You start out as “Serge,” a pretty typical “silent protagonist” who died in one reality awhile back but is alive in his own reality. I jest somewhat, but here’s a sampling of where the story goes. Actually, it kind of is, because after awhile you have no choice but to give up on understanding everything and you’re just along for the ride and don’t have to concern yourself with such trivial matters as “plot” or “story.” Its aforementioned story is virtually impossible to follow, so that’s fun. Its story is hugely ambitious, and it features a roster of playable characters so massive (and ultimately disposable), you’d think it was a listing of drummers for Spinal Tap. Released in 1999 for the original Playstation, it stretches the limits of that original hardware, boasting incredible artwork, sound, and depth of game play. Still, the problem for all those fans who rejected this one is that it’s a really damn fine game.Ĭhrono Cross, on its own merits, is an absolute tour de force in design and execution, and was recognized as such by the critics. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Despite earning critical acclaim, many fans of the previous game rejected this one because it deviated so completely from Trigger. Of course, all of that effort not to “hurt” the original game probably made matters worse.
The goal was to avoid “sullying” the legacy of the previous game, which had been held up by some as role-playing game perfection (or some such). Set in the same world as Chrono Trigger, but across multiple universes (the player is able to leap back and forth between two universes in which a singular event changed things dramatically), Chrono Cross very deliberately veered away from the main protagonists of the previous game, only bringing them in for brief cameos. But eventually, Chrono Cross began to take shape thanks to the efforts of a development team that numbered nearly 100 ( source: GamePro). For even the developers, Radical Dreamers seemed a little half-done (explaining why it never made it stateside), so work on a “proper” sequel expanding on the Radical Dreamers story beats was begun soon thereafter.Īn early attempt eventually morphed into the game Xenogears, which would itself become another valued Square property. A text-based adventure “Radical Dreamers” was released in Japan as a continuation of the story in 1996. It was so immediately beloved, in fact, that questions of a sequel began right away. If all of that sounds convoluted, well it’s nothing compared to the project’s development … or its plot.Ĭhrono Trigger, a Square property widely considered to be one of the greatest role-playing games ever released, debuted for the Super Nintendo in 1995 and was an instant hit. Welcome to Chrono Cross, one of the more fascinating non-sequels in the history of video gaming.
What happens when a sequel isn’t really a sequel, but more of a thematic continuation, but only because it deviates so wildly from the source material, but ultimately in a good way, but not in a way most fans expected or wanted? WhoDatJedi podcast: The Book of Boba Fett, Chapter 2: Finding a new outlook.WhoDatJedi podcast: The Book of Boba Fett, Chapter 3: Looks matter.The Rise of Skywalker retrospective: The kids are alright.
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