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Chrono Cross Review
Kevin Berryman
00/12/0000
It may not have been part of the Final Fantasy or Phantasy Star craze but when Squaresoft released Chrono Trigger for SNES it instantly became a classic.
Even today it is considered by many as the most enjoyable SNES RPG of them all. With beautiful 2D graphics and a story line that followed a more Sci-Fi theme then most RPGs, Chrono Trigger is a true masterpiece. Thankfully, Squaresoft has followed it up with Chrono Cross, a true sequel following the events of the original. Taking place years after the Chrono and friends stopped the destruction of the planet, a new hero named Surge is pulled into a mystical quest between two worlds. While there is time travel in Chrono Cross its the dimensional travel that is more important. But that's not to say that Chrono Cross is nothing like Chrono Trigger, in fact the story line is very closely related to its predecessor. Players who have played Chrono Trigger will find more then a few familiar sights.
Gameplay
The battle system in Chrono Cross is a very refreshing and fun experience; not quite turn based and not quite real time. At the start of every battle each character is given seven battle points, these can be divided into four category's, three physical and one special. The physical attacks are divided into weak, medium and strong, the more powerful the attack the higher the chance of missing is. But if you start with weak and work you way up to strong, for every hit the next has less of a chance of hitting. This opens up a lot of strategy in each move, plus you can stop an attack and use the special Elemental attack. The Elemental attacks are your magic attacks. Anything from healing spells, to powerful fire bombs and a plethora of other fantastic special moves are all in the Elemental menu. The battles are set up as a mix of real-time and turn based fighting, there is an order to it, but you can just about do anything during your turn. Players can stop attacking to heal, attack another enemy, or switch from physical to Elemental attacks. It is rare to find an RPG with such a refined and fresh battle system. The only downside to it is that some battles last forever. Even battles with regular baddies and monsters, can go on for up to 5 minutes. While not so apparent at the beginning of the game, in the latter parts no matter how high your level is a battle can go on for way too long. This is not that big a deal considering that it is such a fun battle system and most people will not care.
Just like in Chrono Trigger, the enemies are not random; instead, you can see them long before you even come close. This give you the choice of fighting or not, so if you're low on HP and need to get to a safe place to rest and save, you can avoid monsters. However, don't avoid every baddie you find or boss attacks will be a real pain, you need high levels to successfully battle the game's many bosses. Those familiar with Evolution for Dreamcast can relate to this. Also similar to Evolution is if an enemy catches you character from behind, they have the upper hand in battle. But if you get to the enemy first you can start the battle with the first moves. Battles must be fought and it is nice to be able to pick your fights and take the initiative. Another nice thing about the battles is the game lets you use extra battle points to heal at the end of every battle. This saves a lot of money on healing potions, and makes some of the more monster-infested areas a little easier between fights. As RPGs go Chrono Cross has just about everything you could ever want, and more, even when the game has ended there is more to do. After finishing the game, players can start a New Game Plus, just like in Chrono Trigger; this helps in finding the many secret characters and alternate endings without having to build levels from the bottom again.
Graphics
Chrono Cross has some of the most vibrant and colorful graphics for any RPG on the Playstation. Beautiful and animated pre-rendered backgrounds that have much more detail then even Final Fantasy 8 are the norm in Chrono Cross. Areas are lush and lifelike while still being anime inspired. The Art direction is just as unique as the battle system; making players believe they've gone to a place they have never been to before. The characters are also very well rendered and animated. From the main cast to basic monsters, every character has its own soul, and a life of it's own. The detail in the characters faces is also higher then that of previous Squaresoft games, and really makes the transition from FMV to gameplay that much smoother. The FMV is another step forward for Squaresoft, while FF8's FMV is in no way low quality, Chrono Cross has some of the most well directed FMV scenes ever. Action, drama, emotion, these are all well animated with the beautiful style of Chrono Cross's world. Fades and dissolves are not only used to switch scenes in FMV, but to also smooth out the transition between gameplay and FMV. This makes for less of a reminder that you are playing a game, and keeps you fixed on the characters and engrossed in the story.
Sound
Chrono Cross's soundtrack is absolutely fantastic. Emotional, dramatic, and fast passed; the music is well scored for every scene in the game. The opening FMV has one of the most beautiful songs ever made for a videogame. The songs may not be as memorable as FF7 but its style is so undeniable that everyone can appreciate it. The sound effects are also well made to suit the game's many unique settings. Ocean waves at a beach, wind in caves, even character footsteps all are well done. If something happens on screen there is sure to be a realistic sound effect to go along with it.
Comments
For those looking for the next great Playstation RPG, look no farther then Chrono Cross it truly is modern classic. For those wanting to see what is next in the Chrono story line, can find it in Chrono Cross along with much more. For those that want to know if it is the greatest RPG ever, I cannot say that, but it sure comes close. Years from now gamers will think back to Chrono Cross as many look back on Chrono Trigger. Its a unique, fun, and interesting, RPG with memorable characters, and a style all its own. If you only get one RPG this year, you cannot go wrong with Chrono Cross.
