I am sure to rage a few fan boys when I say that Chrono Cross was the best RPG on the original PlayStation. The 2nd best was a Final Fantasy Game, but it was IX, not VII. All backlash aside, Chrono Cross was phenomenal. It was a critical, as well as, a commercial success. So why, I ask, is it 10 years later, and I still have no Chrono Sequel? Where the eff is my Chrono Break?
I wasn’t introduced to the Japanese Role Playing Game until around 1997. Final Fantasy VII was the “Tickle-me-Elmo” for all gamers that holiday season. Even if you didn’t know what the hell a Chocobo or a Mog was, Final Fantasy VII was everywhere. Commercials, magazines, you name it. While I played the original Final Fantasy on the NES when I was a kid, I didn’t fully understand what I was doing/playing. All my characters had names like “AAAA”, “BBBB”, “IIIQ” etc. They were also all fighters because I didn’t understand classes. Honestly I bought it from a friend of mine for $30 because I liked the instruction manual.
The Game that will never happen.
When the first shots were fired in the 16-bit wars, I left the Nintendo Confederates to cross lines to the Sega camp. A decision I would never regret (Blast Processing!). My best friend had an SNES, so I wasn’t missing out much (No blood in Mortal Kombat? No thank you), or so I thought. It wasn’t until Christmas 1997 that I was (re)introduced to the world of Final Fantasy. But wait a second, this was VII. The last one I played was 1. I was saddened to find out that all the Final Fantasies were being had on the Nintendo systems…exclusively. While the only RPG games on the Sega were Phantasy Star and Beyond Oasis.
While Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG I played, fully aware of what an RPG was, my favorite RPG of the PSX era was Chrono Cross.
Hell of a segue, eh?
The back story is there to explain why I played Chrono Cross first, and then later went back (by way of Final Fantasy Chronicles) to play Chrono Trigger.
They were both great, but Chrono Cross was heads and tails above anything else I‘ve played, even Final Fantasy VII. It had dozens of playable characters, time travel, a fun battle system, graphics that blew my mind, and, of course, The Magical Dreamers. Chrono Trigger was all 2D (the way games should be, but that’s another show), and if I would have seen this when it originally came out, it would have blown my 16-bit mind. I played Chrono Cross through twice, and no game would come close to topping the experience I had with that until I got my hands on Final Fantasy IX.
Then a few years later we got an announcement that Square-Enix (then Squaresoft) trademarked the name “Chrono Break” , and there was much nerd rejoicing. They were actually gonna make a sequel for the PS2.
Then…nothing.
There hasn’t been so much as a whisper since 2006, and when asked about it at E3 2009, Square-Enix Senior Vice President Shinji Hashimoto remarked, “If people want a sequel, they should buy more!”
Buy more? Are you kidding? Every gaming fan in America will shell out $60 this year when Final Fantasy XIII finally hits our shores. In Japan, anything with the words “Square” or “Enix” in the title automatically call for lines around the block. Dragon Warrior IX has been setting record numbers in Japan since its release on the DS last year.
This isn’t the first series Square-Enix made me fall in love with only to crush my gamer spirit. They gave me two Parasite Eve games only to put the sequel on a Japanese only cell phone. Also, you can put “XENO” in front of as many games as you want, but Xenogears still hasn’t seen a proper Square-Enix sequel.
Meanwhile we have seen so many “Sagas” and “Manas” that they have lost their way.
I would take a Chrono sequel on anything right now. I would even buy a Nintendo Wii for the 3rd time if it was my only way to play it.
Seriously, What the Eff?
Is there anyone else out there who has fond memories of Crono and his gang? I saw a guy on YouTube who modded a copy of Chrono Trigger to propose to his girl. That is serious fandom.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Chrono Cross is definitely in the top 10 of all time phenomenal RPGs. I’ll just say I disagree with you completely on it being number 1, and agree with you completely in saying another Chrono sequel is wanted.
I agree. I’ve been waiting for a sequel of both Chrono Cross and Xenogears for a while!
I’ve never played Chrono Cross…but I play through Chrono Trigger every couple years and it’s still one of my favorites.
Yeah this is something I’ve never understood. Every other franchise in gaming history gets milked to no end if it’s mildly successful, but for some reason no one will make a new chrono game. I’ve purchased chrono trigger twice. Come on Square, it’s like money in the bank, just make it happen.
I should go back and finish this game. That video you linked at the end was adorable! I cant believe I have never seen it before. Your articles just get better and better!
Chrono Cross is definely one of my favorite games! Tones of characters, multiple endings, interesting items, a cool battle system, and a new game+. A sequel is indeed over-due!
I chanced upon Trigger when I was way younger and spent a lot of time I should have spent sleeping playing the game. I loved it and have replayed it at least 30 times over the years. Cross I didn’t enjoy so much the first time round, probably because I was a bit dense to understand the plot completely. The second time I played it I loved it too, though Trigger still takes top spot. Ever since, I couldn’t play a Final Fantasy and say that it was as good and have since stopped. I know Chrono Break isn’t likely to come out, what with all the politicking at Square, but I do harbour some hope. I’m glad to know people still post about Chrono Break in 2010, and I hope that somehow, sometime, some one from Square would read this. On behalf of all the fans, we are still waiting.
This is so true. Actually I think everything went wrong when SquareSoft decided to buy Enix stocks and blend together. Has SquareEnix release anything really as cool as Chrono Cross and Xenogears (and many other things from the Snes-Playstation Era) since then ? Appart from making a fuss of FF 20th anniversary, they didn’t do much. And I’m tired of seeing bullshit like Final Fantasy Tactics DS or Dissidia being released. Those stuff have no scripts, no interestings characters, nothing compared to what the company used to release 10 or even 20 years ago. I haven’t played FFXIII yet, but critics are not so good, apparently.. Quality is not here anymore.
The reason why we don’t have another sequel is, as I read it, because the most importants guys in charge of the Chrono Saga, like Masato Kato or Yasunori Mitsuda are dispatched on projects in other companies. They just can’t put them all back together at the same time.
What I believe is : SquareEnix is now all about money and relationship marketing.
Still, you can try some RPGs from MistWalker, Sakaguchi’s new company. And important staff from the long-gone SquareSoft are part of it. Try out Lost Odyssey, it is absolutely wonderful !
Man I know exactly what you are talking about.
Yeah really, I want my helping of a new Chrono game! CT is my favorite game, and Cross is pretty good too. I recently bought FFXIII…wow, the game is amazing looking, but lacks everything all the other FF games hold. I miss the old Square :[
I think Square should outsorce the Chrono series to a good company like Mistwalker, they (IMO) have made one bad game (Blue Dragon) otherwise all of the othergames they have created are awesome.
I think FF VIII is better than VII and IX.
But Chrono Cross is also my favorite game of all time.