The Winter of RPGs Kicks Off With Chrono Cross

Square Enix is getting into the holiday spirit with their Winter of RPGs campaign, and what better game to kick it off with than Chrono Cross? The popular sequel to the Super Nintendo classic is now on PSN, ready to provide hours of turn-based fun.

Now that Chrono Cross is available on the Playstation Store, JRPG fans can once again experience Serge's epic journey. The game kicks off with the hero waking up in an alternate reality where he died as a child, and things only grow more confusing from there. Chrono Cross is considered by many to be one of the classics of the PSX era, and the Winter of RPGs provides an excellent opportunity to check it out.

The Winter of RPGs will continue over the weeks with Final Fantasy V reaching PSN users November 22nd and Final Fantasy VI on December 6th. The former stars the young adventurer Bartz, most recently seen in Final Fantasy Dissidia. Final Fantasy VI, another Super Nintendo gem, features one of the series' most memorable villains in the form of a homicidal, insane clown named Kefka.

Between alternate realities and evil clowns, Square Enix certainly knows how to stuff our stockings. With the holiday season as crowded as it's been this year, JRPG fans will still want to take time out of their busy schedules for these popular releases from gaming's past.

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honestgamer Staff Nov 8, 2011

I remember back when this game was released as part of Square's "Summer of RPGs" promotion, along with Front Mission 3 and Legend of Mana. I bought all three of them but this one definitely wound up being my favorite of the lot (though I really did enjoy Legend of Mana, too). It's good to see Chrono Cross come back around. I would love to see a proper sequel happen on current-gen hardware, especially if Mitsuda handles the soundtrack again.

WilltheGreat Freelancer Nov 9, 2011

EmP's going to blow a gasket when he sees this.

Suskie Freelancer Nov 9, 2011

Obligatory comment about how Chrono Cross wasn't very good.

JoeTheDestroyer Staff Nov 9, 2011

Just to piss EmP off further, they should release Monsterseed as well. Too bad it's not a Square Enix title...

joseph_valencia Nov 9, 2011

"Front Mission 3" holds up better than "Chrono Cross" or "Legend of Mana".

espiga Nov 9, 2011

It was actually Threads of Fate that was released in their Summer of RPGs campaign, not Front Mission 3.

joseph_valencia Nov 9, 2011

Oh yeah, you're right! FM3 actually came out in the spring, according to Wikipedia.

overdrive Staff Nov 9, 2011

In related news, in the next week or two, I'll have a review of Chrono Cross up! At least I should. Just started the second disc last night. It's been a while since I played, but as I remember, almost 80 percent of the game's content is on the first disc, with the second having like two big dungeons and one smaller one, as well as the final boss. Might take a while to do this, though. Right now, that game's like third or fourth on my list of priorities, kind of right there with "hours of grinding in Gran Pulse in FF XIII".

Roto13 Freelancer Nov 9, 2011

I should really play Chrono Cross again. I still have the PS1 discs. I remember liking it more than Chrono Trigger, but I've finished Chrono Trigger twice this generation on the Virtual Console (well, more than that if you count all of the different endings I've found, but twice from beginning to end) and once prior to this generation, and I've only played Chrono Cross once ever.

SkylerBunderson Nov 9, 2011

Heehee, I'm actually not a big fan of it either, but a lot of people seem to disagree with me on that front, and regardless of quality it was both popular and important, I think. Like Evangelion!

Suskie Freelancer Nov 9, 2011

I don't know of anyone other than Jason who likes Chrono Cross.

honestgamer Staff Nov 9, 2011

Given your taste in RPGs, Suskie, which tend heavily toward WRPGs such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Deus Ex, I would be surprised if you routinely talk RPGs with people representative of the typical JRPG fan. Not everyone who likes Final Fantasy is a JRPG fan, after all; many people who like that series are actually WRPG fans. If you go to a forum where there are a lot of JRPG fans, though--people who don't much care for WRPGs and instead prefer the Japanese brand of RPG--you'll find that Chrono Cross is in general highly regarded. I'm aware that I do like a few games that most folks don't, but Chrono Cross isn't one of those cases.

JoeTheDestroyer Staff Nov 10, 2011

I like Chrono Cross.

There, I said it.

Suskie Freelancer Nov 10, 2011

I wasn't trying to single you out, Jason, just noting that I couldn't think of anyone else who enjoyed the game.

threetimes Nov 10, 2011

I like Chrono Cross. And it deserves praise if just for this track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROKcr2OTgws&feature=related

joseph_valencia Nov 10, 2011 edited

You'll hear no complaints about the soundtrack from me. A shame the game doesn't capitalize on its best track, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMntblDX0Bg

SkylerBunderson Nov 11, 2011

I have a hard time imagining there's anyone who doesn't like Chrono Cross's soundtrack.

espiga Nov 11, 2011

The battle theme sounds like a cat being sent through a meat grinder.

Other than that, the soundtrack is pretty nice.

JoeTheDestroyer Staff Nov 11, 2011

100% agree with espiga.

Suskie Freelancer Nov 11, 2011

Yeah, and the trouble with that battle theme is that it's the song you're hearing most often. Other than that, yeah, the soundtrack is gorgeous.

Genj Nov 12, 2011

The soundtrack and the graphics were fantastic but everything else about the game was pretty bad. If you were to ask me to sum up the game's story I honestly couldn't due to it being completely forgettable and poorly delivered. The battle system was different but bogged down by lengthy battle animations and an experience system that made most fights largely unimportant and too time consuming for their worth. Most of the party members were ridiculous and the localization team had too much fun making all the text read with goofy accents. Also, your character turned into a giant cat for like half the game. Hell yeah, Chrono Cross.

Genj Nov 12, 2011

I guess it was better than Legend of Dragoon at least.

Halon Nov 12, 2011

It's one of those games that I liked back when I played it but don't think I would like today (along with every JRPG I suppose). The soundtrack was excellent with the exception of two songs, which of course happen to be the most played songs in the game. I never liked the graphics actually since the game had those ugly, blurry textures that plagued probably 80% of PSX games.

EmP Staff Nov 12, 2011

I am not a fan of this game.

zippdementia Nov 14, 2011

Chrono Cross was... a disappointment, I think. It never should've been lauded as a Chrono Trigger sequel; that held it back from the very start. It's connections to Chrono Trigger were the most convoluted and confusing part of the plot, anyway, and really disrupted a rich world setting and characters who should have had the chance to stand on their own merits. Had it just been an original JRPG, it wouldn't have had half the sales but would've been much more memorable, as well.

Also, despite having some of the best video game music, it has the WORST combat music in any game I've played (with the exception of Shadow Hearts, which was, after all, comprised of half-crazed cats being swung about by their tails).

overdrive Staff Nov 14, 2011

Zipp
That's how I primarily feel about CC. Good game with some great parts. Chrono Trigger references placed in to confuse people. Too many meaningless characters. Bad battle music to mar an otherwise great soundtrack.

Now, I just need to re-do the final two dungeons and the final boss and expand that to 1000+ words and my review is done!

zippdementia Nov 14, 2011

Just throw me a credit in the review ;)

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