(Originally posted on March, 2015)
(DS, 2008)
In almost every JRPG I’ve played, I’ve found they’ll usually do something pretty well, but lack in other areas, leaving the player to deal with those inadequacies for dozens of hours. What always struck me the most about Chrono Trigger is how almost all of the game’s components are at least above average, if not the very best in the whole genre. The sum of those parts creates one of those rare games I would call a masterpiece. Having beaten the SNES version long ago, I was always slightly afraid that replaying it would ruin the ‘magic’ I’ve always held for it since then. To my relief, in completing it the second time, I was once again astounded by it’s overall quality…
Character design, world and pacing:
Playing the game for the first time in the late 90s, I remarked to myself that it felt like controlling “that Dragon Ball Z show,” not grasping at the time that the same artist, Akira Toriyama was directly involved in both projects. Of the dozens of JRPGs I’ve either beaten or at least made significant progress in, the cast of Chrono Trigger is easily one of the most like-able, quickly feeling like characters from a long running cartoon or anime that you’ve had plenty of time to get to know. Of the lean cast of 7, just a couple are burdened by complicated backstories and huge ambitions. Most were perfectly content with their lives and have nothing to conceal, making it easier for you to feel like 8th participant in the adventure. When I eventually play the game yet again, I intend to begin using certain characters as exclusively as possible for each play though, just to see all of the possible dialogue. The cast largely reflects a metaphor of the game itself. Even with so many problems of the past and future, what’s important is to enjoy the present moment.
Everyone from your party members, many of the bosses, the NPCs and the worlds themselves feels like one living entity, each part seamlessly moving in and out of your focus. Chrono Trigger may just be made of code, text and sprites, but the game may touch you in a way that sparks your imagination to create your own adventures.
It’s fitting that a game centered on the theme of time shows the utmost respect for the time of the player. Relatively short at 15 to 30 hours, the pacing and design is so tight that you’ll likely be without dread of revisiting any particular dungeon or event and thus inclined to replay it, possibly to the point of putting in triple digit hours. Each of the 6 major eras you visit is a unique experience in itself; and you’re never usually in a single time period for more than a few hours. Kind of like when Dragonball’s Goku sets off on a completely new adventure after a tournament or summoning Shenron, Chrono Trigger has that feel of constant change and adventure all wrapped within one charming universe. It’s not about just going from one town, dungeon and plot advancement to the next, but one entirely new experience after another, which cleverly entwine together as the game progresses. While you may enter the final battle from fairly early on, there’s plenty of sidequests to complete, which will both shed more light on the world and have a positive effect over multiple time periods.
The general experience feels more like controlling an anime than anything else. With a big thanks to the music, so many parts are drenched in an unforgettable atmosphere.
- The game’s first real dungeon, Manoria Cathedral, isn’t too huge of a challenge, but is shrouded in such mystery and otherworldliness that the visit will be far more intimidating than it actually is.
- A mountainous area holding a legendary weapon is infested with enemies. It gives off the impression that they all wish to amuse themselves by toying with the occasional treasure hunter before making a meal out of them.
- One of the areas in the game presents humanities' supposed apex, a marvelous combination of magic and technology that is suspiciously just a little too perfect…
Graphics:
Coming right after FF3(6), around the time Square’s SNES games started looking really good, Chrono Trigger pushes the envelope even further. The game immediately throws it all at you with pre-rendered Mode-7 at the beginning and an attract sequence showing the rich variety of worlds and time periods. You’ll immediately notice the richly drawn vegetation at your first destination, the Millennial Fair. No matter where you stop and take a look, just about every area is given the same breath of inspiration and attention to detail. The presentation really gets shaken up when the game is occasionally shown from a completely horizontal perspective, with one part seemingly in homage to Donkey Kong.
Although I loved works of art that are Final Fantasy 6’s large static enemies, it’s a treat to see the enemies smaller yet fully animated in Chrono Trigger, where Akira Toriyama’s artstyle is noticeable down to the insects and rodents. From both a artistic and technical standpoint, it’s one of the most beautiful and well-aged SNES games.
Gameplay:
Two of the larger innovations to the gameplay are the tech system and how battles are handled. Functioning similar to magic, “techs” can even be combined, such as Lucca casting a flame for Chrono to charge his sword before launching his own special attack on an enemy. This is a great way to encourage experimenting with the whole party, though I didn’t really make use of the combinations. I found each character had several tremendously effective single techs to use in any given battle.
The battles themselves are rather simple, but enjoyably fast paced. This is one of the rare RPGs that I didn’t prefer to play on an emulator where my finger could always hover above the speedup button. A tiny complaint I have is that just from looking at the battle set ups, they seemed to beg for the characters’ positioning in the environment and proximity to enemies to facilitate a much larger role, (i.e. strategy RPGs) but were left untapped for simplicity.
Being able to largely choose your battles is nice, as I would find certain enemies tremendous for earning tech points or item drops and enjoyed focusing on them. The save points were placed fairly enough to leave an ever increasing sense of tension before reaching the next point, but never left me crying foul by being too far from a nasty boss. I feel the gameplay is perhaps the least impressive part of the game, but also might have been intentionally left at a simmer for the sake of everything else.
Music:
To put it bluntly, this is the single greatest gaming soundtrack I’ve listened to, many of the tracks smoothly tied together with a leitmotif found in the main theme. I recommend reading the accounts of how Yasunori Mitsuda put it all together, his obsession deeply infiltrating his dreams and going so far as to send him to the hospital. Each track is worth a listen, but here are some of my very favorites:
- A Premonition – I remember my very first time playing the game and being impressed by it’s brief, heavy opening. If you thought you were playing just another JRPG, this is like the developers where using music to say “Who do you think you’re dealing with?!”
- Chrono Trigger – The game’s attract music is high on energy and adventure, perfectly accompanying previews of just some of the many adventures that await.
- Memories of Green – One of the first overworld themes, remarkably relaxing and enchanting. Listening to the song, I can imagine myself falling asleep while lying on the map’s grassy hills.
- Wind Scene – I can still remember the first time I heard this and the impression it had on me. This is the number one track I’ll send to someone in order to blow their mind with the potential of video game music and it never fails to impress. Pure beauty and sadness condensed into a minute and a half, yet you’ll easily find yourself looping it for far longer.
- Mystery of the Forest – Another brilliantly atmospheric use of the main theme leitmotif, constantly progressing until a piano breakdown at the end, which brings even more mystery.
- Guardia Castle – This one came on a bit too strong for me, but almost certainly inspired Kanye West in creating “Black Skinhead”.
- Manoria Cathedral – Hauntingly solemn and beautiful, a perfect fit for the first dungeon area you’ll encounter.
- Silent Light – Very similar to one of my favorite tracks from FFV, Reina’s Theme. This is another excellent piece that offers a glimmer of hope in a dreary, yet beautiful atmosphere.
- The Kingdom Trial – One of the most addictive and playful tracks. Just listening to it, you can picture whomever your enemy is busy being up to no good.
- Delightful Spekkio – With each time period either being dominated or threatened by doom, listening to this is a welcome experience, letting you know everything will be ok.
- Decisive Battle with Magus – During one of the most climactic moments of the game, the track is only slightly sinister and menacing, but so confident and subtle that your own imagination will take it to the next level.
- Corridors of Time – One of the most distinctive tracks in the game, a perfect fit for a location that’s so ‘perfect’ that it gives off a palpable terror.
- Sara’s Theme – So good that Wiz Khalifa completely lifted it for “Never Been”.
- Silvard (Epoch) – Laid back and jazzy, a unique take on the JRPG ‘airplane theme’ that lets you know it’s finally time to hit back.
- World Revolution, Last Battle – My single complaint with Chrono Trigger’s soundtrack is that most of the battle themes don’t quite make the impact that everything else does. Wonderfully weird and energizing, these two tracks used in the final battle don’t disappoint.
- To Far Away Times – Tremendously capturing the emotions of relief and optimism for the future, it’s fitting that the game’s final track gets the closest at bringing me to tears.
Playing the Japanese version, I wish to share this hilariously stupid pun, taking place in the ruined world sewers with two frog-like creatures:
In English, frogs go “ribbit ribbit,” but in Japanese frogs go “gero gero” (ゲロゲロ).
The imperative (commanding form) of “Get out of here!” is “Nigero!” (逃げろ).
When the two frogs in the sewers see your characters coming, the two phrases combine as they hilariously croak “逃ゲロ！逃ゲロ！“
The DS version contains a number of enhancements, the most notable being the short but excellent cutscene movies from the PS1 version. While it was an amazing feature in 2008, the “juke box” mode which can be accessed from the main screen is slightly less valuable in 2015 when almost everyone can instantly access the soundtrack on youtube from their phone. I noticed a dungeon area opened up after completing the game, though I’ll wait until my next play through at a later date before trying it out. Having the option to move some of the GUI/menus to the 2nd screen was a nice touch. There are several other new features as well, though I didn’t fully explore them.
Although DS version is a perfect looking and sounding port with some nice additions, I think the game is best played either on the SNES or Wii VC on a nice, big CRT. Usually hovering somewhere on my personal “Top 5” games list, Chrono Trigger is one of those classics I’d urge EVERYONE to at least try. Even if you never cared for JRPGs, you just might get into the void with this one. The game’s not too complex for beginners to grasp and RPG veterans will appreciate game’s overall design, tough sidequests and multiple endings. Just as good in 2015 as it was in 1995, you won’t need a time machine to fully appreciate Chrono Trigger.
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