Format: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch
Chrono Cross is something of a holy grail for RPG fans – a sequel to the classic Chrono Trigger, its 1999 release on the original PlayStation was only available in Japan and North America, and has been hard to find ever since. That lack of availability, combined with being outshined by the sterling reputation of its predecessor, has meant Chrono Cross has gone largely overlooked by most players.
Until now, that is. More than two decades later, Square Enix finally makes this ‘lost’ game available once more, and this time European gamers finally get to play. Chrono Cross follows a young man named Serge, initially living an idyllic life in a coastal fishing village until fate draws him into an alternate world where he died a decade earlier. Meeting a boisterous thief named Kid, Serge is drawn into an adventure that spans realities, taking in themes of vengeance, fate, and humanity’s impact on the world around them.
It’s clear from the off that Chrono Cross was intended to be bigger and more ambitious than Chrono Trigger in just about every respect. Where the latter followed its cast through one timeline, hopping between different eras, Cross weaves its story across alternate realities, with actions taken in one world impacting the other. The vastly expanded roster of playable characters – 45 in total – are recruited across dimensions, and unlocking them all will require making use of the New Game+ to choose different paths and meet them all.
For purists, there is also the option to play the entire game with the original PS1 visuals, which is actually a nice bit of game preservation.
However, that push to be bigger, better, bolder, more, is also partly to blame for Chrono Cross not being quite as fondly remembered as Trigger – it often feels like it’s trying too hard. Its battle system, although still turn-based, utilises a relatively complex system of “Elements” – capsules equipped on a grid unique to each character, that determines the special attacks, items, and other moves they have available – coupled with a stamina system that controls how many moves can be made on each turn. On top of that, there are elemental types, Pokémon style, that affect how much damage is taken or dished out, and ways to manipulate the elements of the battle field. More confusingly, none of this is ever really explained to the player, and while some may appreciate the lack of hand-holding, it certainly makes the game less accessible.
Another aspect that may hold the game back, particularly for modern players with no nostalgia for the original, are the visuals. While Chrono Trigger’s intricate pixel art has withstood the ravages of age, Chrono Cross’ PS1-era 3D models, static backgrounds, and pre-rendered cutscenes have made it trickier to immortalise. Square Enix’s remastering effort is, charitably, low-key, with higher-definition character models, improved character art for dialogue boxes and status screens, and updated text formatting. The result is that this is a game that is certainly playable on a modern HD or 4K screen, but still very much looks like a product of its time. For purists though, there is also the option to play the entire game with the original PS1 visuals, which is actually a nice bit of game preservation.
There are a few mechanical concessions and tweaks for modern players though, with time-saving updates that have become common in Square Enix’s other recent ports of classic RPGs. Encounters can now be turned off, allowing players to explore areas without regular battles, while time can be sped up, for faster traversal. These are optional, but can take some of the drudgery out of exploration.
The Radical Dreamers Edition also bundles in the eponymous text-based adventure, until now only available on the Japanese Satellaview add-on for the SNES. Originally released back in 1996, Radical Dreamers: Le Trésor Interdit now serves as sort of a prequel or first draft of what became the full Chrono Cross, with overlapping characters and similar events, even if the two games can’t co-exist in continuity. It’s a fun curiosity, essentially a choose-your-own-adventure style visual novel, but perhaps one for completionists only.
Yet despite being occasionally hobbled by its own ambition and sometimes daunting scale, Chrono Cross remains a delight - a real hidden gem of an RPG that deserves more love and recognition than its previously limited releases have afforded it. It’s easy to lose yourself in Serge and Kid’s expansive, world-hopping adventure, and though its retro visuals may make it a tough sell for players with no abiding affection for the game, it’s a high point of both the genre and of Square Enix’s back catalogue.