1. Kelranox

   10

   Amazing music, great story and wonderful dialogue. I feel those that sleight the story didn't quite understand it. It relates to anyone and everyone in such a beautiful way. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, what we really want will always be out of reach. It's good to see a game promoting realism and the unfair nature of life, while still maintaining being an enjoyable experience. Far too many games (especially for its time) analyze endings without any repercussions whatsoever. An outstanding game and sequel.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 3 users said Yes.
2. Zodiacprince

   8

   This review contains spoilers. Having played through the first disc, I can tell you, Chrono Cross is a timeless classic for fans of Chrono Trigger, especially near the end, where the pieces start to fit together and you see the little ghost versions of Crono, Lucca, and Marle! However, don't go in expecting it to be CT, it plays way differently, and it's character list is way more elaborately constructed (And way more difficult to complete). If you've played Final Fantasy 4, you may remember how they switched you from Dark to Light... Well, that's the case for disc 1, about halfway in you get transformed from Light to Dark, forcing you to lose all your cool Light magic such as Luminair, and you get stuck with the body and magic of Lynx, the game's antagonist, and right when you get used to it, you get to choose whether or not to revert back to Serge.
   
   I've noticed a lot of people have compared this game to FFVII, I will not, as the game's combat system disqualifies it from being comparable. Alternatively, I *will* compare it to Xenogears, as they both feel the same, forgive me if the comparison is a bit...."iffy" as I haven't played Xenogears in about a year.
   
   Comparison commence: 1. Combat:Both games rely on an "Active Combo" system, in which the player tacks on another attack until the Action Points(AP) are gone. With Xenogears the "Magic" is preforming the correct combo to execute a finishing move. With Chrono Cross you use a Tech attack, and may then use another action. The AP is distributed fairly the same throughout both games. After the battle you get a victory animation in Xenogears, but in Chrono Cross the party just stands there in their battle poses.
   2. Intro: Both games begin with a cutscene foreshadowing an event that the player goes through, Xenogears' in anime, Chrono Cross' in the in game graphics. Xenogears starts out strong, hitting home early on, revealing enough to keep the player enthralled an not confused. Chrono Cross starts out with a dreamlike sequence wherein the player sees a the camera zoom into a tower and then serge and two other party members in an elevator. the player then goes through the second half of the dungeon until they meet the boss. After waking up in both games you get your first glance at the starting village. After walking around a bit in Xenogears the starting event occurs, after which you are kicked out of the village forever. In Chrono Cross, you walk around a bit doing something that doesn't do anything for the player, but moves the story along a bit. after which, you get dropped into a parallel universe wherein Serge died when he was younger, and everyone in your home village is a complete dick to you.
   3. Likeness to CT: While the storyline in Chrono Cross is closer, wins in the gameplay department ( with the exception of combat). If you're looking for a game that feels like CT, you're going to end up buying both of them, for the simple fact that they're like two halves of the same whole, with the exception of combat.
   
   All-in-all, this game is a must have for RPG lovers, fans of CT, and gamers in general! Well, that about wraps up my review, so if you got this far: thank you for reading this giant wall of text! I hope you found this helpful!… Collapse

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
3. Regal4point1

   7

   A game with a genius battle system and soundtrack that is held back by its unevenly executed story (ie: info dumps). The game's world and art is beautiful, but the emotional attachment to the story is put singularly on one character that they put on hiatus for the entire second act. It honestly lacks drive but has enough verve for its own audience.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. TargCollective

   4

   Where to start? The opening FMV is so engrossing that you will for certain sure watch it at least 10 times; possibly before you even play the game. Ditch your preconceptions. This game uses a level system like nothing you have ever seen. Your strength in combat is determined by the amount of 'stars' you have; you earn stars by playing through plot battles. You cannot powerlevel in this game, nor do you need to, as the experience you gain as you play is all you will need. You still need to fight! Fights reward you with various items, which you can give to a smith who will forge new weapons, armours and accessories for a fee. After you beat a boss battle you can obtain some stat boosts from fighting too. The magic system is also unique, as it relies on Elements. There are several different colours of Element, and these Elements can be of various power levels. There is no 'native' power level for an Element - so long as you have the ability to assign an Element to a power level, you can use any Element at that power level. As in Chrono Trigger, characters can learn 'techs', which can also be double and triple techs. The art and music is sublime. While that all seems disorganised and disparate, think a moment on what the greatest threat to RPGs is. In Final Fantasy 8, it is possible to beat seven shades out of T-Rexaur before you leave Balamb. It is possible to upgrade to second-tier magic before doing so! In Chrono Cross, the restrictive level system makes it more fun and challenging. Your opponents will always be a challenge. The only way of defeating them is through the use of strategy, intelligence and superior armanent. Therefore this game is a must; the sweet, superior perfection of game balance, the clear realism of the graphics and the enthralling plot combine to produce a strong contender for 'perfect game'. Designers take note: a progression-based level system makes sense!… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 12 users said Yes.

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