Xenogears question

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I'm finally getting around to trying to complete Xenogears, and I'm having a fun time. It does have all the irritations its detractors rant about, but I still am enjoying it.

However, I have heard that the game was rushed to completion and the 2nd disc is very story-heavy and gameplay-light. I've heard enough horror stories to imagine how the 2nd disc will be like. What I want is to be warned ahead of time of any bosses I might encounter after a 1 hour plus story/text scene that doesn't let me save before the battle.

Being as non-spoiler as possible, can anyone give me any tips on how to avoid dying and having to sit through a 1-2 hour story scene all over again?

I'm about midway through disc 1 right now.

[GrantM]

One thing I want to know is, why is this game and it's sequel not been released in the UK

Does Namco think UK gamers will only but Japanese made adventures games that has "Final Fantasy" in the title these days?

[Artimus Gigan]

I'm finally getting around to trying to complete Xenogears, and I'm having a fun time. It does have all the irritations its detractors rant about, but I still am enjoying it.

However, I have heard that the game was rushed to completion and the 2nd disc is very story-heavy and gameplay-light. I've heard enough horror stories to imagine how the 2nd disc will be like. What I want is to be warned ahead of time of any bosses I might encounter after a 1 hour plus story/text scene that doesn't let me save before the battle.

Being as non-spoiler as possible, can anyone give me any tips on how to avoid dying and having to sit through a 1-2 hour story scene all over again?

I'm about midway through disc 1 right now.In total the entire game has about a half hour of animated cinematic scenes..

It's not like Xenosaga which goes on and on in some instances

[Scirel]

But at least with Xenosaga, movie sequences are perfectly skippable, and do NOT require to you keep pressing the X button for over 1/2 an hour...

[BrendaBat]

I have a great tip for making disc 2 of Xenogears fun...
-Step One: Take out disc 2

-Step Two: Go outside and use it as a frisbee.
.....Seriously, you'll have more fun that way.

The story in Xenogears isn't very good. And its certainly not worth breaking your thumb trying to speed through the LONG dialogue bits inbetween the boss battles. I suggest that you don't even bother continuing the game after you finish disc one. After that point, the game doesn't even allow you a chance to level up. So, if by disc 2, you're not powerful enough to beat the bosses, you're screwed.

The first disc is saved by some fun gameplay and an interesting battle system. The second disc is worthless unless you use it as a frisbee or a coaster.

[Noukon]

For the majority of disc 2, you will watch as one of the main characters sits in a chair (floating in space) and tells you the game's story.

Seriously.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I still want to beat it. So please, anyone who DID beat the game, prepare me. I can sit through a couple of hours of this crap to get over it. Allegedly you are able to actually "play" again after about 5 hours of that rocking chair crap.

[Noukon]

You are able to play on the second disc; the rocking-chair scenes are interspersed (and come across as replacements for dungeons and segments that they couldn't afford to produce). If I remember correctly, the second disc is about 12-14 hours long, a little over half of which is made up of the rocking-chair scenes. It's worth doing to finish the story.