CHRONO CROSS: THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION

[h3] While Not Chrono Trigger 2, It's A Sequel Worth Playing [/h3] [b] No issues on Steam after doing a few minor things, listed below [/b] For better and worse, Chrono Cross stands on it's own as a sequel to the JRPG-classic - Chrono Trigger. It does things better, it does things worse. It's best to see this as a continuation of the world, rather than a direct sequel that expands and polishes the systems that came before it. These games flow and play differently. [h3] Steam Issues [/h3] Seeing the mixed reviews, it sounded like the typical Square port issues. After leaving it idle, initially, I did notice a freeze. After a few changes, that worked for other games, I had ZERO issues for the 50+ hours I played: - Steam Library, click on Chrono Cross page, Manage (Gear Icon on the right), and in General type into the Launch Options: [b]-dx11[/b] - Run the Chrono Cross LAUNCHER as Administrator AND in Windows 8 (other versions may be better for you, that's what worked for me). It's important to clarify: you make the LAUNCHER run as Admin, not the game. - Files > Drive you have it saved on > Program Files (x86) > Steam > SteamApps > Common > CHRONO CROSS > right-click CHRONOCROSS_LAUNCHER.exe > Properties > Compatibility > Run In Compatibility Mode For Windows 8 > Run This Program As An Administrator I hope that helps. If my potato can run it, yours should, too. [h1] Chrono Cross [/h1] This can be a stark difference from what you may expect after playing Chrono Trigger. If anything, trying to compare it to Chrono Trigger is just a recipe for disappointment. Chrono Cross is a good game. If you can separate the two into their own individual experiences, you can enjoy both for what they offer. [h3] The Good [/h3] - The music continues to be as strong as the previous entry - 45 Playable Characters - all with their own personalities, Stats, and Elements; This allows for a fair bit of replay-value and experimentation, alone. The fact you can't get all of them in your first playthrough is evidence of that. - Customization, outside of the amount of Characters, makes not everyone's solution to a problem the same and you are left with many options - Choices Matter - big and small, your choices can matter, making everyone's first playthrough an unique experience when you combine everything previously mentioned - No need to grind. Levels are based on your "Star Rank", which are only gained from Bosses. Outside of that, you gain minor Stat bumps from random battles between those Star Ranks. Once you stop getting those Minor Stats after a random battle, you can freely turn on No Battles and progress with no unwanted interruptions. - Speed Modifier, No Random Battles buttons...I cannot imagine not having them. - You can Flee Battles, even Boss Fights, with usually 0 penalty, to re-plan your course of action...or Steal the correct thing you want from an enemy...more on that later. [b]Ultimately, where I felt I did everything I could possibly do in Chrono Trigger (besides the multiple endings) in my first playthrough, Chrono Cross has so much replay-value AND multiple endings still, too. If that's something you value, if you enjoy this game enough to do so, it's nice to see that more than just 1 playthrough can still provide new experiences. Whether it's immediately after your 1st, or many years from now, at least that option is there.[/b] [h3] The Bad [/h3] - While I think the Art Direction and Visual Design is still great, it's a noticeable difference that will always be there, that felt perfect in Chrono Trigger. It hard to shake the feeling. - Combat is a lie. Percentage Chances is a lie. At times, it feels like the game is against you when the game is telling you "yeah, it'll hit!". Feels bad, not too bad. - Customizing your expansive Roster can be a bit of a hassle. There are auto-equip / auto-remove options, which can useful, but it is a lot of menu time. It's especially so for trying to remember who has what when you need a specific thing for a Boss fight - "Steal" action is highly recommended. Since there is no "grind" to get significantly over-powered or under-leveled, Stealing is usually the best way to get ahead and find some great gear. The problem is that the Steal mechanic is one of those games where: you can only Steal 1 item, the enemy has a Common and Rare Item. This is a problem when you can only use your Steal command only once per Battle...and it may not even succeed (tip: Attack and build up your % before Stealing). Now, you can Flee Battles to try again, the drop chance on Rare Steals isn't terrible, but there ARE a few Battles that Fleeing just progresses the story...you basically lost. It's only a very few instances, but there are some. It's just an annoying way to implement Steal, imo. It made me always have a Thief in my party (when I could), and you can't even have 2 Thiefs and try to Steal twice from an Enemy. You can only Steal once per Enemy. - Techs were a big part of the previous game. They exist in this game, too, but are a bit vague. The individual techs often come from Star Rank or secret acquisition. Dual Techs exist as well, but instead of clearly being listed, you'll have to come across them by random chance of specfic Party combinations or by looking them up. I came across 1 singular Dual Tech in my playthrough, but there are plenty...you just gotta know who uses them. - World State - It was clear what Time Period you were in while playing Chrono Trigger. It made the side questing feel fluid, and the payoff for them that much more evident. I can not tell you how many times I went to do something in Chrono Cross, only to find out I was in the wrong Time Period. There are subtle differences, but it certainly isn't enough to convey that information to the player clearly. Additionally, where it was easy to go back and forth between Time Periods in Chrono Trigger, it's a bit of a detour in this game. That makes the previously mentioned problem that much more frustrating. [b] Overall, it has problems, but I think it's still a great game. It expands on Chrono Trigger's world, but it isn't the Chrono Trigger 2 you were probably hoping for. Even that would be a hard task to do. I do recommend it. [/b] [h3] The Radical Dreamers [/h3] This is a fairly short visual novel. Some combat, some new tunes, some puzzle solving, some familiar names. There's a lot of text, be sure to save often if things go bad, but there's not too much here. Give it at least 1 playthrough. [b] Once you've beaten both Chrono Cross and The Radical Dreamers...give the Credits on the Launcher a watch. Let it play out fully.[/b] Maybe in another time Another world