The story centers around the silent protagonist, Serge. All is well in his hometown of Arni, until he finds a dimensional portal and gets transported to an alternate reality. (Don't you hate it when that happens?) That's where things start to get interesting as Serge uncovers some shocking truths about himself in this realm. Saying any more would spoil a few early plot points, so I'll let everyone figure it out for him or herself. Let's just say that the story gets VERY complex later on with many unexpected plot twists and shocking revelations.

Whereas the original CT focused on time travel, CC puts its focus on dimensional shifting. Basically, you have 2 dimensions: The "Home World" and "Another World". The 2 share the same locations, but there are differences such as the Hydra Marshes being polluted in Another World, while being clean in your Home World. Throughout the game you'll have to shift dimensions on various occasions. You might need an item to progress to a new area in one of the world's that can only be found in the alternate reality. You can't alternate through the worlds at will, since there are only certain areas that are used for this purpose.

The game features over 40 playable characters, each with a distinct personality. Square did an admirable job with the translation as well, giving each character their own style of speech. From the undeniably cute Razzly, to the irresistible (complete with French accent) Harle, almost every character is likeable. Sure, the designs may be a bit unconventional, but it's all for the better in the end.

The real beauty of Chrono Cross is that you never feel like "I've done this before" or that "This is an old idea". The game is so original and is one of the few titles out there that can be considered revolutionary. The battle system is a perfect example of this. Magic Points don't exist, and are replaced with the deep elements system. There are 2 types of elements: consumable and non-consumable. Consumable elements almost act like items in and out of combat. You can only store a set amount at a time, but the game is so good with handling money that you can stock up as much as need be. Non-consumable elements are only useful in battle, and are one use only. You allocate these elements in your characters various element slots. How you place your elements is crucial to your success, kind of like FF8's junction system. If you're too lazy to be bothered with such things though, the game does have an auto-allocate option, which does a good job of arranging your elements for you.

Another thing I should mention is that after every major boss battle, your party reaches a new "Growth Level", which gradually adds more slots to your characters' elements chart. Leveling up is also non-existent, so don't expect to overpower your foes all the time. Instead, random stats are raised after every few battles in a new area. This makes CC one of the most challenging RPG's out there. Those of you expecting a cakewalk should beware: You probably WILL die in this game. Most battles can be avoided since you can see your enemies on screen, and battle can only be engaged if you run into one of them.

The actual battle system is quite original and requires some major strategy on the part of the player. Basically, by choosing the attack option while in battle, another window pops up with 3 different kinds of attacks; weak, medium and strong. Beside each attack there is a percentage, which tells you the odds of you being able to pull off a successful strike. Obviously, it's easier to hit enemies with a weaker attack than a strong one, but this is where the system becomes a little more fun. The player is given 7 stamina points at the beginning of his/her turn. 1 stamina point is spent for a weak attack, 2 for a medium, and 3 for a strong. This adds a lot of strategy to each fight, because when you successfully hit an attack, the odds of you hitting an even stronger attack increase. Naturally, the best strategy would be to start off with a weak attack and work your way up to a strong one when the percentage of you hitting the strong is at its highest. With each successful strike, your element meter goes up in levels, giving you access to powerful magic spells. You can even stop in the middle of your attack phase and use a magic spell if your element level is high enough. It's fun just trying out different combinations, and there are also some really cool looking special attacks present in the game. Wait until you see Serge's Luminaire tech attack!

Visually, Chrono Cross has no equal. If you thought that the pre-rendered backgrounds in Final Fantasy 8 were something, wait until you feast your eyes on the locales present in CC. Everything is finely detailed and the characters blend extremely well with their environments. The 3d character models are also some of the best to have ever graced the PSX. Smoothly animated, and detailed to the tenth degree, you'll wonder how Square ever did it. Boss battles are especially impressive, with some of them practically taking up the entire screen. Particle effects are brilliant (Think Soul Reaver), the textures used in battle are nice, and everything is just…gorgeous. I can't make it any clearer than that. If you want to see what your PSX is capable of, then Chrono Cross is the perfect showpiece.

In the audio department, Chrono Cross is nothing short of a masterpiece. Yasunori Mitsuda (Xenogears) has done a fabulous job with the soundtrack. Fans of Celtic music will no doubt be pleased as CC features many tracks played in that particular style. From violins, to acoustic guitar, and even to vocals, every piece of music is composed beautifully. This is easily the best music that Square has produced since Final Fantasy VI. Each song sets the mood for its location perfectly, and only enhances the gaming experience. This truly is some epic stuff we're listening to here.

So, are there any downfalls to Chrono Cross? Surely, after so much praise there MUST be a black mark shouldn't there? Well, not really. It's more like a minor scratch than anything else. The only "problem" with the game is that some battles tend to go on for longer than they should. You could literally be fighting a regular enemy for over 2-3 minutes. Oh, and there's some slowdown during the more visually intensive spells in battle. In the grand scheme of things though, these things don't even become an issue unless you're the kind of gamer who LOOKS for faults in his/her games.

So what more can I say that hasn't already been said? Chrono Cross is a visual, aural and gameplay masterpiece. It's like nothing you've ever played before, and should be considered an instant classic by anyone with an appreciation for good RPG's. The character, the music, the style…heck, everything about this game is top-notch. With all of the cookie cutter RPG's being released these days, Chrono Cross is a breath of fresh air. It's original, it's fun to play, and it's easily one of the best games to come out of the 32-bit generation. Buy it. Buy it now.