Finished the game a few days ago. Incredible.
As a lifelong JRPG guy, I've dabbled in it all. Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, Tales, Trails, Lunar, SMT/Persona, Nier, Octopath Traveler, Bravely Default, Golden Sun, Atelier, etc. Every notable game or series. Eclectic stuff like Blue Reflection and Arc Rise Fantasia. Xenosaga and Xenoblade too.
I love Xenogears, and I'm sure that love will only grow with time. Fei is one of my favorite characters ever, now, and a top tier protagonist. How do I describe his character succinctly? I can't, but you understand what I love about him and his relationship with Elly.
Should note that the Evangelion manga (NOT the anime) is my favorite story of all time. No waffling about that because I'm sure the sub is sick of it, but I will bring up one similarity that has nothing to do with actual subject matter: that these are complex stories told simply. Past the sci-fi and philosophy, these are stories about people learning to love themselves and carve a place to belong with their loved ones. The scenes of Fei floating in the void, the 'coward,' the reconciliation with Id, all of it is so vivid. Despite the game's problems during development, what we got was already so well-presented.
Battles became repetitive and the dungeons became a slog. The classic JRPG problem where half the cast simply stops mattering after their introductory story arc rears its head, once again. Never want to do a second playthrough, truth be told. But what a fantastic game.
But I know the story of Fei and Elly will stick with me for the rest of my days. Just thinking about the return after the final boss bring a tear to my eye. Lots of stream of consciousness without too much depth, I know, as part of me is still processing the chunky plot, but the infatuation was boiling over. I don't want any rerelease; I want a full-length novel. A manga, if a good adaptation doesn't already exist. I've seen a light I didn't know I was searching for on an already sunny day. What an unforgettable experience. I'm a convert.