But recently I started the game again, and it just isn't as good as it was in my memory. The plot even in the beginning seems incredibly overwrought, with unsubtle hints dropped everywhere. I feel like maybe the translation has done it a disservice, but still... It severely detracts from the game's quality. It's also a bit of a revelation to see these things that bother me now and realize that I did not even notice them when I played the game the first time in my youth.

Anyway, I personally like the style and feel of Chrono Cross's music more than Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, or possibly anything except FF9. But Xenogears' music is still stellar. To this day I still can't listen to "Small two of pieces" without feeling a bit teary. I have the entire ost downloaded for a reason, lol.