There are new rumors circulating about Chrono Cross Remastered, as a gaming insider suggests it's going to be a multiplatform release rather than a PlayStation exclusive - despite reports the game will be revealed by Sony at The Game Awards 2021. Rumors of the title's existence began circulating after Chrono Cross Remastered was named in the Nvidia GeForce Now leak, which also included unrevealed games like Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and FF9 Remake.
Chrono Cross is a sequel to Chrono Trigger released for PS1 in 1999. The game had massive shoes to fill, as Chrono Trigger is one of the most popular JRPGs of all time. Chrono Cross is a widely acclaimed game which still has a cult following, but it's also a polarizing sequel. This is because of how it changes the lore of Chrono Trigger, in addition to the number of beloved characters from the original game who suffer unpleasant fates in Chrono Cross's story.
Fresh leaks concerning Chrono Cross Remastered have since surfaced. First, VGC reported a major PlayStation-exclusive remake is in development, as mentioned by folk singer Éabha McMahon, who claimed to have recorded a song for an unannounced Sony game. Interestingly, original Chrono Cross composer Yasunori Mitsuda had previously tweeted a picture of him remotely recording a song with McMahon and his daughter. It has now been revealed by Nick Baker on the XboxEra Podcast that the rumored PlayStation remake first mentioned by VGC is Chrono Cross Remastered. What's more is that he says it's a multiplatform game, even though it's reportedly set to be announced by PlayStation.
The fact that Chrono Cross was part of the GeForce Now leak clearly suggests it's also coming to PC, and Baker assumes it's coming to Nintendo Switch but not Xbox consoles. Square Enix has ported many of its JRPGs to Xbox in recent years, with games like Octopath Traveler coming to Xbox Game Pass at launch, so a Chrono Cross Remastered release on Xbox may not be so far-fetched.
Square Enix has been remaking and remastering its back catalog over the past few years, bringing a number of old Final Fantasy, Mana, and SaGa games to modern systems. A remaster of Chrono Cross wouldn't be too surprising, considering the most modern console it can legally be purchased on is the PS3, and there's no way to bring that re-release forward to PS4 or PS5. There is also the fact that Chrono Cross has never been released in Europe, further limiting how many people can legally purchase the game. If Chrono Cross Remastered is real, then it could give players around the world the chance to try one of the most remarkable RPGs of its generation.
Source: VGC, XboxEra/YouTube