A thematic analysis of Chrono Cross’ soundtrack.
[This article is relatively spoiler free and only covers the first hour of Chrono Cross. Listen along to this article with this playlist]
Think about your favorite song or album. When you close your eyes and hear each of the songs what do you see? Do you visualize a story or maybe even a memory while you listen along? Storytelling is a process that can transcend the need for words and dialogue and one medium of storytelling that people may not consider is through music. Chrono Cross is one of the few video games that effectively tell it’s story through it’s soundtrack.
Chrono Cross is the sequel to the critically acclaimed JRPG Chrono Trigger (and to an extent a continuation of the Satellaview-exclusive visual novel Radical Dreamers). Chrono Cross is much heavier game, both narratively and tonally, when compared to the more lighthearted Chrono Trigger. This thematic shift between the games is reflected masterfully throughout the soundtrack.
Chrono Cross’ soundtrack was composed over the course of half a year around 1999 by Yasunori Mitsuda following his work on Chrono Trigger (1995), Radical Dreamers (1996) and Xenogears (1998). Many songs from both Chrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers were repurposed to be used in Chrono Cross’ soundtrack. A little over half of Radical Dreamers compositions were remade into full tracks for Chrono Cross’ soundtrack while a few Chrono Trigger compositions were used as leitmotifs. The utilization and recontextualization of these songs helped thematically link the games together.
According to a 2003 interview ,Yasunori Mitsuda’s musical influences at the time included traditional folk, rock, pop and jazz. Mitsuda cited some of his artist influences which include: Art Blakey, The Ventures, The Carpenters, Tchaikovsky, Holst and Maurice Ravel. In relation to Chrono Cross, it’s important to note that Mitsuda specifically mentioned Maurice Ravel’s influence on his music in a tier of his own. Mitsuda states that he’d been a big fan of world music which is apparent when listening to Chrono Cross’ soundtrack as the game takes place in a tropical and diverse archipelago.
Arni Village ~Home World~
The story of Chrono Cross begins with a boy named Serge who lives in the seaside fishing village of Arni. It’s important to note that Serge, like Crono before him, is a silent protagonist. Because of this, there is little room for Serge to express himself throughout events of this personal journey. Chrono Cross’ soundtrack serves as a proxy for Serge’s dialogue and is a reflection of his emotions throughout the story.
Serge’s home of Arni Village is a peaceful location and the soundtrack reflects the easygoing and slow nature of the area with the utilization of a slower tempo and the guitar and flute (I’ve always thought that it wouldn’t be out of place for this track being diegetic). Similar to the opening of Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross follows its protagonist navigating his everyday life as normal. Everything is as it should be. Life is good.
Fields of Time ~Home World~
Shortly after the game begins, Serge is allowed to leave Arni Village and access the world map. The setting of Chrono Cross takes place in a tropical archipelago called El Nido and the track Fields of Time ~Home World~ reflects this vibrant setting and Serge’s mood wonderfully.
Prior to entering the world map Serge was asked to do a favor by his love interest, Leena. This track, in my eyes, shows Serge’s optimism and determination to do his best for Leena.
Fields of Time ~Home World~ is an upbeat rendition of Chrono Trigger’s Main Theme — Chrono Trigger which hints that Chrono Cross is connected to Chrono Trigger in a way. This track utilizes steel drums and a synthesized guitar to reflect the tropical and vibrant environment of El Nido and is also a demonstration of Mitsuda’s world music influence.
Opassa Beach
Opassa Beach is where Serge and Leena meet to talk with one another about life. This is one of the numerous areas in the game where there’s no music. Instead, the environmental sound of the waves and seagulls are the only thing the player hears. I’ve always appreciated how this game constantly allows the scenery to stand on its own without music always accompanying it. They could have easily added a number of great tracks to many scenes in this game and I'm glad they chose not to.
Once Leena comes to talk with Serge about their childhood, the track Reminiscing ~Unerasable Memory~ plays over the sound of the waves of the ocean. This song is a major tonal shift when compared to the two tracks the player has heard before and it gives a glimpse into the nostalgic and even lonely nature of what will eventually build up to become the games major thematic focus.
Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World
Shortly after his conversation with Leena, Serge stares off into the ocean. He suddenly has a vision of children laughing and playing on the beach then a panther’s eye. An aura surrounds him and he ends up passing out in the sand. An old man wakes Serge up on Opassa Beach with Leena nowhere to be found. The old man leaves and the Serge returns to Arni Village to find her.
Although the world map is exactly the same, something is completely different: the music. The world map theme is no longer the upbeat, tropical rendition of Chrono Trigger that we once knew. Instead it’s a haunting, isolating and dreamlike track that sounds alien the player by this point in the game. This song is: Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World.
While Chrono Trigger explored the concept of time travel across multiple timelines, Chrono Cross explores the concept of traveling between two parallel worlds: one being Serge’s ‘Home’ world and the other being ‘Another’ world.
The dichotomy between the Home World tracks and the Another World tracks is day and night. The Home World tracks throughout the Chrono Cross soundtrack are consistently upbeat, warm, cozy, and oftentimes relaxing while the Another World tracks are dreamlike, cold, unfamiliar, lonely and somber. There is no visual indicator for which world you’re in like in Chrono Trigger since the parallel worlds look exactly the same at first glance. Because of this, the distinct shift in tone found in the soundtrack between the two worlds is one of the only distinctions the player can make of which world they're navigating at any given moment.
Arni Village ~Another World~
Upon returning to Arni Village, Serge finds that even though the people he grew up around are still there like normal, no one recognizes him. Serge enters his own home to find that his Mother isn’t there and that someone completely different lives in his home now.
The track Arni Village ~ Another World is the same song as the Home World version but the song is played with a key lead and an airy synthesized pad rather than a guitar lead to represent the isolated feeling that Serge is experiencing. The home he once lived in is no longer his own and the people he knew and loved don’t even recognize him and treat him is he were a stranger.
Serge finds Leena on the pier to discover that she too doesn’t recognize him even though they were just together moments prior. Leena claims that Serge “looks like the boy who used to live next door to me”. Leena explains that the boy died ten years ago with his mother following soon after and reveals that his name was Serge. Leena directs Serge to go visit the boys grave at Cape Howl to the west of Arni village and says goodbye to the familiar stranger.
Cape Howl
The path leading to Cape Howl and Cape Howl itself are areas where there’s once again no music. It’s almost as if Serge himself is holding his breath anxiously in disbelief of his situation and the fear of learning the truth.
Once Serge reaches the top of Cape Howl he finds a grave and discovers that in this world “he” died at seven years old, ten years ago. Before he can even process this information, three men and a mysterious girl appears before him concluding the opening of the game…
Chrono Cross’ soundtrack consistently places the duality and tone of the game’s themes on full display. It’s my hope as a longtime fan of this game, its themes and soundtrack that more people will experience Chrono Cross with the remastered version (I can’t believe this is something I can actually say now)!
CHRONO CROSS: THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION releases April 8th, 2022 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.
