Chrono Trigger

"An Archetypal Masterpiece"

Saying that something is "perfect" or "flawless" can be seen as foolish or, at best, naive. To me a perfect score says that the game in question is as great as any game can possibly be within certain constraints. To be upfront with you I will start by listing these constraints:

* You like role-playing games that utilize turn-based systems
* You are interested in fantasy settings at least marginally
* You do not equate the word "new" with the word "better"

Now that the qualification section is out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks. If you have never played Chrono Trigger before this is your chance to play a game that is one of Gaming's first true "masterpieces." It is akin to playing Super Mario Bros. or Doom, it's a classic that truly spans the course of time. (both literally and figuratively) Let's break down the elements so that you can see why I highly recommend buying this game:

Premise: A young lad and his friends travel through time to defeat a powerful evil. Combining elements of sci-fi and high-fantasy, Chrono Trigger is an epic single-player roleplaying game.

Gameplay: (10/10) The game play uses an Active Turn-Based system. This means that although characters and monsters take turns attacking, casting spells, and using techniques, they are doing so based on a recharging turn bar instead of having battles broken down into arbitrary rounds with one turn per character. This system is comparable to games like Final Fantasy VII and different then games like Persona 3 or Lost Odyssey.

It's not the originality or novelty of the battles that will grab you, but the ease of use and the natural flow to the encounters. Gameplay never gets in the way of your fun here. You can attack with physical strikes, spells, and techniques. Some spells and techniques can be combined with another character's to form useful dual and triple techs. The combination of techs is very balanced (you lose the individual characters' turns but gain a more powerful attack or heal) and doesn't take you out of the action by having the character defend for many turns or "charge" multiple times as in other titles.

Gameplay is almost instantly instinctual and that, along with the intuitive tech system, earns it a 10/10.

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Graphics: (10/10) I'd like to say the graphics were groundbreaking "for their time" or something like that, but that's not really the point. Chrono Trigger uses 2d sprite animation and an overhead view. The character models are simple yet expressive, their animations are amusing out of combat and cool while attacking foes. The fights with foes take place on the same field as the exploration (meaning no random encounters) and characters will actually move to attack an enemy. In fact, some of their skills will even be affected by their position in relation to the foes they face. (this feature could have been included under gameplay, but you'll see it really adds to the immersive quality so I listed it under graphics)

The settings are archetypal and really help differentiate the eras in time the heroes find themselves visiting. Ironically the "modern" world is the least archetypal as it mixes elements of fantasy and real-life modern advances. The future is a grimy and dark post-apocalyptic wasteland, the near-past a dark ages battlefield, and the distant past will remind players of more "magitech" societies such as the ones frequented in the Final Fantasy series.

The Artwork is amazing even compared to Mr. Toriyama's work on the newer Dragon Quest VIII. Even if you aren't a fan of "anime" style, the classic designs such as the Frog character design or the breathtaking Empire of Zeal will keep your eyes glued to the tiny screen.

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Sound/Music: (10/10) Sound effects in a RPG are almost always minimal, as fans of the genre will know already. Turn on World of Warcraft and listen to the sounds and you will find most of the same fare here. There is no voice acting to be found so it's up to the music and writing to pick up the slack. Does the music manage to do it's fair share? YES! And again: YES! Some consider Chrono Trigger's score to be the finest video gaming has to offer. Mr. Mitsuda delivers an amazing mix of situational (almost ambient) themes and epic fanfares.

The characters each have an individual theme to help give them a "voice" in scenes where their personality is key. Frog's is a whimsical heroic tune, Robo's is a light-hearted funk, and Magus' theme is an amazingly dark piece that shares similarities with other mystic-themed pieces. It's very clear that the designers expect players to want to hear the music again and again so they included a music box as part of the DS features.

It's surprising when the audio of a game is it's most amazing feature, but Chrono Trigger's tunes manage to grab that honor with little argument from die-hard fans.

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Story: (10/10) This is storytelling at it's most primal, it's most archetypal. You've already heard the story many times by the time you pick this game up. It's a hero's quest, it's a struggle to save the world, it's a time travel story with all the classic attributes of that sci-fi favorite. Characters will change as their ancestors do, futures will be molded and destroyed. You will not be alone if you think of "Back to the Future" or "Terminator 2" when you play Chrono Trigger, but you will also think about the classic archetypes: Wizards and Princesses, Monsters and Magic. These untarnished themes weave themselves together into something both beautiful and instantly familiar.

The closest I've seen a game come to embracing these fantasy standards in it's story (without being boring or dull) is The Witcher, but Chrono Trigger manages to evoke those feelings of timeless (no pun intended) wonder will remaining accessible to any age group that plays.

If you've stuck with me so far you'll either decide to try the game or pass this whole review off as the ravings of a flattering fanboy. I hope it will be the former, because this is a experience that will stay with you. If you love stories like I do, you will love Chrono Trigger. It's very rare when so many factors come together in resonance to create a true work of art, but this is one of those times. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Overall Score: 10/10 (Classic)

For the Old Dudes: The DS version contains some tasty treats for the old dogs like us. There is an arena mode that let's you play a monster training/fighting minigame for prizes. The significance to us vets is that you can obtain items much earlier than you would in the original game and some of the items you win are unique to the DS version!

There are two new dungeons. To prevent spoilers I will tell you that one is a dungeon with a series of quests that can add some play time to your first run before New Game + it's a good add-on, but it's not going to blow your mind. The second dungeon is the real treat. Not only is it full of amazing new "ultimate" items, but it also contains a new boss and ending! It's basically a nostalgia fan service dungeon, but that's kind of the point ;)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/08

Game Release: Chrono Trigger (US, 11/25/08)