Chrono Cross was released on the Playstation in 1999. It has been well over two decades now and it remains a uniquely interesting experience. While some would say it is divisive, ithis is mostly because it wasn't the type of sequel that some fans of the original wanted. The cliche is to say that Chrono Cross is a bad sequel, but a great game.The truth is, Chrono Cross is actually a great sequel, a great game, and it has a ton going for it. To this day it offers things that no other RPG does and is an excellent experience for all new players. As rumors of a Chrono Cross Remake resurface we are here to tell you all about why it's such a great game.
10 It's A Game About Consequences
Every action has an associated consequence, some unknowable, some inevitable. This is true in life, but it is also true in Chrono Cross. This is, of course, an expansion of what Chrono Trigger started. By having an alternate reality version of the world, Chrono Cross allows its characters to be confronted by the realities that could have been.
People witness an alternate timeline where they may have died, or where their relationships have fallen into decay, or where their deceased loved ones still live on. They see how things could have been different in a finite way. Moreover, Chrono Cross places you in morally ambiguous situations. Making you feel like your decisions have consequences.
9 It Features A Giant Cast Of Diverse Characters
With a cast of 45 characters, Chrono Cross has one of the biggest rosters there is. Outside of a Suikoden game, you would likely be hard-pressed to name another RPG that has a larger cast.
Better yet, these characters all feel pretty diverse and most of them feel connected directly to the plot (though there are a few oddballs who are just along for the ride). No matter what type of character you gravitate towards in an RPG, Chrono Cross will most certainly have you covered.
8 It's Packed With Side-Content
Chrono Cross is a game filled with hidden content. While that is par for the course when it comes to a PS1-era RPG, it is fair to say that few games of that era had as many hidden, or optional, characters. There are nearly a dozen characters who are only available if you choose one path or another. Some characters will become unavailable if you recruit another character. This leads to a healthy amount of optional content.
There are also hidden boss encounters (like half a dozen of them), tons of hidden items, and a million interactions that aren't integral but help tell little stories about your cast of characters. If you just follow the main storyline, choose not to explore, get an ending, and then call it a day, you are almost certainly seeing less than half of what this game has to offer.
7 Recruitable Ozzie, Flea, and Slash
While some may say that there were no returning playable characters in Chrono Cross, that isn't technically true. Ozzie, Flea, and Slash all return as secret bosses, and, by way of Sprigg, all three are playable!
By having the character who deals the killing blow on these three have the Forget-Me-Not Pot equipped, you will be able to collect all of these iconic antagonists. This will allow Sprigg to duplicate them in battle using her doppelganger ability. She even gets access to a triple tech while using Slash. And the Chrono Trigger fans say Square never threw them a bone...
6 It's A Unique Follow-Up To Chrono Trigger
The strength of the connection to Chrono Trigger is a point of contention for many fans of the original. However, it is important to note that not having many characters from the first game return does not mean that the connection between the two games is weak.
In fact, it's safe to say that Chrono Cross is a direct reaction to the events of Chrono Trigger. The original title dealt a lot with the consequences of actions, and how they can shape different timelines. Chrono Cross is another ripple formed by the events of the first game. The final boss, and the ending, are both conclusions to one of the primary dangling threads from Chrono Trigger. It is really only in the third act that all these connections start to reveal themselves, but the narrative threads that tie these two games together are much stronger than people give them credit for.
5 It Boasts An Amazing Soundtrack
Being the soundtrack to follow-up Chrono Trigger isn't an enviable position. Talk about a tough act to follow. What Chrono Cross did so well was to move in a slightly different direction. The Chrono Trigger soundtrack is filled with catchy hooks and as a result, the music is often center stage. Chrono Cross, on the other hand, allows its music to breathe a little more.
The tracks are wide and open. They establish tone and a sense of atmosphere - a tone is typically upbeat and jovial (especially in the first part of the game). This isn't to say that there aren't more somber - or foreboding - tracks, but the overall vibe is definitely jolly. It all helps to give Chrono Cross a light and airy feel. The battle music makes sure to hit all the familiar, punchy notes that you would expect from an RPG combat tune (though it may be a little too off-kilter for some people). Chrono Cross's soundtrack isn't as showy as some of the most popular RPG soundtracks, but it is beautifully orchestrated and, ultimately, an unsung hero of the medium.
4 It Showcases Great "Villains"
It probably isn't a coincidence that Magus was such a hit with fans and the direct sequel ended up having so many characters that seem to exist in a similarly, morally ambiguous space. There is a lot of depth to the cast of antagonists in Chrono Cross. Half of these charismatic fiends end up being recruited (in one form or another).
The primary antagonist is, essentially, pure unadulterated evil. However, even there, what caused Lynx to be evil is an unforeseeable consequence of a good act. There are those reverberations, again.
3 It Has A Unique Combat Engine
In Chrono Cross, each character has a stamina bar. Different levels of attack take up more stamina - the higher the level, the more stamina is taken and the more damage is dealt, but there is also less accuracy. Landed attacks increase the stamina of other party members.
Stamina can also be used to cast spells. Different levels of spells are separated into their own attack levels. These drain massive amounts of stamina and will often leave your party members in a stamina deficit.
This all makes for a pretty quick combat engine where you can chain multiple attacks together, or go all-out on a giant spell. It works really well and it gives the game an extremely unique feel.
2 It Has A Painterly Aesthetic
Chrono Cross is absolutely pushing the PS1 to its limit. It is a gorgeous game and a big part of that is the use of color. This is a game that isn't afraid to use the entire palette. Certainly, the stylized nature of the different environments also adds to its timeless look.
Chrono Cross is never trying to emulate reality (and we all know how that turned out for the PS1 games that did). Instead, it is happy to lean on an art style that looks like a series of paintings. Yes, some of the models have that famous PS1 jitter, but beyond that quirk, the models look great too.
1 It Has A Top-Notch New Game Plus
When a game has branching paths and recruitable characters who conflict with other recruitable characters, it is fair to say that you are going to have a pretty good New Game Plus experience. However, Chrono Cross goes one step further. There is an item you will obtain which allows you to bring over every character you have on other saves.
This means that it is possible to have all the characters at once - despite many of them being otherwise locked to a specific path or choice. Add onto that a dozen endings and you see how you could play through Chrono Cross multiple times while still experiencing plenty of new things.