Imo, Xenosaga breaks down like this.
First game is good due to the world design, XenoCard, and the storyline. Battle system in the first game was trash.
The second game didn't have anything going for it. They tried to give it a strategic battle system but it boiled down to stock all your characters turns then attack with one long combo string to do any real damage, and this is on every battle random or boss. Most of the storyline could actually be removed and it wouldn't make a difference.
Xenosaga 3 the storyline isn't as good as the first one, but the battle system this time around is actually good. It's got a traditional battle system but characters now have two types of attacks, regular attack skills or break skills. The storyline is good but one thing about it is it's got this really weird design choice when doing the storyline as a lot of the story sequences played in the regular camera view. It was just weird getting into a story scene and the camera didn't really change while the characters are standing their static when talking when the other half of the story scenes have cinematic camera angles.
Wheter I'd buy an HD collection, maybe maybe not.
