Lyrics to follow along: O Lord God Almighty, we the wounded shall advance into the light With Your mercy, we shall row out to the passage of time Deep down beneath the waves of night our words we left behind And listened to the silence as the breaths of wind arise Hope be within us, grace be within us Even after we are gone the truth remains Someone is calling for us from far away Two bright stars are falling to shine on our way O Lord God Almighty, we the wounded shall advance into the light With Your glory, we shall row out to the passage of time And when the moonlight ripples on the mirror of our heart We recollect the shadows of the days we set apart Joy be within us, faith be within us Even at the end of time our path remains Someone is calling for us from far away Two bright stars are falling to guide our way
There's even a quote in the very beginning of Xenogears from the character Citan, "Music is a mysterious thing...Sometimes, it makes people remember things that they do not expect. Many thoughts, feelings, memories... things almost forgotten...Regardless of whether the listener desires to remember them or not..." The music in this game absolutely nails that.
The story of xenogears is one of the greatest stories ever written. Written by Tetsuya Takahashi and Kaori Tanaka (also known as Soraya Saga), the 2 met and fell in love working at squaresoft and wrote the original story as a pitch for the story of final fantasy 7, but it was rejected for being too dark. Eventually they were able to adapt it into its own new IP. The story definitely shows how it was developed by a pair of people in love, with how it deals with feeling complete and souls yearning for each other. It takes an incredible amount of philosophy and psychology into the story as well. I highly recommend playing the game, or if anyone doesn't want to deal with the PS1 clunkiness the channel resonant arc has an incredible podcast covering the story and the philosophy and symbolism behind it. It truly is one of the greatest games ever made. I highly recommend listening to flight, sea of earth and fire, and small two of pieces if you want to listen to more xenogears
@@unlimited971 I have to agree with Resonant Arc's podcast on the game. It was really great and insight even to me who has played the game several times since it was released and at different age groups as a result.
I played this game when it first came out on PS1, the summer my Nonna was dying from cancer. I celebrated my highschool graduation and we took her to the hospital for end of life care. It was a brutal time, even though I was no stranger to death, divorce and depression, this was a time when I needed to be saved by something. And it was this game. I played Xenogears the entire week she was dying in hospice, and my ex-Catholic heart was struggling in a grief similar but different from my Catholic family's beliefs. This game's heavy plot and it's philosophical, moral and existential questioning of faith and religion gave me solace in my agnosticism. It was a place to escape to, and a much more mature plot than any jrpg I'd ever played before. This game was there with me when I stepped over the threshold of childhood, and onto this mortal coil. It gave me strength, a world and story to escape into when I felt like breaking --- Last night a videogame saved my life. True story. Happy to see it still is being appreciated in new ways by new people - it really holds a special place for me.
Absolutely not as surprised this is from a videogame mainly because of the composer. We gamers owe much thanks to Yasunori Mitsuda for being a legend in giving us such wonderful music for Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, and Xenosaga 1 amongst other contributions. I expect nothing less than awesomeness from him. This Revival version is just beautiful. Oh, and since this is the first time I see Xenogears on this channel, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend any of the vocal tracks sung by Joanne Hogg, be it Xenogears or Xenosaga I.
Not sure if anybody has mentioned this or not, but Mitsuda's works on this game is so good that it convinced the director of the game that his game is going to work. Yeah, he wasn't sure whether the game was going to be received well enough until he watched the game played with the soundtrack playing.
Let me tell you, if you ever play Xenogears you're going to NEED healing music. Surprised to see this, but quite glad. This came out in the PS1 era, as did FFVII's OST and so many other beautiful pieces of music. It took so long to see so many brilliant works and their composers finally start to get the credit they're due. Were they made for a different media, there'd be no question as to their value. But now the gamers who grew up with the power of video games have a voice. We've come a long way since 8-bit sprites and MIDI music.
Okay you HAVE to react to "We are the Chosen Ones" and "Shadow of the Lowlands" from Xenoblade Chronciles 2. They were also written by Yasunori Mitsuda and have the exact same melancholic, warm, sentimental, and absolutely divine sensation that this song has. EDIT: they're also choral pieces, just FYI.
Ah Xenogears, the game that started the entire Xeno franchise. From Xenosaga to Xenoblade Chronicles it was ahead of its time. It's actually a good example of how working together with others can help shape an artist's vision. This is referring to how going forward the team behind it helped shape the art style and story telling that eventually led to the lastest game. Also the 1 sad thing was being limited on time when they were working on the game.
Yes! You found it! The one with the lyrics from the Revival concert. So hard to find because of copyright claims from Sony. This song is an experience.
There are so many memorable and nostalgic tunes in video games but for me xenogears and the other RPGs of that time really opened my eyes to what music could be and what it could make you feel.
The first lyrics hit me so hard that I literally started crying, and cried throughout the whole video. I grew up in a Christian family and attended a small church(before we left it haha) that didn't use instruments, just our voices. This music is so nostalgic to me and the lyrics are so powerful. One of the few songs that made me full on cry, and I've never even played Xenogears or heard this music before. Incredible.
I know nothing of Xenogears outside of *emotional trauma* and in this track I hear two clusters the lower two and the upper two registers. They sing their OWN take on the song and while different and layered out the song can carry itself with various emotions but when layered together tells the story of a world and story at the end of its telling, that after everything that has happened, a child gets its hug from their mother
Yasunori Mitsuda composed this sound track and, no joke, he almost died making it. He literally almost worked himself to death. His soul is in this sound track and I think we all feel that.
I've never heard this version of this song! It's so damn good! But like I said in the other Xenogears video, that listening to the whole ost one day would be magical! Honestly I didn't even know that there was lyrics to this song before today. Your video, like always brings new light into the songs that I already love.
I'm so glad you finally listened to something from Xenogears! It is such an incredible game especially for its time, being a PS1 game. And the soundtrack enhances everything about the game. Honestly I would love to hear your reaction to anything Xenogears, it is extremely worth it, borderline essential listening in my book.
Everyone has a few sountracks that will last til the day you die and this is one for me. I love Xenogears and its the completely package for me and I'm happy to see you react to some of the themes. You need to give the Xenogears Creid ost a listen, specially Melkaba. Also Shevat's theme, I still remember arriving in the city and just letting the game play while I listened to it.
Altough I can't wait for you to start your Xenoblade Chronicles 3 reactions/interpretations there is just something soooooo cool about you digging up older games like Xenogears. I've never played it but I would absolutely love to. Seems like an amazing experiance from what I've heard.
Played XB1 and XB2, 1 immediately became my favorite game of all time, then I played Gears and let me tell you it set such a high bar. Took me a bit to really take it all in but it rose above and beyond every other story Ive ever experienced.
Thank you for reviewing this! Xenogears has always been my top list of best RPG of all time. From the same composer (Yasunori Mitsuda), try Time's Scar/Scar's of Time from Chrono Cross :D
Xenogears was one of those true "lightning in a bottle" works where place, time, and people aligned to create something genuinely extraordinary. The husband & wife team who wrote this startlingly intricate, inventive, and tender science fiction epic must have been absolutely fascinating people to know. Their narrative combined with Mitsuda's enigmatic and emotive soundtrack creates something that's always pushing you back with confusion and grotesquery and pain but at the same time always drawing you in deeper with mystery and beauty and triumph in spite of it all. It feels like some portentous dream that refuses to fade after you wake up. I actually went and replayed it in Japanese a few years ago and it absolutely holds up-This isn't just nostalgia and familiarity talking (in fact like FF7 it's a bit _less_ confusing when it's not localized by a single overworked translator just looking at a spreadsheet and having to guess what's happening onscreen, who nonetheless managed to do a pretty solid job, considering). Part of me wants to see a remaster that completes the final act only roughly sketched out as a kind of "reminiscence" due to budget and time constraints, but part of me wonders if messing with it might only break the spell-Maybe we should just appreciate how lucky we were to get what we got.
Your talk at the beginning of the video about what music can do reminded me of a saying from a character in the game, Dr. Citan Uzuki: "Music is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it makes people remember things they do not expect. Many thoughts, feelings, memories... things almost forgotten... Regardless of whether the listener desires to remember or not." One of my favorite lines in the game regarding how powerful music can be to a soul.
Man........I got to take a moment after that. The moment I heard this song, I felt as though I was taken straight back into a church choir. This song is just absolutely beautiful and holy, I almost feel ashamed that I haven't heard this one before. Knowing this is from a video game, it is hard to believe and once again reminds us how special and amazing the world of video game music is. Marco, thank you for your channel, I know I have said this before but it is worth repeating, if you hadn't made this channel then I would have never gotten a chance to hear your thoughts on gaming music. I think sometimes it can be easy to forget just how lucky we are to have UA-cam as a platform where we can meet and share our thoughts on gaming music. You are doing great work Marco, exposing more people to the wonderful world of gaming music, that should not go understated. Also, if you don't mind Marco, I have one recommendation for you, not for the channel but for your personal listening when you have a chance. I know you don't cover anime music so hopefully this will be new for you. The song is Guts theme from Berserk "Gatsu", it is a beautiful song that I find very special. You always expose me to many songs that I have somehow not heard so I want to thank you by hopefully exposing you to a new song that you haven't heard. Thanks again Marco
Since you've opened Pandora's Box with Xenogears, I highly suggest you to look for the Xenogears: Creid Album by Yasunori Mitsuda. You can find it on UA-cam without much effort, it contains the arranged soundtrack from the game and it's one of the few chances to listen to the original JP Ending theme, Mebius (the US version of the game had an English arrangement called 'Small Two of Pieces' but I personally prefer the Japanese version). Seriously, Mitsuda's style is almost dreamlike and you can easily recognize it in all his major works - Xenogears, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross.
Oh man this took me back to school. I'm not religious or anything but whenever it was almost christmas we would go into church. While I did get kinda bored about being in church I did love to just sing the songs. I went all out thinking I was a really good singer😂 But holly crap this song is so beautiful. I could just imagine being in a church and hearing a choir sing this whilst their voices fill the entire room.
Xenogears had one of the top 5 osts of the ps1. At the risk of sounding like a hipster, look up the Celtic remix of the ost. It's probably the most faithful adaptation, and it might just blow your mind.
Funny you should say that about music. Early in the game itself, the character Citan Uzuki says, "Music is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it makes people remember things they do not expect."
Since you/we are on the subject of Xenogears, I'd like to bring attention to 2018/19's *Xenogears 20th Anniversary Concert The Beginning and the End* It's an amazing combination of Celtic, rock, and modern orchestra. Hard Recommended tracks: #2 #5 #7 #15 #17~22 #24 But the entire album is fantastic.
This popped up in my feed. How did I miss my man listening to the music of my childhood? Normally I can't even put down all my feelings into words describing Xenogears music, and I can say without a doubt this one is well beyond my capabilities to feel the same thing every time. Depending on which part of my life I'm at, each part resonates a little differently. This song puts down a story. It's warm, it's cold, it's foreboding, it's welcoming, uplifting and then depressing. Music can be straight to the point, and at the same time enigmatic as this. It's a wonderful world we live in, isn't it?
The Xenogears soundtrack is a trip. Xenogears: Myth is a beautiful blessing. The 20th anniversary concert is a dream come true and then some. It's pretty amazing to, personally, have come from when the music was just the MIDI files in-game to what it has evolved into over long time. The only game to have meant as much to me as one of the most long-lived, prolific and amazing series of all time - Xenogears and Final Fantasy live in my heart forever.
This is the one concert CD I HAD to import because it has such strong memories as an OST to me. This piece, along with "Memories Left Behind" truly stood out because they featured a chamber choir that I think did a beautiful job with it. As someone with almost no religious faith, these kinds of pieces are like my religion. Went to a religious affiliated (though not strictly) college and sang in a choir for 4 years that had a lot of pieces like this. Were I still there, I think I would have petitioned to see if we could have sang this song. The year after I left they sang Baba Yetu, and I was very jealous.
My favorite composer made some songs for Xenosaga 2 and 3. I can't recommend them enough, my favorites are "Maybe tomorrow" and "My long forgotten cloistered sleep".
oh hey, didn't see this one. Such a great pick, too, as all of the vocal tracks in the Revival album are amazing. The End of Childhood is such a haunting and beautiful piece and Memories Left Behind brings out so many indescribable emotions.
Musicals have different pacing than movies and plays because they don't need to give you time to sing what you've just learned to yourself. The musical has you sing with it the entire way through.
What a game, what a story, what a soundtrack. It always bothered me that this was a complete niche title untalked about, while FF VII got all the fame. At leat with Xenoblade Chronicles they finally got the recognition they deserved.
Thank you for analyzing something from a non-video game perspective. One of the best soundtracks ever!! P.S. I love the face you make, you seem really moved.
Of dang, the XENO games OST! Those are beautiful music right there! This gets me to finally play XENOGEARS on my VITA!! And… OH LORD ALMIGHTY!! I can’t believe I haven’t suggested this before!! XENOBLADE’S FINAL BOSS MUSIC!!! “GOD SLAYING SWORD”!!!!! YOU HAVE TO BRO!! THATS RIGHT UP YOUR ALLY!!
Loved hearing a professional take on a game so near and dear to my husband and I ♥ i would be so happy to hear your reaction to Heavens Mirror in Eternal Sonata. Its a gorgeous opera, the italian smashes my heart into tiny little pieces, it is so deeply evocative.
This is beautiful. It reminds me of “The Light We Cast” by Jessica Curry - a composition for the videogame “Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture”. It might be a little too similar to this video to react to it anytime soon; but I highly recommend it!
Well, as far as i m concerned, "the beginning and the end" from the same game holds a special place in my heart,i don t know there is something heavenly mystic in that song that touches me deeply
Amen. I love opera and choir music, and I, as a Christian, really love this piece from Xenogears. It soothes me and moves my soul as I would expect a Hymn to do. Amazing analysis yet again.
Despite my love for this type of music, to this very day I can never understand what they're saying without having the lyrics in front of me. I don't know if this is unique to me or not but I wish I could be like you and just sit there and enjoy it knowing what they're saying. It's not until I have memorized the lyrics where i can just sit there or lay down and fully immerse myself. Just felt like sharing that, this has been another great video. Insightful.
Not to down Xenogears, as it is one of my favorite games of all time, but THIS version, with the lyrics were NOT in the original version of the game. The PS1 couldn't handle these songs, so there was basically a MIDI version OF this song 😂. While Yasunori Mitsuda composed THIS song, what WE got in 1998 was a bunch of AH sounds from a MIDI keyboard.
Do you still take recommendations for music reactions? If so, I would strongly recommend you listen to the "Made in Abyss" OST. Though if I had to name some now, it would be; "The Rumble of Scientific Triumph", "Hanazeve Caradhina", and "Tozo Hanoline".
Even when I don't particularly enjoy a game by Square, I have to admit, they never fail (at least for me) when it comes to their game score compositions. Xenogears is one of those RPG games that marked my life and I began playing it right after being done with FF8 and have thoroughly enjoyed Nobuo's pieces for that game as well. So imagine the sensory overload for 13 year old me lol. And then I played Chrono Trigger and Cross, which coincidentally enough are also composed by Yasunori. Marco, have you tried the last track for the Vergil battle 3 in DMC3? I think you'd totally enjoy it.
Xenogears and xenoblade have the the best stories and ost in videogames and maybe not only in games. My favorite is xenoblade2 but they’re all masterpieces.
Man, I wish they'd bring the rest of the Xeno series to modern systems. Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2 are on Switch, with X still on Wii U. I have no idea where to get Saga or Gears without emulation.
can you react to The Devils Trill Sonata? its not part of any video game ost but I think its just so interesting. the story of its composer is really wild too. according to Giuseppe Tartini, the creator of the piece, Lucifer himself came to him in a dream and played it before. Tartini woke up and immediately wrote down what he had heard. so canonically Devils Trill Sonata was literally written by Satan himself.
I never had a PS1 as a kid so I never got to play the RPG classics of that era until I got a PSP/Vita as an adult, but even before then I had been hyped up about how good these classics were via various accounts from friends and strangers on the internet alike - this game most of all. This is one of the very few times that I wasn't disappointed by lofty expectations over the years that tend to make a game unable to live up to the hype... unlike a certain seventh entry in a popular fantasy RPG franchise... though to be fair, knowing that game's shocking twists via osmosis decades beforehand does take a lot out of one's enjoyment lol. But Xenogears isn't that game; it lived up to the hype and then some. ...Well, for the most part. The only 'contrivance' I have against this game is more disappointing than objectively bad: the last disk or two (out of four) are **very** obviously rushed. It essentially boils down the open-world game into back-to-back text-crawling expositions and cutscenes, all in between mostly linear 'dungeon' gameplay segments and boss fights; the open-world is gone from that point on. It basically feels like you're reading the script in between the few areas and scenes that they managed to program in the time allotted. Suffice to say it's a little... jarring, kinda like the last few episodes of Evangelion where the budget just evaporates before the watcher's eyes... though that in no way dampens my recommendation of this game. Just a fair warning I suppose; going in knowing that the last parts were rushed helped me better appreciate what they did with the time they had. It's not as perfect a game as some might have you believe, but it's pretty damn close; they did a great job wrapping up the game, probably the best they could have done given the circumstances. I can only hope that as the Xeno franchise gets more popular (thanks to Xenoblade Chronicles) they eventually have the resources, drive and interest to remake it, cuz I'd love to see the last parts of the game fleshed out. If they did it justice they might actually have the perfect JRPG on their hands.
@@MarcoMeatball Ayy, then there's still a shot! I see you haven't done any music from the Ori series yet, and while I would recommend the whole soundtrack, my personal vote goes for "In Wonderment Of Winter" from the second game. ua-cam.com/video/4lv9fVUGQCA/v-deo.html Would also recommend playing the games as well. The songs are much better in context.
funny you should mention the power rangers, definitely dont google "xenogears elements dominia kelvena tolone seraphita"... it's got nothing to do with xenogears directly including a super sentai trope... nope....
xenogears was a great RPG during its release...the only downside of the game is that the creators were only given a year or two to finish the whole game, disc one was so long that during disc two, it was already pre programmed to follow the story and lots of dialogues that resulted in just short story....there were a lot of stories that were not resolved...and also during its release, the game is banned in other countries because of how they portray churches and religion that in this game....i played the game and the story about religion does not bother me at all, rather an intriguing one since all rpg games portray religion or churches as always an enemy... the soundtrack of this game is the best to be honest that i still have it on my phone.... better listen to all the soundtrack, sea of earth and fire, and small two of pieces are the best one.
Lyrics to follow along:
O Lord God Almighty, we the wounded shall advance into the light
With Your mercy, we shall row out to the passage of time
Deep down beneath the waves of night our words we left behind
And listened to the silence as the breaths of wind arise
Hope be within us, grace be within us
Even after we are gone the truth remains
Someone is calling for us from far away
Two bright stars are falling to shine on our way
O Lord God Almighty, we the wounded shall advance into the light
With Your glory, we shall row out to the passage of time
And when the moonlight ripples on the mirror of our heart
We recollect the shadows of the days we set apart
Joy be within us, faith be within us
Even at the end of time our path remains
Someone is calling for us from far away
Two bright stars are falling to guide our way
There's even a quote in the very beginning of Xenogears from the character Citan, "Music is a mysterious thing...Sometimes, it makes people remember things that they do not expect. Many thoughts, feelings, memories... things almost forgotten...Regardless of whether the listener desires to remember them or not..."
The music in this game absolutely nails that.
The story of xenogears is one of the greatest stories ever written. Written by Tetsuya Takahashi and Kaori Tanaka (also known as Soraya Saga), the 2 met and fell in love working at squaresoft and wrote the original story as a pitch for the story of final fantasy 7, but it was rejected for being too dark. Eventually they were able to adapt it into its own new IP. The story definitely shows how it was developed by a pair of people in love, with how it deals with feeling complete and souls yearning for each other. It takes an incredible amount of philosophy and psychology into the story as well. I highly recommend playing the game, or if anyone doesn't want to deal with the PS1 clunkiness the channel resonant arc has an incredible podcast covering the story and the philosophy and symbolism behind it. It truly is one of the greatest games ever made. I highly recommend listening to flight, sea of earth and fire, and small two of pieces if you want to listen to more xenogears
Ps1 clunkiness...
Hmm dame dame gon...
@@unlimited971 I have to agree with Resonant Arc's podcast on the game. It was really great and insight even to me who has played the game several times since it was released and at different age groups as a result.
June Mermaid is one of my favorite video game tracks ever. Mitsuda went on to do Xenosaga Part 1, which is also a phenomenal OST.
@@myboatforacar my favorite xenogear bgm is Flight and Treasure that cannot be stolen.
It is the greatest story ever told, and music is on par
I played this game when it first came out on PS1, the summer my Nonna was dying from cancer. I celebrated my highschool graduation and we took her to the hospital for end of life care. It was a brutal time, even though I was no stranger to death, divorce and depression, this was a time when I needed to be saved by something. And it was this game. I played Xenogears the entire week she was dying in hospice, and my ex-Catholic heart was struggling in a grief similar but different from my Catholic family's beliefs. This game's heavy plot and it's philosophical, moral and existential questioning of faith and religion gave me solace in my agnosticism. It was a place to escape to, and a much more mature plot than any jrpg I'd ever played before. This game was there with me when I stepped over the threshold of childhood, and onto this mortal coil. It gave me strength, a world and story to escape into when I felt like breaking --- Last night a videogame saved my life. True story. Happy to see it still is being appreciated in new ways by new people - it really holds a special place for me.
Absolutely not as surprised this is from a videogame mainly because of the composer. We gamers owe much thanks to Yasunori Mitsuda for being a legend in giving us such wonderful music for Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, and Xenosaga 1 amongst other contributions. I expect nothing less than awesomeness from him. This Revival version is just beautiful.
Oh, and since this is the first time I see Xenogears on this channel, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend any of the vocal tracks sung by Joanne Hogg, be it Xenogears or Xenosaga I.
Not sure if anybody has mentioned this or not, but Mitsuda's works on this game is so good that it convinced the director of the game that his game is going to work. Yeah, he wasn't sure whether the game was going to be received well enough until he watched the game played with the soundtrack playing.
He was right.
Let me tell you, if you ever play Xenogears you're going to NEED healing music.
Surprised to see this, but quite glad. This came out in the PS1 era, as did FFVII's OST and so many other beautiful pieces of music. It took so long to see so many brilliant works and their composers finally start to get the credit they're due. Were they made for a different media, there'd be no question as to their value.
But now the gamers who grew up with the power of video games have a voice. We've come a long way since 8-bit sprites and MIDI music.
The choir is ANÚNA, they also did 4 town themes for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 as well as 2 of their members doing the vocal themes for 3!
The have a amazing relationship with Yatsunori Mitsuda, which just warms my heart
just when I thought I had consumed every single Xenogears video on the internet, I find this! makes me hopeful to find more ❤
Okay you HAVE to react to "We are the Chosen Ones" and "Shadow of the Lowlands" from Xenoblade Chronciles 2. They were also written by Yasunori Mitsuda and have the exact same melancholic, warm, sentimental, and absolutely divine sensation that this song has.
EDIT: they're also choral pieces, just FYI.
Those are both such a joy to listen to. Would be awesome to see his analysis.
also performed by the same group, Anúna
There is also a music video on the second on nintendos channel
Ah Xenogears, the game that started the entire Xeno franchise. From Xenosaga to Xenoblade Chronicles it was ahead of its time. It's actually a good example of how working together with others can help shape an artist's vision. This is referring to how going forward the team behind it helped shape the art style and story telling that eventually led to the lastest game. Also the 1 sad thing was being limited on time when they were working on the game.
Yes! You found it! The one with the lyrics from the Revival concert. So hard to find because of copyright claims from Sony. This song is an experience.
Hope they don’t come for me 😂
There are so many memorable and nostalgic tunes in video games but for me xenogears and the other RPGs of that time really opened my eyes to what music could be and what it could make you feel.
The first lyrics hit me so hard that I literally started crying, and cried throughout the whole video. I grew up in a Christian family and attended a small church(before we left it haha) that didn't use instruments, just our voices. This music is so nostalgic to me and the lyrics are so powerful. One of the few songs that made me full on cry, and I've never even played Xenogears or heard this music before. Incredible.
I know nothing of Xenogears outside of *emotional trauma* and in this track I hear two clusters the lower two and the upper two registers. They sing their OWN take on the song and while different and layered out the song can carry itself with various emotions but when layered together tells the story of a world and story at the end of its telling, that after everything that has happened, a child gets its hug from their mother
Xenogears is really all about layers and layers of trauma and its effect on relationships and sense of self
Yasunori Mitsuda composed this sound track and, no joke, he almost died making it. He literally almost worked himself to death. His soul is in this sound track and I think we all feel that.
I've never heard this version of this song! It's so damn good! But like I said in the other Xenogears video, that listening to the whole ost one day would be magical!
Honestly I didn't even know that there was lyrics to this song before today. Your video, like always brings new light into the songs that I already love.
:))))
This song is contained in "CRIED", arranged version of Xenogears soundtrack... and Track #9 "Lahan" makes me cry.
I'm so glad you finally listened to something from Xenogears! It is such an incredible game especially for its time, being a PS1 game. And the soundtrack enhances everything about the game. Honestly I would love to hear your reaction to anything Xenogears, it is extremely worth it, borderline essential listening in my book.
Everyone has a few sountracks that will last til the day you die and this is one for me. I love Xenogears and its the completely package for me and I'm happy to see you react to some of the themes. You need to give the Xenogears Creid ost a listen, specially Melkaba. Also Shevat's theme, I still remember arriving in the city and just letting the game play while I listened to it.
Altough I can't wait for you to start your Xenoblade Chronicles 3 reactions/interpretations there is just something soooooo cool about you digging up older games like Xenogears. I've never played it but I would absolutely love to. Seems like an amazing experiance from what I've heard.
Played XB1 and XB2, 1 immediately became my favorite game of all time, then I played Gears and let me tell you it set such a high bar. Took me a bit to really take it all in but it rose above and beyond every other story Ive ever experienced.
There’s another track from this game I don’t think you’ve reacted to yet. It’s called “The Beginning and the End”. It’s beautiful.
So THIS was a pleasant surprise. Didn't expect to see Xenogears showing up on this channel, though I suppose I really ought to have.
Uematsu's overall body of work probably makes him the GOAT composer of game music but Mitsuda's work on Xenogears might be my favorite of all time.
One thing about this song. The original doesn't have the lyrics and, honestly, it's not even needed. Xenogears is a masterpiece.
I see Xenogears, I watch.
Thank you for reviewing this! Xenogears has always been my top list of best RPG of all time. From the same composer (Yasunori Mitsuda), try Time's Scar/Scar's of Time from Chrono Cross :D
Xenogears was one of those true "lightning in a bottle" works where place, time, and people aligned to create something genuinely extraordinary. The husband & wife team who wrote this startlingly intricate, inventive, and tender science fiction epic must have been absolutely fascinating people to know. Their narrative combined with Mitsuda's enigmatic and emotive soundtrack creates something that's always pushing you back with confusion and grotesquery and pain but at the same time always drawing you in deeper with mystery and beauty and triumph in spite of it all. It feels like some portentous dream that refuses to fade after you wake up.
I actually went and replayed it in Japanese a few years ago and it absolutely holds up-This isn't just nostalgia and familiarity talking (in fact like FF7 it's a bit _less_ confusing when it's not localized by a single overworked translator just looking at a spreadsheet and having to guess what's happening onscreen, who nonetheless managed to do a pretty solid job, considering). Part of me wants to see a remaster that completes the final act only roughly sketched out as a kind of "reminiscence" due to budget and time constraints, but part of me wonders if messing with it might only break the spell-Maybe we should just appreciate how lucky we were to get what we got.
Your talk at the beginning of the video about what music can do reminded me of a saying from a character in the game, Dr. Citan Uzuki:
"Music is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it makes people remember things they do not expect. Many thoughts, feelings, memories... things almost forgotten... Regardless of whether the listener desires to remember or not."
One of my favorite lines in the game regarding how powerful music can be to a soul.
LESGOOOOOOOOOO
always a pleasant surprise to see anything from the older xeno games.
Man........I got to take a moment after that. The moment I heard this song, I felt as though I was taken straight back into a church choir. This song is just absolutely beautiful and holy, I almost feel ashamed that I haven't heard this one before. Knowing this is from a video game, it is hard to believe and once again reminds us how special and amazing the world of video game music is. Marco, thank you for your channel, I know I have said this before but it is worth repeating, if you hadn't made this channel then I would have never gotten a chance to hear your thoughts on gaming music. I think sometimes it can be easy to forget just how lucky we are to have UA-cam as a platform where we can meet and share our thoughts on gaming music. You are doing great work Marco, exposing more people to the wonderful world of gaming music, that should not go understated.
Also, if you don't mind Marco, I have one recommendation for you, not for the channel but for your personal listening when you have a chance. I know you don't cover anime music so hopefully this will be new for you. The song is Guts theme from Berserk "Gatsu", it is a beautiful song that I find very special. You always expose me to many songs that I have somehow not heard so I want to thank you by hopefully exposing you to a new song that you haven't heard. Thanks again Marco
wow did not expect to see Xenogears music here but very nice to see you hear this games amazing music
Also listen to The One Who is Torn Apart and One Who Bares Fangs at God.
One of the deepest reviews I have heard of yours. Thank you!
Since you've opened Pandora's Box with Xenogears, I highly suggest you to look for the Xenogears: Creid Album by Yasunori Mitsuda. You can find it on UA-cam without much effort, it contains the arranged soundtrack from the game and it's one of the few chances to listen to the original JP Ending theme, Mebius (the US version of the game had an English arrangement called 'Small Two of Pieces' but I personally prefer the Japanese version).
Seriously, Mitsuda's style is almost dreamlike and you can easily recognize it in all his major works - Xenogears, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross.
Very genuinely, Xenogears' soundtrack is just bangers beginning to end.
Oh man this took me back to school. I'm not religious or anything but whenever it was almost christmas we would go into church. While I did get kinda bored about being in church I did love to just sing the songs. I went all out thinking I was a really good singer😂 But holly crap this song is so beautiful. I could just imagine being in a church and hearing a choir sing this whilst their voices fill the entire room.
@@fable2867 Patreon gets access to videos early
@@Yilue OH I see, thanks
Xenogears had one of the top 5 osts of the ps1. At the risk of sounding like a hipster, look up the Celtic remix of the ost. It's probably the most faithful adaptation, and it might just blow your mind.
Funny you should say that about music. Early in the game itself, the character Citan Uzuki says, "Music is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it makes people remember things they do not expect."
Since you/we are on the subject of Xenogears, I'd like to bring attention to 2018/19's *Xenogears 20th Anniversary Concert The Beginning and the End*
It's an amazing combination of Celtic, rock, and modern orchestra.
Hard Recommended tracks: #2 #5 #7 #15 #17~22 #24
But the entire album is fantastic.
This popped up in my feed.
How did I miss my man listening to the music of my childhood?
Normally I can't even put down all my feelings into words describing Xenogears music, and I can say without a doubt this one is well beyond my capabilities to feel the same thing every time.
Depending on which part of my life I'm at, each part resonates a little differently.
This song puts down a story. It's warm, it's cold, it's foreboding, it's welcoming, uplifting and then depressing.
Music can be straight to the point, and at the same time enigmatic as this.
It's a wonderful world we live in, isn't it?
The Xenogears soundtrack is a trip. Xenogears: Myth is a beautiful blessing. The 20th anniversary concert is a dream come true and then some. It's pretty amazing to, personally, have come from when the music was just the MIDI files in-game to what it has evolved into over long time. The only game to have meant as much to me as one of the most long-lived, prolific and amazing series of all time - Xenogears and Final Fantasy live in my heart forever.
Xenogears is still one of my favorite RPGs. Every now and again, I bust out the PS Vita or the PS3 and play it again.
This is the one concert CD I HAD to import because it has such strong memories as an OST to me. This piece, along with "Memories Left Behind" truly stood out because they featured a chamber choir that I think did a beautiful job with it.
As someone with almost no religious faith, these kinds of pieces are like my religion. Went to a religious affiliated (though not strictly) college and sang in a choir for 4 years that had a lot of pieces like this. Were I still there, I think I would have petitioned to see if we could have sang this song. The year after I left they sang Baba Yetu, and I was very jealous.
My favorite composer made some songs for Xenosaga 2 and 3. I can't recommend them enough, my favorites are "Maybe tomorrow" and "My long forgotten cloistered sleep".
oh hey, didn't see this one. Such a great pick, too, as all of the vocal tracks in the Revival album are amazing. The End of Childhood is such a haunting and beautiful piece and Memories Left Behind brings out so many indescribable emotions.
Yasunori Mitsuda, Yoko Kanno and Yuki Kajirua will always throw you for a loop :D Perfectly and beautifullyl
Musicals have different pacing than movies and plays because they don't need to give you time to sing what you've just learned to yourself. The musical has you sing with it the entire way through.
What a game, what a story, what a soundtrack. It always bothered me that this was a complete niche title untalked about, while FF VII got all the fame. At leat with Xenoblade Chronicles they finally got the recognition they deserved.
Thank you for analyzing something from a non-video game perspective. One of the best soundtracks ever!!
P.S. I love the face you make, you seem really moved.
Thank you, I really was.
Of dang, the XENO games OST! Those are beautiful music right there! This gets me to finally play XENOGEARS on my VITA!! And…
OH LORD ALMIGHTY!! I can’t believe I haven’t suggested this before!!
XENOBLADE’S FINAL BOSS MUSIC!!!
“GOD SLAYING SWORD”!!!!!
YOU HAVE TO BRO!! THATS RIGHT UP YOUR ALLY!!
Thanks for reminding me that i have to play this game some day :)
Loved hearing a professional take on a game so near and dear to my husband and I ♥ i would be so happy to hear your reaction to Heavens Mirror in Eternal Sonata. Its a gorgeous opera, the italian smashes my heart into tiny little pieces, it is so deeply evocative.
I have filmed it actually and will try to get it out asap!
@@MarcoMeatball omg you're the best! I am so so glad i stumbled on your channel today!!!!!
This is beautiful. It reminds me of “The Light We Cast” by Jessica Curry - a composition for the videogame “Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture”. It might be a little too similar to this video to react to it anytime soon; but I highly recommend it!
Funny that you make the power rangers analogy as that is a heavy inspiration for a boss in Xenogears
This games has a very impactful ost
Well, as far as i m concerned, "the beginning and the end" from the same game holds a special place in my heart,i don t know there is something heavenly mystic in that song that touches me deeply
In this era of remasters, Xenogears is one I would love to get on its music alone.
I loved the music from Xenogears. So nostalgic.
One of the best storyline and OST
I would like to recommend Shara Ishvalda from Monster Hunter World. Great video as always!
Amen. I love opera and choir music, and I, as a Christian, really love this piece from Xenogears. It soothes me and moves my soul as I would expect a Hymn to do. Amazing analysis yet again.
Would love to see you play Xenogears on stream one day
Despite my love for this type of music, to this very day I can never understand what they're saying without having the lyrics in front of me. I don't know if this is unique to me or not but I wish I could be like you and just sit there and enjoy it knowing what they're saying. It's not until I have memorized the lyrics where i can just sit there or lay down and fully immerse myself.
Just felt like sharing that, this has been another great video. Insightful.
lol if you're surprised THIS is in a video game, wait till you play it.
Sometimes I wonder if you ever rest, Marco. The daily uploads. We appreciate them, but take some time for yourself.
Uploading is easy and I film one to two days a week. 5-10 videos. It’s easy and fun. 🥰
The recording sounds like it could have come straight from the halls of music school
I've never heard this before. But this is so beautiful... I'm almost cried for real
Not to down Xenogears, as it is one of my favorite games of all time, but THIS version, with the lyrics were NOT in the original version of the game. The PS1 couldn't handle these songs, so there was basically a MIDI version OF this song 😂. While Yasunori Mitsuda composed THIS song, what WE got in 1998 was a bunch of AH sounds from a MIDI keyboard.
It’s funny that you brought up power rangers since there is a scene where a group of villains’ gears form to create a “megazord”.
Do you still take recommendations for music reactions?
If so, I would strongly recommend you listen to the "Made in Abyss" OST. Though if I had to name some now, it would be; "The Rumble of Scientific Triumph", "Hanazeve Caradhina", and "Tozo Hanoline".
Even when I don't particularly enjoy a game by Square, I have to admit, they never fail (at least for me) when it comes to their game score compositions.
Xenogears is one of those RPG games that marked my life and I began playing it right after being done with FF8 and have thoroughly enjoyed Nobuo's pieces for that game as well. So imagine the sensory overload for 13 year old me lol.
And then I played Chrono Trigger and Cross, which coincidentally enough are also composed by Yasunori.
Marco, have you tried the last track for the Vergil battle 3 in DMC3? I think you'd totally enjoy it.
As one of my favorite RPG's of all time, I'm naturally biased...but you should honestly listen to the entire original OST.
Literally put this in a church and no one will know that this comes from a game
Xenogears and xenoblade have the the best stories and ost in videogames and maybe not only in games. My favorite is xenoblade2 but they’re all masterpieces.
Oh my lord this is so good
I don't remember if I've ever played Xenogears but the music here is really so beautiful
Whoa this is a nostalgia trip, time to rev up the old memory lane
also
Day ninety-one of recommending Stay Gold from the Arknights OST
I would love to see your reaction to
“After the Drop” from Medal of Honor: Frontlines.
Wow this was beautiful
Hope you react to the Fire Emblem OST in the Future There are so many good soundtracks and songs in this Franchise
Man, I wish they'd bring the rest of the Xeno series to modern systems. Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2 are on Switch, with X still on Wii U. I have no idea where to get Saga or Gears without emulation.
can you react to The Devils Trill Sonata? its not part of any video game ost but I think its just so interesting. the story of its composer is really wild too. according to Giuseppe Tartini, the creator of the piece, Lucifer himself came to him in a dream and played it before. Tartini woke up and immediately wrote down what he had heard. so canonically Devils Trill Sonata was literally written by Satan himself.
Sorry only video games
@@MarcoMeatball thats fair. its worth a listen to in your free time tho!
I know this isn't exactly a Video game, but I'd like to see your review/reaction to UNICORN from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
Yeah bro, from videogames come music that you have never heard in your life. Evangelion, Scaflowne, Xenogears, etc.
Xenoblade 2 has more songs with the same distinct sound as this which are also great
I need you to cover EverHood's OST. It's like Toby Fox's work on crack.
yes xenogears
“He died from OnlyFans!”
Lol!! Brilliant!
I never had a PS1 as a kid so I never got to play the RPG classics of that era until I got a PSP/Vita as an adult, but even before then I had been hyped up about how good these classics were via various accounts from friends and strangers on the internet alike - this game most of all.
This is one of the very few times that I wasn't disappointed by lofty expectations over the years that tend to make a game unable to live up to the hype... unlike a certain seventh entry in a popular fantasy RPG franchise... though to be fair, knowing that game's shocking twists via osmosis decades beforehand does take a lot out of one's enjoyment lol. But Xenogears isn't that game; it lived up to the hype and then some.
...Well, for the most part.
The only 'contrivance' I have against this game is more disappointing than objectively bad: the last disk or two (out of four) are **very** obviously rushed. It essentially boils down the open-world game into back-to-back text-crawling expositions and cutscenes, all in between mostly linear 'dungeon' gameplay segments and boss fights; the open-world is gone from that point on. It basically feels like you're reading the script in between the few areas and scenes that they managed to program in the time allotted.
Suffice to say it's a little... jarring, kinda like the last few episodes of Evangelion where the budget just evaporates before the watcher's eyes... though that in no way dampens my recommendation of this game. Just a fair warning I suppose; going in knowing that the last parts were rushed helped me better appreciate what they did with the time they had. It's not as perfect a game as some might have you believe, but it's pretty damn close; they did a great job wrapping up the game, probably the best they could have done given the circumstances.
I can only hope that as the Xeno franchise gets more popular (thanks to Xenoblade Chronicles) they eventually have the resources, drive and interest to remake it, cuz I'd love to see the last parts of the game fleshed out. If they did it justice they might actually have the perfect JRPG on their hands.
who can i pay to make marco play xenogears
while i was listening to this, i was also imagining if both vocal and Organ would fit well.
so what do you think?
This song wasn’t in the actual video game. The original song has no lyrics but the sound effects sound like singing
if possible marco, can you do a reaction for Witcher 3 Blood and Wine main OST :)
Please react to "Time's Scar" from Chrono Cross !
Listen Outer wilds please🙏
Out of curiosity, do you pick and choose suggestions for songs to react to from the comments?
I default to patreon first. Then my own choices. Then comments. ;)
@@MarcoMeatball Ayy, then there's still a shot!
I see you haven't done any music from the Ori series yet, and while I would recommend the whole soundtrack, my personal vote goes for "In Wonderment Of Winter" from the second game.
ua-cam.com/video/4lv9fVUGQCA/v-deo.html
Would also recommend playing the games as well. The songs are much better in context.
Have you got the sheet music for this by chance?
funny you should mention the power rangers, definitely dont google "xenogears elements dominia kelvena tolone seraphita"... it's got nothing to do with xenogears directly including a super sentai trope... nope....
xenogears was a great RPG during its release...the only downside of the game is that the creators were only given a year or two to finish the whole game, disc one was so long that during disc two, it was already pre programmed to follow the story and lots of dialogues that resulted in just short story....there were a lot of stories that were not resolved...and also during its release, the game is banned in other countries because of how they portray churches and religion that in this game....i played the game and the story about religion does not bother me at all, rather an intriguing one since all rpg games portray religion or churches as always an enemy... the soundtrack of this game is the best to be honest that i still have it on my phone.... better listen to all the soundtrack, sea of earth and fire, and small two of pieces are the best one.
actually, what is the name of this song? I think I missed it if it was said
It’s in the thumbnail ;)
Oh I'm not smart thank you lol