i think there's a lot of credence to the idea that chrono trigger is the greatest jrpg ever made. it's a collaboration between the two most important guys in the genre's golden years, it's got a bangin' yasunori mitsuda soundtrack, and the pacing and cinematics are really top-notch. seriously, this game does so much to streamline the process of playing and absorbing it to the point that a single session feels like you've made serious progress each and every time.
chrono trigger is the peak of what the first major wave of jrpgs was seeking to do; it's got those fantasy and early sci-fi/steampunk aesthetics that dominated square's output through the mid-90s, a cast of zany and colorful characters, and some great little story beats to keep things interesting. i absolutely see why this game resonates with so many people, especially if you sank a ton of time into it growing up.
as for me, i played this game pretty early into my adventures with jrpgs and enjoyed myself, and since then i've played it to completion probably like three or four times - started it up or completed another random ending maybe a dozen more. it's entertaining and engaging, which to a genre outsider i could see very few jrpgs being.
i think where trigger and i sort of shake hands and don't really find intimate ground is just based on the fact that it doesn't really touch me emotionally the way other jrpgs have, but that's largely due to what interests me in games and stories. it's a streamlined and air-tight package but i'm not moved or blown away by anything it shows me. even moments and sequences from its genre contemporaries like final fantasy vi, or terranigma, or dragon quest v, or earthbound - admittedly less perfectly clean-cut games, but more daring, outspoken, and therefore more personally significant titles for me - leave chrono trigger's narrative and drama feeling... admittedly somewhat unremarkable in comparison.
don't get me wrong, chrono trigger is about as tight and precise as jrpgs come, and a genuine joy to play, but those are the things i admire most about it - largely leaning into its entertainment value more than its artistic dominance over me. it's why i admit to liking and resonating with chrono cross on a far more personal and powerful level than this game. but by all means, if you haven't played chrono trigger, play chrono trigger, it's probably the best place to start with jrpgs and it tops endless charts for a reason.
chrono trigger is the peak of what the first major wave of jrpgs was seeking to do; it's got those fantasy and early sci-fi/steampunk aesthetics that dominated square's output through the mid-90s, a cast of zany and colorful characters, and some great little story beats to keep things interesting. i absolutely see why this game resonates with so many people, especially if you sank a ton of time into it growing up.
as for me, i played this game pretty early into my adventures with jrpgs and enjoyed myself, and since then i've played it to completion probably like three or four times - started it up or completed another random ending maybe a dozen more. it's entertaining and engaging, which to a genre outsider i could see very few jrpgs being.
i think where trigger and i sort of shake hands and don't really find intimate ground is just based on the fact that it doesn't really touch me emotionally the way other jrpgs have, but that's largely due to what interests me in games and stories. it's a streamlined and air-tight package but i'm not moved or blown away by anything it shows me. even moments and sequences from its genre contemporaries like final fantasy vi, or terranigma, or dragon quest v, or earthbound - admittedly less perfectly clean-cut games, but more daring, outspoken, and therefore more personally significant titles for me - leave chrono trigger's narrative and drama feeling... admittedly somewhat unremarkable in comparison.
don't get me wrong, chrono trigger is about as tight and precise as jrpgs come, and a genuine joy to play, but those are the things i admire most about it - largely leaning into its entertainment value more than its artistic dominance over me. it's why i admit to liking and resonating with chrono cross on a far more personal and powerful level than this game. but by all means, if you haven't played chrono trigger, play chrono trigger, it's probably the best place to start with jrpgs and it tops endless charts for a reason.
NOWITSREYNTIME17
5 months ago