Twenty-two years ago came out in Japan the unlikely after the illustrious Chrono Trigger: Chrono Cross. Headed by the Trio Masato Kato at the scenario (Chrono Trigger, Xenogears), Hiromichi Tanaka at the production (Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana , Xenogears) and Yasunori Mitsuda to the composition (Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Xenoblade), this J-RPG had the heavy task of doing as well as its elder. Thanks to an original combat system, an alambic scenario, many characters and a magnificent soundtrack, the challenge was raised with honors. Unfortunately, Europe never had the chance to take advantage of it and it is only via the import or emulation that we have been able to discover this masterpiece of the video game. Finally, that was before the announcement of Square Enix at the Nintendo direct of February 9, 2022 revealing the remaster game under the name Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition .

• Chrono Cross for Dummies
• 20 years and all his teeth
• missed acts
• always a cult game, but that would have deserved better

Chrono Cross for Dummies

As said above, Chrono Cross has never come out at home until today, so some of you probably do not know this game or never played it. So, Chrono Cross, what is it? You will understand it, the rest of Chrono Trigger is also a J-RPG and like the other games of the genre developed by Squaresoft for the PlayStation, it features 3D characters playing in 2D decorations. You embody Serge, a teenage without history living in a small fishing village until the day when, for an unknown reason, he finds held in a totally identical parallel world, but in which he died at the age of 10 years. Then follows a long and thrilling adventure dotted with travel between the two parallel universes, of meetings with a whole lot of colorful characters and their dimensional alter ego, and fierce fighting against charismatic antagonists to discover the reasons for power of Serge, who far exceed his only person.

If Chrono Cross’s scenario greatly participated in its critical success just like its incredible soundtrack signed Yasunori Mitsuda, it’s the quality of its gameplay that will get it out of the lot. First, unlike the majority of this generation’s J-RPG, your group is not limited to a handful of companions. Like Suikoden, you will be able to recruit many throughout your adventure. Not as dusting as the game of Konami , whose owner of the characters are not really intended for combat, Chrono Cross proposes in spite of quarantine having each of his share of strengths and weaknesses. Some go out of the lot by their abilities or implications in the scenario, but all are playable.

The other point of Chrono Cross a unique game is his combat system. Based on the turn by Tour of the Final Fantasy, it holds its originality with its mechanical of physical attacks and its magic, which has the particularity of functioning from a grid of spells that we assign each character. All have an endurance bar allowing them to accomplish a number of attacks each having a certain value determined by the power. Physical attacks are divided into three levels consuming between one and three endurance points on the seven available. Whenever a physical blow is worn, an equivalent number of levels is unlocked on the magic grid. So, if you validate a level two physical blow on an enemy, it unlocks two levels of magic on the character and so on. This may seem a little complex, but it’s very easy to handle. It must be added that the power of magic depends as much of its placement in the grid as the innate color of the character and that dominant on the ground. The magic are indeed divided into six colors (blue, red, yellow, green, black, white), so if a character having red innate color launches a red spell, it will be basic more powerful. In addition, if you fill the oval zone at the top left of the screen of a unique color, then all the spells belonging to it will be more powerful and this is just as valid for your characters as for enemies.

A searched and captivating scenario, many characters to recruit, an original combat system, a superb artistic direction, some of the most beautiful kinematics of the PlayStation, more crazy music than the others, a new game + relevant, an end Hidden and you get the recipe to become one of the most adorned J-RPGs of the 32-bit generation whose popularity has crossed two decades without losing in intensity. What put the pressure on the shoulders of this remaster.

20 years and all his teeth

First thing to clearly specify: we are facing a remaster, not a remake. Understanding that the developers have not redone the game, but have adapted it to the current resolutions. As a result, do not expect a long list of changes, which is rather short. Among the novelties brought, there is first the filter smoothing the planes and giving them a very marked paint aspect as well as the update of the 3D models of the characters, which you can disable in favor of the original rendering via the launcher From the game – strongly not recommended as pixelized. We can add the new portraits of the characters displayed during dialogues, larger and more expressive than the originals. Then come the music, which have been removal to remove all the parasites. Finally, Square Enix has reported this Remaster of its usual panel of tools to facilitate the lives of players as the removal of random fights, automatic fights, or an invincible mode. Of course, these options are activated and disabled on the fly. Luckily, we find the speed management system activatable whenever you already sing in the original game. Very practical in combat against base enemies or to travel on the map, it is this time available from your first part, so no need to wait for the new game + to enjoy it.

But the greatest novelty, it is the presence of new translations, including that in French. Not being out on the European soil, it was conceivable that an remaster would retain this unique English translation, but that Nenni, we have the opportunity to play in the language of Molière; Additional proof that the Japanese studio wants to discover its game to a maximum of players; The first being the portage on almost all existing platforms.

Finally, let’s not forget the bonus presence of a unrecognized game, since never released out of Japan: Radical Dreamers. Originally released on the Satellaview extension for Super Nintendo, this interactive novel had to extend the world of Trigger Chrono and tell the adventures of Serge, Kid and Magil in their quest for revenge against Lynx and their desire to recover the frozen flame., an artifact having the power to realize any wish. Designed in just three months, the game did not convince his creator Masato Kato and was never published out of Japan. If we find many characters present in both games, Radical Dreamers is not needed to play Chrono Cross. Considered a cannon in his design, the exit of Chrono Cross changed the game and made a simple parallel universe, which must be seen as a draft of what will later become Chrono Cross. To be done by curiosity all the more as he too is accompanied by a French, very appreciable translation.

missed acts

If it should never be expected from an remaster that it transcends the gaming experience, one might be entitled to wait a little better for a J-RPG as worship. Difficult not to be disappointed in front of this aggressive filter, which, if it gives a painting aspect with not necessarily unpleasant decorations, is often aggressive, makes them lose a lot of detail and trouble not to drool the colors more than raison. This is all the more regrettable that there is a version upscale more successful plans designed by a fan using an IA. As for the cinematics, a miracle should not be expected for both the original material is low resolution, but it must be admitted that the transition to the high definition has not been more clement.

However, the problems are not aesthetic, they go well beyond. On the PlayStation version, there were some slowdowns, especially during the fighting, because the console spilled his lungs on what was one of his most impressive games. Good news, they have been preserved! You do not dream, the PC version – and the same goes for others – a playstation game dating from 1999 has slowdowns, the same as at the time. Still, the PC version displays 60 frames per second, so how can it be slowed down that do not notice in the numbers? Well, we can imagine that it is the interface with the two bands on the sides that is 60 frames per second and the latter diffuses the game, which makes one’s life in the background with its ups and downs. Do not turn around the pot, this remaster is most likely an emulation of the original gamble to hormones, which would explain the presence of the same artifacts and other works of performance. And if it is sometimes friendly to find some period defects, they are really embarrassing, because the feeling of slowness becomes unpleasant during the fighting with a navigation in the patch and frustrating menus, even in accelerated speed.

And what about music? Square Enix had highlighted the eight pieces composed for the occasion except that they are not even available at stake and we can only take advantage when the launcher window is open. The height being that it is not even possible to change the jukebox way. A nice mess of talents and means.

always a cult game, but that would have deserved better

If Chrono Cross remains undeniably a game, this version The Radical Dreamers Edition has deserved a little more consideration in order to propose a version at the height of its reputation. Questionable visual rendering, new music planned in a launcher that remains open less than thirty seconds, probes of performance probably linked to a wobbly emulation, everything is not pink for this remill. However, everything is not to throw either, far from it. Once again, Chrono Cross was, is and will remain a great game of the golden age of the J-RPG, which is already a reason enough to skip the pace. Moreover and it is far from negligible, we are entitled to a French translation as well as the radical interactive novel Dreamers, also translated. It’s up to you to see if it is worth the 20 € asked, but if you ever hesitate on the version to choose from, I can only advise you to take it on PC. With luck, it will be entitled to its lot of mods in order to enjoy in better conditions. For my part, I go back!

_Test made on PC by Lianai from a version provided by the publisher.