Chrono Cross (PlayStation, 2000)

RPG fans won't want to miss this masterful follow-up to the legendary Chrono Trigger on Super NES. Chrono Cross has turned out to be one of those rare gems that manage to have all the qualities needed in order to make a truly memorable role-playing game experience. It does just about everything really well and does many things better than the original ever been did before. If you're a fan of RPGs, there's no doubt that you'll be pleased with this game and owe it to yourself to go out and buy it at your earliest convenience.

First and foremost, the storyline in Chrono Cross is probably the most ambitious that any has ever been carried out in a console RPG, with the possible exception of Xenogears. The writing quality of Chrono Cross is exceptional and is nearly as good as the brilliant job that was done by the team responsible for Vagrant Story.

What makes all of this even more impressive is that Square was able to give each of the game's 40-plus playable characters different characteristics and, in many cases, distinct accents and speech patterns. The accents were handled surprisingly well and most were pretty consistent throughout the entire game. That combined with the fact that each of the characters in the game plays an important role in the plot of the story help brings them to life as individuals.

Without spoiling anything, the plot is very elaborate and deals with many issues, such as humanity's role in the destruction of the environment and how fate plays a role in our lives. Plus, it brings forth the idea of parallel worlds and how the outcome of one's life can be greatly effected by what happens during certain significant events in one's life. All of this has been pulled together nicely and the end result is one of the most intricate plots that one will ever encounter in a videogame.

Not to be too cliched, but Chrono Cross is a truly epic role-playing game experience that has cemented its place in the annals of RPG history. It's easily one of the best RPGs currently available on PlayStation and has surpassed Vagrant Story as my personal favorite. If you're a fan of role-playing games, then you must go out and buy a copy of Chrono Cross.