SOOOO fucking pissed off

[Vollstrecker]

Ok, this is the 3rd time I've had this problem, and I am truly enraged now.

My problem is with my favorite game of all time, Xenogears. I play it on my PS2... This is what happened:

I was playing the game as normal, go to save and overwrite my old file. It fails to save, deleting my file in the process...

NOW, it absolutely REFUSES to save, at ALL. Now I'm halfway thru the game, with no save file. It then decides to lock up 5 mins later, utterly destroying any hopes of doing something about it.

I had this problem a few times back in VA, playing it on MY PS2 (playing on my little sister's right now). I was using a different copy of the game, but the same memory card. Figuring it was the memory card, I went out and picked up a new one tonight.

NO DICE. It still refuses to save. I can't figure out WTF the problem is, since every possible fail-point has been tested (Multiple PS2's, multiple copies of the game, and multiple memory cards).

Is there a bug that I don't know about, with the PS2 being faggish about saving to a PS1 memory card or something?

Testing this on other PS1 games as I type this...

[!King_Amazon!]

Try putting the memory card in the other slot.

[Vollstrecker]

No good. Already tried that too.

Also, other games seem to save just fine...

[!King_Amazon!]

check for scratches on the CD.

[Vollstrecker]

Brand fucking new, and has happened on 2 different copies of the game.

[Sovereign]

Wow, that sucks. Maybe go out and get a ps1? :p

[!King_Amazon!]

No joke, I'd send you mine if I had it with me, I never play it.

[Vollstrecker]

Wow, that sucks. Maybe go out and get a ps1? :p

I shouldn't have to. The only reason I chose a PS2 over XBOX is that it was backwards-compatible.

Bullshit.

[!King_Amazon!]

I agree. Call sony.

[Raziel]

Well shit. Thanks for terrifying the hell out of me, Volls. Now I've gotta go double-up my Xenogears save files once I get off work and pray to God that it doesn't happen to me, wasting nearly 70 hours of my free time in the process.

I have had the game lock up on me before, though. Every time it's happened I was in the middle of a nearly five-hour leveling-up process. Does the game exhibit those glitches when played on a PS1? I've only played it on my PS2, and so I wouldn't know if the lock-ups exist when played on the other console.

This is just one more reason why everyone should own a Gamecube. Much sturdier console. Plus, Pikmin 2 is coming out soon and I can't wait.

[Vollstrecker]

Show me Xenogears on a Gamecube, and I'll consider it. ;)

It's a 3rd party game, so Sony would likely just tell me to call Square-Enix, even though I think it's a PS2 issue...

[Vollstrecker]

Spent a while (1 hr+) browsing almost EVERY incompatible games list for PS2 on the internet, and not 1 mention of Xenogears. -_-

[Titusfied]

Heh, that sucks dude. This sort of thing happened to me while playing FFVII. I was about 25 hours into the game, and the save file became corrupt and would load for me anymore. After that happened, I had to start over, but this time, I made 5 separate save files for the same game, just to ensure the save points would load, and if not, I wouldn't lose too much progress.

This is suggested for any game you play, and I do it for everything now.

[gendark01]

Damn that sucks ass man... I haven't had this problem on PS2 but on my PS1 it happens all the time~ First time hearing of this Xenogears game though.. Is it a new release?

[Titusfied]

I'm pretty sure it is an old-school game that came out in 1999? With all this talk of the game lately though, I've actually just decided to buy it and play it. It better be good. ;)

[tokill.ace]

wow thats really weird i had no problem with xenogears

[Titusfied]

I'm sure this isn't a common glitch, but rather a shitty defect in some systems/memory cards. It sucks, no doubt, but it is a rare situation.

[Vollstrecker]

I'm sure this isn't a common glitch, but rather a shitty defect in some systems/memory cards. It sucks, no doubt, but it is a rare situation.

Yeah, no one else has heard of it...

Titus, the game is bad-ass. You just gotta be patient, as it takes a while for the storyline to begin to make sense, unless you have someone nearby to explain things, lol...

It's a 1998 game.

[Grav]

Kind of like playing Chrono Cross after having the entire Chrono Trigger plot memorized..

About 80% through the game you learn this fun fact: Nothing you did in Chrono Trigger mattered at all! In fact, that entire timeline was erased! Champ job, fuckers.

[Titusfied]

Well, I'm officially the high bidder on the game at $8.50 right now. I guess I'll have to add another game to the list! :)

[Raziel]

Chrono Cross was genius. The events of Chrono Trigger weren't meaningless. It was the fault of that game itself that caused that timestream to be invalidated. If it hadn't been for Crono and his party saving the future, Chronopolis wouldn't have been created, thus Dinopolis wouldn't have been created thus none of the events of Chrono Cross would have ever occurred. I think it's a hell of a lot more interesting than anything else they could have done with the story. And who knows, if and when Chrono Break ever comes out, the plots may be merged and finally resolved.

Titus, Xenogears is amazing, but it's a giant game. I'm at nearly 70 hours and I'm still a little ways from the end of the first disc. The second disc is apparently only a minor fraction of the game, but I could imagine myself being at 80 hours by the time I finish it.

[Titusfied]

Quick question though. Is it 70 hours of straight gameplay, or are you taking a lot of time away from the plot so you can level your characters?

For instance, in FFVII, without leveling and just straight gameplay, I went through the game in about 45 hours or so, but after doing so, I went back to an earlier save point, leveled to 99, Mastered some Materia, killed the Ultimate Weapons, then went and beat the game again. This time, I was around 80 hours of gameplay.

Similar, or not even close?

[Vollstrecker]

Actually, you have VERY little need to go running around levelling in this game.

The first time I beat it, I practically ran straight thru it, never went levelling once.

When you hit disc2, be prepared to read a significant portion of storyline, Raz, but most of it starts finally coming together.

[Shining Knights]

It matters not whether you win or lose; what matters is whether I win or lose.

[Hades-Knight]

why r us aving to ps1 memory card? get a ps2 memory card...

[Grav]

PS1 games don't seem to save to PS2 cards.

Por ejemplo, I couldn't save Chrono Cross on a PS2 card.

[Vollstrecker]

why r us aving to ps1 memory card? get a ps2 memory card...

I would if the game recognized it. ;)

[Raziel]

Quick question though. Is it 70 hours of straight gameplay, or are you taking a lot of time away from the plot so you can level your characters?

It's taken me 70 hours, and I've spent maybe a combined total of 15 hours leveling up. Although, I am a pretty big Jew when it comes to finding every last fucking thing in the dungeons, so my finished total would probably be a lot longer than most other people's anyway.

When you hit disc2, be prepared to read a significant portion of storyline, Raz, but most of it starts finally coming together.

That's actually what I'm looking forward to the most. I'm saved in the Soylent System in Solaris right now, and I just got done seeing that whole "Lacan" sequence like an hour prior. Does the game wrap the whole story up by the end, or does it follow in true anime tradition by leaving a bunch of shit unresolved?

[Vollstrecker]

That's actually what I'm looking forward to the most. I'm saved in the Soylent System in Solaris right now, and I just got done seeing that whole "Lacan" sequence like an hour prior. Does the game wrap the whole story up by the end, or does it follow in true anime tradition by leaving a bunch of shit unresolved?

Ah. You're getting to the exciting parts then... There's a badass movie sequence coming up, showing you the power possessed by Id...

That's gonna be part of my sig, I can guarantee that.

[Grav]

Chrono Cross brought it together after you talked to Lucca/Marle/Crono (how does he talk?) on the Opassa beach.. it's a good story, and inventive.. but we also used the Records of Fate.. wouldn't that mean we were also being controlled? >_>

[Raziel]

Ah. You're getting to the exciting parts then... There's a badass movie sequence coming up, showing you the power possessed by Id...

That's one of the things that genuinely upset me about the game. The first two hours are loaded with cinematics. But, after you meet Elly in the forest, you don't see a single cutscene until that one oddly placed sequence of the Weltall launching out of the Yggdrasil. After that...nothing.


Chrono Cross brought it together after you talked to Lucca/Marle/Crono (how does he talk?) on the Opassa beach.. it's a good story, and inventive.. but we also used the Records of Fate.. wouldn't that mean we were also being controlled? >_>

I'm fairly sure that this point was addressed in the plot guide I read a while back, but it's been so long that I can't remember the explanation for it. I think it had something to do with the fact that because Serge was the Arbiter and because he was the focal point for the division of the dimensions, the Records of Fate were incapable of directly influencing his behavior. It was either that or FATE was intending all along for Serge to play out that prescribed path until they both met in Chronopolis. At which point, FATE severely underestimated Serge's abilities and was destroyed, freeing the El Nido Archipelago from her influence.

And Chrono wasn't a mute in Chrono Trigger, he just didn't verbalize his thoughts into text becuase you were supposed to feel like you were him. They did the same thing with Serge in Cross. And you'll notice, Serge was capable of speech because Lynx was capable of speaking through him.

In my opinion, the whole "mute protagonist" thing is the fucking stupidest character choice you can make in an RPG. It makes absolutely no sense. Technically, you control the entire party, therefore shouldn't it presented as though you are the entirte party and not just one character? On top of that, many games backtrack and flip-flop with that shit. The Golden Sun games being a good example. Felix ( the main character from Golden Sun 2) was a side-character in GS1, and he had lines in that game. However, as soon as you take control of him in the second game, he's a fucking mute! That makes no sense!

[Grav]

Know why Chrono Cross was cool? Because it brought the Vader thing to whole new levels.

Let's see. The main antagonist is the main protagonist's dad. A robot, panther dad who takes over his son's body.

..................Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah.

Oh, and because Grobyc's StrongArm tech totally ripped off Vash the Stampede's Angel Arm.

[Raziel]

Know why Chrono Cross was cool? Because it brought the Vader thing to whole new levels.

Let's see. The main antagonist is the main protagonist's dad. A robot, panther dad who takes over his son's body.

..................Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah.

Well, Lynx wasn't actually a robot. FATE was a robot. Lynx was just FATE's living avatar. By the same token, Lynx and Serge's father were only linked because Lynx was made from the father's body. In terms of their personalities, it wasn't really the same as Vader. Vader was an evil piece of shit, but he still had some of Anakin in him. There was nothing of Sege's dad left in Lynx. He was (for all intents and purposes) dead and had his previously owned body bought out by Lynx.


Oh, and because Grobyc's StrongArm tech totally ripped off Vash the Stampede's Angel Arm.

Yeah but is that really a bad thing? That was one of my favorite techs. It was certainly a hell of a lot better than watching Poshul throw her poop at the enemies.

[Vollstrecker]

That's one of the things that genuinely upset me about the game. The first two hours are loaded with cinematics. But, after you meet Elly in the forest, you don't see a single cutscene until that one oddly placed sequence of the Weltall launching out of the Yggdrasil. After that...nothing.

Yeah, I noticed that. I do hope you noted the significance of Weltall launching, since I think that was during the time where Fei was in his little coma?

Fuck, it's been so long since I played the game, I don't wanna talk more, because I forgot what all you've seen and haven't seen...

[Raziel]

Yeah, I noticed that. I do hope you noted the significance of Weltall launching, since I think that was during the time where Fei was in his little coma?

Actually the cutscene I'm referring to is when the Weltall launches from the Ygg as Fei is leaving for the Kislev border attack. It just came out of nowhere. No real significance attached to it, just a random CG sequence of Fei's gear launching.

Fuck, it's been so long since I played the game, I don't wanna talk more, because I forgot what all you've seen and haven't seen...

Well, I actually just beat the game this morning, so you don't have to worry about spoilers anymore. Took me 92 hours.

[Vollstrecker]

Well, your verdict? ;)

[Raziel]

Fucking awesome game. My only complaints were:

1) The english dub in the anime cutscenes wasn't even passable. The acting itself was mediocre, but the lip-synching was some of the worst I've ever seen. However, the intro wasn't a victim of this flaw. The intro was fucking amazing. It's just a shame that the rest of the cutscenes weren't up to that level.

2) I'm not sure if I actually liked the way Xenogears looked. In the final cutscene, the gear looked fucking badass, but in-game it was just this tangled wad of spikes. It was a disappointment after getting Weltall-2, which was by far the coolest gear in the game.

3) All of the plot on the 2nd disc was amazing. The gameplay was just too condensed for me, though. I would have greatly preferred it if I'd actually gotten to explore the Mass-Driver facility or the inside of Merkava instead of the Anima Relic ruins. It just felt really ridiculous to glaze over these important locations and force you to trudge through a few relic-based dungeons instead.

Aside from those things, it was incredible. Amazing story and some of best character development and character interation I've ever seen. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Vollstrecker]

The guy who wrote Perfect Works wasn't too happy with the way the game turned out, apparently. Since Xenogears is Episode 5 of Perfect Works, while Xenosaga is Episode 1, I'm wondering if a remake is going to happen, or if they're going to skip over it...

A remake would fucking OWN beyond belief. I'd also LOVE to read Perfect Works, but I don't speak Japanese.

Also, for some odd reason, I can now save again. -_-

[Raziel]

I have to give the game a ton of credit for now containing what is probably my favorite side-quest ever. The entire sequence under the Lighthouse was awesome beyond words. When I got off that elevator, I was absolutely not expecting the place to look like that. I was anticipating another large laboratory-like structure like where you originally found Emeralda. All of the backstory on Kim, the entire structure of the place and the reward for completing the side-quest have made it my absolute favorite extra quest in any RPG I've ever played. I was extremely pleased with it.

Honestly, I wish more developers would take those kinds of things into account. Something as relatively simple as a "costume change" can be a huge thing to a gamer. Granted, Emeralda didn't recieve much beyond a cosmetic alteration, but it completely altered my opinion of the character. As a child, I thought she was alright. Much better than Maria or Chu-Chu, but still a fairly neglected character for me. After transforming her, though, I kept her in my party the entire rest of the way through the game. Something that seems as miniscule as that can actually have an extreme impact on the way a player percieves the game.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to have to play Xenosaga at some point. And I agree, a remake of Xenogears would most likely be unfathomably awesome. Hopefully they'll do something with the game once the 5th episode rolls around. If not a full-remake, then maybe something like re-releasing it as a special edition.

[Vollstrecker]

They can't 're-release' it, they couldn't even proclaim Xenosaga as a 'Prequel' to Xenogears, since Xenogears is a Square-Enix game, and the Xenosaga series is being produced my Namco...That's the reason it's all unclear.

Yes, the place under the Lighthouse was one of the best side-quests I've ever done myself. The main reason I go there, is for Big Joe's store... He has godlier stuff than that robot at the end of Deus.

[Raziel]

Regardless of who published it, it was the same development team (Monolith Software) that built both. That's why the Xenosaga games exist, because the developers snagged the rights to it and took it to Namco. The original version of the game could be re-released considering that.

Joe's got the GNRS accessories and the Chargers, but his engines suck. 100 output but 1000 fuel? That's horrible! I just stuck with the X70's (8000 fuel, bitch!) for all of my gears and added GNRS50's to whichever three I had in combat at the time. I wasn't too pleased with his armor, either. The Z-Gold's have a ton of normal defense, but I like the added Ether defense of the Z-Alloys. I just put 80/30's on all of my gears. Although, to give him some credit, he's got the best Stier and Seibzehn frames.

[Vollstrecker]

There was some character-specific gear he had that only he offered too, but I forget what it was.