Newsflash: Chrono Cross was adored by fans and critics

[ZeaLitY]

In case you've been living under a rock for the last three years, know that Chrono Cross was adored by fans and critics. Yesterday, a Gamefaqs top 10 list debuted called "top ten series most overdue for a sequel." The Chrono series was rightfully numero uno, but the paragraph describing it was horribly wrong: the author asserted that Chrono Cross "was almost universally bashed." Tell me; is that why out of 57 reviews on gamerankings, only three are below 4/5? And is that the motivating force behind 3,000 players rating it 9.3/10 on Gamespot's poll? Is that why it sold 1.5 million copies? This is why the Chrono Compendium exists. In 2003, Guile was still Magus and Chrono Cross was still full of plot holes compared to Chrono Trigger. Nowadays, on the other hand, Guile was going to be Magus, and Chrono Cross has zero plot holes while Chrono Trigger has four. Just as the Compendium has enlightened fans concerning the internal logic of the games, the site will put to death the notion that Chrono Cross was hated. Believe it.

[FFXSage]

Chrono Cross was a great game! I think that the reason moree fans don't appreciate it is simply because they don't understand the plot.
Yes, it is rather complex but that's what makes it enjoyable and allows the Compendium to have such compelling articles on it.

That is all.

[Philosopher1701]

What were Chrono Trigger's plot holes?

[V_Translanka]

Although we all know that since it's release, Cross got momentous scores from various websites...I think that may have been cause for more than some of the fan dissapointment...Cross is not a perfect games and there happen to be perfectly reasonable...reasons not to like it. When Cross came out, it may not have been as bashed as the poster of that Top Ten says, but it was bashed quite a lot...Hell, go onto the GameFAQs Trigger board even now and it still gets bashed, I'm pretty sure...

[alternate solution]

In case you've been living under a rock for the last three years, know that Chrono Cross was adored by fans and critics. Yesterday, a Gamefaqs top 10 list debuted called "top ten series most overdue for a sequel." The Chrono series was rightfully numero uno, but the paragraph describing it was horribly wrong: the author asserted that Chrono Cross "was almost universally bashed." Tell me; is that why out of 57 reviews on gamerankings, only three are below 4/5? And is that the motivating force behind 3,000 players rating it 9.3/10 on Gamespot's poll? Is that why it sold 1.5 million copies? This is why the Chrono Compendium exists. In 2003, Guile was still Magus and Chrono Cross was still full of plot holes compared to Chrono Trigger. Nowadays, on the other hand, Guile was going to be Magus, and Chrono Cross has zero plot holes while Chrono Trigger has four. Just as the Compendium has enlightened fans concerning the internal logic of the games, the site will put to death the notion that Chrono Cross was hated. Believe it.

Great post! Just to add to the Cross kudos, it registers 94% on Metacritic, which puts it in their top 5 rated Playstation games.

Keep up the good work on the site!

[grey_the_angel]

What were Chrono Trigger's plot holes?

marle's death at the beginning was a paradox to the plot. lucca's tech could match and beat robo's (she literally fixed him after all with no help.)
Schala's disappearance was a plot hole (never concluded.) and I don't know the fourth one.

[ZeaLitY]

It was NOT mostly bashed. Some people complained but an inordinate number more loved it.

CT's plot holes:

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Plot_Inconsistencies

Schala's disappearance wasn't a plot hole... Just because something isn't resolved does not mean it is an inconsistency. Plot holes exist only when part of the game contradicts another part. Like the fact that Goku spent 13 months training but people can only be wished back 12 months after death. And Lucca's tech is excusable thanks to her genius.

[Lena Andreia]

 I think the only reason it was "bashed" was because it was a different animal than what a lot of people expected (myself included). Personally between the two, I far prefer Trigger, but I played through Cross about 5 or 6 times before I got distracted by DQVII, which proceeded to steal my soul. However, I've beaten Trigger at least 50 or 60 times (and it became sort of a group effort--all of my friends have run through the game at least once on my super new game + file. XD). For some reason, Cross didn't have that sort of replayability with me. But CC is not a bad game--just a misunderstood game. ^^ (Besides, at least they didn't pull a Xenogears and totally halfass the entire last half of the game)

 Actually, I'm considering playing through it again, especially considering that it's become a big part of Crisis, and I need to re-familiarize myself with the mannerisms of the characters. Sad story tho--my game has gone missing. I need to find a new copy...

[ZeaLitY]

Yes, people expected Chrono Trigger 2.

[nightmare975]

Yes, people expected Chrono Trigger 2.

I know I did.

When I first heard it was coming out, I though, "Wow, time traveling on the PS is going to be awesome!" And when I got it, I was kinda bummed out(pissed to be more exact) with the same worlds with some minute differences.

I have never finished the game. My latest attempt failed once again at the Black Dragon. I swear, my game deletes it during my last dragon before the white. So I have never been able to traverse into Chronopolis or Terra Tower or any other location after. The sight of the final boss eludes me even to this day. So yeah, I give my copy of Chrono Cross a 1/10.

[Magus22]

People on gamefaqs and gamespot don't know a whole lot about some games. Sure it's a site with a lot of information, but take The Legend of Dragoon for example.

It sold many copies, greatest hits, loved by many fans because of the insane FMVs that are probably some of the greatest on PS1, and they give it a ranking that doesn't even match the user/review ratings of the fans. As for the CC ranking and what not, again, noone knows what's going on. Half the time these idiots don't look on story line or plot to grade, and instead bash upon other aspects of the game in which fans really don't care about.

[Crazyswordsman]

Chrono Cross was indeed a great game.  My only beef with it was the abundance of characters with little development and the fact that it didn't seem to fit in with Chrono Trigger.  Like people said, I expected a Chrono Trigger 2 of sorts with CC.  But the CT Tie ins were rushed at the player in the waning moments of the game. -CSM

[alternate solution]

Chrono Cross was indeed a great game.  My only beef with it was the abundance of characters with little development and the fact that it didn't seem to fit in with Chrono Trigger.  Like people said, I expected a Chrono Trigger 2 of sorts with CC.  But the CT Tie ins were rushed at the player in the waning moments of the game. -CSM

I do wish that they had cut down the characters a little bit. They could have fleshed out the backstories of some of the more important ones(Radius, Glenn, Norris). I'm thinking about 15-20 characters would have allowed the developers a little more room for storytelling, or possibly actually going through with the Magus idea. Still, incredible game no doubt(just behind Trigger IMO).

[Crazyswordsman]

I have tried to do this in the past, but I'll try again.  What I want to do is make a "Chrono Cross tree" of sorts to try and fit as many characters into the main story as possible. 

The starting point is obviously Kid, since she is what links Chrono Cross with Chrono Trigger.   Then it would move to Lynx and Harle, and then to Serge.  From Lynx, there would be branches to Norris and the Porre army and another to the Acacia Dragoons: Viper, Glenn, Riddel, Radius, Karsh, Zoah, and Marcy.  From Marcy it branches to Nikki, Irenes, and Fargo.  There is also a branch somewhere to everyone who lives in Guldove.  Serge has a branch to Leena.  Karsh and Glenn have a branch to Zappa.

Now, the characters who obviously have no place include but are not limited to: Poshul, Mojo, Luccia, Pip, Turnip, Neofio, Greco, Razzly, Skelly, Draggy, Pierre, Van, Funguy, and Sneff. -CSM

[nightmare975]

Luccia's needed, just not as a character.