After a year of tech issues, Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers is getting a performance patch
Square Enix are fixing the port's botched frame rate
After being stranded on the original Playstation for two decades, the time-travelling sequel Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition finally made its way to PC last year. It should’ve been cause for celebration as the classic Square JRPG had never seen a European release, but technical woes plagued the modern port and dampened the party. Now a year after launch, Square is updating Radical Dreamers with a “wide range of changes” later this month.
At launch, Katharine’s review detailed many of Radical Dreamer’s tech issues including frequent screen-tearing, occasional input lag, and a frame rate that’s “so fundamentally borked it’s like those 22 years haven’t even happened.” Katharine wasn’t the only one experiencing problems as Radical Dreamers currently has a mixed reception on Steam user reviews, with many fans pointing to the laggy frame rate drops.
On Twitter, Squeenix say the update will bring “frame rate improvements, changes to the growth system for Pip, and fixes for other bugs.” Patch notes aren’t available as of now, but hopefully, the upcoming update is substantial enough to fix the majority of tech problems.
Long-awaited updates are now a tradition for the series since the original Chrono Trigger’s PC port waited four years for its much-needed patch. I quite like Chrono Trigger and I like PSX RPGs even more, so maybe now’s the perfect time to jump into Radical Dreamers.
Tech troubles aside, Katharine had great things to say about Chrono Cross, calling it “a JRPG that has instantly captivated me with its colourful setting, mad cast of characters, stunning music and intriguing parallel worlds.” The Radical Dreamers port also brings in new HD character models, a few accessibility options, a remastered OST, and a much appreciated fast-forward option.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is available for £16/€20/$20 on Steam.