Chrono Cross Radical Dreamers off your bucket list

[gogglebob]

We currently live in the dimension where I am excited about playing Chrono Cross's HD port and Radical Dreamers this week. In another dimension, 23 years ago, I wasn't a giant nerd, moved to the mainland, and never thought about Chrono Trigger again. But in this dimension, I worship a straw doll in my basement, and anxiously await the opportunity to be reunited with my old friends again.

Anywho, Chrono Cross time! And maybe visual novel time!

 

[demi]

I am curious for the official localization of the Radical Dreamers release. I honestly really liked Demiforce's fan-translation patch of yore; I loved the way that Serge felt dared by Kidd to try and keep up with her. The way it came out in so many of the interactions, even in heated battles, quickly seeped in to become my motivation to play as well. How much was the script? How much was Demiforce's voice? I don't know, but I am interested to find out how this new release measures up to the strong impression I received from playing that fan-translation so many years ago.

I don't have that many feelings for the CC remaster. It's going to feel strange if Chrono Chross's framerate is all locked or something. The fps plummets at the end of something like Dash & Slash for the kill made for quite the dramatic effect haha! Also, pretty mixed feelings about whatever's going on with the rearranged music tracks? I know they're optional but CC's ost is peerless and I hope that anybody so lucky as to experience the game for their first time will take their chance with the original work.

 

[Jeanie]

Also, pretty mixed feelings about whatever's going on with the rearranged music tracks?

From what I've heard, the new tracks are only in the menu of the collection. The tracks from Cross proper has been left alone aside from cleaning up some minor noise in the recordings, so I'm feeling optimistic about that.

 

[Becksworth]

Played it a little before going to bed. While it is weird that a port of a PSX game in 2022 would have slow down, it's at least so far accurate to the slow down in the original release as far as I recall, so I'm not really upset by it being there.

Makes me wonder how this port works under the hood though. Is it emulation with upscaling/texture replacements? Would also explain why the save system still groups things by memory card slots.

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

Played it a little before going to bed. While it is weird that a port of a PSX game in 2022 would have slow down, it's at least so far accurate to the slow down in the original release as far as I recall, so I'm not really upset by it being there.

Makes me wonder how this port works under the hood though. Is it emulation with upscaling/texture replacements? Would also explain why the save system still groups things by memory card slots.

what platform y'all playing on?

 

[Becksworth]

I'm playing on Switch, but I saw a live stream of the PC version and it looked like the issue was persistent across all platforms.

Again, it's consistent with the framedrops/slowdown in the original. Take the coral reef title screen. Modern consoles should be able to run that no problem, but it chugs just the same way as it does on an OG PlayStation.

 

[Becksworth]

Another thing that makes me think this is just emulating Cross is that the fast forwarding "quality of life improvement" is literally just the fact the time shifter is added to your inventory in any new game, rather than just new game plus.

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

Lots of PS games back in the day locked things like music and animations to the framerate, so if that's the case here, I can see them leaving it in b/c working around that would be hard for what is assuredly a largely cheap money grab.

 

[4-So]

I'm playing on PS5 and the framerate is PSX-levels of either greatness or bullshit, depending on where you stand. I saw a few real dips - like, 10 fps dips - in some places but I can't recall if that was in the original, which I haven't played since release.

Anyone who played the FF8 Remaster or the FF9 should know what to expect with this port. Hi-res models, ugly backgrounds (relative to the models), fast forward option, no encounter option, etc. It does have analog support though, which is fairly nice.

One thing I was not expecting after 20+ years away is how much the game reminds me of FFX, in some of it's locales and themes.

 

[Kazin]

How is the new Radical Dreamers localization on this?

 

[MetManMas]

How is the new Radical Dreamers localization on this?

Pretty good, I'd say.

 

[ASandoval]

I finished Radical Dreamers as well as a couple bonus scenarios the other day and I enjoyed it. It's been too long for me to compare it to the NDF translation, but many of the memorable moments from that seemed in tact and in the same spirit so I'd say it's a win.

I saw a video on twitter going around that Chrono Cross PSX out performs the HD version but I haven't really noticed it in practice - it just seems like Chrono Cross! I also don't really mind the AI upscaled backgrounds? It's different to be sure, but it kind of gives everything a sort of water color vibe that gels with the game's overall aesthetic. I definitely wouldn't call it better, but as an alternative to redoing all of those backgrounds for 4K, I do kind of prefer it over just blowing everything up to an unnatural resolution when you switch over to the OG graphics. All in all I'm really happy with this package and I'm excited to dive in more over the summer when I get some time.

 

[Torzelbaum]

So like some kind of summer of adventure?

 

[BEAT]

I watched gogglebob play this last night and it's genuinely amazing how badly they fucked up all the prerendered backgrounds.

 

[BEAT]

Like if I were a Chrono Cross fan I'd be pissed.

 

[MetManMas]

Personally I find 'em pretty YMMV. I get what they were going for, kinda a painterly look. It...works better for natural scenery than when man-made objects come into play.

 

[Becksworth]

Yeah, from what I've seen personally it's the foreground objects overlayed on the prerendered backgrounds that didn't get the same care put into them that look like butt. The remastered graphics are fine for what they are.

What gets me me is how off the retro graphics are. They used a third font that's pixelated, but not original for some reason, the color balance on the character potraits is too dark, and there is still hi res UI bits here and there.

On a side note, man I forgot just how THIRSTY Harle was for Serge. Like eventually it shown she has genuine feelings for him, but even in her first scene she's all over him. I'm guessing I just assumed she was toying with him on initial playthrough, but now in my head it reads more like "LOVE ME! NOT HER!".

 

[MetManMas]

They used a third font that's pixelated, but not original for some reason

Most likely that has to do with supporting the longer names the remaster allows in the classic mode, especially if somebody wanted to switch between the two.

The original game only supported six characters in a name, but the remaster allows for longer names. Didn't check exactly how many characters, but I did have enough space to name Mojo "Lucky Dan" (his Japanese name) with the space intact so it's at least nine...probably 10-12 altogether.

 

[Becksworth]

Just utterly wrecked the last two bosses I fought by setting Leena up to cast Frog Prince. The most powerful spell caster in the game being Serge's country bumpkin next door neighbor never ceases to amuse.

 

[MetManMas]

Razzly is also a really great spellcaster if you can get her and both her and Leena can team up with Serge for one of the only two Triple Techs in the game.

That said, both characters can be tricky to get without a guide and that's especially the case for the Lv7 techs the two need for that Triple Tech. Especially Razzly.

For Razzly: You have to go the "Save Kid" route (and unless you already knew you had to leave Kid for dead to get Glenn why wouldn't you) and then you have to do a sidequest in the Home Hydra Marshes before defeating the Hydra. Beat up the Beebas to get the flute to call the wingapede, do that, beat up the wingapede, then beat up the pentapus to save Razzly. If you do this too late she's mollusk chow.

For Razzly's Lv7 Tech: Don't bring her to the fight with the Hydra and let her sister die on Home's Water Dragon Isle. Come back much later in the game to find a tree that gives her her Lv7 tech.

 

[Kirin]

Huh. I’m not sure if I ever got that tech on my old plays through the game.

 

[Becksworth]

I got Razzly, but saved the Hydra newborn and her sister. When in doubt, this game wants you to take the asshole route to get the best things I guess...

Did Cross ever explain why there are two moons now? And I don't mean that Harle is the Dark Moon Dragon. That doesn't explain how there is whole ass 2nd moon made of red rock (dreamstone?) in the sky.

 

[Lokii]

 

[Becksworth]

So apparently there is a campfire scene with Kid I don't think I've ever seeen in my own playthroughs because you have to both bring Kid with you to the Water Dragon Isle quest, but Razzly also has to be dead. This game and it's oddly specific levels of asshole it expects you to play Serge as.

 

[Becksworth]

Got around to playing and beating Radical Dreamers yesterday (apparently if you beat both games there is a newly added text epilogue to Cross'es ending). I only played a snippet of the fan translation, so I don't know how they compare, but the official translation seemed fine to me.

Honestly, I'd say Dreamers would have worked better for anyone who just wanted the loose ends to Trigger tied up, as it explains what happened to Schala fairly neatly, even if from a gameplay perspective JRPG fans might find it underwhelming. Cross meanwhile is a far meatier experience, but opens a ton of more questions in its own narrative.

 

[Super Megaman X]

(apparently if you beat both games there is a newly added text epilogue to Cross'es ending).

Not Exactly.

Spoiler

What you have to do is have a complete save file from both Dreamers and Cross, and then go watch the staff credits in the main menu. When those finish, there will be a surprise waiting for you. You can watch the staff credits at any time, but the extra bits won't show up without those cleared game saves.

 

[Becksworth]

While I liked the Miguel is Crono theory, I didn't take it seriously before because Miguel's hair color was more auburn as opposed to Crono's more solid red.

Then the remaster art went and gave him Crono red hair...

 

[Becksworth]

I'm not sure why Lynx still bothers with his best goth leathers after getting Serge's body, or doing anything other than just go back to Chronopolis and reassert control for that matter. Some serious Snidely Whiplash logic going on.

 

[MetManMas]

I think a lot of problems with the Chrono Cross remaster boil down to the team having to use a modified emulation of the original PlayStation game for whatever reasons (Missing source code?). With every warbly surface and clipping polygon it certainly shows that it's making do with emulated PSone tech instead of a PC version base like Final Fantasies 7 and 8 had and whatever the other remasters from that era did.

 

[John]

Yeah, if I had to guess they used the same process as the Legend of Mana and Saga Frontier remasters. It's just more noticeable because the source game ran poorly to begin with, plus added lag from the new tech, and doesn't hold up next to modern games in comparison.