El Nido

Lore & Background

The El Nido archipelago is the central stage for the conflict in Chrono Cross. It is governed by the Acacia Dragoons, a powerful militia led by General Viper. The islands are home to various locations, including the fishing village of Arni, where the protagonist Serge lives. The story involves a theme of parallel worlds, and Serge must travel back and forth between these dimensions to recruit party members, obtain items, and advance the plot. Much of the population of either world have counterparts in the other. The archipelago is also the location of Viper Manor, which Kid, a flashy thief, helps Serge sneak into in order to obtain the mythical Frozen Flame. The shadowy antagonist Lynx works to apprehend Serge as he struggles to uncover his past and find the Frozen Flame.

In Their Own Story

A 17-year-old boy named Serge, who lives in the fishing village of Arni on the El Nido archipelago, slips into an alternate world in which he drowned ten years before. Determined to find the truth behind the incident, he follows a predestined course. He is assisted by Kid, a feisty, skilled thief who seeks the mythical Frozen Flame. She helps Serge sneak into Viper Manor in order to obtain it. Kid vows to find and defeat Lynx, an anthropomorphic panther who burned down her adopted mother's orphanage. Lynx, a cruel agent of the supercomputer FATE, is bent on finding Serge and using his body as part of a greater plan involving the Frozen Flame. Lynx travels with Harle, a mysterious, playful girl sent by the Dragon God to shadow Lynx and one day steal the Frozen Flame from Chronopolis. To accomplish this goal, Harle helps Lynx manipulate the Acacia Dragoons, the powerful militia governing the islands of El Nido.

Reader's Guide

Players advance the game by controlling the protagonist Serge through the game's world, primarily by foot and boat. Navigation between areas is conducted via an overworld map, much like Chrono Trigger's. Around the island world are villages, outdoor areas, and dungeons, through which the player moves in three dimensions. Locations such as cities and forests are represented by more realistically scaled field maps, in which players can converse with locals to procure items and services, solve puzzles and challenges, or encounter enemies. The existence of two major parallel dimensions plays a significant role in the game. Players must go back and forth between the worlds to recruit party members, obtain items, and advance the plot. Much of the population of either world have counterparts in the other; some party members can even visit their other versions. The player must often search for items or places found exclusively in one world. Events in one dimension sometimes have an impact in the other—for instance, cooling scorched ground on an island in one world allows vegetation to grow in the other world.

Did You Know?

• Chrono Cross features a diverse cast of 45 party members, though it is impossible to obtain all 45 in one playthrough.
• The game features no random encounters; enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party.
• Players can run away from all conflicts, including boss fights and the final battle.
• The Element system of Chrono Cross handles all magic, consumable items, and character-specific abilities.
• On a New Game+, players can access twelve different endings, depending on their progress before the final battle.

Gallery