The Element of Surprise...

Shall I start, perhaps, by mentioning that this is the long-awaited sequel to a great SNES Roleplay-adventure, or has that already been overstated? Simply put, this is a good game. Perhaps not the best game ever made, but it has passed the trials and has not yet retreated to the game-stack in light of another. At the moment, I am working in the upper forties of gameplay hours, and continue to play.

As Squaresoft titles come, this one is a refreshing turn, at least. Like it's predecessor, Cross is well-delivered, and lends a good hand to it's older brother, Trigger, in the true spirit of a sequel. To summarize the game in a paragraph, the main character is a gent by the name of Serge, a fishing village kid with a reasonably laid-back life, so far as I can tell. So far, the most significant event in his life was that of his being attacked by a panther-demon as a child, but he has long since recuperated. If, like myself, another player were to liken it to it's sibling game, Trigger, it is like a fogged mirror. Suspiciously starting on a very similar note (Though I should not confuse this with being a bad thing, quite the contrary). He is sent by his quasi-girlfriend, Leena, to get the materials for a necklace for her, whereupon he is swallowed up in a rift in time-space. (Never a good way to start your day.)

I admit, I'm quite impressed with this game, especially as a sequel. Perhaps if I had not played the first, this would still be a good play, but as it goes, the greatest aspect of the game is that it not only lives up to it's name, but makes reasonably subtle allusions to the first, which escalate much toward the end of the game.

Perhaps I was a little disappointed that the game took place in only two different parallel universes, as the first covered a great scope of time. Again, this is not a fault of the game, but more to the point something I felt could have put an interesting twist on the game. Nonetheless, two dimensions sufficed to make a very strong game and a gripping storyline bridging the gap between alternate worlds. Despite the forty hours I've put into the game so far, I seem near the very end, and I still hunger for more... Perhaps I'll be lucky. Either way, I intend to utilize the New game + option.

Like the first game, this one raises interesting questions about cosality and the existence of predestiny, which I think is the biggest appealing point about a game: If it can make me continue thinking even after the power has been turned off, I am happy. Like it's Squaresoft bretheren, this game is quite cinematic, and the animation is beautifully rendered, managing to blend realism with the fantastic. I especially took note of the expression of the Lynx character during the cinemas, which; if I had to say there was one character who stood out above the rest, I would say was the most visually well-done.

The compositions of Yasunori Mitsuda, the artist behind the music of the "Chrono" series and Xenogears are feasts for the ears, in my humble opinion. The melodic guitar and piano musics truly captivated me, and I found myself leaving my character standing still in one area many a time just so that I could listen to the score as it played over my speakers (I refer to the boat theme in the Alternate world). Married with it's beautifully rendered artistry, the game is aesthetically everything you could ask for in a game along it's vein, and I tip my hat to Squaresoft for employing him once again.

Now, in terms of gameplay, I am satisfied. The combat system is interestingly laid out, if a bit confusing at first. Fighting is actually relatively simple, though at first glance it would seem to be somewhat complicated. Attacks are ordered by strength and accuracy, and magic is cast simply by allocating "elements" on a character's "element grid". When a character builds power levels through trouncing the enemy physically, stamina permitting, they can unleash the power of an element of the same power level. Attacking light raises one level, Fierce, three. The same amount of stamina is reduced from the maximum of seven. Sounds difficult? Perhaps at first, but at least I figured it out by the time I got to Opassa beach.

Also, as a note, I am happy to say that combat is -- to a point -- optional. As opposed to largely random encounters, like in the FF series of Squaresoft fame, the battles are represented by the most dominant opponent, lumbering around on the overhead field. There is a combat screen, unlike the first, but it is not problematic.

I dare not divulge much of the plot, as the plot twists would possibly not catch you by surprise quite as much, but even so, it is unlikely that it would lessen the game's already shining qualities. But I digress. To conclude, it is quite worth the price I paid, and perhaps one of my more favored RPG-adventure games at present... Of course, this game has made me want to pick up Chrono Trigger again...