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blackwar12's Chrono Trigger (SNES)
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| [January 25, 2008 10:11:03 PM]
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Gamelog entry #2:
GAMEPLAY
I explored the world and the storyline some more, and everything still flows from one event to another. Even the dungeons, for the most part, are linear-based. The paths are pretty much straight, with the exception of some very minor puzzles put in place.
I don't particularly enjoy a game experience where one simply go from one place to another without too much challenges in the way. Puzzles might be frustrating at times, but solving a rather complicated one gives myself a great sense of accomplishment on top of a satisfactory feeling. Puzzles also prolong a game's life and adds another layer of difficulty on it. I have played and beaten other RPGs out there that possesses very little puzzle, and for the most part, I manage to beat most of them extremely quickly. At the end of the game, I am often left with a void, an unhappy and unsatisfactory feeling, as if I did not get my money's worth on the game.
Overall, I did not particularly enjoy the gameplay. The graphics are extremely out-dated, and every RPG nowadays possesses Chrono Trigger's concepts, and more. On top of that, there are almost no hints given to player regarding where to go. Most of the time, NPCs simply suggest or tell you to do something, and it is up to you to find out exactly what to do, and where to go. I spent a lot of time before I managed to figure out how to activate the first major event of the game, where Princess Nadia was sucked into a warp hole. Apparently you are supposed to talk to a particular random NPC in a town of more than 30 NPCs. After a great deal of exploration, I finally managed to get the second major event started after basically talking to everyone possible in the beginning state of the game.
Design:
The world itself looks pretty big. There are mountains, forests, numerous towns, and even oceans and such in the game world. However, the player's movement is extremely limited. You are only able to enter only specific particular areas, and bodies of water serve as simply obstacles. The game itself even prevents players from going to certain places that seem accessible until a particular point in the game's progression. In essence, the player does not have too much in regards to freedom in the game. Almost everything is linear; progression or even entry to certain places are only possible at a certain threshold of the game.
One particular innovative concept that this game has is how the game advances the player's character. Instead of learning new skills at a certain level, characters gain "techs" by defeating enemies. Once a player has accumulated enough tech, one of the player's characters will learn a new skill.
The combat system in this game is also slightly different than most RPGs out there. Players and enemy NPCs still engage in classical turn-based combat. However, instead of simply "trading" off attacks between the two sides, players, and even enemies, have a "bar" in combat that ticks down from a certain amount to zero. Once the bar reaches zero, that character, and only the character with his or her bar set at zero, is able to attack or use items. On top of that, certain abilities have area of affect properties, where it can hit multiple targets, and other abilities can attack enemies in a straight line. This creates a rather dynamic combat situation where strategy, timing, and positioning are vital. It is a rather impressive feat, especially considering how old Chrono Trigger is.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 25th, 2008 at 23:03:37.
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| [January 25, 2008 02:11:04 PM]
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Gamelog entry #1
Summary
Chrono Trigger is an RPG game based on a two-dimensional world that possesses standard, classical elements and gameplay of an RPG game. In the game, the player takes control of Chrono and his companions as they travel through different time periods in their world with the help of a time machine. The storyline and objectives of the game slowly accumulates as the player advances through the game.
Gameplay
I enjoy RPG games in general, and as a result, I also enjoyed playing Chrono Trigger. The game possesses the characteristics of the classical RPG : the combat and battle system, the progressive storyline, the party system, how one accumulates experience, gear, and money. I've been playing RPG games for a number of years now, and as a result I got the hang of Chrono Trigger rather quickly.
The storyline and how it is delivered to the player is also similar to that of other games of the RPG genre. The story of the game is delivered as the player advances through the game in a progressive manner. One event leads to another, and the player finds out about the storyline and the objectives of the game in this same manner.
I wasn't particularly drawn by the storyline. The story delivered to me during my gameplay session did not posses any unique characteristics or any weird twists. There was the classical princess in distress who you have to rescue, and then there's an accidental malfunctioning time portal, a concept that isn't something particularly new or refreshing during this time period.
There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in regards to characters and the composition of your party either. The game possesses the basic classes : a warrior, a mage, a healer, and a gunner/bowman.
However, I can't really say that I'm disappointed by this game so far. Chrono Trigger came out much, much earlier than any of the RPGs that I have played. In essence, the game is so successful that future RPG games continue to adopt the "classical" RPG style that was incorporated into Chrono Trigger.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Jan 25th, 2008 at 22:10:11.
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blackwar12's Chrono Trigger (SNES)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 25 January, 2008
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