If you’re a gamer, you have probably heard of Xenoblade and maybe Xenosaga. However, not everyone knows about the original concept that started it all and subsequently became the pillar for the lore and worlds of the other Xeno~ games that followed: Xenogears. Released in 1998, this game set the foundation for an intricate and expansive universe that has captivated players for decades.

Living in Japan for the past five years has introduced me to many cultural nuances, but one thing I still can't get used to is how stories often leave their plots unresolved. Take, for instance, the anime The Garden of Words by Makoto Shinkai. The story revolves around a troubled high school student and his 27-year-old teacher, yet it never reveals if their relationship continues. This ambiguity drives me nuts. (Mr. Shinkai, if their future together is canon, please let me know!).

It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to play a new main entry Pokémon game. The last main entry, Sword & Shield, was full of controversy. Fans were so disappointed that, at one point, the user score on metacritic was as low as 1.7 out of 10. A basic story, the removal of some Pokémons, the lack of difficulty and end game content, and the overselling by GameFreak were amongst the top cited issues the 8th generation of Pokémon had.