(CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS)
Haven't read the review in your link yet, Fritz. I will a little bit later. Just wanted to comment on the RPGamer review first, while it's fresh in mind, as well as share my thoughts on both the game and the review.
First off, the positives (regarding Chrono Cross). There's the obvious stuff, of course, which should never be taken for granted - the music is, quite simply, phenomenal. At least equal in quality to Chrono Trigger's music score (sounds better 'cause it's not synthesized, of course, but I just mean the music score itself). And the visuals are remarkable for 10 years ago - especially the engrossing movie scenes. But for me, what really shines in this game is all of the emotive moments in the game, mostly revolving around Kid's development as a character. The scene on Water Dragon Isle where she opens up to Serge for the first time about her 'Big Sis' (which sadly is a scene that can be missed given certain in-game choices) and the scene just after Serge rescues her from Lucca's burning house as a young girl - just very well done, and they truly showed her vulnerable side underneath her rough exterior (and both scenes were accompanied by the music track "Star-Stealing Girl" - very key).
Unfortunately, those high points of the game truly pale next to the key flaws of it. (Now this is obviously just my opinion - I certainly respect the opinions of those who think much higher of the game. Really just a matter of preference.) The RPGamer review said a couple of key things that, for me, hit the issue spot on. First and foremost, the story. Story is the most important part of a game (for me), and CC's story just encompassed WAY too much - so much, in fact, that I truly don't think even the game's writers could adequately explain it all so that it made sense. The whole Time Crash Ground Zero event - though fascinating - is way too complicated and boggles the mind. And that would still be okay IF the game itself spent a LOT more time breaking it down for us, the player - since it is a key element to explaining the world of El Nido itself. Hence, the very long attempt at explaining it here on the Compendium, with the all the theories like Time Bastard and Time Traveler's Immunity. And then the end of the game, rushing to give the player all the last-minute info in a 5-minute conversation. It's like making a sci-fi romantic comedy with time travel and cramming it into an hour and a half. It's mind-blowing, but leaves you not understanding how it all ties together in a tangible way.
Secondly, the 40+ characters and element allocating. Now, the Trigger characters weren't tremendously deep, but they weren't shallow either - and all 7 of them had a unique story that helped you relate to them. (And you actually got to USE them all.) Besides Serge and Kid - whose stories were developed very well - well, the reviewer rightly said that most of the rest of the characters are basically just introduced and then never heard from again. (Honestly - when Poshul pulled a turnip out of the ground, and the turnip joined my party... really? And then late in the game, on Fargo's ship - "Hey, I'll join!" "Me too!" "Aw, what the heck, me too." "And me, the fourth guy." <-- said in the voice of Zoidberg from Futurama, he he) Combined with having to allocate a billion elements every time someone joins... it really just diverts much-needed attention away from the already-too-complex story. I also chuckled when the reviewer pointed out how enemies clearly aren't held to the same rules as the player in battle, and seem to attack randomly and repeatedly with elements without explanation or pattern - I remember thinking that when I played.
Lastly, I had to agree, for the most part, with this quote: "the game's story manages the difficult trick of simultaneously being disrespectful to its predecessor and impenetrably bizarre in places." And then comparing the story to a Wizard of Oz sequel in which the witch somehow wasn't REALLY dead (Lavos) and killed all the heroes of the original (Lucca, possibly Crono and Marle, Robo/Prometheus). I know many would disagree, but this is how I felt too. It's like it undid the legacy of what Trigger's heroes accomplished. It's like Star Wars episodes 4 and 5 and... then 6 is never made (anytime now, Squeenix) - leaves me feeling depressed over the fates of the Trigger team.
Sorry to ramble on, and sorry if there was a better thread to post these thoughts of mine - it's just that I read the cited review and it conjured up some old thoughts regarding this game. If the game stood on it's own, I'd probably give it a 3 or 3.5 out of 5. But as the sequel, I'd have to agree with the 2.5. And believe me, I KNOW Chrono Trigger isn't perfect. But at least it was complete, it didn't overcomplicate things, and it kept it to a limited group of characters whose stories could all be told and who could all be used regularly. You could UNDERSTAND what was going on, without having to fill in hole after hole with theory after theory.
All that said, I can certainly understand why many love CC so much. It just depends on what areas of a game each person personally values most.