Narratives of environmental crisis in Chrono Cross: settler colonialism, inter-species conflicts, and environmental injustice

This article examines narratives of environmental injustice through representations of settler colonialism and resource exploitation in the digital game Chrono Cross, as a case study to demonstrate how narratives of environmental crisis can be mobilized by developers to raise awareness on how resource exploitation can be harmful in a manifold of ways, from species extinction to violation of Indigenous peoples. Additionally, this study explores how game mechanics – specifically those related to inter-species conflicts and resource gathering – mobilize readings that are inconsistent with the environmental narrative intended by the game.