Chrono Cross - Part 35 (PSX)

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WARNING: This synopsis carries a rant about Chrono Cross
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I feel it is important to let my viewers know that I do not like Chrono Cross.

Many of you may find this surprising given it is widely considered a Japanese RPG classic, being one of only a handful of games to receive the perfect 10/10 score on Gamespot. Even today, Chrono Cross is frequently listed in numerous Top 100 lists as one of the best computer games ever made. Yet, despite such accolades, I continue to feel indifferent to what Chrono Cross has to offer.

You see, Chrono Cross is the sequel to another critically acclaimed and highly adored Japanese RPG, one of which I absolutely love, known as Chrono Trigger. Yet despite being of the same universe, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross are two very different adventures and this is why I am at odds with how I feel about their respective content.

For instance, Chrono Cross has upwards of forty bizarre, gimmicky characters that, while have their moments in the sun, unfortunately do not resonate with the core story in the same way which the stable six of a Magus, a Frog, a Marle, a Robo, a Lucca or certainly a Crono ever could with the main story of Chrono Trigger.

But the heroes of the story are the tip-of-the-iceberg, one compartment that builds on many others as to why Chrono Cross is such an alienating experience for a Chrono Trigger fan. On-top of that is a labyrinthine, needlessly complex story, which merges elements of pseudo-science and mythology in a melting-pot of disaster.

It is frustrating because, outside of these aspects, Chrono Cross truly is a remarkable entry into Squaresoft's portfolio: Making full-use of the Playstation's 16-bit soundchip with it's gorgeous sequenced soundtrack, a bright and visual artstyle that pushes the MIPS processor as far as it goes, and full-motion video that typically makes best use of CD-space to the same cinematic tune as Squaresoft's releases of the day.

One part of Chrono Cross that really does hold-up includes the battle system, with its alternating elemental fields and three-tiered attack system. Level progression in Chrono Cross is also distinctive in that they are predestined through Star levels awarded following boss fights, removing the need to farm experience in fights. Furthermore, there is more reward in creating new items, weapons and armours to equip which ultimately puts more emphasis on planning for bigger battles and tougher scenarios throughout play.

However, as alluded to previously, the narrative is so disjointed, and can feel arbitrarily abstract in where to go and what to do next at various points of the game, not even engaging in random NPC dialogue does much to help make this less of a problem. In order to achieve the correct ending, the very last boss is not defeated in a conventional battle as such but rather through a specific sequence of attacks and the game only ever teases the idea of this, never outright making it clear this is the correct solution to completing the game.

The reason this is all irksome is that Chrono Trigger, for better or for worse, is perhaps one of the most beginner-friendly Japanese RPGs that anyone can play. For its time, the combat in Chrono Trigger was unique and unsual due to the lack of random battles and the seamless transitioning between exploration and fighting... BUT the progression and development of the plot, themes and ideas represented in its experience endmost were clear cut and easy to understand. With these differences accounted for, you still cannot play Chrono Cross in isolation of Chrono Trigger given that various important events, characters and sequences from it are directly referred to and remarked upon during the story.

All, in all, I suppose Chrono Cross was never a game for me.

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A LEGAL NOTICE:
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Any copyrighted footage I use is covered under fair use laws, or more specifically those listed under Section 30(1) of the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1989 and under section 107 of US Copyright Act 1976. This video exists purely for the purpose of research and criticism. I do not make a profit from any uploaded content, nor do I intend to. Thank you for watching.