My Review: Chrono Cross (PS1)

My Review: Chrono Cross (PS1)

            If you were to ask me what the definition of a ‘perfect’ video game was, I’d probably show you my copy of Chrono Trigger and answer, “This”.  Squaresoft’s Super Nintendo classic combined the talents of prominent developers from both Squaresoft and then-rival Enix, and this mixture of developer talent created one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, featuring a cast of lovable characters, gorgeous graphics, and a fantastic soundtrack composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Final Fantasy standby Nobuo Uematsu. To this day, there hasn’t been an RPG quite like Chrono Trigger- it’s a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Needless to say, when Squaresoft began working on a sequel for the Playstation, expectations were justifiably high. Chrono Cross, released in 2000, distances itself a bit from its predecessor, featuring several new gameplay and storyline features. This was, I fell, a wise decision, because once it steps out of its predecessor’s shadow, Chrono Cross is just as ahead of its time and imaginative as Chrono Trigger.

            STORY

            Fate has no forgiveness for those who dare stand against it.

Old Review: Final Fantasy VI (GBA)

I finished this game in September, and wrote this review immediately after. Without a doubt, Final Fantasy VI is one of the best RPGs in existence, and arguably Square's finest work. Also, seeing as the game is out this Tuesday on PSN, I figure this was timely. ;P

My Review- Final Fantasy VI (GBA)

            Every series has a game which pretty much every other installment is compared too, a game which embodies the creative ideas behind the franchise. For example, Zelda has Ocarina of Time, a game which many consider to be one of the best video games ever made. For Square’s venerable Final Fantasy series, that game is arguably Final Fantasy VI. Originally released on the SNES as Final Fantasy III, the sixth fantasy is one of Square’s most famous RPGs ever, and remains to this day an excellent installment in this great series.

            STORY

            Could anyone be so foolish as to repeat that deadly mistake?

My Review: Final Fantasy V (GBA)

My Review: Final Fantasy V (GBA)

When it comes to the three SNES Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy V is probably the most overlooked. Final Fantasy IV began the series’ penchant for epic, character-driven narratives, and Final Fantasy VI is widely regarded as the best in the series- it would be hard for any game to live up to that kind of pedigree. In addition, Final Fantasy V was the last of the ‘lost three’ (as I call them), the three Final Fantasies that didn’t see release in North America when they were initially released. The fact that it got so little attention is a shame, because while Final Fantasy V may not be the most epic or groundbreaking title in the series, it’s still an immensely fun title that stand as one of the most interesting RPGs of the 16 bit era.

STORY

The story of Final Fantasy V is similar to those of the first and third games, with a series of crystals and a group of four destined heroes serving as the focus of the story. It’s a simple premise that RPGs (and Final Fantasy games) have revisited time and time again, but V does a good job of making this clichéd premise work as an engaging narrative. When the world’s crystals begin to shatter and their natural elemental forces cease to function, a young traveler named Bartz stumbles across the missing princess of Tycoon, Lenna. Meeting up with a bumbling old man named Galuf and the sultry pirate captain Farris, the four adventurers are chosen by the Crystals to wield their power and save the world from an evil warlock who seeks to return the world to a state of nothingness.