Can the protagonist's gender be chosen in Xenogears? Introduction to the protagonist's setting in Xenogears

As an open-world RPG set in a supernatural urban environment, players take on the role of "anomaly hunters" and join the antique shop "Ibbon" to investigate paranormal events in the city of Hetero. One of the core highlights of the game is the protagonist's setting. So, can you choose the gender of the protagonist in this game? In summary, regardless of gender, the protagonist possesses an "anomaly affinity constitution," which allows them to sense environmental energy fluctuations (such as the purple glow of graffiti walls at night in the Bridge Area) and actively trigger unusual events.

In the game, we can actually freely choose the gender (male/female), but the current version only implements the female protagonist "Zero", with the male character not yet available for control. The choice of gender does not affect the main storyline, but there are differences in interactions with some NPCs: if you choose the female protagonist, there will be fewer affectionate lines when interacting with other female characters (like Mint); if you choose the male protagonist, you may trigger more dialogue related to physical assistance during quests.

The customization system covers appearance and basic attributes. When creating a character, you can adjust hair color (including Zero's iconic white short hair), eye color, body type, and height. Initial attributes are divided into "Perception" (increases anomaly detection range) and "Agility" (reduces dodge cooldown). It is recommended to prioritize leveling up Perception to Lv.3 (detection radius expanded to 15 meters) to facilitate early location of hidden anomalies in the old town. Gender switching requires unlocking the "Rebirth Mirror" function (in the basement of New Yue Car Shop) after completing Chapter 4, but resetting will cause any equipped gender-specific outfits (such as skirts exclusive to females) to become invalid.

Zero's core identity is the "Anomaly Zero" - the sole survivor of the New Cilien disaster, undetectable by the Witheimer detector, and classified as the highest threat by the Administration. Her passive "Memory Rewind" grants exploration privileges: entering the password 0715 at D-7 Shop in the old town skips the decryption process. In combat, she deals 25% extra damage to mental pollution entities but takes an additional 20% damage from mechanical units (such as Administration armored soldiers). This helps everyone quickly clear the early stages, and there is no gender distinction in this aspect.

Zero's dual identity (anomaly hunter/disaster survivor) and her rapier combo mechanism make her a key character for both exploration and tactics. It is recommended to prioritize stacking Perception to speed up anomaly searches, and in combat, master the rhythm of the four-hit combo (canceling the third hit with a dodge) and the timing of ultimate skill release (breaking shields and backstabbing). Once the male protagonist is implemented, you can choose the story perspective based on your preference.