Chrono Cross Review

Chrono Cross is the sequel to the hit game, Chrono Trigger, which was released on the Super NES. This game now relies more on a cross-dimensional type story line (where time stays the same, but circumstanses change), where our characters go out to find an object that has the power to change the course of history. With over 40 characters, multiple scenarios, multiple endings, great graphics, great music, and an amazing combat system, this game has it all.

I don't know how Square does it, but they seem to push the graphical envelope so much more farther than any other company can. Just when you think the Playstation had enough, Square unleashes this beauty at us. The textures and details are astounding. Many of the battlefields and boss characters are so freakin awesome that you just have to press pause to take them in (to bad the screen gets darker when you press pause). Just take a look at that picture to the left on the top of the page. Doesn't that monster just kick so much ass?!? The only fault I can find is the prerendered, still backgrounds. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you'll miss things since you can't move the background around.

The music of the game is also just as good as the graphics. From the upbeat to the depressing, most of the songs really catch you during a memorable scene. While not as good as another great game with amazing music, Final Fantasy VI, but close enough (yes, I compare a lot of games with FFVI).

Now let me get to the best part of the game, the combat system. It's so original and fun to do that you don't mind too much that you get attacked from an enemy. And if your wondering, you can see the enemies on the screen so you can decide to attack them or not. It's kinda hard to explain the combat system, but here's my best. With this system, you don't have to wait to attack, you can do it right away. You have 3 levels of combat to choose from (soft, medium, and hard). The harder the attack, your hit percentage goes down. The softer the attack, the hit percentage goes up (you can see the actual percent). The more you hit the enemy, and depending on the power, your stamina goes down. Once your stamina is gone, your turn is done. You can also unleash elements (which is basically the magic part of the game) and unleash summoned creatures depending on the character's level. Suppose your character is level 7 (your level goes up depending on how you hit the enemy and how many times you hit it), then you can unleash a level 7 element. You can put elements on different elemental grids. If you want, you can put a level 3 element on the 5th elemental grid for even more power. I hope I didn't confuse you, but it's a bit confusing at first. Once you get the hang of it, that's when the real fun begins, and you don't mind fighting monsters. Other neat things is that you can tell when the enemy is weak by it's stance (it'll look tired and hunch over), and you can run from any battle, even boss battles!

Another fun part about the game is it's complex story that you can control (since there are different pathways you can choose). The main character is Serge, who got ripped from his home world and found himself in another world. As he tries to find out why this happened to him, he finds many astounding revelations (is he dead??), and finds out that his journey is much more larger than it seems. On his way, he'll meet a lot of different characters (all remarcably different from one another) who will help him on his quest. And so on and so on.. Fans of the original Chrono Trigger will be happy to note that many events in this game deal with that game, and some of the stuff from that game are in here (memories!!). But don't worry, you don't have to play the old game in order to understand this one. Heck, I don't remember much at all, since it's been a long time.

Now to the bad stuff. The game has over 40 characters and multiple endings. Yes, this is good, as it adds a lot of replay value to the game. But the bad thing is that you don't relate too much with your characters since there are so many of them. Some of them you'll probably just toss aside because you'll probably be consentrating on a select few of them. The story doesn't go too smoothly since you'll probably be wondering what goes with what with so many available characters (when I play a game, I try to get as much story out of each character as I can).

And the multiple endings idea, while great, is just too much. There are so many (9 to be exact) that it will take you forever just to see them all. What's nice is that when you beat the game, you can start over with your characters having the same skill levels and stats. You also get a fast forward (and slow motion) option so you can pass the game even faster. After I beat it 3 times (you have to fight the boss at different times), I sorta lost interest halfway through the 4th time and started to play other games (like Final Fantasy IX). Playing the game 3 times is enough, and you get some nice, sometimes surprising, endings at the end.

Another complaint I had is the game's challenge. I thought this game was pretty easy. So easy in fact, that I wasn't really scared to fight the bosses, since I knew I'd probably beat them. Yes, some parts are pretty challenging, but overall I didn't find it too challenging. It should take you around 50 hours to beat (I forgot how long it took me since I beat it more than once).