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kt6192003's Chrono Trigger (SNES)
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| [February 20, 2008 11:00:38 PM]
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GAMEPLAY
Played through my third hour now and it's still as good as I remember it. The real story of this game doesn't really come out until you're about 3 or 4 hours into it, maybe more if you're into level grinding your characters. As you meet more party members in different time lines, more and more of the story is revealed. The music is great as well even though they were made for a 10 year old system. Every song fits the mood and atmosphere of your surroundings perfectly.
DESIGN
As I said before, the battle system in Chrono Trigger was really innovative. It adds an amount of strategy in the way you fight because of the different areas of effects each technique has. Some techniques strike in a line, while others affect a small area. Enemies are always moving around during battle so you have to decide on the appropriate technique to use. It also brings your party members into play. Since everyone has different combo attacks, you'll start deciding on which party members to bring in order to use certain abilities. The overworld backgrounds and settings fit in very well with the various time periods. The future, 2300 AD, looks exactly like it should after the destruction of the world with the coming of Lavos: ruined, stormy, and bleak. This is enhanced by all the dark colors used for the settings. Another good example is in 600 AD, where the country is in a state of war against monsters. There's a very nice fog effect that envelops the world during that era which really sets the mood.
This is also one of the first RPGs that had any amount of replay value. There are 13 different endings for the game, each one depending on the actions you take in each time era. The sidequests that you can partake in add even more to the story by giving the background stories of all your characters. There aren't too many RPG games out there that really flesh out their characters. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about your main character, Crono. He's one of your typical silent protagonists like Link from the Zelda games. For me, it sort of detracts from the game experience because your hero doesn't really have a voice or personality. Silent protagonists are supposed to make you feel like you're in the game because you become the character's voice, but I was never really a fan of them.
And since I'm talking about the bad side of things here, I think I should list a couple other issues that I had. One problem is the difficulty. The game is a bit on the easy side, especially once you get the more powerful equipment and spells. It's also a little shorter than the usual 100 hour Final Fantasy game which is more a nitpick for me, but it should be a decent length for other players. All in all, Chrono Trigger is one the best RPGs ever made by Square Enix. It's a bit of a shame that the series was never continued past Chrono Cross. Hopefully, another sequel will be released, or maybe even a remake. Either way, this is a game that all RPG players should definitely check out.
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| [February 20, 2008 09:39:59 PM]
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SUMMARY
Chrono Trigger is an RPG game made by Square Enix for the SNES. You play as Crono and his friends from various time periods and try to save the world from an alien parasite known as Lavos, who destroys the world in 1999 AD. Starting in 1000 AD, you travel throughout different time eras in an attempt to stop the coming threat.
GAMEPLAY
It's been years since I last played this game and it really brings back a lot of memories. I remember being absolutely hooked on Chrono Trigger after getting it and played the entire game inside and out, getting every final weapon and going through all 13 endings. It was just the perfect RPG at the time. Anyway, I'll stop with the reminiscing and get on with the log.
Chrono Trigger was and probably still is one of the most innovative RPGs ever made because of its gameplay aspects. A couple include the multiple endings and the new ATB (Active Time Battle) system. Starting out, you can see that the graphics are actually quite detailed for a 2D RPG on the SNES. The main characters have a very Dragonball Z look to them which is obvious considering that the artist for the Dragonball series, Akira Toriyama, did the artwork. Menus, items, equipment, experience, and whatnot are all very much like your standard RPG. Your party consists of only 3 members that you can switch around as you please but only at a given place. However, I think what really sets Chrono Trigger apart from other RPGs back in the day is the battle system.
What I really liked about Chrono Trigger other than the great story is the battle system. Instead of having random encounters like the countless other RPGs, you're able to see where your enemies are while you're traveling in a dungeon. You can then choose to avoid or fight them. There also isn't a transition during battles where you're taken to a different screen to fight. Battles take place on the same screen and background which gives a seamless experience. The battle system itself uses the ATB system instead of the turn based one which also make the game a little more fast paced. The magic/tech system is unique in the way that you can combine magic attacks with your party members to make it stronger. Of course not all techs can be combined and you can only combine techs that you already have. One example would be, Crono's attack tech Cyclone with Marle's life restoring Aura, makes Aura Whirl which cures all allies. This magic system was never done before and is implemented really well in the game.
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kt6192003's Chrono Trigger (SNES)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 20 February, 2008
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