The exact definition of a flawed masterpiece. Nearly everything in this game is amazing: it has an engaging and philosophical narrative, usually great writing, and excellent music. Though, the combat has aged a bit. It is genuinely difficult for me to wrap my head around how Squaresoft and Takahashi managed to get a game like Xenogears on the PS1 at all. Age ratings and hardware limitations be damned because what was created here is an insane accomplishment, especially for a game released in 1998. One of the best games of all-time.