The first time I played it was in high school some 7 or 8 years ago. It was something I really enjoyed but I never engaged with it critically.
I've decided to replay it because I was absolutely floored with my playthrough of Chrono Cross. It was an unforgettable experience that I felt really pushed the envelope of the genre. I feel both games are a complete package and Chrono Cross couldn't have been that good without Chrono Trigger as a base. I feel it expressed all the nuance and development the original game needed.
So I decided to replay Chrono Trigger with the insight of Cross, and now I feel it doesn't match up to quite the same level nowadays. I think the lack of nostalgia doesn't help, as I think nostalgia is a core element of Trigger because it's obviously a story about going back to the past, about going back to simpler times. But still, there were things that made me think that while Trigger is a short but sweet experience, it isn't as fulfilling as I wanted it to be.
Masamune quest:
A *small* excerpt of Lucca's Sidequest :
You shouldn't have needed half of that to setup the conclusion of the quests. It just goes on and on.
______
In a way, I'm kinda conflicted. I think I enjoyed it more than my last time around, because Cross managed to heighten the stakes and develop the story in a way that makes it coming back much better to follow. But it still has issues that makes it not the masterpiece I drilled in my head. There is this feeling that this game didn't want to go through the fullest extent of what it laid out. As if there was a dichotomy between two writers : one who wants to make a short, but sweet story, and someone who wants to make it have a deeper meaning, a stronger development. It's like a story of Dragon Quest butting head with the video game equivalent of Evangelion (or Xenogears).
And I think it's where the difference in opinion lies, someone who seeks simplicity will deeply enjoy Trigger. I dare say it's the perfect game for someone who doesn't like JRPGs in general. It doesn't have much of the trappings, and it ends right before it starts to become overwrought and drawn-out, but it is at the expense of offering something stronger.
On the same platform, I think Final Fantasy VI is one such game that manages to remain fun and simple while exploring themes that are truly interesting. If I have to compare the two, FF6 feels like a more daring game that constantly challenges the player by creating something new even at the expense of the game itself. It aims higher, and reaches even higher heights as a result. I think about the dreamscape of Cyan, showing his trauma haunting him and it seems like something truly novel at this level of writing. I think about Setzer's story of grief, Celes' struggle as she tries to find meaning in her life. I don't see it to the same extent in Trigger because it strives to remain simple. Only Magus and Frog seems to have the development that was really satisfying to see to a conclusion, and this is why I love them a lot. Magus needs a follow-up on his story.
Chrono Cross on the other hand, doesn't have this simplicity at all. It's complex (maybe too complex), but when it strikes, it strikes hard. It offered relationships that develops throughout and a silent protagonist that is being subverted to truly feel like a central and crucial element of the story. When it reaches to the Lynx parts, it just becomes unforgettable in my mind. And I valued that a lot, despite its many flaws and quirks.
All of this to say, Chrono Trigger probably isn't my type of game all things considered. It's still something I enjoyed to an extent, but it feels almost too superficial to the kind of experience I seek in the genre. Thinking about it, I can agree it is a "perfect" JRPG, but it made me realize I do not seek perfection in the genre. I seek ambition, daringness, and at the end of the day I don't think Chrono Trigger has that. It simply is perfect, and perfection feels boring to me.
It seems like a long-ass post, so thanks for whoever took the time to read me.
I've decided to replay it because I was absolutely floored with my playthrough of Chrono Cross. It was an unforgettable experience that I felt really pushed the envelope of the genre. I feel both games are a complete package and Chrono Cross couldn't have been that good without Chrono Trigger as a base. I feel it expressed all the nuance and development the original game needed.
So I decided to replay Chrono Trigger with the insight of Cross, and now I feel it doesn't match up to quite the same level nowadays. I think the lack of nostalgia doesn't help, as I think nostalgia is a core element of Trigger because it's obviously a story about going back to the past, about going back to simpler times. But still, there were things that made me think that while Trigger is a short but sweet experience, it isn't as fulfilling as I wanted it to be.
- The battle system is too simple
- The lack of random encounters isn't really fixing the issue
- Backtracking is fierce
Masamune quest:
A *small* excerpt of Lucca's Sidequest :
You shouldn't have needed half of that to setup the conclusion of the quests. It just goes on and on.
- It kinda falters half-way through
- The story hardly has any nuance
- It's not the revolution of the genre
______
In a way, I'm kinda conflicted. I think I enjoyed it more than my last time around, because Cross managed to heighten the stakes and develop the story in a way that makes it coming back much better to follow. But it still has issues that makes it not the masterpiece I drilled in my head. There is this feeling that this game didn't want to go through the fullest extent of what it laid out. As if there was a dichotomy between two writers : one who wants to make a short, but sweet story, and someone who wants to make it have a deeper meaning, a stronger development. It's like a story of Dragon Quest butting head with the video game equivalent of Evangelion (
And I think it's where the difference in opinion lies, someone who seeks simplicity will deeply enjoy Trigger. I dare say it's the perfect game for someone who doesn't like JRPGs in general. It doesn't have much of the trappings, and it ends right before it starts to become overwrought and drawn-out, but it is at the expense of offering something stronger.
On the same platform, I think Final Fantasy VI is one such game that manages to remain fun and simple while exploring themes that are truly interesting. If I have to compare the two, FF6 feels like a more daring game that constantly challenges the player by creating something new even at the expense of the game itself. It aims higher, and reaches even higher heights as a result. I think about the dreamscape of Cyan, showing his trauma haunting him and it seems like something truly novel at this level of writing. I think about Setzer's story of grief, Celes' struggle as she tries to find meaning in her life. I don't see it to the same extent in Trigger because it strives to remain simple. Only Magus and Frog seems to have the development that was really satisfying to see to a conclusion, and this is why I love them a lot. Magus needs a follow-up on his story.
Chrono Cross on the other hand, doesn't have this simplicity at all. It's complex (maybe too complex), but when it strikes, it strikes hard. It offered relationships that develops throughout and a silent protagonist that is being subverted to truly feel like a central and crucial element of the story. When it reaches to the Lynx parts, it just becomes unforgettable in my mind. And I valued that a lot, despite its many flaws and quirks.
All of this to say, Chrono Trigger probably isn't my type of game all things considered. It's still something I enjoyed to an extent, but it feels almost too superficial to the kind of experience I seek in the genre. Thinking about it, I can agree it is a "perfect" JRPG, but it made me realize I do not seek perfection in the genre. I seek ambition, daringness, and at the end of the day I don't think Chrono Trigger has that. It simply is perfect, and perfection feels boring to me.
It seems like a long-ass post, so thanks for whoever took the time to read me.
