Chrono Trigger is one of those legendary games; the name pops up on top ten lists everywhere and many are quick to proclaim it the Best Game of All-Time (TM). Raised up on a pedestal with other games such as Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Xenogears, and more recent (and non-RPG) games like GTA3 and Halo, you might think that Chrono Trigger has to fight for its right to sit on top spot. Even its spiritual sequel, Chrono Cross - which scored a perfect 10 on Gamespot - isn't quite the game Chrono Trigger is. The conclusion? Chrono Trigger is one of the few games that truly deserves a rating of perfect, as there's not one aspect of it that is lacking in some way. Graphics and sound have aged over the years, but are still charming and fit the game very well. The music in particular consists of a collection of some of the catchiest and most appropriate songs any RPG has ever had. Chrono Trigger often gets a nod for having the best soundtrack, and rightly so. However, it's in the gameplay, character, and story where the true meat of an RPG lies and in none of those areas does Chrono Trigger disappoint. There are just enough characters - not too many to render them shells and not too few to prevent you from mixing battles up if you desire - and all of them are paid sufficient attention during the game. They all have vastly different attacks (called techs in-game) and in one of Chrono Trigger's best known aspects, acquiring certain techs allows two or three person combination techs that are particularly devastating in battle. Battles themselves are carried out in traditional active-turn format but there is no wipe or dissolve effect bringing you to the battlefield - battles take place on the same screen with enemies you could previously see. This brings in a nice amount of variety seeing as certain attacks have a specific radius or line and you often won't be able to attack all the enemies at once. And best of all? Not a single random battle is to be found in Chrono Trigger, eliminating one of the most aggrivating 'features' of Japanese style RPGs and making the game play MUCH smoother. The story is a typical save-the-world event brought on somewhat into the game after performing a seemingly smaller task. Been there, seen that. But the way Chrono Trigger presents it (especially using time travel) is unique and as you progress through the game you'll find yourself increasingly interested in the plot (and sub-plots) as the characters and locations are so memorable and their interactions are often quite amusing. The game is of decent length (perhaps 20 if you're new to the genre, 15 hours for RPG veterans, 10 if you've played it before), the difficulty doesn't ramp up too steeply but some of the battles in the game certainly won't have you hitting 'attack' all the time. There are also a good dozen different endings depending on when and where you beat the final boss and once you've finished the game you can start over New Game+ style with your characters the same level as when you completed the game. Chrono Trigger as a whole is an extremely rewarding game experience that doesn't really have an equal on any system. Every aspect of the game is perfect. It has aged extremely well and is easily worthy of being called one of the best games of all-time.
Chrono Trigger is one of those games you would want to take with you if you could only choose a few games to accompany you on a deserted island. The storyline is captivating, the characters are memorable, the graphics (... Read Full Review
Chrono Trigger was the first RPG I've ever played. I still remember clear as I started playing this game. The image on the cover seemed appealing back then, and I just wondered what was that about. The story started r... Read Full Review
