CLOSED - Rate Cross Characters 31: Radius

[ZeaLitY]

Evaluate Radius based on his character design, combat usefulness, and Tilt factor -- which can mean anything, from how much he strikes you as cool to how important he is to the plot.

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Radius.html

[ZeaLitY]

Design: It seems tough to give a bald guy a sense of flair without an extravagant costume (like Belthasar's), but Yuuki pulled it off with the harsh Acacia uniform. He looks more decorated and poised for battle than his Porre equivalents.

Combat: Radius doesn't particularly shine in any area.

Tilt: Radius is a complex character whose history intertwines with the Masamune, the Acacia Dragoons, perhaps the Fall of Guardia, and with many other people. His paths in each dimension diverge, and he finds the chance to make peace with his deed in killing Garai and forgive himself. At 62 years old, he gives a feeling of credibility and sagely power to the adventure; coupled with his character development and uniqueness among the cast, it warrants an A.

[Kyronea]

Character Design: He's one of the oldest PCs, and carries a neat cane. I love the design, because I always like seeing older characters kick ass like everyone else...fun to see such things fly in the face of ageist people.

Combat Usefulness: As Zeality said, he didn't really shine in any particular area, but nor was he bad. He was overall good and he could easily be a solid character right till the end if you kept him in your party.

Tilt: Radius is complex, with a history involving so many of the confusing aspects of Chrono Cross like Porre's rising and the Masamune. He certainly gets a lot more character development than many other characters do, and he deserves it. Radius is solid and makes my "Stays a PC" list easily.

Final Grade: A.

[ZeaLitY]

Don't forget to vote!

[Kyronea]

Oh, yes, of course...I keep forgetting that.

[Romana]

Design: Looks tough for his age, thanks to the uniform.

Combat: I actually used him quite a lot, mainly during the Lynx section of the game. I found him to be pretty useful, but I don't recall his Techs being anything amazing.

Tilt: He gets plenty of development, especially for being one of the few old characters; he's filled with guilt over Garai's death, and there seems to be a deeper meaning to his involvement with Porre. There's enough here to see the kind of unique character that only a Chrono game can produce: Radius goes through a lengthy amount of development before finally forgiving himself and assisting the party courageously. It's an excellent example of how a character in the Chrono universe can submit to a radical change.

Final Grade: A

[CelestialPhantasm]

Design: An old man in a cool outfit.  For some reason he fights with a cane instead of a sword... one obvious reason being that old people stereotypically wield canes. :/ Oh, and the other obvious reason being that there were already enough characters with swords.

Battle: As stated, well rounded, but nothing special.

Tilt: Radius is certainly one of the most well-developed characters in the game.  However, I was never crazy about him.  He's a sad old man with a dark pastwho's strong and does what's right... I don't know, he just doesn't resonate with me that much.  But I do like him.  And he is very relevant.

B

[V_Translanka]

Character Design - Old dude in shiny threads...with a cane!

Combat Usefulness - He uses a rod! Finally, one of the characters who's not using gloves or throwy weapons or a sword. Hooray!...? All of his Techs are fairly cool looking, like they belong on a main character.

Tilt Factor - I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (Kefka much?) old characters in the playable party. I just do. Almost as much as I hate little kids (though the Mother/Earthbound series did an awesome job with an all kid cast and I'll always have a special place in my heart for Gau & Relm). But, aside from that...he's got a bit of backstory and interacts with Serge at a few key points. I'll give him props for kicking Serge's ass regularly in training.

Final Grade - B

[nightmare975]

Design: A once valiant warrior, now an old chieftain. You can almost see the mental battle scars permeating from his face.

Combat: For just using a cane, he is a tough fighter. I made sure to have him at most times.

Tilt: Has important backstory, kicks your ass at the beginning, and tries to kick your ass again later. And as long as he's with you, you learn a little more about the areas and items you find in your journey.

Final Grade: A