The video provides a comprehensive analysis of the game Xenogears, focusing on its narrative, design, and development process.
Xenogears is a complex narrative work with a recurring theme of a shattered mirror, symbolizing a fractured experience. The game's title, script book, and ending credits song all contain the same symbolism. The game's development process was fraught with challenges, including a shift in direction between the first and second discs, and a final product that felt rushed and uneven. Despite these issues, the game is praised for its battle system, art and visual presentation, and the depth and complexity of its story and symbolism.
The game's story is deeply influenced by psychology and philosophy, with elements of Freudian and Neo-Freudian theories, as well as theories from philosophers like Nietzsche, Horney, Jung, and Lacan. The game also draws inspiration from science fiction works, particularly those by Arthur C. Clarke. Its religious content, while initially controversial, is based on gnosticism and is not a critique of traditional Christianity.
The game's development was led by Tetsuya Takahashi and his wife Soraya Saga, who were both Square employees. Takahashi was initially frustrated with the direction of the Final Fantasy series and sought to create his own story. The game's development was not smooth, with Takahashi describing it as a "hell" due to the pressure of deadlines and the lack of support from the company. Despite these challenges, the game was praised for its unique battle system, sound and music design, and the depth of its story.
The game's soundtrack, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, was particularly praised for its ability to unify the game's messages and deliver emotional impact. However, the soundtrack was criticized for being repetitive and insufficient for the game's length.
The gameplay mechanics of Xenogears are unique and satisfying. The game features a turn-based battle system with a button combo component, and a unique system for unlocking powerful attacks known as deathblows. The game also features exploration in a fully 3D world, and platforming elements that some players found challenging.
Overall, despite its flaws, Xenogears is praised for its depth and complexity, and is recommended to players who can appreciate its unique narrative and gameplay mechanics.
1. The depiction of a shattered mirror is a recurring theme in Xenogears, a game created by Tetsuya Takahashi and his wife Kaori Tanaka, better known by her pen name Soraya Saga .
2. The game's script book is titled "Thousands Of Daggers" .
3. The ending credits song contains symbolism in its name and content .
4. The battle screen transition in Xenogears also uses the same imagery .
5. Despite its lapses, Xenogears is considered one of the most poignant and impactful narrative works .
6. Xenogears was originally proposed as a script for Square executives to consider for Final Fantasy VII .
7. Despite the rejection of Takahashi's proposal, many of the reasons for rejection, including its dark, complicated story and science-fiction elements, were eventually embraced for Final Fantasy VII .
8. The development of Xenogears was not smooth sailing, with Takahashi stating that 90% of his team were new and inexperienced with 3D .
9. The game's visuals were altered from Takahashi's original vision, as he had initially wanted to make the entire game in full 3D .
10. The game's story and symbolism are what really set it apart, with the story being a collaborative effort of Takahashi and Soraya, who had several shared interests, most notably an enthusiasm for psychology and particularly psychoanalysis .
11. The game is influenced by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, especially Childhood's End, as well as other science fiction stories like Soylent Green .
12. The religious content of Xenogears is inspired by gnosticism, and the concept of the demiurge, or a lesser (and in many cases a malicious or evil) godlike figure who fashioned the material world, is what is referenced as 'god' throughout the game .
13. The music and sound design of Xenogears are expertly crafted, with the sound design being particularly punchy, making the deathblow attacks feel immensely satisfying .
14. The gameplay mechanics of Xenogears are quite unique and overall fairly satisfying, with a unique battle system that requires strategic thinking .
15. The game's world is designed in full 3D, and the player is given freedom to pivot the camera while looking for hidden paths and treasure .
16. The game also features platforming elements that some players found challenging .
17. The battle system in Xenogears is accented with a button combo component that feels reminiscent of many 2D fighters of the early 90s .
18. The game features gear battles, which function a little differently from the standard ones .
19. The game's experience system is complex and not fully explained within the game itself, requiring players to experiment and visit gamefaqs for understanding .
20. Despite its unique and fascinating content, the game's delivery of the story (especially on disc 2) feels clumsy and rushed, and some of the battle mechanics left unexplained can make things a little confusing .