Xenogears

Battling is a variant of the ATB2, active time battle system found in Chrono Trigger; once a battle starts the screen quickly changes to a combat scenario. Characters fight with martial combat, and special Deathblow moves that are learned through combinations of strong, moderate, and weak hits. Attacks use Action points (AP) and cost, 3, 2, 1 respectively, a total of 7 AP can be accumulated, allowing elemental Deathblows to be learned. AP may be saved and used as Attack Points for combo attacks, powerful sequences using multiple Deathblows to inflict massive damage.

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 whom 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 differs from 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 Gears can also enter 'Booster mode', which enables them to act faster but consumes a lot of fuel. When a gear has no Fuel left, it can not act anymore. The main characters can purchase Gear fuel, parts and upgrades in some shops.

Plot

Summary

Fei Fong Wong

Xenogears' plot centers on protagonist Fei Fong Wong (Traditional Chinese: 黄飛鴻), (who is based off of the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung) 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

Official interviews are somewhat vague on the matter, though Tetsuya Takahashi has stated that "It's probably more suitable to say that it follows the direction and style of Xenogears." as well as "Now that we are under a different company, we figured we should start everything from scratch all over again. Though there are familiar faces that serve as important characters in Xenosaga, others are more like self-parodies, so we don't really want Xenogears fans to overreact. Like movies, sometimes you have the director of the movie or friend of the leading actor appearing as cameos, so it's similar to that."Sato, Ike. "We talk with the director of Xenosaga, Tetsuya Takahashi."[link] Now, however, it is commonly believed that the Xeno line has strayed even further with the loss of Takahashi and other lead designers from the project, and the whittling of the series from six games to three.

Criticism

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 minimal controversy.

Game notes

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

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.

See also

• Carl Jung
• Friedrich Nietzsche
• Sigmund Freud
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Computer role-playing game
• Perfect Works
• Science fiction
• Square Co., Ltd.
• Xenosaga

References