Xenogears (1998)
Xenogears is a heady mix of Christian existentialist philosophy and sci-fi dystopia that I first fell in love with because its turn-based combat system featured Dragon Ball Z-like special combos. The pacing is shit and the edges are so rough they’ll slice your hands open, but Xenogears is bold, wild, unsettling, and uncompromising at every turn. Using giant mechs to kill god was a bit cliché even back then, but few games have made the absurd premise feel so personal, intimate, and authentic. My dreams will be forever haunted by the ghostly radio comms chatter punctuating the boss battle music and the stomach-turning middle-act revelation at the city in the sky.—Ethan Gach
