I don't typically write on forums, so this post may be longer than what is considered the norm. Also I am not hesitant to admit that I my opinions tend to be largely cynical and pessimistic, so please feel free to correct / contend with me on this issue.
Before we all start clamoring for a new Chrono game, I believe we need to step back and reflect on the trash that Square Enix has been producing as of recently. Please allow me to clarify the issue with a very recent example:
I played FF7 for the first time very recently (although ironically, I had played all the other FFs before that) and I was, to say the least, astounded by the quality of the game. The graphics were great (relatively speaking), the plot was intriguing and the character development was very well done. That was how Squaresoft worked almost a decade ago - dedicated to producing quality products of the highest caliber. Unfortunately, as businesses grow, the aim goes from producing high quality products to increasing profit margins. Final Fantasy 7 was a great game, but (in my humble opinion), I felt that a sequel would never meet the same standards that they had unwittingly set for themselves, and it seemed Square had silently acknowledged this as for five to six years, they essentially refused to work on extending a best-selling title.
So what changed their decision? Money. I am almost positive that their decision to produce a "FF7 Compilation" was based more on dollar (or yen) signs rather than satisfying the eager/diehard fans of the FF7 franchise. Of course, who can blame a company for wanting to make money? But that is beside the point. Square observed the intensity of fan requests for a sequel and decided to capitalize on this financial opportunity by producing two "sequels" to the original game. Sadly, by doing so, they effectively polluted the entire franchise. Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children was, by far, one of the worst movies I've ever seen - nice CGI but essentially all action, pitiful character development and a one-dimensional, mundane, utterly useless plot. The only thing they managed to get right was the OST, and that was essentially based off of the original game's soundtrack. Final Fantasy 7: Dirge of Cerberus has not been released in the US, but most reviewers have labeled it as a poorly crafted, mediocre game. When a magazine that is largely biased towards your own products (Famitsu) awards a 28/40 to a game that is supposed to be a sequel to one of the best RPGs ever created, you know you have problems. I know some people would argue that two games are better than no games, but I beg to differ. I would have rather that the legacy and image of FF7 remain unblemished instead of Square converting it to complete filth by selling out.
So how exactly does this correlate with the Chrono series? 100%. Chrono Trigger also shares a berth in the upper echelon with FF7 and is as good (if not better) than FF7. Chrono Cross (in my opinion) was of equal caliber although it suffered poor sales in Japan for some reason (possible due to the release of the PS2). Either way, both games were produced before Squaresoft merged with Enix, mutating from a quality-game producing company to a money-grubbing machine. I fear a Chrono sequel because I fear that we will see filth worse than what followed FF7. I can see horrible story lines, poor gameplay and a general defilation of two games which, years after their release, continue to take the gaming community by storm (as evidenced by the existence of sites such as ChronoCompendium.Com). Again, one could argue that a crappy sequel is better than no game at all, but I do not want a product that exploits eager fans like ourselves for profit, and by sending these emails, we are encouraging this sort of thing. If a Chrono game comes out, I want it to be a high quality, intense game. I want it to get a 10/10 on every gaming website and sell millions of copies worldwide. Perhaps I am obsessed with statistics, but both Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross have set high expectations, and if Square cannot even partially reach such expectations, then they should not even bother wasting the avid fan's time and money. Leave the Chrono series pristine - don't infect it with the stupidity that seems to be crawling through SquareEnix's employees.
On top of that, there are logistical issues in producing a sequel that does more than cover random "plotholes" and at the same time present a compelling, unified plot. Couple this giant obstacle with the goal of producing a cheap game to sell rapidly, and upon release, you may have the largest wave of depression to ever hit a set of fans.
Of course, I could be wrong. FF12 received a 40/40 from Famitsu (only the 6th game ever to receive such a rating) and all reviews point to it being on par with FF7. But I still look at FF7:DOC and FF7:AC and FFX-2 and a feeling of dread creeps in my heart. So I ask you all: do we risk another Chrono game? Do we buy into the monster that SquareEnix has become?
Any feedback or discussion on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
