Back in the days of the Super Nintendo, Squaresoft introduced us to the world of "Chrono Trigger". The main character, Crono, was the hero that zipped back and forth between different time periods to save the human race against the evil Lavos. Crono and his friends, Lucca and Marle, to name a few who helped him along the way, did the job of defeating Lavos and saving the earth. Now, five years later, the sequel to "Chrono Trigger" is finally released.

I for one had very high expectations for this title considering that "Chrono Trigger" is my favorite game on any system. Seeing the first screenshots had me worried at first. I had my doubts when all new characters were introduced in the fold and the graphics looked less then stellar. All these doubts fell by the wayside very fast. Picures don't do this game justice!

In "Chrono Cross", the main character is Serge, a young man who lives on an island in Arni Village. Without giving away any of the superb story and ruining it for anyone who has yet to play it, this game is set up between two different dimensions of the same area. This makes for some interesting story plot points later in the game. Unlike the normal MP for magic users, "Chrono Cross" uses elements. Once elements are put on a type of grid system, they can then be selected to be used only once during battle. Don't worry though because, in time, your grid grows rather large in size, so being denied enough elements isn't a major concern.

Another area of mention is the use of the field effect screen. Every time an element is used, it's color is put in the field area. Every element has a color, for example fire elements are obviously red and most healing elements are white. Every character is made up of an innate color that best suits him or her. When the three sections of the field effect screen all turn one color, that color becomes more powerful. Later in the game, however, when the FE screen is all one color, summons can be done which add tremendously to the offense of your team. These features really add a new twist that makes the game very balanced while fun to play each and every time around.

Never has an RPG looked so stunning on a system. When the characters run or walk animation is top notch and very smooth. In battle, for instance, elements that are cast even outshine the best in the "Final Fantasy" games. While not too flashy, they have tons of eye candy to them. The polygons for the characters were done very well without tearing and ripping on screen which made for a very nice, realistic look. CG in "Chrono Cross" is superb. Not quite as abundant as "Final Fantasy", the CG does an outstanding job of revealing emotion and story in each scene.

On the audio side, "Chrono Cross" is simply the best. Everything from the clashing sounds of Serge's weapon to the other-worldly feel of the music which makes up the game. In all honesty, I would put the "Chrono Cross" soundtrack up there as one of the best cds of the year! As you can see from this site, "Chrono Cross" is one of our favorites here at Phoenix Genesis.

So was the wait worth it? You bet it was! I was pleasantly suprised every time I played this game. From story to the simple enjoyment of each battle, I highly recommend this game to anyone who is looking for hours of endless entertainment. You simply can't do better than this Playstation masterpiece.

RATING: 9.5/10