The quintessential JRPG. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest games ever, it is mentioned literally anytime you look up a list of some sort of the best games ever. I was expecting an amazing game but I wasn’t expecting it to be as detailed and thoughtful as it is, especially for its time. First of all, it has pretty much everything you could want from a game: an endearing cast of characters, genius premise and execution - that could only work as a game, gorgeous and grandiose soundtrack, (sort of) fun and engaging gameplay, and a whole lot of heart put into the writing. Each time period oozes with style and atmosphere, bringing you backwards (or forwards) to a fictional time through the characters’ dialect or the general world’s state.
I struggle to name even a single flaw about Chrono Trigger, but I guess the least likeable part about it is the gameplay - even if it’s far better than a majority of JRPG’s. The general idea is interesting, enemies move around in battles and you must time your attacks to get them in a straight line or near one another, but this is completely nullified with the AOE magic attacks that attack everything. You can also really easily fuck up something crucial (at least on the SNES as the UI is extremely cluttered at times), picking a party member to throw a potion on before the enemy attacks is stressful and sometimes you might just pick the wrong person and hell breaks loose. Thankfully, unlike most JRPG’s, Chrono Trigger’s skill curve is excellently balanced. If you figure out how a boss counterattacks you should be able to defeat them even if it is close. I didn’t need to grind even a single time which is honestly quite remarkable, the game wants you to experience the story it has to tell and that’s it - something more games should have done.
There’s something so profound about the general story. At its core, Chrono Trigger’s writing is simple, the characters each have their wonderfully executed arcs and the story delves into some deep topics but that is generally about it. Yet, there is some beauty to this simplicity, where moments of deep impact may arise because of your thoughtful actions in another time. Even if you may not have gotten to know a particular character that well, the game still tugs at your heartstrings when you do something good, and wants to reward you for this. But it does so not through a gameplay element but through a short, sincere moment that you can keep tucked away in your memories.
But I think the most interesting part here is how much attention to detail and how much care has been put into creating this game. Characters react differently to certain situations, sometimes you’ll get to experience a scene that others may not because you put a certain member in your party. The multitude of endings that change depending on your actions, being able to fight the final boss practically whenever you want is genius, the clever “puzzles” used to further the story by utilising the insanely refined time travelling mechanic, it’s all just so god damn perfect.
Chrono Trigger is a game that was revolutionary when it released in 1995, it’s a revolutionary game now in the year 2024, and it will still be a revolutionary game when people play it down the line in the future. To put it simply, it’s timeless.
I struggle to name even a single flaw about Chrono Trigger, but I guess the least likeable part about it is the gameplay - even if it’s far better than a majority of JRPG’s. The general idea is interesting, enemies move around in battles and you must time your attacks to get them in a straight line or near one another, but this is completely nullified with the AOE magic attacks that attack everything. You can also really easily fuck up something crucial (at least on the SNES as the UI is extremely cluttered at times), picking a party member to throw a potion on before the enemy attacks is stressful and sometimes you might just pick the wrong person and hell breaks loose. Thankfully, unlike most JRPG’s, Chrono Trigger’s skill curve is excellently balanced. If you figure out how a boss counterattacks you should be able to defeat them even if it is close. I didn’t need to grind even a single time which is honestly quite remarkable, the game wants you to experience the story it has to tell and that’s it - something more games should have done.
There’s something so profound about the general story. At its core, Chrono Trigger’s writing is simple, the characters each have their wonderfully executed arcs and the story delves into some deep topics but that is generally about it. Yet, there is some beauty to this simplicity, where moments of deep impact may arise because of your thoughtful actions in another time. Even if you may not have gotten to know a particular character that well, the game still tugs at your heartstrings when you do something good, and wants to reward you for this. But it does so not through a gameplay element but through a short, sincere moment that you can keep tucked away in your memories.
But I think the most interesting part here is how much attention to detail and how much care has been put into creating this game. Characters react differently to certain situations, sometimes you’ll get to experience a scene that others may not because you put a certain member in your party. The multitude of endings that change depending on your actions, being able to fight the final boss practically whenever you want is genius, the clever “puzzles” used to further the story by utilising the insanely refined time travelling mechanic, it’s all just so god damn perfect.
Chrono Trigger is a game that was revolutionary when it released in 1995, it’s a revolutionary game now in the year 2024, and it will still be a revolutionary game when people play it down the line in the future. To put it simply, it’s timeless.