Xenogears
Developer(s)	Square Co., Ltd.
Publisher(s)	Square Co., Ltd., Square Electronic Arts
Release date(s)	February, 1998 (Japan), October, 1998 (U.S.)
Genre	Role-Playing Game
Mode(s)	Single player Limited two-player battle mode This is the cover art for a video or computer game. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video or computer games. ... Square Co. ... Video game publishers are companies that publish video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer. ... Square Co. ... Square Electronic Arts L.L.C., also known as Square EA, was a joint venture between console video game developers Square Co. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... This is listing of computer and video game genres with a brief description and examples from each genre. ... Computer role-playing games (CRPGs), often shortened to simply role-playing games (RPGs), are a type of video or computer game that traditionally uses gameplay elements found in paper-and-pencil role-playing games. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ...
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Media	2 CD-ROMs

Xenogears (ゼノギアス Zenogiasu) is a role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation. It was released by Square Co., Ltd. in February 1998 in Japan and subsequently released in North America in October 1998. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games in the United States. ... ESRB T Rating Logo, claiming fair use This work is copyrighted. ... Games, like most other forms of media, may be categorized into genres based on gameplay, atmosphere, and various other factors. ... The PlayStation (Japanese: プレイステーション) is a video game console of the 32-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the 1990s. ... The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ... A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game where players assume the roles of fictional characters via role-playing. ... Sony Corporation (Japanese katakana: ソニー) (TYO: 6758), (NYSE: SNE) is a global consumer electronics corporation based in Tokyo, Japan. ... The PlayStation (Japanese: プレイステーション) is a video game console of the 32-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the 1990s. ... Square Co. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west...

The Plot

Xenogears' plot centers around 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, is a prevailing theme throughout the title. At the advent of the adventure, the player is introduced to the intimate, cozy village, but things are quickly torn asunder through an unfortunate twist of fate which brings the conflict between the waring nations of Aveh and Kislev into their midst. Following the dire events which befall this once peaceful landscape, Fei leaves the only home he knows and begins a quest that would leave him and his friends with the ultimate fate of humanity resting upon their shoulders. Xenogears is a role_playing game for the Sony PlayStation. ... Kislev (כִּסְלֵו, Standard Hebrew Kislev, Tiberian Hebrew Kislēw: from Akkadian kislimu) is the third month of the ecclesiastical year and the ninth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ...

Much of Xenogears' plot is detailed in the Japanese only release, Perfect Works, a book produced by the now defunct Digicube detailing the history of the Xenogears universe in great detail. Perhaps the most important aspect of the book to the avid Xenogears fan is the explanation of the "Episode V" moniker which is tagged to the title. (This can be seen upon completion of the game) According to the Perfect Works schematic, Xenogears is only the fifth in a six title, possibly more, saga of games, each of which is described in limited plot detail. There is considerable debate within the Xenogears fanbase as to how truthfully this timeline is followed in producer, Tetsuya Takahashi's, subsequent Xeno title, "Xenosaga", which contains many elements first touched upon in Xenogears. Further details of that situation can be found at the Xenosaga page. Perfect works is a series of videogames related books published by Digicube. ... Tetsuya Takahashi is currently the head of game software company Monolith Soft, Inc. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: Xenosaga Xenosaga (ゼノサーガ シリーズ Zenosāga Shirīzu) is a series of video games released for the PlayStation 2 platform. ...

Xenogears remains a critically divisive title, even years following its initial release. For adherents of it's superior quality, the title reaches a pinnacle of narrative rarely accomplished within the video game medium. Filled with fantastic backstory, an abundance of dynamic characters, and thought provoking outlooks concerning the nature of humanity among other intricacies, Xenogears is held by fans to be strong proof of the ability of games to present a story as well as other forms of entertainment, i.e, cinema, literature. However, detractors of the title argue though it presents a multitude of admirable aspects, they are all fundamentally flawed. Usually cited are the overly indulgent cutscenes, badly flawed game mechanics (overly pedestrian and linear gameplay) and incongruous religious jargon; the majority of which stems from the Judeo-Christian dyad. Interestingly enough, it is a often regurgitated rumor that Xenogears' North American release was impeded due to its abundance of religious references. It should be noted that there is no substantial evidence to support such a theory however. Linear gameplay refers to the way a video games story is ordered. ...

Game Notes

Graphically, Xenogears combines both 2D sprite characters with 3D environments. In the overworld map, the environments are principally all created within the 3D engine, but the Gears, the mecha of Xenogears, as well as 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 particularly emotive or important plot points, a common trait in Squaresoft RPGs during this particular era of gaming. Another commonly lauded aspect of Xenogears, is the dramatic and powerful soundtrack powering the title; composed and arranged by Yasunori Mitsuda. Aside from Mitsuda's official music, two other Xenogears soundtracks have been published: Xenogears: Creid, another release by Mitsuda reimagining select tracks from the Xenogears soundtrack, and Xenogears Light, a fan-created arrange album. The title mecha RX-78-2 Gundam from the popular anime Mobile Suit Gundam In some works of science fiction, mecha (singular or plural) or mechs (singular: mech) are piloted or remote-controlled limbed vehicles. ... The image resolution is a term that says something about how much image detail an image can hold. ... Yasunori Mitsuda (光田 康典, b. ...

In the years following the release of Xenogears, speculation that the production of the title was cut short for some reason, lack of funds, inability to move deadlines, etc, has accured considerable credence despite the lack of an apparent source. Cited as a major basis for this claim, is Xenogears' second disc of play, when the game seems to break down into a cycle of having the characters recap the events of the story rather than play through it as they had done before, and a very noticible lack of gameplay. This issue polarizes the Xenogears fanbase to this day, there are those who love the game though feel that the second disc certainly dulls the overall experience, but there are those who feel that as the storyline was the true draw of Xenogears, the switch in narrative style was welcome. Some have speculated that Square began to lose interest and confidence in the financial value of Xenogears and use the subsequent formation of Monolith Soft, a subdivision of Namco composed primarily of ex-Square employees most of whom worked last on the Xenogears project, as proof of this stance. Monolith Soft has gone on to create the Xenosaga series under the direction of Takahashi, though Square still owns the rights to Xenogears itself. See also: Xenosaga Monolith Soft or MLSI is an entertainment company in Japan, specializing in creating video games for various consoles like the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, and very recently cellphones. ... Namco is a company based in Japan, best known for developing video games. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: Xenosaga Xenosaga (ゼノサーガ シリーズ Zenosāga Shirīzu) is a series of video games released for the PlayStation 2 platform. ...

Psychological Influences

Xenogears' character development exudes heavily psychological underpinnings, dealing primarily with Fruedian and Jungian concepts. At the forefront of this relationship, is the nature of the game's protagonist, Fei Fong Wong, whose Id, Superego, and Ego are discussed at length through the course of the title. His inability to remember elements of his past, due to the repressive tactics he has subconsciously undergone to remove his dystonic characteristics, eventually leads him to discover the very truth of who he is and his relationship to a character introduced within the title known as Id. (This 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 powered by Complexes, in his case an inferiority complex, which stem from unconscious "nodes" that often permeate exterior behaviors of an individual. Also, although not distinctly psychological, the influence of the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche can be found in title as in multiple manners, among them being the borrowed idea of the Eternal return which in Xenogears correlates to the occurance of the Contact and the Antitype. Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 - September 23, 1939) was an Austrian psychiatrist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology, a movement that popularized the theory that unconscious motives control much behavior. ... Carl Gustav Jung Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology. ... The initialisms ID or id, or the word id, may refer to: identification (popular-speech abbreviation) identity card (I.D. or ID) medical id in computing, and particularly in the context of databases: an identifier Idaho (state code ID or abbreviation Id. ... In his theory of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud sought to explain how the unconscious mind operates by proposing that it has a particular structure. ... eGO is a company that builds electric motor scooters which are becoming popular for urban transportation and vacation use. ... The initialisms ID or id, or the word id, may refer to: identification (popular-speech abbreviation) identity card (I.D. or ID) medical id in computing, and particularly in the context of databases: an identifier Idaho (state code ID or abbreviation Id. ... Shadows on a pavement A shadow is a dark shape, e. ... In psychology a complex is generally an important group of unconscious associations, or a strong unconscious impulse lying behind an individuals otherwise mysterious condition: the detail varies widely from theory to theory. ... Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) was a profoundly influential German philosopher, psychologist, and philologist. ... Eternal return or sometimes eternal recurrence is an esoteric concept originating from ancient Egypt and developed in the teachings of Pythagoras. ...

Xenogears and Neon Genesis Evangelion

Around the same time as the game's early production, the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion was being produced. Xenogears and Neon Genesis Evangelion both contain copious and sometimes incongruous references to Judeo-Christian theology. Both are related to the work of Nietzsche, specifically in the battle between good and evil, the exploration of the self (The Id, The Ego and the Superego), and the balancing of power. Both Xenogears and Neon Genesis Evangelion also have strong Judeo-Christian Angellic references; Xenogears is specifically towards God. Neon Genesis Evangelion (Japanese: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン Shin Seiki Evangerion) is an anime television series, begun in 1995, directed and written by Hideaki Anno, and produced by Gainax. ... Judeo-Christian (also spelled Judaeo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Christianity and Judaism, and typically considered a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. ... Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 - August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. ...

See also: Xenogears terms Xenogears is a role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation. ...

Main Characters

• Bart Fatima
• Billy Lee Black
• Chu-Chu
• Citan Uzuki
• Elly Van Houten
• Emeralda Kasim
• Fei Fong Wong
• Maria Balthasar
• Rico Banderas

Supporting Characters

• Abel
• Alice
• Big Joe
• Cain
• Dan
• Elements
• Elly's Squad
• Grahf
• Hammer
• Id
• Isaac
• Jesse
• Kahn Wong
• Karen
• Kim
• Krelian
• Lacan
• Maison
• Melchoir
• Miang
• Nikolai
• Primera
• Ramsus
• Shakhan
• Sigmund
• Sophia
• Stone
• Timothy
• Vanderkaum
• Wiseman
• Zephyr

Factions

Star Ships/Gears

Other

• Xenogears Terms

Xenogears is a role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation. ...

External links

• Yasunori Mitsuda's Homepage
• Remixes of Yasunori Mitsuda's Work
• Xenogears: God and Mind A fansite