Getting the bad ending for Chrono Cross was one of my top “WTF” moments in gaming, and not in a good way. Nearly 20 years later during the COVID-19 lockdown, I’ve managed to power through New Game Plus in under 30 hours, and finally saw the true* ending! Like most people, I thought the plot threads weren’t handled particularly well, as they had tried to explain too much within walls of text in a very short amount of time. It was kind of similar to Xenogears in that sense, actually, and it’s no surprise that Masato Kato was involved in both games. Luckily there was still a lot of gameplay to be had in Chrono Cross during the endgame phase, unlike Xenogears.

Having said all of that, I think what matters more is the journey, not the destination, and what a journey Chrono Cross was! It’s a crime that this game still has not been released in the PAL regions to this day. I feel like the game still holds up in 2020 due to these things:

• The amazing soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda
• The excellent art style with a heavy focus on seas and islands (lots of water)
• The fun battle system with stamina and elements (though allocating elements became a pain in the butt)

There are over 40 playable characters in this game. I didn’t mind it, but I can see why it wasn’t a popular choice either, as only a few were kind of essential to the plot. To me it was just interesting to see all the weird designs and personalities. Radius, Viper, Karsh, Riddel and the Acacia Dragoons had some great sub-plots and scenarios. The concert to restore Marbule was also memorable, as well as the sombre Dead Sea with the future that never came to be. How about when the dragons got together and you realised that they weren’t exactly on your side, or Lucca’s orphanage in flames? Just many great moments throughout the adventure.

I definitely recommend Chrono Cross as long as you’re not expecting it to be a direct sequel to Trigger. I thought the loose focus on the consequences of Trigger was interesting, as well as the environmentalism themes prevalent throughout the game. It’s mature and quite dark at times, which made me appreciate the writers and the messages they were trying to convey. It’s one of those games where you can do some self-reflection after the end credits roll. Even better if you throw on the soundtrack while you’re doing that.

*Yellow -> Red -> Green -> Blue -> Black -> White -> Chrono Cross