Xenogears remains one of the most profound RPGs ever created. Having spent a lifetime immersed in the genre, I consider it the pinnacle of storytelling in RPGs. When I first played it in 2000 as a young teenager, I knew it was something special-and 25 years later that feeling remains unchanged. Time flies, but a story like Xenogears stays with you forever. I could say something similar about Final Fantasy VIII: if you are a hopeless romantic, it will stay with you forever. If you're not, it will turn you into one.
Even today one of the best rpgs of all time. The soundtrack, the characters, the story, the battle system... its all just perfect as it is! And i love this old 3D backgrounds and 2D Sprites. So amazing this game! Hoping until today that we get a remaster!
After more than 25 years, still one of my two favourite games of all time (tied with Planescape: Torment). I first played it in 1999 and I still discover something new every now and then about this masterpiece...
Im not over blowing this... Xenogears is more than a game. It's talking religion,philosophy and psychology, existence itself. It's engaging you on so many levels spiritually and intellectually. Its like the creator takahashi wants tosit down and discuss these themes and ideas with you on a deeper level knowing his audience at the time would have been teenage boys he just wraps it up in giant robots and sci fi space opera with anime imagery. It's profound peace of work, if you sit with it and engage it. It will change you.
Fun fact: Before Xenogears got its name, it's script was showcased/pitched for another game called....Final Fantasy VII. However Square executives deemed the script/story to complex and dark for something being as part of FF franchise and said, no. After some time the game was released under the name 'Xenogears'. And the rest like they say is history.
Can’t wait to see you play Xenogears, Maggie! For so many of us, it brings back that classic Squaresoft magic. We’re super hyped to experience it with you! Keep doing your thing, we love it!
Music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, etc.) Fei is pronounced "F + a", like how you say "a" in english. (Fay, fée) :) My sisters still call me Fei to this day (Was my nickname for a long time). Xenogears is still my favorite RPG of all time. Watching you react to it was a real treat. Thank you for that ! If you pursue, the story in this game will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Xenogears is a true gem. The music takes me back. The composer, Yasunori Mitsuda is one of my all time favorites. Please continue your journey experiencing the good ol' SquareSoft days. You won't be disappointed. You are an amazing creator and I appreciate how you approach things and become invested in what you do. I could say so much, but I am a bit speechless right now. This is only the demo and it hits me hard. Thank you, truly.
That Xenogears opening cinematic blew me away originally, and it still blows me away to this day. This game was so ahead of its time, and without a doubt shaped me growing up. There are so many "adult" themes that you just don't see games tackle, even today. This is truly a special one.
Basically the WE in Zohar already made the Contact's partner: The Mother's Will. Deus took over, rewrote the partner's dna, and then that created two clones. The Mother's Will and the Compliment.
I LOVED this game! Can't wait for you to get to experience it. Same creator as Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles. Also, I could be wrong, but I always pronounced it "Fay"
Xenogears is a must play. Physical copies are hard to come by. I think it is still available for purchase on the PS3 online store. For some reason it’s not available on current consoles. You can also emulate it. Probably one of my favorite games. Definitely worth the play. Really hope you give it a chance. You definitely won’t regret it. The sheer scale of this game and what they were going for, for a PS1 game has rarely, if ever, been matched.
Xenogears was probably the single piece of fiction that made the most impact on my life. It contained itself in so many of my deep memories, or should I say, IT already seemed to contain the WORLD. Over the years so much calls out to it. Philosophy, love, religions, psychology, life, family, pain, loss, death, forgiveness... in so many periods of my life this story is ever relevant. It feels as something so ethereal and ever present. As if this story contained the story of all of creation and consciousness itself. It manages to help us come close to understanding what it would be like to live past the one life we have been given and imagine goals past our egos, to think past ourselves, to see more of the BIGGER picture. I think it is a small miracle something like this happened.
Oh wow. I don't think any story has touched me as deeply or stayed with me as long as Xenogears' has. I get chills watching that intro cinematic. Really hope you get to experience it too.
i actually wrote a book on xenogears (180 pages) like 20 years ago so of course i'd like to see a playthrough of that game, it's probably the jrpg i'm most familiar with. it was also the game that convinced me to become a game developer (switching my career path when i first played it in my second year of college), because seeing how many people who played it at the time started getting into reading philosophy when previously they had no interest in it, it convinced me that videogames can have more of an impact on world culture than anything else.
You wrote a book on Xenogears?!? I think that’s so awesome!! It is really cool how this experience shaped your life. I’m jealous!! I spent so much time digging into the lore on this game. Course it was 98/99 so the internet was….not the same. But still tried to dig up everything I could. Always wanted a copy of Perfect Works…but don’t know how to read Japanese ☹️. Still thought the book was cool though.
@@vivapedro750 yeah though it was just an ebook, and out of print now (the site i sold it with went down), i think some fan-site has it up somewhere (or did as of 5 years ago) but i lost track of where. basically i was an indie game developer who also wrote about game development, and i wrote a book about xenogears as an example of great art in games, examining all the different parts of it in each chapter. i think someone did do an english fan translation of perfect works as well that i once read, i forget when or where though. also a funny thing is, even though i was that much into xenogears, i still haven't played the xenoblade games (just the xenosaga games). though one day i will.
I can’t believe it…Xenogears…arguably the greatest RPG of all time. It’s a game you’ll never forget. Back in the day it was this and FF7 for my favorite RPG. FF7 is just more “polished” due to the money and time invested. But if square had invested the same love into Xenogears..it might have eclipsed FF as the flagship series. I was first exposed to Xenogears by the same demo disc you are playing now. I was 22 at the time and it blew me away then as it still does now. I still play through Xenogears every few years. Nothing else like it. Highly recommend.
I was 12 when Xenogears came out but ended up playing when I went to college after a friend recommended it and was blown away. Seeing your genuine excitement playing these games for the first time is really endearing and brings back a lot of memories (unless you are just a great actress ha!). I played FF8 when it came out and its still my favorite FF game.
Yes!!! You absolutely MUST play this game. You are going to love it, the story, the MUSIC, everything about it is great. Fei (rhymes with way) is such a cool character and is so interesting once you fully learn about him. Please please please play this soon! :)
This is your calling card kast.. time to play more classic RPGS 😁There sooo good. Stories that encompassed global scale conflicts, incredible pacing, diverse cast of characters and amazing music that just gives you a warm feeling all over. The Golden age. Brings me back🙂
I was so excited to get this demo as a kid. I watched the FF8 video over and over again because I was so excited for it and couldn’t wait to see what the next FF adventure would be. The footage in the trailer is beta footage so quite a few things changed in the final game in regards to battle and cutscene footage as well as the music. I’m excited to see you tackle FF9 but man I can’t wait for you to experience 8 too. Bushido Blade 2 is an incredibly fun weapon based fighting game. One lethal strike can take out your opponent and vice versa. It’s really fun.
At least we know she's good about reading tutorials. Understanding the Junction System is the difference between making 8 one of the hardest FF games to play instead of one of the easiest. That, and playing a lot of Triple Triad, which I'm sure she'll love.
@@jacastianvale7023 tbh the most important thing for her to know is that monsters scale with your level so if you're not good with the junction system, just not level up atleast.
Brave Fencer Musashi was a very fun, charming, silly, creative 3D action-RPG. The trailer didn't do it justice at all. The characters skew cutesy / young but the gameplay was solid and the soundtrack was TOP TIER.
1:52:05 There is a reason you instinctively called him Fay in the beginning. It's definitely Fay but at least you spent more time calling him Fiy than Fee, which was my least favorite choice lol. Great video going through this disk, and glad you enjoyed the experience! 🥰
Xenogears is a fantastic game. Great music and world and a fun combat system. I wish I still had my copy of this game, and it's gone up so much in value. This game is rare to find, and rpg collectors seek it out. The music and that opening cutscene brought back so many memories. Brave Fencer Musashi is an action platformer rpg. Very fun game, and I still have mine. Musashi is the name of a real Samurai who is famous for being a legendary swordsman that used 2 swords. You are correct about Bushido Blade series being a fighting game. It plays very differently than most fighting games. Final Fantasy VIII is another great game in the series. Its combat system is different from other Final Fantasy games. I have my copy of that as well and love the story.
First time playing the game, there was something about the battle music that had a je ne sais quoi over it. Like the game has looming mystery over it. The intro left me speechless, then the calmness of the village and safety, and then just the battle music that was so intense. It's like, you know there is something more than meets the eye with Xenogears...
Hey Kasta, I speak for myself but probably also for a lot of other people, when I say how much you are appreciated. You are giving another life to titles that shaped many childhoods, and the joy that radiates from you when doing so is really heart-warming. Xenogears is a fantastic game. It was not in 1998 as I was just entering double digits age wise myself but I remember playing with my cousin, taking turns. One night, he got to stay up and play the next me. No spoilers, but the second disc is special for many reasons. Bring popcorn, haha. Cannot wait for your playthrough!❤
Oh man am I excited for whats coming next on your channel! Xenogears and Xenosaga are some japanese ass rpgs for sure, and FF8 is my personal favorite of the series so I am so excited for that! Straight from the Wikipedia paige: The first title, Xenogears, was originally proposed as a storyline for Final Fantasy VII, as well as a sequel to the 1995 RPG Chrono Trigger, but was allowed to be developed as its own project. After Square shifted its focus onto the Final Fantasy series, Takahashi and several other Xenogears staff founded Monolith Soft and began work on the Xenosaga games. Both Xenogears and Xenosaga were intended to be six-part series, but differing circumstances caused plans to be cut down. After the premature end of the Xenosaga series, Monolith Soft began developing Xenoblade Chronicles, initially intended to be an original title. The games of the Xeno franchise have generally sold well and received positive press worldwide.
Wow I'm pleasantly surprised to see xenogears here! Really hope you get back to it, the combat really IS super fun no surprise you're enjoying it! I never played the demo so this was cool to watch. Having party members join early so you can "trial" them is a nice touch. You'll def like this one a lot
The Xeno series is a life-changing genre of JRPG on another level. Once you start, you crave for more story, lore, and variety of characters as you continue :)
Brave Fencer Musashi is very cute and pretty fun. Totally your vibe, as long as you don't cringe at punny names (Musashi aside, who is the protagonist). And with the FF8 video, stuff definitely changed (also it only shows nothing spoilery, so you are good). Never seen or played Xenogears, so this has been a treat.
With a name like FFShinra you should definitely play Xenogears! It has that wonderful late 90s dark/melancholy tone like FF7, and shared a lot of the same staff. I think you'd love it.
Xenogears is a must play if you love RPGs like FF/chrono trigger, sci-fi like star wars or anime like Gundam/Neon Genesis Evangelion! it's longer than ffx but nowhere near as long as ff7 reBirth! The demo unlocked all abilities already & maxed hp/mp. I'll watch your LP! :D
Love how hooked you are just on the intro and it was hilarious to see Bart and Elly show up for the demo. This game is really something else, it’s stayed with me since I played it back when it was new. If and when you play it I’ld be here for every minute. Resonant Arc did an epic 20 episode series covering it, like a play along book club for the game. May be worth watching along as you go or visiting afterwards.
Hot damn! This is a nice surprise! Can't say I'd have the time to watch an eventual Xenogears playthrough. But eventually, I sincerely hope you'll continue to the Xenosaga trilogy! Those are some of my favorite sci-fi games of all time! Those I will make all the time for! Also, I highly recommend Brave Fencer Musashi!
The actual opening movie for FF8 is kind of a religious experience and for me the most iconic opening cinematic ever made to this day. Kasta you are not ready and I can’t wait for your reaction to that intro ❤❤❤
Xenogears lore is rich and expansive. It's a good series to delve into. Many of the towns and characters have their names stem from religious iconography and foreign words. You can play it blind but if you want the best experience and to see all the secrets, finding a strategy guide online would be useful.
Whenever you get to FF8 as a longtime fan my recommendation is to play the remastered version rather than original psx just because it has a speed up feature. Helpful because the battle animations can feel very sluggish and certain battle mechanics can get tedious if you don't have speed up option. Love your channel, thanks for playing FF games! :)
What I love about this game's combat system is by continuously using the combinations, you eventually learn the special attack that the combo is supposed to activate (provided you meet the story-gated prerequisites). And you can actually track the progress in your menu.
I love your classic gaming, it's so nostalgic! You are also the only one I've seen that plays these games. You are awesome Maggie ❤🤙 I remember watching trailers in the mid-late 90's thinking they were the coolest ever! They look a little less cool today 😆
As a kid I was drawn into the beautiful visual art of the PS1 era of the Final Fantasy series and to the storytelling of their other games. Coming from loving mythology as a young boy I soon discovered that Squaresoft had used random elements of myths from all times into their games which gave it a nice touch to how their stories evolved. Xenogears was different though because it explicitly uses terms coming from mystical sources such as Kabbalah and also takes elements from psychology and weaves it all into a fantastic game. If you think about it, Evangelion seems to be part of their inspiration which has the giant robots, finding yourself, psychology and spirituality as themes. Whoever made this game knows what they're talking about and put this information as a story and images in the minds of millions of players, some of which will have a memory of playing a great game and others who have discovered how deep this game is and how it symbolically relates to them. This is a story that will probably be told for generations to come. If you decide to play the whole game I really hope you enjoy it, even if you aren´t drawn into it's deeper aspects because as a game it's a gem. I really like your enthusiasm playing old games. :)
I know you've said that final fantasy 9 is your next FF playthrough which I'm excited for, but I truly cannot wait for you to play 8. It's my all-time fave and is criminally underrated.
Holy cow!! I'm still trying to watch through FFX/X-2 and Anna play through MGS1-3 But Parasite Eve, and now Xenogears, with FFIX on the horizon?!. These have been so fun watching someone give games from my childhood a first playthrough and still finding the magic in them. Love seeing your predictions of things to come. The brief synopsis of events as they occur is super helpful when I'm second screen watching these whilst I'm gaming. The amount of content you put out is super freaking impressive. Keep up all the great work and wish you great success for the future. 🤓
I played it as it came out for the ps1. that was my second game from squaresoft (the first being ff7). it's one of the best jrpg in existence and everytime someone put up a video of it, my heart fills with joy and ache at the same time... SQUARE. MAKE THE DAMN REMAKE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND BY THE LOVE OF GOD, MAKE THE SECOND DISK PLAYABLE FROM THE BEGINNING!!!!!!!!!!!
Maggie, Your SNES gaming collection is really badass! Thanks for sharing the games you are playing! It really takes me back when I was a kid. Have a great weekend!
FF8 too!? Omg you truly would be spoiling us. It's not the most universally loved installment but it's my favourite of the FF stories. Only one key change in the game from that demo, but it would kinda be a spoiler to say more. Oh, and that music that you thought was really great? That's a 1/10 compared to FF8's actual soundtrack 😁
Demo Discs are such cool and weird time capsules, and I often find myself wondering why more streamers who are a bit more into games as relics/pieces of history don't dip into them. To be crass: they're free content! I'm old and have a nostalgic fondness for them, though... maybe most who don't have a personal history with them just see them as boring? Who knows. Thanks again for taking the anthropologist-ish route to these older games. Your curiosity is infectious! Xenogears is one of those games I'd normally find difficult to recommend these days, for a ton of reasons I'm sure a lot of people will clue you in on (being basically unfinished, off-tempo pacing, the gameplay not holding up the way other titles of the era do, etc), but it might not matter for someone who interacts with and thinks about games the way you do? That being said: Final Fantasy VIII makes me feral. I commented on one of your Parasite Eve videos that I think you'll appreciating it more than most (though I see waaaay more praise for it these days!) and hope you end up finding the time for it. I think you'll get a lot out of it, even though I predict that, of the era, IX will end up being the one most special to you. So interested to see where you land on these and which you bounce off of. thanks again! e.: just saw that the plan is to go through the FFs in reverse order? I missed that somehow, but I'm glad to hear it!
What a time it was. Year after year - Getting demo disks trailers, and just experiencing the best RPGs. Although that wasn't FF8s official trailer - the official one is SO insanely good - especially with the legend Nobuo Uematsu's 'liberi fatali' music masterpiece playing, just proving that he was (and always will be) the GOAT. FF8 was the one I connected to the most growing up - so IM excited if there is ever a time to play it.
You were 1 in 1998 while I was in middle school. Wow, do I feel really old!! lol It's impressive what they were able to do with the visuals for this time. I had a Nintendo 64 as a kid, not a PS1. So I missed a lot of these games. Cool to see you play them.
we were all different ages when i played it. i was in my second year of college when it came out, and i was majoring in biochemistry at the time, and xenogears is what convinced me to go into game development instead (i then became an indie game developer)
I remember downloading that FF8 video in college and watching it on repeat. The hype for that game was huge because while 7 was the first 3D Final Fantasy, 8 was the first to have much more detail in not only the pre-renders, but also textures mapped to the real time polys to give the models more detail as well. I think you're gonna like 9. 7 and 8 are more modern settings, but 9 goes back to the classic fantasy feel and settings of older FF games.
Xenogears is still remembered as one of the most complex and profound stories in Japan. It draws on clinical psychology, biology, science, philosophy, Judaism, Christianity, social issues, and more. Those well-versed in human history and religious history will understand how this game links to real-world issues. I sincerely hope that someday you'll play Xenogears and enjoy its incredible, epic, and intricately layered story.
Wow what a treat! Brave Fencer Musashi is so good. The writing and voice acting is hilarious. FF8 is some peoples favorite game (including Ben Starr's), and its a love story at its core. I personally dont hold Xenogears in as high regard as others as it lost interest in the back half of the game, but a lot of people really love it. I'm really interested in seeing you play all these if you do! :)
Hope you get to check out Xenogears some time soon! Still gives me chills the first time I played it. The first time I remember looking up supplemental info on the themes and philosophies outside of the game. That was a magical time!! Great video!!
@@Kastaclysmmove it up your list! You won’t regret it. Widely considered best narrative for any video game, ever. Epic defines this game. It also has amazing cinematography, like a PS1 movie.
I was 10 in 1998 and played all of these four games in about 1998-1999. Brave Fencer Musashiden was a big part of my childhood, I enjoyed the hell out of it, and also it really helped me learn English, as did other Square games of the day (I'm not a native speaker) Final Fantasy VIII holds a very special place in my heart, it's the FF game that I go back to way often than the other FF games... Yeah, I also love 6, 7, 9, Tactics... 3... and many other parts, it's just that this one is dearest to me personally. And Xenogears is just a masterpiece... The best game on the console, in my opinion... I can't wait to see you try it! Bushido Blade didn't leave such a lasting impression on me, but I still had fun playing it.
If you don't want to go through the many hours of play, at least find a video explaining the story. The story and lore is what's sticking with us after all those years. (You need to dig in a bit more, just a tad, to understand the lore. Even the game's own intro cinematic makes a lot more sense once you read about it, upon completion)
I must say I’d never heard of this game, but it does remind me of Gundam Wing or whatever the anime it was I’d seen bits and pieces of as a kid. Seems like a charming little game back in the day and the fact that you said you were 1 yr old when this game came out makes me feel real old now😂. Glad you enjoyed it, love your play throughs.
I got one of these demo CDs from a PlayStation magazine back in the mid 90's when I was really young. It had so many cool games I played such as Crash Bandicoot, Twisted Metal 2, Tekken 2, and so many more that I can't remember lol. You are definitely a true gamer cause that's how we felt when we emerged into these classic games
Hahaha i love it when Maggie says "How the Turn Tables" instead of how the tables turn. It always makes me smile. I remember Official UK Playstation Magazine had a playable demo of the dollet mission and i was obssessed with it. Such a great game. Maggie once again hitting out with some spectacular guesswork that may or may not be in anyway accurate.
Final Fantasy 8!! I wish it was coming sooner to your channel but I am sure you will get round to it. You must. I can certainly tell this teaser is under development and even the music is not the same. Kasta I have to tell you I have played almost every Final Fantasy and two things about 8: first is the opening movie (not shown here) is the best opening to any Final fantasy. Hands down. It's considered by many to have one if the best openings to a video game period. Even by today's standards which is wild. And secondly: IMHO it has the best overall soundtrack. 8's music is insane. I say that as someone whose played almost every Final fantasy and every one has amazing music. Every game has its standout tracks filled with emotion and 8 certainly will not disappoint on that score. You will fall in love with it. Also...Xenogears!! Niiiiiiice!! What a gem.
@LinkinMark1994 Me neither. And I can see the fmvs used are unfinished. You can see it on the character's face and even the placeholder npc firing the machine gun. I wonder how far away from the finished product it was at the time. Still I am grateful to Kasta for giving me the chance to see that footage as I have never seen it.
I literally own 3 different releases of the Xenogears OST and the art book 😊 It's not my favorite JRPG but dang it had an effect on me. It has so much heart and is ludicrously ambitious.
Xenogears remains one of the most profound RPGs ever created. Having spent a lifetime immersed in the genre, I consider it the pinnacle of storytelling in RPGs. When I first played it in 2000 as a young teenager, I knew it was something special-and 25 years later that feeling remains unchanged. Time flies, but a story like Xenogears stays with you forever. I could say something similar about Final Fantasy VIII: if you are a hopeless romantic, it will stay with you forever. If you're not, it will turn you into one.
I saw Xenogears and couldn't have clicked on the video fast enough! I really hope you take that journey....
Brings me back, Xenogears is a classic
Xenogears is such a great game . Because it was so different from anything we’ve seen at the time. Great rpg
Even today one of the best rpgs of all time. The soundtrack, the characters, the story, the battle system... its all just perfect as it is! And i love this old 3D backgrounds and 2D Sprites. So amazing this game! Hoping until today that we get a remaster!
Just seeing the title makes my heart race, Xenogears is my favorite game of all time:')
I remember being a kid in Scotland and just being gutted this wasn't released in UK.
Xenogears is the game I have replayed the most, and watched streamed the most. It is undisputably one of the best games ever made.
After more than 25 years, still one of my two favourite games of all time (tied with Planescape: Torment).
I first played it in 1999 and I still discover something new every now and then about this masterpiece...
Classic Squaresoft was so good. Almost everything they released was pure gold.
That 90s run they went on was unbelievable. Hoping we're in the midst of another such run for them right now.
Im not over blowing this... Xenogears is more than a game. It's talking religion,philosophy and psychology, existence itself. It's engaging you on so many levels spiritually and intellectually. Its like the creator takahashi wants tosit down and discuss these themes and ideas with you on a deeper level knowing his audience at the time would have been teenage boys he just wraps it up in giant robots and sci fi space opera with anime imagery. It's profound peace of work, if you sit with it and engage it. It will change you.
Yooooooo XENOGEARS??!!!😮 it just got REAL!!!!!!! I'm here for this ENTIRE Playthrough 1000%
Fun fact:
Before Xenogears got its name, it's script was showcased/pitched for another game called....Final Fantasy VII.
However Square executives deemed the script/story to complex and dark for something being as part of FF franchise and said, no. After some time the game was released under the name 'Xenogears'.
And the rest like they say is history.
Xenogears is one of the best RPGs ever made. Hope you play it. I'll be there day 1!
Can’t wait to see you play Xenogears, Maggie! For so many of us, it brings back that classic Squaresoft magic. We’re super hyped to experience it with you! Keep doing your thing, we love it!
Music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, etc.) Fei is pronounced "F + a", like how you say "a" in english. (Fay, fée) :) My sisters still call me Fei to this day (Was my nickname for a long time). Xenogears is still my favorite RPG of all time. Watching you react to it was a real treat. Thank you for that ! If you pursue, the story in this game will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Xenogears is a true gem. The music takes me back. The composer, Yasunori Mitsuda is one of my all time favorites. Please continue your journey experiencing the good ol' SquareSoft days. You won't be disappointed. You are an amazing creator and I appreciate how you approach things and become invested in what you do. I could say so much, but I am a bit speechless right now. This is only the demo and it hits me hard. Thank you, truly.
Xenogears is so special. Hope you'll play it. One or maybe the best story i've seen in a jrpg.
1998 was one of the best years in gaming. There were so many instant classics.
That Xenogears opening cinematic blew me away originally, and it still blows me away to this day. This game was so ahead of its time, and without a doubt shaped me growing up. There are so many "adult" themes that you just don't see games tackle, even today. This is truly a special one.
I'm so ready for Kasta's PS/SNES Square arc
Play Xenogears if you haven't! It's literal PEAK FICTION!!
Xenogears is incredible! You'd love it, Maggie.
That Xenogears intro is beyond iconic.
Basically the WE in Zohar already made the Contact's partner: The Mother's Will. Deus took over, rewrote the partner's dna, and then that created two clones. The Mother's Will and the Compliment.
I LOVED this game! Can't wait for you to get to experience it. Same creator as Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles. Also, I could be wrong, but I always pronounced it "Fay"
Dude thank you so much for this stuff, what a blast from the past. Xenogears is super unique among JRPGs.
demo discs were so fun back in the day,getting previews of games was always a nice treat.
Xenogears is a must play. Physical copies are hard to come by. I think it is still available for purchase on the PS3 online store. For some reason it’s not available on current consoles. You can also emulate it. Probably one of my favorite games. Definitely worth the play. Really hope you give it a chance. You definitely won’t regret it. The sheer scale of this game and what they were going for, for a PS1 game has rarely, if ever, been matched.
Plaaaaaay this game. Its spectacular.
It started as a concept for FF7 but ended up being a different game.
Can't wait for the FF8 playthrough! But Xenogears coming out of nowhere, haha. Sweet.
Xenogears is still my favorite RPG of all time so i clicked, hello!
In my opinion, it's one of the best JRPGs ever.
"You shall be as gods" is what was on the screen. The Xenogears lore is some of the most vast of any game ive every played and absolutely amazing.
Man, that FF8 preview video takes me back. You can hear the preorders rolling in from that one.
There was a track from that game used in the Olympics.
Xenogears was probably the single piece of fiction that made the most impact on my life. It contained itself in so many of my deep memories, or should I say, IT already seemed to contain the WORLD. Over the years so much calls out to it. Philosophy, love, religions, psychology, life, family, pain, loss, death, forgiveness... in so many periods of my life this story is ever relevant. It feels as something so ethereal and ever present. As if this story contained the story of all of creation and consciousness itself. It manages to help us come close to understanding what it would be like to live past the one life we have been given and imagine goals past our egos, to think past ourselves, to see more of the BIGGER picture. I think it is a small miracle something like this happened.
Just wanna say your channel is constantly surprising me and that you are hella awesome.
Oh and that you have great taste in games.
Xenogears is a sea worth diving into, it's an experience that will stick with you.
Oh wow. I don't think any story has touched me as deeply or stayed with me as long as Xenogears' has. I get chills watching that intro cinematic. Really hope you get to experience it too.
i actually wrote a book on xenogears (180 pages) like 20 years ago so of course i'd like to see a playthrough of that game, it's probably the jrpg i'm most familiar with. it was also the game that convinced me to become a game developer (switching my career path when i first played it in my second year of college), because seeing how many people who played it at the time started getting into reading philosophy when previously they had no interest in it, it convinced me that videogames can have more of an impact on world culture than anything else.
You wrote a book on Xenogears?!? I think that’s so awesome!! It is really cool how this experience shaped your life. I’m jealous!!
I spent so much time digging into the lore on this game. Course it was 98/99 so the internet was….not the same. But still tried to dig up everything I could. Always wanted a copy of Perfect Works…but don’t know how to read Japanese ☹️. Still thought the book was cool though.
@@vivapedro750 yeah though it was just an ebook, and out of print now (the site i sold it with went down), i think some fan-site has it up somewhere (or did as of 5 years ago) but i lost track of where. basically i was an indie game developer who also wrote about game development, and i wrote a book about xenogears as an example of great art in games, examining all the different parts of it in each chapter.
i think someone did do an english fan translation of perfect works as well that i once read, i forget when or where though.
also a funny thing is, even though i was that much into xenogears, i still haven't played the xenoblade games (just the xenosaga games). though one day i will.
I can’t believe it…Xenogears…arguably the greatest RPG of all time. It’s a game you’ll never forget. Back in the day it was this and FF7 for my favorite RPG. FF7 is just more “polished” due to the money and time invested. But if square had invested the same love into Xenogears..it might have eclipsed FF as the flagship series.
I was first exposed to Xenogears by the same demo disc you are playing now. I was 22 at the time and it blew me away then as it still does now. I still play through Xenogears every few years. Nothing else like it. Highly recommend.
I was 12 when Xenogears came out but ended up playing when I went to college after a friend recommended it and was blown away. Seeing your genuine excitement playing these games for the first time is really endearing and brings back a lot of memories (unless you are just a great actress ha!). I played FF8 when it came out and its still my favorite FF game.
Yes!!! You absolutely MUST play this game. You are going to love it, the story, the MUSIC, everything about it is great. Fei (rhymes with way) is such a cool character and is so interesting once you fully learn about him. Please please please play this soon! :)
I am shocked. Shocked! Your Squaresoft/Square-Enix era is giving me so much life. Maybe 2025 won't be so bad after all.
This is your calling card kast.. time to play more classic RPGS 😁There sooo good. Stories that encompassed global scale conflicts, incredible pacing, diverse cast of characters and amazing music that just gives you a warm feeling all over. The Golden age. Brings me back🙂
YES.
Please play Xenogears, or Xenoblade, but this is all PEAK
Can't forget Xenosaga too!
The best female Mc ever @@XenoSamurai
@@XenoSamurai Of course!
All of them
@@Mai-dh5qr yup
I was so excited to get this demo as a kid. I watched the FF8 video over and over again because I was so excited for it and couldn’t wait to see what the next FF adventure would be. The footage in the trailer is beta footage so quite a few things changed in the final game in regards to battle and cutscene footage as well as the music. I’m excited to see you tackle FF9 but man I can’t wait for you to experience 8 too. Bushido Blade 2 is an incredibly fun weapon based fighting game. One lethal strike can take out your opponent and vice versa. It’s really fun.
I played a bit of Brave Fencer Musashi. It's got real time battles. The dialogue is absolutely wild.
Xenogears in incredible! I would love to see you play all 3 Xeno series' some day! (Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Xenoblade)
I cannot wait for you to get to FF8!
Whatever
At least we know she's good about reading tutorials. Understanding the Junction System is the difference between making 8 one of the hardest FF games to play instead of one of the easiest. That, and playing a lot of Triple Triad, which I'm sure she'll love.
@@jacastianvale7023 tbh the most important thing for her to know is that monsters scale with your level so if you're not good with the junction system, just not level up atleast.
Brave Fencer Musashi was a very fun, charming, silly, creative 3D action-RPG. The trailer didn't do it justice at all. The characters skew cutesy / young but the gameplay was solid and the soundtrack was TOP TIER.
1:52:05
There is a reason you instinctively called him Fay in the beginning. It's definitely Fay but at least you spent more time calling him Fiy than Fee, which was my least favorite choice lol.
Great video going through this disk, and glad you enjoyed the experience! 🥰
Xenogears is a fantastic game. Great music and world and a fun combat system. I wish I still had my copy of this game, and it's gone up so much in value. This game is rare to find, and rpg collectors seek it out. The music and that opening cutscene brought back so many memories.
Brave Fencer Musashi is an action platformer rpg. Very fun game, and I still have mine. Musashi is the name of a real Samurai who is famous for being a legendary swordsman that used 2 swords.
You are correct about Bushido Blade series being a fighting game. It plays very differently than most fighting games.
Final Fantasy VIII is another great game in the series. Its combat system is different from other Final Fantasy games. I have my copy of that as well and love the story.
Xenogears?!!! Oh my god?!!!!!
I still have that Demo CD with PE...
Amazing!
First time playing the game, there was something about the battle music that had a je ne sais quoi over it. Like the game has looming mystery over it. The intro left me speechless, then the calmness of the village and safety, and then just the battle music that was so intense. It's like, you know there is something more than meets the eye with Xenogears...
Xenogears OST's "random battles" music track Japanese name Shi No Butou translates to "Death's Dance" in English 💀
Hey Kasta, I speak for myself but probably also for a lot of other people, when I say how much you are appreciated. You are giving another life to titles that shaped many childhoods, and the joy that radiates from you when doing so is really heart-warming. Xenogears is a fantastic game. It was not in 1998 as I was just entering double digits age wise myself but I remember playing with my cousin, taking turns. One night, he got to stay up and play the next me. No spoilers, but the second disc is special for many reasons. Bring popcorn, haha. Cannot wait for your playthrough!❤
Oh man am I excited for whats coming next on your channel! Xenogears and Xenosaga are some japanese ass rpgs for sure, and FF8 is my personal favorite of the series so I am so excited for that!
Straight from the Wikipedia paige:
The first title, Xenogears, was originally proposed as a storyline for Final Fantasy VII, as well as a sequel to the 1995 RPG Chrono Trigger, but was allowed to be developed as its own project. After Square shifted its focus onto the Final Fantasy series, Takahashi and several other Xenogears staff founded Monolith Soft and began work on the Xenosaga games. Both Xenogears and Xenosaga were intended to be six-part series, but differing circumstances caused plans to be cut down. After the premature end of the Xenosaga series, Monolith Soft began developing Xenoblade Chronicles, initially intended to be an original title. The games of the Xeno franchise have generally sold well and received positive press worldwide.
You are Playng XENOGEARS!? Waf! Omg! Big respect for you my Lady! Well done! So is not impossible to see you on Xenoblade one day 🤣👑
Wow I'm pleasantly surprised to see xenogears here! Really hope you get back to it, the combat really IS super fun no surprise you're enjoying it! I never played the demo so this was cool to watch. Having party members join early so you can "trial" them is a nice touch. You'll def like this one a lot
Favorite game. It’s amazing. I would highly recommend a playthrough
The Xeno series is a life-changing genre of JRPG on another level. Once you start, you crave for more story, lore, and variety of characters as you continue :)
Brave Fencer Musashi is very cute and pretty fun. Totally your vibe, as long as you don't cringe at punny names (Musashi aside, who is the protagonist). And with the FF8 video, stuff definitely changed (also it only shows nothing spoilery, so you are good). Never seen or played Xenogears, so this has been a treat.
With a name like FFShinra you should definitely play Xenogears! It has that wonderful late 90s dark/melancholy tone like FF7, and shared a lot of the same staff. I think you'd love it.
I had that demo... man this bring me back! Thanks for this, I enjoyed it !
Xenogears is a must play if you love RPGs like FF/chrono trigger, sci-fi like star wars or anime like Gundam/Neon Genesis Evangelion! it's longer than ffx but nowhere near as long as ff7 reBirth! The demo unlocked all abilities already & maxed hp/mp. I'll watch your LP! :D
Love how hooked you are just on the intro and it was hilarious to see Bart and Elly show up for the demo. This game is really something else, it’s stayed with me since I played it back when it was new. If and when you play it I’ld be here for every minute.
Resonant Arc did an epic 20 episode series covering it, like a play along book club for the game. May be worth watching along as you go or visiting afterwards.
Hot damn! This is a nice surprise! Can't say I'd have the time to watch an eventual Xenogears playthrough. But eventually, I sincerely hope you'll continue to the Xenosaga trilogy! Those are some of my favorite sci-fi games of all time! Those I will make all the time for!
Also, I highly recommend Brave Fencer Musashi!
wow, what a blast from the past. XENOGEARS story is WILD, even for a JRPG, hope you play it soon
The actual opening movie for FF8 is kind of a religious experience and for me the most iconic opening cinematic ever made to this day. Kasta you are not ready and I can’t wait for your reaction to that intro ❤❤❤
Xenogears lore is rich and expansive. It's a good series to delve into.
Many of the towns and characters have their names stem from religious iconography and foreign words.
You can play it blind but if you want the best experience and to see all the secrets, finding a strategy guide online would be useful.
Whenever you get to FF8 as a longtime fan my recommendation is to play the remastered version rather than original psx just because it has a speed up feature. Helpful because the battle animations can feel very sluggish and certain battle mechanics can get tedious if you don't have speed up option. Love your channel, thanks for playing FF games! :)
Xenogears is beyond special. Right up with there with any JRPG. Just special.
Ommmggggg plz do Xenogears 🤩🤩🤩 It’s such an experience that is deeply important to me and I really love seeing people playing it for the first time.
What I love about this game's combat system is by continuously using the combinations, you eventually learn the special attack that the combo is supposed to activate (provided you meet the story-gated prerequisites). And you can actually track the progress in your menu.
Final fantasy 8?? Yasssssss
I love your classic gaming, it's so nostalgic! You are also the only one I've seen that plays these games. You are awesome Maggie ❤🤙
I remember watching trailers in the mid-late 90's thinking they were the coolest ever! They look a little less cool today 😆
I was born in 98, so I was fresh to existence when this game came out lol
A Xenogears walktrough would be EPIC 😭🫶
Xenogears is a masterpiece.
Xenogears is easily in the top 10 RPGs of all time, also with an incredible soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda.
As a kid I was drawn into the beautiful visual art of the PS1 era of the Final Fantasy series and to the storytelling of their other games. Coming from loving mythology as a young boy I soon discovered that Squaresoft had used random elements of myths from all times into their games which gave it a nice touch to how their stories evolved. Xenogears was different though because it explicitly uses terms coming from mystical sources such as Kabbalah and also takes elements from psychology and weaves it all into a fantastic game. If you think about it, Evangelion seems to be part of their inspiration which has the giant robots, finding yourself, psychology and spirituality as themes. Whoever made this game knows what they're talking about and put this information as a story and images in the minds of millions of players, some of which will have a memory of playing a great game and others who have discovered how deep this game is and how it symbolically relates to them. This is a story that will probably be told for generations to come. If you decide to play the whole game I really hope you enjoy it, even if you aren´t drawn into it's deeper aspects because as a game it's a gem. I really like your enthusiasm playing old games. :)
I know you've said that final fantasy 9 is your next FF playthrough which I'm excited for, but I truly cannot wait for you to play 8. It's my all-time fave and is criminally underrated.
Holy cow!! I'm still trying to watch through FFX/X-2 and Anna play through MGS1-3 But Parasite Eve, and now Xenogears, with FFIX on the horizon?!. These have been so fun watching someone give games from my childhood a first playthrough and still finding the magic in them. Love seeing your predictions of things to come. The brief synopsis of events as they occur is super helpful when I'm second screen watching these whilst I'm gaming. The amount of content you put out is super freaking impressive. Keep up all the great work and wish you great success for the future. 🤓
I played it as it came out for the ps1. that was my second game from squaresoft (the first being ff7). it's one of the best jrpg in existence and everytime someone put up a video of it, my heart fills with joy and ache at the same time...
SQUARE. MAKE THE DAMN REMAKE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND BY THE LOVE OF GOD, MAKE THE SECOND DISK PLAYABLE FROM THE BEGINNING!!!!!!!!!!!
Maggie,
Your SNES gaming collection is really badass! Thanks for sharing the games you are playing! It really takes me back when I was a kid. Have a great weekend!
FF8 too!? Omg you truly would be spoiling us. It's not the most universally loved installment but it's my favourite of the FF stories.
Only one key change in the game from that demo, but it would kinda be a spoiler to say more.
Oh, and that music that you thought was really great? That's a 1/10 compared to FF8's actual soundtrack 😁
I want to back up this comment. FF8 is my favorite game of all time, and I feel like your flavor of sentiment would appreciate it.
Xenogears is an experience
Demo Discs are such cool and weird time capsules, and I often find myself wondering why more streamers who are a bit more into games as relics/pieces of history don't dip into them. To be crass: they're free content! I'm old and have a nostalgic fondness for them, though... maybe most who don't have a personal history with them just see them as boring? Who knows.
Thanks again for taking the anthropologist-ish route to these older games. Your curiosity is infectious!
Xenogears is one of those games I'd normally find difficult to recommend these days, for a ton of reasons I'm sure a lot of people will clue you in on (being basically unfinished, off-tempo pacing, the gameplay not holding up the way other titles of the era do, etc), but it might not matter for someone who interacts with and thinks about games the way you do?
That being said: Final Fantasy VIII makes me feral. I commented on one of your Parasite Eve videos that I think you'll appreciating it more than most (though I see waaaay more praise for it these days!) and hope you end up finding the time for it. I think you'll get a lot out of it, even though I predict that, of the era, IX will end up being the one most special to you. So interested to see where you land on these and which you bounce off of.
thanks again!
e.: just saw that the plan is to go through the FFs in reverse order? I missed that somehow, but I'm glad to hear it!
What a time it was. Year after year - Getting demo disks trailers, and just experiencing the best RPGs.
Although that wasn't FF8s official trailer - the official one is SO insanely good - especially with the legend Nobuo Uematsu's 'liberi fatali' music masterpiece playing, just proving that he was (and always will be) the GOAT. FF8 was the one I connected to the most growing up - so IM excited if there is ever a time to play it.
You were 1 in 1998 while I was in middle school. Wow, do I feel really old!! lol It's impressive what they were able to do with the visuals for this time. I had a Nintendo 64 as a kid, not a PS1. So I missed a lot of these games. Cool to see you play them.
we were all different ages when i played it. i was in my second year of college when it came out, and i was majoring in biochemistry at the time, and xenogears is what convinced me to go into game development instead (i then became an indie game developer)
Keep up the good work, Kasta!
I remember downloading that FF8 video in college and watching it on repeat. The hype for that game was huge because while 7 was the first 3D Final Fantasy, 8 was the first to have much more detail in not only the pre-renders, but also textures mapped to the real time polys to give the models more detail as well. I think you're gonna like 9. 7 and 8 are more modern settings, but 9 goes back to the classic fantasy feel and settings of older FF games.
Xenogears is great, one of my all time favourites. I hope you play it!
Xenogears is still remembered as one of the most complex and profound stories in Japan. It draws on clinical psychology, biology, science, philosophy, Judaism, Christianity, social issues, and more. Those well-versed in human history and religious history will understand how this game links to real-world issues. I sincerely hope that someday you'll play Xenogears and enjoy its incredible, epic, and intricately layered story.
Wow what a treat! Brave Fencer Musashi is so good. The writing and voice acting is hilarious. FF8 is some peoples favorite game (including Ben Starr's), and its a love story at its core. I personally dont hold Xenogears in as high regard as others as it lost interest in the back half of the game, but a lot of people really love it. I'm really interested in seeing you play all these if you do! :)
Hope you get to check out Xenogears some time soon! Still gives me chills the first time I played it. The first time I remember looking up supplemental info on the themes and philosophies outside of the game. That was a magical time!!
Great video!!
Haha, not anytime soon but, yes, I'd really like to get to it later in the future!
@@Kastaclysmmove it up your list! You won’t regret it. Widely considered best narrative for any video game, ever. Epic defines this game. It also has amazing cinematography, like a PS1 movie.
I was 10 in 1998 and played all of these four games in about 1998-1999.
Brave Fencer Musashiden was a big part of my childhood, I enjoyed the hell out of it, and also it really helped me learn English, as did other Square games of the day (I'm not a native speaker)
Final Fantasy VIII holds a very special place in my heart, it's the FF game that I go back to way often than the other FF games... Yeah, I also love 6, 7, 9, Tactics... 3... and many other parts, it's just that this one is dearest to me personally.
And Xenogears is just a masterpiece... The best game on the console, in my opinion... I can't wait to see you try it!
Bushido Blade didn't leave such a lasting impression on me, but I still had fun playing it.
having played the game and not the demo, its really interesting seeing the differences
Xenogears, the philosophical RPG. I REALLY need to play this game someday.
If you don't want to go through the many hours of play, at least find a video explaining the story. The story and lore is what's sticking with us after all those years. (You need to dig in a bit more, just a tad, to understand the lore. Even the game's own intro cinematic makes a lot more sense once you read about it, upon completion)
I must say I’d never heard of this game, but it does remind me of Gundam Wing or whatever the anime it was I’d seen bits and pieces of as a kid. Seems like a charming little game back in the day and the fact that you said you were 1 yr old when this game came out makes me feel real old now😂. Glad you enjoyed it, love your play throughs.
I got one of these demo CDs from a PlayStation magazine back in the mid 90's when I was really young. It had so many cool games I played such as Crash Bandicoot, Twisted Metal 2, Tekken 2, and so many more that I can't remember lol. You are definitely a true gamer cause that's how we felt when we emerged into these classic games
Hahaha i love it when Maggie says "How the Turn Tables" instead of how the tables turn. It always makes me smile. I remember Official UK Playstation Magazine had a playable demo of the dollet mission and i was obssessed with it. Such a great game. Maggie once again hitting out with some spectacular guesswork that may or may not be in anyway accurate.
Damn I haven’t played this game since 6th grade. Talk about a blast from the past.
Whoa, you playing Xenogears would be fantastic indeed.
Final Fantasy 8!! I wish it was coming sooner to your channel but I am sure you will get round to it. You must. I can certainly tell this teaser is under development and even the music is not the same. Kasta I have to tell you I have played almost every Final Fantasy and two things about 8: first is the opening movie (not shown here) is the best opening to any Final fantasy. Hands down. It's considered by many to have one if the best openings to a video game period. Even by today's standards which is wild. And secondly: IMHO it has the best overall soundtrack. 8's music is insane. I say that as someone whose played almost every Final fantasy and every one has amazing music. Every game has its standout tracks filled with emotion and 8 certainly will not disappoint on that score. You will fall in love with it.
Also...Xenogears!! Niiiiiiice!! What a gem.
I’ve actually never heard the music used here! Uematsu must have composed it specifically for this preview.
@LinkinMark1994 Me neither. And I can see the fmvs used are unfinished. You can see it on the character's face and even the placeholder npc firing the machine gun. I wonder how far away from the finished product it was at the time. Still I am grateful to Kasta for giving me the chance to see that footage as I have never seen it.
I literally own 3 different releases of the Xenogears OST and the art book 😊 It's not my favorite JRPG but dang it had an effect on me. It has so much heart and is ludicrously ambitious.
Just woke up and so happy to see you're doing Xenogears. Hello workout entertainment for today 💪