Chrono Cross

The PlayStation sequel to the popular Chrono Trigger role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Chrono Cross continues its predecessor's mind-bending plot, but from a completely new direction and a whole new fighting system.

Like Chrono Trigger, the game is about crossing through time and setting things right. This story focuses on the quest of a young boy, named Serge, to find the Frozen Flame, which will give the beholder the power to bend space and time. Serge wants the power to save himself from dying in a parallel universe. But nefarious forces are also vying for the Frozen Flame to suit their own purposes.

With over 40 playable characters, a branching story line, and multiple endings, the excellent story can become lost in the game's often unwieldy execution.

Gameplay
Though the battle engine is essentially turn-based, it is moderated by a stamina system. As in Chrono Trigger, enemy fights are not random. The party can see the monsters on the map and avoid them, unlike earlier games in Squaresoft's flagship Final Fantasy series.

The spells are now powered by "elements", which allow anyone to learn that particular spell. However, attacks will be stronger if the character is the same initiate color as the spell they is casting. This has been a source of controversy among some fans who think that allowing anyone to learn any spell takes out the variation between the way different characters fight.

The world map is different from many other RPGs in that it is very small and there are no random encounters on it. To make up for the lack of size, there are two dimensions that the player has to go through. This has been another source of controversy among fans in that many feel that the dimensional theme was not used well, and that there were very few differences between the 'Home' and 'Another' worlds.