Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht

I really love the look of this game. I love the extended cutscenes, I love the plot. But the battle system is incredibly demanding. If you don't figure it out you can expect to have hour+ long fights. Consult a game guide or it will drive you crazy- If the incredibly limited soundtrack doesn't drive you crazy first. All this aside, I appreciated everything extra that went into this game like the casino, the emails and the dictionary. Really felt like a labor of love, flaws and all.

Takes the cinematic aspect of this generation's JRPGs to extremes, but does so engagingly (provided you're in the mood for a television episode or two after every major boss). Interesting character work makes up for a plot that spends 45 hours setting up threats and metaphysical concerns for later. As far as gameplay, you're given a vast set of ways to handle the combat, but enemies are so limited in approach you'll just find a strategy or two that works and spam it a few hundred times over.

quite possibly even more ambitious than xenogears, shifting from freud to nietzsche, yet with just as many (albeit completely different) problems as the original, and less immediately captivating. still, the english release gave us one thing that is beyond all compare: albedo's laugh. holy mother of fuck that is one incredible evil laugh. just watch this already: https://youtu.be/Xg_dqkPiBww?t=1m30s

The gameplay reminds me a lot of Xenogears, but expands upon it in interesting ways. That said, this game ultimately feels like an introduction to the series than a fully complete story, but despite that, it stands fairly well on its own. Although the plot can be rather cheesy at times, the themes the game explores are interesting and it has an endearing cast. The visuals look good but odd at the same time. I dunno, I think it's something to do with those friggin eyes...