Chrono Cross

Developed and published by Square, Chrono Cross first arrived on the Sony PlayStation in Japan in 1999, following Chrono Trigger with a sequel that favored strange connections over familiar ground. Serge’s discovery of a parallel world where he died as a child sets up a story about identity, consequence, and the uneasy relationship between two versions of the same place. Its tropical El Nido setting gives the game a distinct personality, far removed from the usual medieval RPG backdrop.Combat is just as distinctive: a stamina system lets you weigh attacks of different strengths, while equippable Elements handle magic and consumable effects. More than 40 recruitable characters encourage experimentation, though you won’t gather everyone in a single playthrough. Yasunori Mitsuda’s soundtrack ties the whole thing together with acoustic textures, melancholy melodies, and an opening theme that earns its reputation. This Japanese release features Japanese-language text and predates the North American edition, which followed in 2000.This complete-in-box Japanese copy is in fair condition, and Chrono Cross is an uncommon find in our shop. It has been inspected, cleaned and tested by hand at Broad Street Exchange in Woodbury, NJ.