2. Xenogears
Another great RPG title that has still never received an official European release is Xenogears, which was voted the 16th greatest game of all time by Famitsu readers in 2006 and 28th by IGN users in 2008. Heavily influenced by science fiction, philosophy (particularly that of Freud, Jung and Nietzsche) and religion, the game certainly stands out from Square's mostly fantasy-orientated fare. With two battle systems (one a traditional Active Time Battle system and the other featuring the titular 'gears', which are giant robots), the game features fourteen interweaving plotlines and nine controllable characters (led by the mysterious and well-written Fei Fong Wong), which combine to create a deep and lengthy storyline that although complex on the surface, is highly rewarding for players who are willing to put in the time and effort to immerse themselves within the game's world. Said plot was originally conceived for Final Fantasy VII, but was deemed to dark and complicated for a fantasy. Today, anybody who appreciates strong storytelling should be thankful that it was used for another project rather than shelved, as Xenogears, which is available for download on the American Playstation Network, is a beautiful masterpiece that can never be replicated in terms of style and experience.