Should I play Xenogears or Suikoden II next?

[Original_Name]

Being in college, I don't have alot of time to play video games, but these are two games that I've really wanted to spend some time on. Thing is, I don't know which one is worth the time... Xenogears is said to have the better story, but I've always been a huge fan of using mediums of art effectively, and Suikoden's multiple endings and... y'know, decision making seem to make better use of interactivity than Xenogears's novel-like progression. I plan to play both before I... y'know, die, but which one do you guys think deserves my time now?

[dlmvii]

Xenogears is more like a novel. Hell, the second disc of xenogears is basically a god damn book on tape. Suikoden II is not as strong of a story, but the game never really slows down. They're both great, but I enjoyed Suikoden II a lot more.

[winds]

Suikoden II is my favourite game of all time, so I may be a bit biased, but Suikoden II has the best story i've ever experienced in a video game. It's not necessarily anything ground breaking or new, but just the emotional level involved with the characters is something that i've never found in another video game at the same level.
Not only that but the game is just pure fun. I highly recommend that.

[fingersmaloy]

I've been playing thru Xenogears over the past year. I haven't played Suikoden II yet, but I can say that I've had a very like-hate relationship with Xenogears. The story and cutscenes are cool and all, but then again, the story is wholly overwhelming and I'm not convinced I'll come away with anything once I've finished the enormously demanding investment that is playing this game. But without the interesting story to spur you forward, it mostly feels like hours upon hours of busywork. Dungeons consist of labyrinthine, multi-tiered structures with awkward platforming elements, extremely frequent random battles that occasionally stop you from jumping when you're trying, resulting in falling down a tier and having to make your way back up, which usually means an extra several random battles.

The world is 3D and you can swivel the camera around as you like, which is often necessary to see around obtrusive objects, but then it makes it really easy to get turned around or lose your sense of direction. There's a compass onscreen, but I think getting lost on occasion is inevitable, and you know what that means--extra random battles.

Most dungeons only have a few different types of enemies, so once you've learned how to deal with them, every single battle is essentially the same process. Just memorize the dance and you don't even have to think. So dungeons become exercises in pure tedium. I swear, sometimes I'll finish a battle, walk THREE STEPS, and another battle will start. It's ridiculous. I haven't been playing with the aid of maps, but it's probably a lot more fun when you do.

So to answer your question, probably Suikoden II.

[christoph]

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[sakicfan84]

The scope of Xenogear's story is pretty amazing for a videogame. That being said, the gameplay got very tiring for me. I struggled to finish the game, because it is long and gets stale after a while. Suikoden 2 moves fast and was incredibly fun for me. I beat the game three times already, and I'll definitely be playing it again soon. It's not the best at anything really, but as a whole, it is an amazing game.

[LBJeff]

Having only played through Xenogears and Suikoden I...I'd say go with Suikoden II. I can't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet your time per play for Suikoden II will not need to be as high as Xenogears. If you're in college and handling that business the last thing you want to do is get stuck watching cut scenes for hours on end and not feeling like you have really done anything.

[Expervert]

Go for Xenogears. It's complex story is so awesome that it should be experienced by every RPG fan. Suikoden is a great game as well, but the story of Xenogears just blows it away.

[Slayer]

Xenogears of course!!!

Suikoden II has good story too but there is no game in this universe that has better story than Xenogears

[No Life King]

Haven't played Suikoden II but can say that playing Xenogears is the wisest way to invest your time in playing smth at a time like that.