The quintessential RPG of the 16-bit era (sorry, FF6/3). Personally I’d even go as far as calling it the crown jewel of the SNES library. I know, I know. The SNES is stacked with all-time classics. But the pixelated fog creeping in over the Kingdom of Guardia 600 AD is what I picture in my mind when I hear “SNES-gaming”.
Chrono Trigger’s story, with it’s time traveling shenanigans, is epic and engaging, and set in a world that feels sprawling and lived in. It never overstays it’s welcome though. Twenty odd hours is mean and lean, compared to genre conventions.
It’s populated by a colorful cast of characters that never feel one note. From the chipper, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer, Marle to the enigmatic pragmatist Magus; Everyone feels fleshed out with a clear personality and motivations.
Granted, Chrono Trigger’s turn based combat system feels quaintly simple. Even compared to earlier Square games. But it has just enough wrinkles, with the dual -and triple techs and “active battle mode”, to keep it from feeling like a chore. My best guest is that it was meant to be accessible to new players, free from the weight of intricate systems and subsystems. It was after all an entry-level tent pole of a last hurrah, before Square went all-in on the Playstation.
All rolled up in a superbly presented gem with delicious pixelated graphics and a soundtrack of absolute bangers. In a nutshell Square picked out the best bits from the developer’s earlier SNES-games and distilled them into one perfect game. Yeah, I said it. Perfect.
Chrono Trigger’s story, with it’s time traveling shenanigans, is epic and engaging, and set in a world that feels sprawling and lived in. It never overstays it’s welcome though. Twenty odd hours is mean and lean, compared to genre conventions.
It’s populated by a colorful cast of characters that never feel one note. From the chipper, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer, Marle to the enigmatic pragmatist Magus; Everyone feels fleshed out with a clear personality and motivations.
Granted, Chrono Trigger’s turn based combat system feels quaintly simple. Even compared to earlier Square games. But it has just enough wrinkles, with the dual -and triple techs and “active battle mode”, to keep it from feeling like a chore. My best guest is that it was meant to be accessible to new players, free from the weight of intricate systems and subsystems. It was after all an entry-level tent pole of a last hurrah, before Square went all-in on the Playstation.
All rolled up in a superbly presented gem with delicious pixelated graphics and a soundtrack of absolute bangers. In a nutshell Square picked out the best bits from the developer’s earlier SNES-games and distilled them into one perfect game. Yeah, I said it. Perfect.