Square Enix Is Sitting on One of the Greatest RPGs Ever Made

The JRPG genre would undoubtedly be far less popular and less pronounced were it not for the remarkable efforts and talents of Square Enix. A brand-new JRPG or, indeed, RPG can’t be released nowadays without its developer citing Final Fantasy – almost certainly VII – as an inspiration. Just look at the critically acclaimed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a prime example, the game that many tout as being the savior of JRPGs, thanks to its more mainstream appeal.

Of course, amongst all of its most recognizable and popular titles lie a handful of cult favorites, lesser-known gems, and, unfortunately, overlooked masterpieces. For every Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy title, there is a series or even individual entries Square has all but forgotten about. Hidden within all the Square Enix series deserving of sequels is a game so good that it is shameful that the publisher hasn’t done more with it. After all, it is the precursor to one of gaming’s more recent JRPG darlings that players can’t get enough of.

Square Enix Needs To Bring Back Xenogears

Xenogears, developed by Square Enix (formerly SquareSoft), is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, although you’d be forgiven for not knowing what it is. It was released back in 1998 to critical acclaim and was created by Kaori Tanaka alongside Tetsuya Takahashi, the creator of the Xenoblade Chronicles series and co-founder of Monolith Soft. Originally intended to be a plot for Final Fantasy 7 (and then a sequel to another forgotten Square Enix masterpiece, Chrono Trigger), Xenogears was the first entry into the now-beloved Xeno series.

It was revolutionary for the time, not least for its engaging tactical turn-based combat that weaved traditional JRPG fare with stylish mech action, but also for its sweeping, epic, and philosophically-charged narrative. Xenogears is a remarkable achievement, one that every discerning JRPG fan should play at least once in their life, if, that is, they can get their hands on it. Xenogears is tricky to access now without an original PS1, a PS Vita, or a PS3 with a North American account. A remastered version or, indeed, a bare-bones port to current-gen consoles (or even last gen) has yet to be announced, let alone released.

Square Enix’s ironclad grip on the IP is one reason for that, as the majority of key players involved in the game’s development now work at Monolith Soft, a first-party Nintendo studio. The game also has its fair share of issues, many of which are perhaps too great to warrant investing time and money into improving. Xenogears would need a remake on the scale of the recent Final Fantasy 7 trilogy if fan expectations were to be met. However, a simple remaster or even a port akin to the original PSN version still available to those in North America would be great too.

Frankly, anything that gets Xenogears into the hands of more people would be incredible. Not only does Xenogears represent perhaps the finest distillation of what Takahashi and Tanaka want for the Xeno series, but it is also a highly influential and ground-breaking experience with a story that reaches the same highs as the likes of Clair Obscur, Final Fantasy X, and, of course, the Xenoblade series. Square Enix merely sitting on such a phenomenal experience is a huge shame and a great loss for the JRPG community.

Xenogears Deserves The Final Fantasy 7 Remake Treatment

The most egregious issue is that Xenogears, unlike older Square titles that fans want to see remakes of, is filled with missed potential. The game absolutely remains a classic within the JRPG genre, but, as alluded to, it isn’t without its fair share of problems. Not only does its age (this is a nearly 30-year-old game at this point) shine through, thanks to endless random encounters and an obvious lack of modern-day quality-of-life features, but its back half was rushed, owing to over-ambition, lack of experience, and tight deadlines.

The game’s second disc is largely just a slide show narrated by the protagonists that depicts the ending. Due to Square’s desire to have Xenogears be developed in just two years, and the fact that the majority of the team was staffed with new talent, the original idea for the game could never be made. As a result, Takahashi compromised, rather than just ending the story after disc one, and put the now jarring, yet nevertheless satisfying, ending in.

It is because of this missed potential that Xenogears, perhaps more so than FF7, really deserves the full-blown Remake trilogy treatment. Were Square Enix to bring back Takahashi and Tanaka, as well as other key members of the game’s development, to remake the game either as a single or, ideally, multiple entry experience, then we’d likely get to see the true, unadulterated vision of Xenogears. However, considering just how unlikely that is (after all, Square Enix’s biggest series are its priority), a remake akin to the Star Ocean R series would still be a win.

Alas, unlike the practically unplayable Xenosaga games, it seems as if Xenogears is destined to remain a forgotten gem. Once Sony inevitably pulls support for the PS3 digital storefront, Xenogears will remain forever tied to outrageously expensive physical media, unobtainable to the majority of JRPG fans. In an ideal world, Square Enix would realize the potential of this incredible JRPG and finally deliver it on current-gen hardware. However, until that day hopefully arrives, Xenogears shall be another game at risk of becoming lost media.

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