An interesting, albeit an old game. The gameplay is classic for Japanese role-playing games, but there are some innovations, we will learn more about this later, and now is the time to find out the history of the game, the platform, developers and much more.
This is a review of Chrono Trigger, a legend game.
History of creation
This is a Japanese role-playing game. It was released in 1995. In Japan, March 11, and in the United States on August 22. The plot is twisted around a company of young travelers wandering through fictional worlds at different time intervals, among other things, they save the world of the future from destruction. In 1999, Chrono Trigger released a remake in Japan on the PlayStation 1 platform.
Platforms
There are a lot of supporting platforms:
- SNES 1995 year.
- Playstation. 1999-2001 year.
- Nintendo DS. November 20 - February 6, 2008-2009.
- Mobile phones (iOS and Android). April 25, 2011.
- Virtual consoles. April 26 - May 20, 2011.
- PlayStation Network. September 28 - October 4, 2011.
- The release of Chrono Trigger on a PC (personal computer) has been through the Steam service and online store since February 27, 2018.
Gameplay
Traditional gameplay for JRPG. We explore worlds, various locations - forests, cities, caves, where we interact with various characters, from whom we get riddles, objects, quests, and participate in battles with opponents. The number of side quests is less than the plot. The plot is presented by dialogs and short scenes. Oddly enough, as you progress through Chrono Trigger, the main character named Chrono speaks only one phrase for the whole game, and then at the very end, in other cases, his replicas are only implied.
Similarity to Final Fantasy 7 is not as large a percentage as it might seem.
The combat system is called "Fights in the present tense 2.0". Such a system is a certain algorithm, when a warrior has a certain number of actions, after this value expires, the hero must pass the course to the next character. There is a combination of techniques of "double" or "triple" battle methods, when several characters combine to attack together.
Each character has his own health and mana (magic) points. The fight goes to the last surviving fighter. When the last fighter dies, the fight is considered lost.
You can play mini-games, such as jet-racing, games at the fair and others.
Time travel takes place with the help of a special "Age" machine. She is needed to complete the game at different times.
Among other things, there is an optional "New Game +" mode.
Game world
In the world of Chrono Trigger there is a “world map” for moving between locations - it represents a flat board on which all locations are located, top view. When approaching the entrance to the location and clicking on arrival, a transition to the place is carried out. There are no locations-cities on the world map, residential houses or tents are immediately shown here. Each time period determines the type of map and location. When traveling around the world of random locations you will not find, since the enemies will initially be located in specific places.
The world of the game is divided into the Stone Age, antiquity, the Middle Ages, our days, the Day of Lavos, the future, the end of time, a black sign.
Characters
They do not represent people with problematic proportions, as is usually the case. The characters can be distinguished facial expressions, so it turns out to better understand the feelings of the characters.
Main cast:
- Chrono is a teenager living with his mother. A good fighter, ready to give his life for a friend.
- Marley is the daughter of the ruler of the country of Guard. It’s hard for her to be a princess, so she runs away from the castle, posing as a commoner.
- Lucca is a young technocrat girl; thanks to her, she has the opportunity to travel in time.
Other satellites:
- Frog - was a knight, but became a humanoid frog due to the sorcerer Mugus.
- Robo is a robot who wants to be able to feel like people.
- Eila is a warrior maiden from a century when stones were the main tool of hunting and work, she protects her people from dinosaurs.
- Magus Magus - you can kill, offer to join, or simply not meet.
Short walkthrough
To complete the Chrono Trigger one hundred percent, you need to follow the entire text with the passage.
You wake up in the game world. Go down the stairs and talk to mom. Repeat the conversation if you want to get 200 G, then go out. Now you are on the world map, for the study there is the whole western continent. Mayor's Manor is trained in all the basics of the game. In addition to this, on the first floor there will be a chest with Potion, and on the second floor you will find a chest with 100 G. Talk to your grandfather twice, so you can get 300 G from him for chatter.
Now it’s time to go by ferry to Ferry Office, you need to sail to Porre, if you want, you can also walk through the desert. Good equipment is sold in stores, but there may not be enough money for it. On the second floor of Mayor's Manor there is a chest with Shelter, two more black chests nearby, spells are cast on them, so that they cannot be opened yet. Return to Truce and go to Leene Square.
Melchior has a sword for 4000 G on sale, if by some miracle you could save so much at the beginning of the game, then buy. Now north to the next location where we will meet the girl, her name is Marle. Talk to her, raise the pendant and return it. This will affect the further development of the plot. So, a team becomes one character more. Run to the western wing of the square, there you will see a yellow kitten (do not touch the pink bag). Talk to him and he will follow you. Take him to the girl. Time to talk with visitors to the fair, to ask strangers at the fountain or at vendors in tents. One of them will tell you that in the very north of the Lucca fair there will be a presentation of a new invention.
Do not forget about the mini-games at the fair. On SNES Chrono Trigger, the passage may be delayed due to mini-games, some of which will be mandatory.
You have the opportunity to earn Silver Points (10 SP to 50 G), which can be spent in Tent of Horrors. Games:
- Ring the Bell - in the lower-left corner of the site. For this you will receive 1 SP.
- The Race is a blue tent near Melchior. As soon as all the runners are lined up, talk to the guy, put on one of the participants. 20 SP per victory.
- Battle Trainer - West of the location with a large bell. Here you can face off with a robotic cat named Gato. In addition to 15 SP, you will get another 10 exp. and 1 Tech Point.
- Drinking Contest - East of the location with the bell. The main task is to drink as much local drink as possible, and more specifically, 8 pieces. Pretty complicated game. For victory you can get 5 SP.
After these stages, you can start playing the Chrono Trigger game in Tent of Horrors or exchange them for G.
In Tent of Horrors, you will be offered three games for Silver Points:
- (10 SP) Follow the Soldier - three fighters will appear: Biggs, Piette and Wedge, they will be identical to each other. It will be necessary to guess a specific hero. If you guess, get a Poyozo Doll, she will appear in the main character's house.
- (40 SP) Crono Says - a clone of the protagonist will appear. Repeat the movement for the clone, for example, if it raises the left hand, then raise the right, when the right, then the left, the same applies to additional movements and actions. She will have to go through it, so that she doesn’t remind herself of herself.
- (80 SP) Knock'em Back - Find two characters to play. All your limbs will be tied to your partner with a rope and suspended above the fire, then three monsters will appear. Drive them back into the cage. But do not forget about your comrade, he hangs over the fire and slowly descends closer to the flame. Sometimes press the switch to return it to its original position. When a friend touches the fire or the monsters are very close, you will be defeated, so you have to start this mini-game first. Tip: try to push back the farthest to the button of the monster. After winning the mini-games you will be given a real whole kitten.
This is only the smallest part of what is available in the game. Do not forget about travel between worlds. Exploring different eras, meeting new characters and love affairs will not make you bored. There are thirteen endings in the game.
Conservation
If you do not want to go through the whole game, or have a desire to immediately start from some stage, then to install third-party saves you need to do the following:
- Move the Private folder from the archive to the memory card.
- In the prefix settings in the menu, go to the following items: Wii Options -> Data Management -> Save Data -> Wii -> SD card.
- Select the desired save and copy.
Graphics
Traditional two-dimensional graphics. Characters, items, and enemies are made up of sprites; a static environment is created using a tile engine. The ability to rotate and scale simulates three-dimensional graphics using Mode 7.
Music
Musical accompaniment and graphic performance are made at the highest level for that time. For the musical component, Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu were responsible. Memorable motives will remain in your memory for a long time.
disadvantages
Unfortunately, regarding the translation to Chrono Trigger, it contains errors (in the version from Japanese to English). This applies to many points, including the names of enemies and certain items. During the passage of the Chrono Trigger you will notice it.
However, the year is now 2018. And we (Russian speakers) have the opportunity to play a localized version of the game, Chrono Trigger rus contains a lot of not quite clear words. The problem with the translation arose due to the tight deadlines for translation for Ted Woolsey - less than a month. And since the game is very large, both in terms of the storytelling and in terms of the gameplay itself, he could not do without errors or “difficult” words.
Conclusion
During the game, you will encounter many intricacies of the plot, starting from the slightest misconduct, which, it would seem, are not able to influence the development of the further plot, and ending with important choices that open up a new plot branch. Mini-games will not make you bored, but they did not have to be made necessary to advance in the plot. This, of course, is a minus.
But the game is old, it was necessary to somehow diversify the process. For us, such a schedule is very outdated, but it is not the schedule that matters, but rather the feeling of nostalgia that it will attend. Here it is possible to try pseudo-three-dimensional graphics, attention to detail regarding the gameplay and the entire storyline. The game itself was highly praised by critics, in which case you can play it if you have a passion for JRPG games.