Profound and Intelligent
That said, they have to fit all of the discussion somewhere: Xenosaga's cut scenes are at the same time beautiful and grating - some seem at times to set records for long-windedness and make the player often feel as if they are watching a movie. Complaining aside, the movie is quality, and there is always the option of skipping the scenes, though in doing so the player misses out on much needed background information on the multiple spiraling storylines of heroine Shion, robot killing machine KOS-MOS, androids Jr., MOMO and Ziggurat-8, and the mysterious Chaos.
Namco took a risk investing in such a presumptuous game, but it appears to have greatly paid off: although it has become a bad word, Xenosaga appears on par with the storytelling and gripping gameplay of Final Fantasy VII. Side quests, shops and rare items abound in the visually stunning world, and the full-fledged Xenocard mini-game (think Magic: The Gathering in space) has a learning curve all its own.
Music is top-notch, with a battle system that is intensive but not confusing, and handy tutorials if you get lost. It is truly a new player friendly game. Xenosaga: Episode I sets the player up for the adventures to come, and only explains enough to keep the ball moving. There was no better way to do it.