Current Events > Chrono Cross seems like a very confusing game

(+) Yeah! (+)

First off you have like a hundred playable characters. To my understanding a lot of them are pretty useless though.

Secondly you have the leveling system, which also is kind of strange.

I started the Radical Dreamers edition when it came out and then put it aside for another game, but I intend to get back to it eventually.

I've replayed it at least 20+ times and I still can't tell you what it's about.
It gets a lot of love, but honestly the game is a fucking mess

It's a complete mess.

Just skip it and pretend it doesn't exist. You will be better off.

( just like any Star Wars or Indiana Jones movies that came after the trilogy )

The leveling system is great and works perfectly for a game with a ton of characters. Everyone levels up when you beat a boss.

It irritates me when people say "the story actually makes sense if you really pay attention."

No it doesn't. It's complete nonsense. Yes, you can put the story to words and have a beginning and end, but everything in-between is like if someone took Kingdom Hearts and threw it in a blender and hit frappe.

it's also a very bad game

DarkRoast posted...

It irritates me when people say "the story actually makes sense if you really pay attention."

No it doesn't. It's complete nonsense. Yes, you can put the story to words and have a beginning and end, but everything in-between is like if someone took Kingdom Hearts and threw it in a blender and hit frappe.

This is how I feel when Metal Gear Solid fans take any suggestion that the plot is convoluted personally and then launch into a 300-page thesis just to show you that you're wrong

It was one of my favorite rpgs on the ps1, and that is really saying something cause the system is completely loaded with all time greats.

pinky0926 posted...

This is how I feel when Metal Gear Solid fans take any suggestion that the plot is convoluted personally and then launch into a 300-page thesis just to show you that you're wrong

While I agree, I honestly think MGS 1 and 2 were basically parodies / trolling more than actual serious storylines. Kojima's kind of overrated (IMO) but he likes to troll the player and I respect that.

Arent there usually more CC defenders on this board?

I recently did a poll on this board, asking for the next game I should play. Chrono Cross won handily (I havent started it yet).

let's get some more discussion going

On the one hand, I actually like the story (for the most part) and some of the sub plots. On the other hand, I absolutely detest games with pointlessly huge character rosters. There's basically zero development for 95% of the cast in games like this and usually a massive overlap in actual functionality anyway, leading to characters feeling extremely generic and boring.

I also found every mechanical aspect of the game some combination of frustrating, poorly balanced, badly executed, or dull. Being unable to grind levels meant that if you got to a point of the game and got walled by something (looking at you Dwarven Tank) then your only option was to keep throwing yourself at it until something worked, and the game had a few out of nowhere difficulty spikes. The charge up system meant random encounters tended to drag out and that boss fights were often an absolute slog. A huge number of spells were effectively useless. Equipment effectively had no interesting variations, just "stats get bigger" while also being frustrating because you needed to outfit a huge roster with limited supplies.

The high points, though, were absolutely the graphics and the OST. It is one of the most gorgeous games on the PS1 and has arguably the best OST on the system. The game is VERY atmospheric. Dungeon designs tended to be just intricate enough to be interesting without becoming obtuse. The world building was very solid, tying back into my enjoyment of the plot.

One thing though, I think it was massively held back by being pushed as the sequel to Chrono Trigger. The game was good enough to stand on its own and being in the shadow of one of the greatest JRPGs ever made threw its flaws into stark relief because it did terribly a number of things Chrono Trigger did very well (notably character development). It isn't a bad game by any means, but it does have some real weaknesses. Every once in awhile I'll get the urge to replay it, get a few hours in, get bogged down by the combat, and remember why I've never finished a replay

foxhound101 posted...

The leveling system is great and works perfectly for a game with a ton of characters. Everyone levels up when you beat a boss.

There are plenty of games that have this mechanic without having a plot progression fixed level up system. Super Mario RPG, for example, nails this perfectly

It's a stupid game with a very stupid story. I still kinda like it though. It had pretty interesting locales, good music, and some really fun boss fights.

I fucking hated that game when my brother picked up his pre-order from then eb games in SC day 1, and two decades later I still fucking hate it, lol.

I feel that way about a lot of those PS1/PS2 era jrpgs that I disliked on release like breath of fire 5 dragon quarter and star ocean 3. (To be fair with SO3, my gripe was the matrix rip-off plot twist, I actually thought everything else about the game was fine.....creepy doll star ocean character models aside). Each one of these games these days has their fans that is all like "weeellll, actually this game is actually a hidden gem because XXX reasons and its actually really good!" and I'm like nah.....I hate it....I will hate it until I am dead and buried. I gave each of these games a fair chance too......I was a young 17 to 20 something that was broke as hell when these specific jrpgs released so I beat all those rpgs that either that I bought or my brother did just to shake that "one of us wasted money" feeling. Nope, I got nothing. *chrono cross spoilers* Time devourer with blonde schala attached these nuts.

Chrono cross did have some good music though......not that terrible regular battle theme though.

final bump

Chrono Cross is an example of just how important great music is for even the most average and/or mediocre RPG's.

its a good game. it gets compared to titans of the genre at that time, mainly xenogears, ff7/8/9, vagrant story, etc. and, of course, it gets compared to chrono trigger as well.

Naysaspace posted...

its a good game. it gets compared to titans of the genre at that time, mainly xenogears, ff7/8/9, vagrant story, etc. and, of course, it gets compared to chrono trigger as well.

Breath of fire 3/4, FFT, DQ 7 etc, etc there were plenty of other games that were far better as well that you can compare it to, hell throw grandia on there as well

This is probably a dumb question but should I play Trigger before Cross?

havent played it since i the psx days but i dont remember the story being hard to grasp. i like big rosters from time to time. character development in jrpgs is shit in most games anyways, regardless of roster size.

MaxEffingBemis posted...

This is probably a dumb question but should I play Trigger before Cross?

It isn't really necessary for the most part outside of understanding references.

Ving_Rhames posted...

It isn't really necessary for the most part outside of understanding references.

Yeah thats what Ive heard. I own both of them, I just have a hankering to play CC whereas I have no desire to play CT even though I need to eventually

MaxEffingBemis posted...

This is probably a dumb question but should I play Trigger before Cross?

Yes, play Trigger before Cross

fire_bolt posted...

One thing though, I think it was massively held back by being pushed as the sequel to Chrono Trigger. The game was good enough to stand on its own and being in the shadow of one of the greatest JRPGs ever made threw its flaws into stark relief because it did terribly a number of things Chrono Trigger did very well (notably character development).

Agree with this. I think it had a good story on its own then in the last 10% or so of the game they do a horrible story dump that also tries to tie the game into Trigger.

jblrulez posted...

Agree with this. I think it had a good story on its own then in the last 10% or so of the game they do a horrible story dump that also tries to tie the game into Trigger.

There were hints along the way that tie it into Trigger too

11110111011 posted...

It's a complete mess.

Just skip it and pretend it doesn't exist. You will be better off.

yup.

musics good though.

The game's a mess, but it's a beautiful mess.

MaxEffingBemis posted...

This is probably a dumb question but should I play Trigger before Cross?

Honestly it doesn't matter in the slightest. The games are barely related other than one significant plot point. Even that plot point could have been disconnected without impacting CC at all. If anything I'd say play CC first so that you don't go into it with any expectations that it will be as good as CT

fire_bolt posted...

Honestly it doesn't matter in the slightest. The games are barely related other than one significant plot point. Even that plot point could have been disconnected without impacting CC at all. If anything I'd say play CC first so that you don't go into it with any expectations that it will be as good as CT

I mean I think youre downplaying the connection. It does feel that way based on how much the player actually sees the connection while playing (meaning the total amount of time the game spends on showing the CT connection versus not showing it), but a lot of what happens in CC happens because of the events of CT.

As someone who grew up loving CT, and eventually played CC and was disappointed, I can say I think Id actually enjoy the game less if I didnt have the perspective of the CT connections. Even though the game makes questionable choices about the fate of the CT characters and creates a convoluted story for CC, Im still fascinated when seeing the connections between the two. Without that emotional connection to CT I cant see myself giving any kind of a shit about CC other than the OST.

During the late 90s Square went through a weird phase where they thought a shitstorm of a storyline = good indepth plot. And sadly many fans bought into that logic. They did this with Xenogears, FF8 and Parasite Eve.

VeggetaX posted...

During the late 90s Square went through a weird phase where they thought a shitstorm of a storyline = good indepth plot. And sadly many fans bought into that logic. They did this with Xenogears, FF8 and Parasite Eve.

Are you talking shit about Parasite Eve? Save it for its shitty sequels.

It's a complete, utter, absolute, pure mess. I love it so much, it's one of my favorite games of all time.

AlCalavicci posted...

As someone who grew up loving CT, and eventually played CC and was disappointed, I can say I think Id actually enjoy the game less if I didnt have the perspective of the CT connections. Even though the game makes questionable choices about the fate of the CT characters and creates a convoluted story for CC, Im still fascinated when seeing the connections between the two. Without that emotional connection to CT I cant see myself giving any kind of a shit about CC other than the OST.

I can get behind this. The Dead Sea is easily my favorite segment of the game, and while it would have plenty of creative / artistic value without the connection to CT, Lenne's Square and the ghosts of Crono, Marle and Lucca did add that extra nostalgic gut-punch to help cement its memorability. Sadly this is the apex of the game and it never really pays off what it sets up here imo, but CC is more rewarding when viewed as a barely-connected series of vignettes anyway.

LordMarshal posted...

Are you talking shit about Parasite Eve? Save it for its shitty sequels.

mitochondria

I plan on playing Parasite Eve and Shadow Hearts in October, Im excited

VeggetaX posted...

mitochondria

Daniel disapproves of your nervous system.

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