30 years after its initial release, I finally understand why the RPGChrono Triggershould have been the bestFinal Fantasygame, even if it’s not part of the legendary JRPG series by Square Enix. Developed and published by Square, the same company behindFinal Fantasy,Chrono Triggerwas a side project that took inspiration from several popular JRPGs, includingFinal Fantasyitself andDragon Quest. The project was led by Square’s “dream team,” which includesDragon Questcreator Yuji Horii,Dragon Ballauthor Akira Toriyama, andFinal Fantasycreator Hironobu Sakaguchi.
Now,after years of postponing my interaction with it and pushing it down my backlog list, I finally took it upon myself to experience the story of Crono and his alliesas they travel through time to save the world from impending doom. The game follows the character as he gets pulled into a narrative that is spread across various ages, and with the help of friends from these different periods, Crono must defeat an ancient menace. There aremultiple endings toChrono Trigger, including a secret one and another that is granted should he fail to save the world.
Chrono Trigger Is Still Considered One Of The Best JRPGs Of All Time
The Game Has A High Metascore
Even though it’s been 30 years since its release,Chrono Triggeris still highly regarded as one of thebest JRPGs of all time, regardless if it’s compared to classic titles or modern games in the genre. The game is applauded for its compelling story arc, its unforgettable characters, unique design, crisp gameplay mechanics, and much more.The most important fact about it is that not only was the game outstanding upon its release, but it aged marvelouslyand is still, to this day, a complete and well-polished game that has everything a JRPG fan would ever wish for.
According toMetacritic,Chrono Triggeris one of the best JRPGs of all time with a 92 Metascore, standing close to titles likeFinal Fantasy 9,Persona 5 Royale, and evenClair Obscur: Expedition 33. Even though I believe the game does deserve a higher Metascore, that high score does reflect its quality, butit’s hard to measure just how much it has, ironically, withstood the test of time. I have no regrets about taking so long to play it, especially because it gave me enough time to play through several other important JRPGs and create a base for comparison.
Chrono Trigger Surpasses Every Final Fantasy Game
The Game Is Straightforward & Its Characters Are Unforgettable
Although the game is not one of themanyFinal Fantasygames, technically speaking,Chrono Triggeris seen as a title that’s adjacent to the franchise. The game was, after all, partially conceived by Sakaguchi, the father of theFFseries, who worked as the designer for the title.In addition to that, the game borrows several elements from its sister franchise, including the ATB (Active Time Battle) system that was first introduced inFinal Fantasy 4. For reference, ATB is the system that enables characters to take turns based on a meter that fills up according to their speed.
Amidst so many similarities, I considerChrono Triggerto be the bestFinal Fantasygame that was never a true part of the franchise. To me, the game is everything I hope to see from an entry in the series, but better. There are a lot of things aboutChrono Triggerthat contribute to this perception. One of the main elements, something that was particularly criticized at its launch, is its scope.Compared to other JRPGs of the time,Chrono Triggeris a lot smaller and more straightforward.
At the time,Edge Magazinecited the game to be “more lightweight” thanFinal Fantasyas a negative point.
I see this as something positive because one of the main issues with a lot of games in the genre is that they are overly long, often to the point that there are some filler arcs to extend their duration. According toHowLongToBeat,Chrono Triggerhas an estimated playtime of 26 hours and 30 minutes when running the main story and some extra content. In comparison,Final Fantasy 6(which was released a year earlier, in 1994) has an average playtime of 40 hours and 30 minutes when completing the campaign with side content, as seen onHowLongToBeat.
Chrono Triggerdoesn’t beat around the bush, and takes players straight into the story it’s telling, even if players can step away and complete the side quests. Even so, it never really felt tedious, as most aspects of this side content connect to the larger story arc.One of the things that may also contribute to this is that you don’t have to grind your characters, something inFinal Fantasygames that often extends their playtimes in dull ways.
Another great aspect about the game is its combat system, which I consider a lot better than most classicFinal Fantasygames, such asFF6itself.The possibility of triggering combos with the different characters you have in your party is outstanding and one of the best parts of getting into fights. However, the best part aboutChrono Triggeris its ensemble of characters. While it is unfortunately too common for me to dislike or pay no mind to somesecondary characters inFinal Fantasy,Chrono Triggerhas me hooked on all its characters.
InFinal Fantasy 6, for instance, I don’t really have a connection to Shadow. This is somewhat true for several other games in the franchise.Meanwhile, I’m particularly fond of the entire cast of characters inChrono Trigger, from the ever-silent Crono down to the anti-hero Magus. Even if I don’t particularly care about a character’s gameplay kit as much as I do about the others, like Lucca, I still love them and how deep their story arcs are. The only understandable downside to this is having a 3-member party limitation, which means I miss out on several interactions.
Chrono Trigger’s Development “Dream Team” Truly Paid Off
The Game Draws Inspiration From Everywhere To Craft Something Unique
The idea of the “dream team” behindChrono Triggerreally paid off.The game shows just how good its references and development members are. The ATB system fromFinal Fantasy, for example, with the story fromDragon Quest’s Yuji Horii, and artwork from Akira Toriyama makes it an unforgettable experience altogether. Being able to play the PlayStation version of the game on PC (via Steam), which includes the anime cutscenes by Toriyama and Toei Animation, also gives it a unique flair that is unprecedented. I had chills every time a cutscene came in.
Surely,Chrono Triggerisn’t part of theFinal Fantasyfranchise, but its connections are undeniable, and, moreover, it’s the ideal example of what a perfectFinal Fantasygame should be like. It took me a while to get started withChrono Trigger, but now, having played it and being able to compare it to other magnificent JRPGs, I finally get.
