For all the Dreamers - Our planet's dream is not over yet...

Where to begin with the Chrono Cross memorandum? I enjoyed the game, but it’s a mess. From gameplay to story, there are a lot of holes to talk about. Because I’m a negative person, let’s start with the bad things.

There’s nothing game breakingly terrible about CC, but the thing I hated the most was the plot. It’s a neat idea: exploring two separate timelines, seeing the differences, learning how they’re different, and finding items across both realms to compliment each other. It’s an idea that I don’t think has been done much in video game history. Even in Chrono Trigger, the changes always seemed minimal. With the exception of Fiona’s Forest, and the Ozzie Saga, I never felt like any actions in the past changed the future. Now, there’s a huge stretch of time between most eras, so I guess it makes sense. Here, though, it’s just two independent universes, neither interacting with the other. The smaller scale would seem to lead to a more focused game with fewer issues, but that would be wrong. I’ve asked several questions throughout these writings, and, while some were answered shortly thereafter, many are still unanswered. The goal of FATE, for example, was solved two minutes after I asked it. Some questions are just simple plot holes that don’t ruin the game. The existence of Dinopolis, Dario’s survival, and the whereabouts of several minor characters like Skelly in the other world don’t need an answer. But there’s still one I’m curious about: where’s Home World Kid?

If you read online, you learn Kid went back in time to save Serge from drowning, which is how he’s still alive 14 years after Another Serge died. Is this mentioned in game? Even if it is, where is she now? There’s one theory that says Kid went back AFTER Lavos’ defeat, but there’s a paradox there on level with FFVIII SeeD’s creation. I know plotholes and paradoxes are rampant in the Chrono-verse, or anything time travel related, but this a massive one for me. We know where every significant character is across both worlds, except for her. Not only that, but it could have been a fun side plot that solved several issues.

We also have issues with how the story was told. So much of it is massive plot dumps that come just before they’re relevant. Everything about Chronopolis is said while in Chronopolis. There’s no foreshadowing, and it’s a borderline afterthought when we’re done. The effects of the Record of Fate is never brought up when we know it’s truth. Balthazar never says anything about it when we learn who he is. Some notes Marge had from Wazuki might be interesting if we see his descent into madness. A farewell from Bal' just before we finish the game could solve a few things.

I question how much of this is actually a sequel to Trigger. Well, that’s a terrible way to say it, so let me restate it. I feel like the link to Chrono Trigger was a late minute add. There’s a lot of things that don’t make sense. Where are Crono and Marle? We know Lucca was killed by Lynx, but where’s the King and Queen? The PS version of CT ads an ending where Giardia fell. But how? Who stole the Masamune to make it evil, and why is it a swallow? Why is Frog not referenced at all? Except for nouns, there’s no connection. Rename those nouns and see how much the game changes. Honestly, it might be for the better.

There are too many characters. If they felt important and meaningful, maybe it would be fine, but ao many don’t. Pip, Neofio, Skelly; what’s the point? Some are kinda interesting, like Greco and Guile, but they’re tertiary to other characters. Serge and Kid are the only real party members. Leena and those related to Viper are the only characters who feel like they should be playable characters. Razzly and Fargo & Associates probably fit in that category, as well. This is only half of the 44 characters, though. This bloat led to many characters not being important, either for lack of plot or just because they’re not. Did you know there’s a sentient turnip you can recruit? There seems to be bits and pieces here and there, but you really have to work to find them. Bring a character along during a certain event, or that connection is lost forever. But even if you do get it, it doesn't feel like a great reward for your exploration. But how are you to know to bring said character along in the first place? I've read that Sneff has close relations to a few other characters. I tried to find them while playing, but I think missed them and just stopped caring about everyone involved.

Even without missed connections, I have questions and things I want to know more. This can go either way, so I’ll put it in the middle of my cons and pros. The world feels huge and filled with things that fill my (nonwritten) fanfiction. Tell me more about the Einlanzer. The Masamune got more backstory and growth across both games than most characters combined. Why not do the same with the Einlanzer? Explain why it's a holy sword. Who made it? Who is it’s Cyrus? Another question: when were Elements discovered? Those don’t affect my feelings towards the game, and this is only a personal thing, but I love knowledge and lore. Tell me everything! Expansive Worlds are low-key, one of my favorite things. El Nido is a small world filled with giant lore, and I dig it.

Now, those seem like massive reasons to not like Chrono Cross, but I still enjoyed the game and wish there was more too it. The good things Chrono Cross does are absolutely top-notch.

Let's start with the plot. I know, I just ripped it apart, but I still find it great. I’ve always been interested in alternate realities. What would the world be like if Harald Hardrada became king of England or if Constantinople never fell? While not some grandiose and worldwide location, we see this on the small, local scale here. We don’t know anything about Guardia of Medina, but we see differences across both El Nidos. From what could have happened if Serge survived in Arni, to the islands as a whole, despite him having no say in the matter. Every location feels distinctly different. Each Dragon Isle is changed across both worlds. We see how Termina can be changed by the actions of one man. Seeing Norris be a terrible dishwasher in Another World, and the Black Wind Leader back in Home is an excellent example. I'd suggest making it more obvious, though. Even locations with minimal shifts like the Isle of the Damned and Goldove have different inhabitants feel unique when compared to their twin.

Another surprise, the characters are great. The ones we get to know show everything I want in character growth and personality. Viper is set to be some villainous old guy when he’s actually a kind and just leader who’s been led astray by the real evil. Karsh is a hardnose soldier hellbent to kill us but is just like his leader. Sadly, ZOAH and Marcy don’t get the same treatment, but what can ya do (other than remove half the characters). Wanting to know more about certain characters (Steena, Riddle, Draggy, Luccia) isn't a bad thing if there's enough there to grab onto at the start. The accent system is a small but great idea. Just by adding a few eccentric letters between words, we can tell a lot about a character: their origin, personality, mannerisms. I wish there was some consistency or expansion to it through. Why does Zappa have a Scottish accent? Demi-humans should also have their own unique remarks. Actually, Poore should too.

While I think the battle system is flawed, the basics are all there for greatness. It adds an interesting level of strategy and customization. If you’re against a certain type of monster, equip elements to target its weaknesses. I never brought this up, but you can escape from ANY fight and re-do your grid before trying again. It allows you to explore and doesn't punish you for trying things. I also like the idea of attack strengths for accuracy. Do you want to low damage, but near guaranteed hits while building up your grid? Use only half of your stamina for a quick recovery? It makes me wonder if there’s a proper bell curve strategy for min-maxing or if brute force is the way to go? The character innates are a double bladed sword. You rarely want to bring a team of multiple innates to a fight since it’s too limiting for general use. But that also means some characters will never be used. Steena and Riddle seem like fun characters, but I’m not gonna run two whites. Particularly ones with low defensive stats who can get one-shotted. The tech skills also give personality and characterization, especially since many of them are received via an event. I laughed when Kid started using one of Lucca’s inventions. I wish there were some ATE systems like Trigger had, though. Wither that system was tried to stamina or a separate speed stat is something I'll leave to the dev team. It might have alleviated my frustration with getting interrupted during my attacks. It might even lead to more exciting bosses. As is, most bosses are the same and require pretty much the same strategy. With an ATB, throw in more tactics like counters, more strengths, weaknesses, attack type pros, or something. I think that's why Dario felt so challenging. He's the only one with a unique move set. Many bosses have well programmed operations which they don't deviate from. So throw in someone who shifts the curve, and it's gonna take a moment to figure out.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: Chrono Cross has the best OST in the history of video games. Yes, better than Trigger. Dreams from Another Shore is one of the best tunes ever written, and I could say that about half the songs in the game; Star Stealing Girl, Radical Dreamers, Life, Garden of Gods. I’ve listened to CC more than any other soundtrack, and I haven’t played the game in over ten years. I've got several Remix albums on my computer or saved on Youtube. I’ve always preferred Yasunori Mitsuda to Uematsu, and his work here is largely why.

The music leads into my last point: El Nido is a top tier location. I think that's mostly due to the music fitting the locale so well. If I'm in a tropical paradise, which El Nido seems to be, I want to feel like it. If I frequented a beach, I'd have half of the sounds on a beach playlist, and I don't think anyone could argue they don't belong. I don't feel like I'm suddenly in a western locale or in any snowy places at any point. The archipelago is a bright and colorful group of islands that hide a lot dark and depressing moments. There's a lot of death and suffering down here. The duality of the place makes it stick out to me from other game locations. More often than not, depressing plots have dreary locations. FFVII is gritty, as is Midgar as a whole. El Nido lacks fluff. Because of the small geographic location, every place you can go to is important, and there are no wasted interiors. On the contrary, I feel like there should be more places. I think the Hydra Marshes were too important than they needed to be.  They're involved in curing Kid, the dwarves attack on Water Dragon Isle, the gateway to Gaea's Navel, and the wormhole back to where Sprigg is from. The devs really wanted to make sure you set foot here, and I'm not sure why.

Chrono Cross is a flawed but thoroughly enjoyable play. There are many questions to be answered, and I’ll assume some can be found with better exploration. I’ve forgotten most of the game since my last playthrough, during my dark ages, so I felt this was as close to a fresh game as one can get. It’s kind of a terrible sequel, but it’s great on its own. If you tell me that doesn’t make sense, I’d believe it, but it's still 100 percent accurate. At the end of the day, I had fun, cried a little, and want to keep playing. Any game that makes me want to keep playing is always a good game. I absolutely recommend at least one go-around of El Nido with our dead boy, Serge.