Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross

[Robert Maxwell]

Does anyone else here consider this pair to be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) game series ever made?

Chrono Trigger was excellent on its own. I'm playing through the DS port at the moment. Chrono Cross, on the other hand, took it to a whole different level. I was slightly put off the first time I played, when it appeared to have only minimal ties to the first game, until I got far enough into it to realize just how intricately it related to its predecessor. Needless to say, I found the way the stories of the two games wove together very impressive. Lavos is probably one of the most memorable villains of any game I've played, even though it never speaks directly. It just casts a foreboding shadow through both games, something that would be very difficult for a lesser villain to achieve.

I wish they'd make a sequel but I guess SquareEnix doesn't want to do that unless they can reunite the original team. Here's hoping...

 

[CommodoreKong]

I love Chrono Trigger, it's one of my all time favorite games.

As for Cross, well I think it has better music then Chrono Trigger, but other then that I didn't really like it, and didn't even finish it. Maybe I should give it another chance someday.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

It takes some getting used to, but I'd say the storyline is actually better than the first. How far did you get?

 

[eastman23]

Haven't played Cross yet (lacking a PS2), but I have an original SNES copy of Trigger. Cost me a bit on ebay too. One of my favourite games.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

Chrono Trigger IS the best 16 bit RPG. It was the pinnacle of the nintendo era's RPG gaming.

Chrono Cross... well. This would be a fantastic game if it had not been billed as a CT sequel. On its own, I love it. But when I realise what has been REMOVED (all the references to CT, Lucca being turned into Luccia, Magus being turned into Magil, ect) it leaves me flat. They had an opportunity to make a really grand sequel, and ended up with a flat, halfassed storyline in relation to CT.

If you LIKE CC tho, check out "Radical Dreamers". Its a SNES Rom, which is basically a snes predecessor to what eventually became Cross. (same storyline, minus the double world bit, same MUSIC even.)

 

[Rob Hal]

I loved both Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, and I think I'll be in the minority here when I say that I liked CC more than CT. Don't get me wrong: CT is a fantastic game and one of the best games made for the SNES. But CC was just something else entirely... The game mechanics were innovative, the graphics looked great for the PS, and the storyline was unbelievable (and fairly complex if you just did a single playthrough) I've played through that game four or five times, using different characters and what not, and I've always enjoyed it. Oh, and the music in CC is simply phenomenal.

I think that the best part of the games is the replay value, especially when you have different game endings you can aim for. For example, I think I was on my third play through of CC before I actually used the Chrono Cross to beat the game, it's actually kinda tricky to get it to work... and now I totally forget if it was even worth it.

I don't think Square-Enix has any intention of bringing the series back... a few years ago, they did register the trademark for "Chrono Break", but they didn't renew it the next time around and it expired, soooo....

 

[clint g]

I finally got the chance to play Chrono Trigger due to the DS port and boy was I glad they did it. It was a great game and worthy of all the praise it received.


Chrono Cross....well... about that

Chrono Cross suffers from what I like to call "too many fucking characters" syndrome. Rather than playing a deep RPG with lots of character building and character moments, sometimes I felt as if i was playing a game of pokemon where I was trying to catch em all. Other than Surge and Kid, I just never really felt connected to any of the characters. Other than that it was a great game but that was a big hurdle to overcome in my eyes and it never really passed that obstacle

 

[Rob Hal]

Chrono Cross suffers from what I like to call "too many fucking characters" syndrome. Rather than playing a deep RPG with lots of character building and character moments, sometimes I felt as if i was playing a game of pokemon where I was trying to catch em all. Other than Surge and Kid, I just never really felt connected to any of the characters. Other than that it was a great game but that was a big hurdle to overcome in my eyes and it never really passed that obstacle

I can certainly understand your point on that issue... I love the Final Fantasy games for the character driven storylines, and that's something in Chrono Cross that is limited to Serge and Kidd because of that fact that every other character MAY join your party as some point. On the other hand, there are some great side stories that only occur if you have certain characters in your party, and I've always been really fond of that concept... so there isn't any decent development for most characters, but there are a few good moments, if you ask me.

Although I do wish CC would have had more double/triple techs like CT did. CC only had two triples!

 

[CommodoreKong]

It takes some getting used to, but I'd say the storyline is actually better than the first. How far did you get?

Honestly it's been so long I have no idea, it's been at least 5 years.

 

[firehawk12]

Cross is probably best known for the music, which MIGHT be more inspired than the Trigger soundtrack.

I never got through the game though.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Chrono Trigger is seriously my favorite game. I can revisit it over and over and over and I will never ever get bored with it. I've lost count the number of times I've played through the game. That is a serious testament to quality. When the DS remake/port came out, I had to have it first day, and I've continued to play through that time and time again.

I've never had the chance to play Chrono Cross, but it's on my list. I'm very much expecting to be incredibly dissapointed, but I'm still curious.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I'm up to the point of the final side quests in the DS port of CT. Just got through the Rainbow Shell quest, actually. I'd forgotten how touching some parts of the story were. If CC was lacking anything, it was some of that emotional resonance. Serge/Kid just doesn't really touch Crono/Marle. Probably a minor thing I could forgive an otherwise excellent game, though.

Has anyone gotten through the Lost Sanctum quests in the DS port? I've heard they are cruelly repetitive and that the rewards aren't even that great. I'm tempted just to move ahead with the endgame so I can New Game+ through it instead.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I've never had the chance to play Chrono Cross, but it's on my list. I'm very much expecting to be incredibly dissapointed, but I'm still curious.

If you go in expecting a certain kind of game, yes, you'll be disappointed. It builds on CT's mythos in a kind of oblique way, and doesn't come off as a direct sequel until you get quite far into it. Story-wise, however, I think it's an amazing game, with great visuals and even better music. The battle system is passable--it bears a slight resemblance to the original, with some twists thrown in.

I think since I got it several years after it came out, I wasn't set up to be disappointed. Anyone who went in expecting a direct sequel to CT, yeah, I can understand how they found it lacking. So I try to think of it as a game that builds on the mythos rather than directly continuing the story of the first. I also didn't go around trying to collect every character, which I understand was a source of frustration for many.

 

[Rob Hal]

You definitely cannot look at Chrono Cross as Chrono Trigger 2. If you try to look at it that way, then certainly you'll be disappointed in what you get from Chrono Cross. You have to play CC and enjoy it on an entirely different level than Chrono Trigger. I am not lying when I say the CC is probably one of my five favorite video games on any system.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Same here. CC is one game I intend never to part with. I think an ideal third game would bridge the two in some unique way--bringing together the time travel/parallel world concepts into something different but appropriate to the series.

 

[firehawk12]

Well, there is the text adventure game thing... Radical Dreamers or whatever.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

I'm up to the point of the final side quests in the DS port of CT. Just got through the Rainbow Shell quest, actually. I'd forgotten how touching some parts of the story were. If CC was lacking anything, it was some of that emotional resonance. Serge/Kid just doesn't really touch Crono/Marle. Probably a minor thing I could forgive an otherwise excellent game, though.

Has anyone gotten through the Lost Sanctum quests in the DS port? I've heard they are cruelly repetitive and that the rewards aren't even that great. I'm tempted just to move ahead with the endgame so I can New Game+ through it instead.

The Lost Sanctum is one of the worst dungeons ever conceived. Up the mountain, down the mountain, up the mountain, down the mountain, up the mountain, down the mountain. I was so close to giving it up completely and it was a chore to keep going. This doesn't blemish Chrono Trigger in any way, since this is completely optional. The best reward to be had is an accessory that increases critical chance. It's gotten about half way through the quest. It combined with one of Robo's new weapons (which always hits for 9999 on critical) is pretty damn cheap.

 

[Skywalker]

I'm honestly considering getting a Nintendo DS just so I can buy Chrono Trigger for it.

I never finished Chrono Cross, alas. Can't remember why not.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I just got my ass handed to me by Lavos in two rounds. Guess I should level up some more...

 

[eastman23]

I just got my ass handed to me by Lavos in two rounds. Guess I should level up some more...

Bah, just take the Epoch and crash it into Lavos. Skip the first set of battles.