CHRONO CROSS | A Complete Retrospective and Story Analysis 

I'll be honest I didn't watch the whole video because I want to avoid spoilers as I want to play the remastered version when it comes out. But I respect the hard work you put into this, retrospectives or analysis videos aren't easy to do lol. I tried doing it once but I never could get the time to. Anyway you definitely deserve more subs imho. Keep up the excellent work.

My favourite game off all time by far. Dude it's the only game that makes me in certain moments so emotional.

Despite its flaws Chrono Cross is one of my most favorite and replayed games from PS1. The music is just amazing, and overall I prefer way more Chrono Cross than Chrono Trigger.

Can’t wait to watch this video before I play the remaster. Chrono Cross was one of my favorite games back in the day. The OST is top five all time.

I appreciate the quality that went into this video and editing

Totally different feels. Ff7 was my first ff series and chrono cross was my first rog I actually finished first. They have totally different feels but are amazing games in their own right. My older bro beat ff7 but could never beat chrono cross. I think it depends on the player on the time they’re playing the game. It may not be for everyone but as someone who cherishes both to this day as someone in their 30’s these are the two most favorite and beloved games I will play over and over again until my life ends. Both hold nostalgia and overall hold such a place in my heart and soul. Gameplay, music, battles (were what they were at the time.) They are just perfect to me yet different game styles in their own way. Literally my top two games of my life❤❤❤

The ps4 remaster wasn't really a remaster. There was no existing copy left of complete code. It had to be reconstructed and there was no real enhanced things per se except the soundtrack. It was a labor of love, and I'm grateful. To me, it will always be the first and best JRPG that I have ever played. The soundtrack is the best game soundtrack I've ever heard except the main battle scene, but the one for boss battles and Miguel. Thanks for including the concert; I'm playing through again and just got "the Recruiter" trophy, so next game I don't have to skip it. I still find Miguel the toughest boss, and point out that Irenes is a party member who must accompany you in it. She hasn't much attack power but is likely to survive, so give her at least 1 Revive and lots of healing elements. Although the game need not be grindy, you still want to collect spoils after battles to sell or use in upgrading armor and weapons. I saw a demo disc with the FMV OF Time's Scar and instantly knew I had to have it. I was never disappointed. I'm still not.

That melody you have to play to get the best ending gives my eye a twitch. It's gorgeous and haunting and IMPOSSIBLE TO FORM IN BATTLE.

I had no intention of playing the remaster but watching your video has given me second thoughts... Excellent video!

This is great. Very thorough. I also love Chrono Cross. :)

“…thats why i believe that cross is cross, and NOT TRIGGER 2” This is by far the most self defeating statement i ever read. The whole point of a sequel is to be [insert game] 2. These developers really went in a wrong direction no wonder the game is divisive

Not nearly enough people talk about the similarities between the song Nikki plays during his concert and the Top Gun theme

One of the things everyone sleeps on in terms of Chrono Cross is actually how the battle gameplay is designed to favor the player and keep the game fun without being frustrating and annoying. Beyond eliminating grinding to the point that it's a game that can straight up be cleared without ever fighting a single non-boss battle, you can flee from any fight in the game, even boss battles, the game is a pioneer of modern RPGs by allowing you to automatically heal after battles instead of having to go into the menu to do it manually, there are ways to get ahead of the curve with only a little bit of effort if you know where to look for equipment and accessories, and it actually has a remarkably small amount of randomness when it comes to its fights, being limited only to the sometimes decidedly unfair accuracy system (everyone who's played this game has missed some 99% hits far more than they should) and the bosses' starting action point counter, otherwise, almost every enemy either follows a pattern or can be manipulated to execute certain actions, and there's only a small handful of items you can permanently miss, which isn't an issue because the game was also a pioneer of modern RPGs by having an in-game speedup function unlocked by beating the game once and playing a new game plus, so you can easily go around collecting the items the second time around. Furthermore, while getting access to the ultimate craftables is a sidequest that requires you to go out of your way, actually crafting those items is actually really, really easy, as the only thing it requires you to do is... defeat enemies using your summon elements. Which would seem kind of cumbersome at first only until you realize there's a spot in the game where you can easily refight groups of weak enemies, and even without the Field elements for White and Black, once you learn how to set up summons it becomes really easy to do. I really wish more people had learned from Chrono Cross to be a game that... actually wants the player to have fun, rather than wanting to waste the player's time.

The biggest problem with the game is scope. Like half the characters should have been cut so that they could have focused on like 20-25 of them. Guile is the worst victim of this lack of focus. I totally get why the story / setting was like it was. If it was time travel again then they would of just been stepping on the toes of Trigger’s timeline(s). Oh yeah, great vid!

I'm late to post a comment since I watched originally on my tv but just wanted to let you know that this retrospective is so damn good, Spoons! I had to skip the spoilers of course because I'm planning to pick up the Radical Dreams version. The game just looks so colorful and beautiful and you got me even more hyped up for it! I really need to finish Ys 8 already so I can get back into playing through JRPGs without guilt. People who complained about the battle music must've never heard "Eternity" from Blue Dragon. XD

I can't wait for the remaster; can't wait to play this again :D One of the memorable games I've played from before.

Nice review, watched the whole thing. Maybe didnt the Niki and Miki concert in full. I preferred listening to your ideas.

Appreciate the video!!!

It is my favorite video game of all time too.

Really liked the review! *But you're still hungry*

Cross is my favorite video game of all time.

God I love that battle theme, cross is just art

Anyone have a link to the song playing from 01:20, that particular version?

I been playing games since 1995 and I don't care what anyone says. Chrono Cross is the BEST PS1 RPG Square Soft ever produced. It's has an amazing story, a shit ton of characters, and the most replay value because of the way the game is structured. You can't 100% the game without 3 Playthroughs if I remember correctly. I always remember getting the duplicate Excalibur sword that there is only one of for Glenn by getting it out of both timelines. Makes him just destroy but it's super end game. Best PS1 RPG ever made. Nothing comes close and I've played them all. I'd be 1000s of times more excited for a true Chrono Cross Remake over the FF7 remake any day 100% of the time.

Off topic.... What's your quick thoughts on Persona 4 Arena Ultimax? It piqued my interest because I like persona 4. Is it a casual fighter I can get into?

Chrono Cross is so determistic, pretty much the opposite of Chrono Trigger

what is the song that plays at 28:18?

Tbh I find it one of the more lacking games out of the "golden era" not that it's actually bad or anything... but I tought that a lot of the encounters with scripted enemies like the dragoons and such were too "naked" ? I guess... like they pop up, tell you they were going to stop you or whatever, you crush them. And they dissapear. No further interaction going on. Not even a small "what was that about" from the party or anything. I dunno it just feels like those things were getting me out of the immersion or something. And I remember it happening quite often. I know it's somewhat nitpicking but yeah, it's my 2 cents on it. But don't get me wrong there is also a lot to love about the game, music, cutscenes, innovative battle system for example were top notch ... (and still I complain? Yeah... I might have my priority's messed up)

I invoked 3 summons during my battle against Dragon God :)

Yay

I call it a spiritual successor

The cast always felt like a poor man’s Suikoden. I don’t have the game by any means, but I think it was a mistake to try and distance it from Trigger. The plot taught me a lesson that the movie Inception later reinforced. Just because something is complicated doesn’t mean it’s good.

Correction, Serge and Leena aren't a Couple.

20 hours in, I didn't get why this game was considered a "masterpiece" by many who had played it. After witnessing the true ending, yeah, I get it. What a beautiful game. Convoluted, to be sure, but beautiful.

The biggest problem with Crono Cross was the same as Zelda 2. People thought they were buying a dog that could tricks. Instead they got an elephant that does different tricks. It just wasn't what you were hoping for. In Crono Cross it was the combat for me. I wanted the innovated combat of Choro Trigger. I got Final fantasy combat. You can dress that combat is bright colors. It's still the same BS.

"Here's my deeply held opinion! Let's settle this debate!" I'm listening, but rofl

SuperDerek is that you?!

People wanted a continuation of Chrono Trigger- a return to those characters and that specific world/area. Chrono Cross was a good game, it was just disappointing.

Best rpg...but... The only thing i don't like..is that everyone join to ur party....

It bothers me that whats shown here of the game looks better than whats shown in the remaster trailers.. mind you, THIS being fullscreen

ironic u claiming that CCs translation was solid when it, in fact, wasnt. There's been ALOT that has been lost in translation in this game (I'd like to compare it to FF7 in that regard minus the typos) and while some stuff was creatively tried to fill up some holes (according to the english localizer) with help of Masato Kato it didnt get around to close the circle like intended.

Chrono Cross > FF7, just saying.

Battle music is so bad fighting is meh everything else is great if you put the time in

It just has poor scenario writing. Some people are gonna fall in love with the game regardless. It had a lot of promise, but just like with Xenogears, Square RPGs were going through a sort of ID crisis and they were starting to make slower, more lore and text heavy games as well as their development time increase year after year.

It's pronounced "Har-lee" not "Har-ul", this should be obvious as we commonly pronounce the the type of job she performs as a a Harlequin, also pronounced "Har-lee-kw-in",

"We wanted another game in the Chrono series, but not a sequel to Chrono Trigger." What in the flying fuck is that supposed to even mean? I can only imagine it has something to do with the type of person who thinks there are two Yoshi serieses running concurrently, the "Island" series and the games that just don't have Island in the title. It's the same game. They change art styles and gimmicks all the time, but if having a baby on your back makes it a different series, then Mario Sunshine is a separate series because of F.L.U.D.D. Then there are the ones who put SM64, SMS, and Odyssey in one group; and the Galaxy games, plus 3D Land & World in another... and what metrics are you even using? It's not based on hub worlds, or linear gameplay, playable Luigi, or anything I can tell. Back to the 'series' thing. Okay, so like FFX-2 is a sequel and FFXII is not, I get that... so... either make it a new world like Final Fantasy does each numbered installment; or make it a generational thing like Dragon Quest. Don't go half ass it in both directions at once, that's just weird. Actually, the Zelda series half asses it both ways; this seems more like it's intent on destroying the original, like Ralph Breaks the Internet, or Rise of Skywalker, or that Chip 'N Dale movie.

fuck, while youre talking about the battle system, the fade out and then restart of the battle music got so damn annoying. like having one track on repeat forever. pleease think of your audience.