Xenogears

Xenogears is a role-playing game developed and published by Square for the original PlayStation. It was released in Japan in 1998 and in North America in 1999. Directed by Tetsuya Takahashi, it grew from a proposal that had first been considered for Final Fantasy VII, then for Chrono Trigger, before Square approved it as a separate project. Takahashi co-wrote the scenario with Soraya Saga, while Yasunori Mitsuda composed its music. The game uses 3D environments and giant mechanical units called Gears alongside character-scale exploration and combat.

The story begins in Lahan, an isolated village on the continent of Ignas. Its protagonist, Fei Fong Wong, has lost his memories of life before arriving there. When the military powers Kislev and Aveh bring their war near Lahan, Fei commandeers a Gear during the attack. The battle destroys the village, setting him on a journey that connects him to the desert city of Dazil, the Aveh resistance group led by Bart Fatima, and the long-running conflict between nations. His central Gear is named Weltall.

Xenogears combines turn-based battles with an Action Point system. Attacks of varying strength consume different amounts of AP, and successful sequences can lead to Deathblows. Gear battles use fuel rather than the ordinary AP rules. The game also includes a fighting arena, aerial travel via the Yggdrasil, and a number of playable party members, including Elly Van Houten, Citan Uzuki, Billy Lee Black, and Chu-Chu. Its narrative moves beyond the war into questions of reincarnation, religion, human origins, and the interplanetary system associated with Deus.

The project is often noted for its ambitious scope and an unusually compressed second disc. The latter relies heavily on narration and brief playable segments, a result widely associated with production constraints rather than a planned change in genre. Xenogears did not receive a direct sequel, although Takahashi later created the Xenosaga series at Monolith Soft, a studio he co-founded after leaving Square. Square Enix reissued Xenogears digitally for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita through the Japanese PlayStation Network. Its original soundtrack includes the vocal theme “Small Two of Pieces ~Restored Pieces~,” performed by Joanne Hogg, and “Stars of Tears.” Square released a Japanese Perfect Works book in 1998, presenting background material and a larger chronology for the game’s world. The North American version was localized by Square Electronic Arts. It shipped on two discs and was rated Teen by the ESRB.