Sunday 27 January, 2008

Gameplay:

I haven't reached anywhere close to the end yet, but I understand this game contains multiple endings depending on certain actions the player takes throughout the game. I think that more RPGs should do this, but it seems like less and less have since Chrono Trigger. I think its a lot more interactive to have the ending be dependent upon player actions. It means I have more involvement in the story. And the way Chrono Trigger executes it, nothing is really taken away from the MAIN storyline. The creator/writer can still implement his idea in such a way that the player has this interactive control over the end.

Concerning the story, I think the reason its so enjoyable is that it concerns the apocolypse. It makes the story "heavy" and more meaningful IMO.

Design:

Chrono Trigger has some very nice graphics, considering when it was produced. the artwork created by Akira Toriyama is distinct and well done. The game itself takes advantage of several special graphics features of the SNES to produce effects such as complex sprite layering. It really pushes the system to its limits.

Another nice touch is the active combat system, which makes the timing of player actions more important. No longer does the player have the ability to simply wait (unless they chose the "wait" option), they have to actually decide their actions quickly, making the turn-based system much more realistic.

The musical score for this game is also very well done. As a musician, I can appreciate the time and energy that was put into it. Despite the limitations of the SNES sound processor, the melodies and harmonies themselves are appropriate, I feel, to the game and help create the atmosphere.

Excellent game log. According to the template, the Summary should be included in the first entry, but that seems pretty minor so I'm not docking points for that. The only thing that could really be improved is more exploration of "why"s in the design section.

- Ian Rickard (Your TA for this assignment)