Xenogears: Deserves The Remake That Could Finally Finish the Game

Xenogears has long been considered one of the most ambitious, complex, and tragically unfinished RPGs of its time. This cult classic, released in 1998 for the original PlayStation, is known for its deep philosophical stories, detailed world-building, and mech-based combat.

It's also known for its infamous second disc, which is more of a narrated slideshow than a fully realized game. Fans have been wondering what might have been for more than 20 years, and with the rise of high-end remakes, the call to go back and finish Xenogears has never been stronger.

Before this surge of remake enthusiasm, Square Enix had already begun diving deep into its back catalog. Games like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Live A Live, and SaGa Frontier Remastered showed that the company is willing to reimagine or restore old games with modern sensibilities. 

These updates didn't just change how the game looked; they also added new storylines, content, and improvements to the gameplay. In this light, the lack of a remake of Xenogears stands out even more. Among all the old JRPGs waiting for a second chance, Xenogears is the only one that is truly unfinished and deserves to be finished.

There is a famous story about why Xenogears isn't finished. The project was rushed, the budget was tight, and the creative vision was much bigger than what was possible. As a result? The second half of the game (Disc 2) is mostly narration over black screens, with only a few short dungeon crawls or boss fights here and there. 

Huge story arcs are squished into a few lines, and events that change the world happen in exposition instead of gameplay. They didn't just rush the ending; they left out half the game. That's not even an exaggeration. That's precisely what took place.

Still, Xenogears has kept a loyal following despite this obvious flaw. The game made an impression on those who played it. It wasn't like anything else on the market at the time or now. It had a unique mix of Jungian psychology, Gnostic theology, sci-fi dystopia, and anime drama. With only half a game, it dared to go where few RPGs have gone before. Think about what it could be if it had the chance to reach its full potential.

If Xenogears were remade, it wouldn't just have new graphics and better combat. It would be about bringing back a dream that never really came true. There are already the building blocks of a great book: complex characters like Fei, Elly, and Citan; moments that will make you feel strong emotions; and a world full of political and existential conflict.

People already think of the first disc as almost a masterpiece. The real chance is to start over with the second disc and turn all those text dumps into playable sequences, interactive dungeons, and cinematic stories. Finishing Xenogears was pretty much always meant to be done.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a good example of what could happen. Also, that anime ended in a way that felt unfinished—it was hard to understand, vague, and cost-prohibitive. Years later, fans got the ending they sought in The End of Evangelion, a movie with more action and a whole story. 

Even though it caused a lot of debate, it showed that unfinished stories can be retold and finished in powerful ways. This could be done the same way. It would be a big deal for JRPGs if a new Xenogears game were made that paid tribute to the original while also adding new features.

The odds aren't good, of course. Even though Xenoblade Chronicles was a big hit and shares some creative DNA with Xenogears, this game doesn't have the same cultural cachet. It's a niche. It's old. It's also hard to understand from a philosophical, thematic, and technical point of view. 

But Square Enix has been able to get past that before. Even less well-known was Live A Live, but it got a full remake that made it famous again. New characters and stories were added to SaGa Frontier. It's clear that the studio is willing to bring its less well-known gems back to life. Why not Xenogears?

And, don't be mistaken, it would be very hard to redo it all again. There's no need to speed up the frame rate or change the textures on a few character models. A lot of the game would have to be redone from scratch so that Xenogears would be done justice.

This would mean cutting parts of content that were never added, battles that were only imagined, and emotional arcs that were cut short. That's a big promise. But what's the reward? A finished game that could finally be put up with the best ones without an exclamation point.

There's also the issue of preservation. Xenogears is stuck on old hardware at the moment. Not in a meaningful way has it been brought up to date on new platforms. New generations of gamers can't play it unless they're willing to use old consoles or emulate it. 

Not only would a remake make the game better, but it would also ensure its survival. Preservation is important for a game with such big ideas and a unique story. It's part of the history of video games, flaws and all.

Xenogears could also do well in the climate we have now. Right now, the RPG world is hungry for bold stories and deep character development. Persona 5, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and NieR: Automata have shown that weird, deep, and emotional stories can work in video games. 

All of them came after Xenogears, which could be said to have paved the way. These themes could be taken even further in a new version, which would use modern hardware to show huge mechs, alien worlds, and complex battle systems in a way that the original team could only dream of.

You should also think about how modern rules for making games could help Xenogears. The first game had some annoyingly bad menus, tough difficulty spikes, and long exposition. A remake might make the game easier to play without losing any of its depth. 

The experience could be smoother without being dumbed down by faster pacing, better tutorials, and a better quality of life. In fact, those changes might help the story reach more people who might not have liked the rough edges of the first text.

A full remake might be too much to ask for, but a remaster with extra content, like animated scenes for the second disc or playable side chapters to fill in the blanks, would go a long way. There are better things to do, but this would do—anything to make sure that the whole story of Fei and Elly can be told.

At the end of the day, Xenogears is one of the best "what-if" games ever made. What if the second disc was already full? What would they do if Square had the money and time to do it right? What if this epic story had been told on the level its authors hoped for? Fans who have been waiting decades could get their answers in a remake, and new players who deserve to see the whole story could, too.

Even though the dream isn't likely to come true, the need is. Xenogears was never given a fair chance to become the legend it was meant to be. When remakes bring old favorites back to life and give them new purposes, there's never been a better time to finish what was started. It's time to provide Xenogears with the ending it's always craved.

Also, check our other articles on remakes below:

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• Devil May Cry: Why the Original Deserves A Full Remake In the Modern Era
• Deus Ex 5: The Cyberpunk Classic Needing A Modern Revival
• Alpha Protocol: The Cult Classic Spy RPG Poised For A Modern Revival
• Bloodborne 2: The Next Gothic Masterpiece Waiting To Be Reborn