Chrono Cross, An RPG Legend

Chrono Cross was originally released in 2000.  It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger.  While often overshadowed by Final Fantasy VII, it is an amazing RPG in it’s own right and I would say is one of the very few that can actually compete with Final Fantasy VII.

The story begins years after the end of Chrono Trigger.  If you haven’t played it, no worries, it won’t take anything away from the story.  There will just be things that people who have played Chrono Trigger will recognize, while you won’t see much importance in them.  The story follows Serge, a young man who is somehow sent through a wormhole into a different world, which is sort of a reflection of the his home world, but where people have taken different paths.  Serge died years ago in the other world.  Trying to figure everything out, Serge, with help from the mysterious girl Kid, comes face to face with the terrifying villain Lynx.  I’m not going to give any more away than that.

A word of advice, like all old rpgs, I would highly recommend getting a strategy guide for this game.  There are hidden items and characters to recruit that honestly seem  impossible to figure out without help.  Use Gamefaqs.com perhaps?

One interesting thing about Chrono Cross is the sheer number of characters there are.  With over 40 characters to recruit, there is no end to the possibilities.  Of course, you will have to complete the game three times in order to unlock every single character.  The offering of New Game Plus is a great aspect to the game, as it allows you access to different endings, more characters, other hidden extras, and plenty more hours of play.

Equipment is pretty standard.  Each character gets a weapon, armor, and three accessories.  Magic, however, is very interesting.  Characters use elements, which are set into a grid.  The grid has different levels (1-8) the higher the level, the stronger the element.  There are 6 different colors, red and blue, yellow and green, and white and black.  Each color is “super-effective” against its paired color.  Each enemy and character has a color, called an innate.  Therefore, using a white element on a black innate creature will deal more damage, while using a black one will deal less.  There is also field effect that strengthens elements of the same color.  There are many different combinations and techniques to use in this very immersive and strategically rewarding system.  In order to use elements, characters have to attack, and with each successful hit, they increase their element power.

For instance, the use of “turn elements” can be very useful.  If you’re up against an innate blue creature, you can use turn white on it to change its innate and then pound it with a black element to do increased damage.  That’s just one of many strategies.

The story itself is a lot better written than many other games, no matter the age.  It is interesting and draws the player into it.  This game has enough content in it to keep you busy for a very long time with all the sidequests and the new game plus options.  I would highly recommend this to any RPG fan.  If you haven’t played Chrono Cross, you’re definitely missing out on one of the greatest RPGs.

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