remixes of Yasunori Mitsuda's Work
- Template:Moby game
- Guardian Angels A fansite
- Contradiction Miang Hawwa shrine.
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