Gaming Retrospective: Chrono Cross

I am not angry, or pissed off, or frustrated in any way today, so if you glanced by my site hoping for some stupid geeks rants, you’re apt to be disappointed. Instead, I want to honor one of my favorite games of all time: Chrono Cross

Appearing on the Playstation 1 in 2000, Cross already faced heaps of doubt by enthusiasts. Chances are, if you were an RPG fan during the middle 90’s, you’d played, made love to, and worshipped the very ground Chrono Trigger walked on. To many, making a sequel to such a stellar piece of software bordered on blasphemy, and no mater how good a sequel would be, it should shut up and die. Okay, I may be taking it a bit far there, but I’m not kidding about the reaction from the hardcore fans upon hearing news of a sequel to their beloved game.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I loved Trigger. Easily one of the best RPG’s ever made, in fact. That noted, please do not think I am biased. In My Honest Opinion (IMHO), however, Cross is the better game. I retrospect, hindsight, looking the rear-view mirror, I had more fun and was more impressed by Cross. I tell you exactly why after several paragraphs where I deal with some of the criticisms.

First off, Cross is different from Trigger. A different cast of characters, different setting, so I can partially understand the initial complaints. To all the haters, I say you either did not play past the first ten minutes, or you are an idiot. The differences are there for a reason, and by the time the credits rolled, I was convinced that what I had experienced was easily the greatest RPG journey I had come across. Again, note that I did not say “ever”. I have not played every single one, and until that day comes, in no way am I THE authority on RPG’s. Which will probably be never.

Before I start gushing over the plot and characters, I first want to address something many people may overlook: the music. What? You say? Music in games sucks and I should die? Well thank you for your input, but you are most definitely wrong about your first point. Never before did I ever really stop to listen to any music I heard in games. It was expected, sure, but I never really contemplated whether it was good or not, you know? Chrono Cross changed that, for me. Seriously, this shit rivals that of Hollywood soundtracks such as Lord of the Rings. Seriously, its that good. I even went OUTSIDE and BOUGHT the soundtrack with my own, actual, MONEY. If that doesn’t tell you something, then I can’t think of anything else that will. It is so good, that I have it on my ipod this very minute, and merely thinking about it makes me want to listen to it again.

Okay, enough splooging on the music, now I will actually tell you what’s so good about it. The composer is Yasunori Matsuno, who, although he had scored Trigger, he was far from being as famous as Nobuo Eumatsu, Final Fantasy’s famed composer. But it is with Cross where Matsuno reveals his true genius, and above all else, his style. Ranging from the almost celtic strings from the opening piece, to the haunting melodies performed during key scenes. The music alone elevates many (if not all) of the story sequences to an almost magical height, for me anyway.

Of course, the music wouldn’t amount to a whole lot without actual gameplay to back it all up. Luckily, in Cross’s case, for an RPG, it is about perfect. Everything that bugs me about jRPG’s has either been removed of actually fixed in this installment, much in the same way Trigger did for 16 bit RPG’s. Grinding? Removed completely. The way this works is that after you defeat a boss, you level up, with the next boss being balanced so it is challenging but not impossible for that level. Let that sink in for a little bit. Is your mind blown yet? Yes, you don’t have to fight any random battles, which is easily possible because you can see every enemy on the map and are only forced into battle with bosses, which is okay because unless you’re retarded and cannot set up your characters correctly, are entirely possible to defeat! See, everything about this game is stress proof! No endless hours grinding, no wondering whether or not you’re powerful enough to defeat that boss, and no getting yourself stuck in an area without monsters to grind through! Seriously, why this mechanic has not been adopted by more games just blows my mind. Developers! Get on that shit!

Not that the boss fights are easy, mind you. If you don’t have your elements (magic properties and character modifiers) allocated properly, you can be seriously fucked up. In many ways, this is one of the most strategic role-playing games I’ve played, especially in the jrpg genre. Don’t let that scare you, mind you! Yet another of this games absolutely brilliant innovations is the fact that you can, instantaneously, run away from every battle in the game. Yes, even bosses, giving you a slight reprieve, and, in case you fucked up with your elements, a chance to re-allocate them to a more advantageous setup. Seriously, everything about this game is painless, and designed to remove any and all stress and annoyances.

I regard plot as an important part of any RPG, and I am a firm believer in not spoiling anything for newbies to a game. Seriously, discovering everything on your own, with no pretences is such a more personal experience. Therefore, since I’m also getting a little tired, I won’t talk about the story. Just know that its good, k? kk.

I’ve rambled for over a thousand words here, but simply put, this game is great. No, it is more than great. It’s a classic, and I truly hope more people are able to play this wonderful game. Check it.

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