“So, is this a Chrono Trigger sequel or not?” I said while pulling a friend’s copy of Chrono Cross off their shelf. “Sort of,” they explained. “It is, and it isn’t.” The question immediately sent them into a long-winded ramble involving time travel and phenomenology that faded from my memory ages ago.
That impromptu philosophy lesson was my only experience with Chrono Cross for years. Now, after sinking over 30 hours into this classic turn-based JRPG with the Radical Dreamers Edition, I get why questions regarding its lineage are complicated. Between egregious exposition dumps and an exhaustive list of characters to keep track of, enjoying the plot was challenging for me. However, the wonderfully punchy combat, beautiful soundtrack, and thoughtful coming-of-age tale made Chrono Cross something that had my full attention from beginning to end.
