Chrono Cross

While apparently attempting a highbrow version of Chrono Trigger's time travel design, Chrono Cross is more linked to the 'open' approach of SaGa than a proper followup, with a hefty amount of optional unlockable characters and their related side quests. However, there are two key differences: Stressing its theme of choices and their consequences meant that many characters can be rendered permanently missable, and its alternate realities mechanic created room for some truly innovative ideas. But like SaGa and Star Ocean before it, the large cast and their mostly inessential nature comes at the price of gameplay depth, instead relying on minor side quests to identify its otherwise faceless roster, and it wasn't compensated by a feature tying them all together à la Suikoden, either. Part of it is due to the battle system - a strange amalgamation of Xenogears and Final Fantasy VIII, and its surrounding elemental system providing much of its linearity. Despite its vast customization options, the hyper-focus on elements via type weakness and field effects ruins its potential, paring down strategies and limiting 'builds' to simply rotate depending on the boss/dungeon, even if the merger of spell tiers, attack levels, and stamina is a novel approach to combat.

Chrono Cross' greatest strength turns out to be the plot, albeit a little muddled. Bits of philosophical concepts and existential discourse are peppered all throughout the story, instead of - say, the final boss (as most JRPGs are wont to do) that creates a disorienting but compelling means of storytelling. Its overarching themes lead to some memorable dungeon designs/aesthetics and truly heartfelt moments both during and even outside the main storyline.

Chrono Cross is kind of hard to rank because it feels like such a polarizing game in the franchise. Some people absolutely hate this and say it is so much worse than Trigger and it makes things too convoluted and tries to do too much, then others say that it is one of the best games and it has a deep story and tons of variety and a great combat system. I actually really enjoyed Cross, I played it about a month after I finished Trigger and it really stuck with me. To add context it was the Summer right after I got back from college after a graduated and it was at a point where the reality of having graduated and being finished with college had still not sunk in completely so I played a ton of games that Summer, and Cross was a game that kept me engaged from start to finish. The story of Cross is actually pretty convoluted and has nothing to do with the other games in the series, but at the same time I guess I could ignore the story and just enjoy the progression and different characters.

Its rare for me to like a game if I don't care for the story, but this is one of the few games I actually could care less for the story but still think this game is good. I think its more to do with enjoying the combat, the different areas and design, as well as the characters. I never felt like the game got dull and the boss fights in this game were challenging and tense, plus the variety of different teammates you could choose from. Yeah it did get overwhelming having 100 or so different characters you could choose from, but I actually enjoyed most of these characters, although there were a few annoying ones.

Now the game does have flaws, it does go a bit downhill once you get to the twist and your character gets taken control of by the main bad guy. There is a little bit of backtracking a fetch questing, and the final boss in this game is just terrible, its basically memorizing a pattern and attacking it based on that. But to be honest the flaws are pretty minimal for me, I just liked the big open World and there was a lot to explore with tons of characters and good boss fights. Sure I might not have cared much for the story but everything else was enjoyable that it didn't need to have a story that kept me captivated. There is just so much variety to this and the World really sucks you in. Plus it brings back memories for me of that first Summer right after I graduated college.

Chrono Cross has a special place in my heart. The first RPG I played in my adult life was Chrono Trigger and was deeply impressed, so I decided to give its successor a shot. This game surpassed even the widely renowned Trigger for me, and was the title that truly baptized me into RPG fandom, shaping my taste in games ever since. It opened my eyes to the high level of artistic integrity and value inherent in the finest RPGs, with some of the most brilliant writing and original soundtracks ever committed to a game. I've played RPGs almost exclusively since finishing this title, so its easily the one game that has had the most profound impact on me.

I find the visual world of Cross to be absolutely gorgeous for its time, especially with regard to its prerendered backgrounds (which I still consider to be the most beautiful of any game). The gameplay is engaging as well, although it is a step down from Trigger in this department. It also happens to have one of the highest replay values of any game for me, with over 40 recruitable party members and over 10 different endings (though there is a sort of "canon" ending). Some people complain about the huge cast of characters, or how the game wasn't centered on the cast in Trigger, but I personally find the large cast of Cross to be far more memorable than the small cast of Trigger. Anyways all things considered, I have no reservation in calling this game a legitimate work of art, just like all of the other great RPGs out there. I strongly believe that Chrono Cross deserves a spot among the very best RPGs ever made, and it will probably always be my most cherished game.

This would be a good game if it had more streamlined combat and better writing, and it would be an RPG if it had an experience system.