Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Reviews
It's far from a best-case port, but Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition serves up a cult classic JRPG that deserves to be appreciated by everyone that hasn't had the legal means before now. The Radical Dreamers part is a very welcome bit of history given some genuine love from Square Enix, too. If you've already smashed out a Chrono Cross replay in the recent past though, you might be okay to skip this package for now.
Despite being a masterpiece of split universes and the often futile attempts to fight fate, we're living in the timeline where the original source code for Chrono Cross was lost to the scars of time and the remaster that exists in this age wasn't given the focus that one of the greatest JRPGs of all time deserves.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition includes quality of life upgrades making this the definitive version, bringing a game that was firmly stuck in the past to a new generation.
It's a shame that, with the release of Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, we likely won't see a comprehensive remaster or even a full remake of this underrated gem for a long while, leaving us with a somewhat underwhelming version on Switch that isn't much beyond a port. Regardless, the portability of the Nintendo's console and the inclusion of Radical Dreamers still makes this the best and most convenient way for fans and newcomers alike to play the 22-year-old classic and its pseudo-prequel. It's a good game and having easy access to it is a boon - just don't go in with more than modest expectations when it comes to the remaster effort.
Parts of Chrono Cross really haven't aged well, but it's still a charming, characterful JRPG that evokes feelings of the genre's golden age on PS1. It's a game that deserves better than The Radical Dreamers Edition, which, at least at launch, is a dreadfully poor remaster. Crippled by frame rate issues, it beggars belief that a title from 1999 could run this badly on modern hardware. Unless you're desperate for the nostalgia, we strongly recommend waiting to see whether Square Enix releases a patch to improve the package on PS4 and PS5 before buying.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is a great game for anyone who loves JRPGs or wants to check out Chrono Cross for the first time, or again. The updated graphics and battle mechanics make this worth the lower price tag!
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition brings a beloved classic to the PlayStation 4, complete with its old pros and cons. Some of the limitations of the first game get washed away with the enhancements and features that come with this release, but they also create a couple of their own. Like a true classic, this edition is not without its issues, but classics have a way of outlasting their criticisms through the eyes of those who experience them.
The speed-up and toggles for enemy encounters and battle boosts were welcome in this playthrough, mostly because I could toy with elements and characters more than I did in the past. While Radical Dreamers isn't much more than an alternate history curiosity, the fact it is actually localized and legitimately available outside of Nintendo's long inactive downloadable Satellaview network is incredible. Chrono Cross is a wonderful game - hands down my favorite PlayStation RPG - and the Radical Dreamers Edition is the best and friendliest way to play it.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition takes one of the great PlayStation RPGs and makes it available to new and returning fans on modern hardware.
Chrono Cross is a weird little JRPG that is arguably hindered by its connection to one of the genre greats. It has a distinctive feel and style, an interesting plot, and the craziest cast of characters you'll ever see in a JRPG. Weak characters and many nagging PS1-era flaws keep it from being a hearty recommendation. If you've passed on Cross because it's not Trigger 2, it's worth a shot, and Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is probably the best way to experience it.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition represents two examples of game preservation with varying results. The sharper, more accessible, but poorer-performing Chrono Cross is both a blessing and a curse. But the debut of an official English translation of Radical Dreamers is a moment to celebrate as a Chrono and video game history fan.
Since there’s no way to get Chrono Cross legally on any platform introduced in the last decade other than The Radical Dreamers Edition, you’ve just got to deal with it. I played it on PS5, and I imagine it’s a similar experience on PS4 and PS4 Pro. However, as much as I love PlayStation, I would buy it for PC. We’ll likely see mods on that platform that will fix the issues with the backgrounds and FMVs. I really hope the poor quality of this remake isn’t indicative of what we can expect from Square Enix in the future.
A serviceable restoration of one of the best and strangest games in Squaresoft's back catalogue.
Chrono Cross stands the test of time, and I implore anyone who enjoyed Chrono Trigger or other 90s JRPGs to give Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition a shot.
The Radical Dreamers Edition brings back two classics for the first time since their debut, but the Switch version leaves a lot to be desired.
One of Squaresoft’s finest classics playable on modern hardware and, despite some setbacks, it holds up wonderfully.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition may remind us of remasters that Square-Enix has offered us in the past, such as Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy IX, with almost the same extra options (speed up combat or have certain advantages) and an improvement renders/graphics, and being for the first time arrived to Europe, making it a must have whether you are a fan of the saga or not (especially if you like JRPGs). Apart from enjoying it with such a good facelift and with the extras it brings, you will be able to enjoy "Radical Dreamers" for the first time and get to know that prequel that never left Japan, in addition to the fact that both have been fully translated into Spanish.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition brings possibly the best PS1 JRPG to Europe for the first time, and it simply must be played.
For all the flaws I’ve dragged out, I still love this game. The powerful music, the ethereal visuals, and the fascinating plot all deserve special attention. And yes, there’s a lot of weird, dense mechanics to wade through. But this just requires some patience and planning. To that end, Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition isn’t for everybody. But if you’re looking for a unique 32-bit RPG that will stick with you for years to come? You’ll want to check out Chrono Cross.
CHRONO CROSS: THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION could have been much more than ensuring a competent performance at its launch. Today, this being quite annoying, it remains somewhat bittersweet for what is one of the great games of the JRPG genre and of the first PlayStation.
Review in Spanish | Read full review