I played the game for the first time last year and I thought it was insanely good, I especially didn't expect such a streamlined game from that era of obscurity. The variety in level design, environments, combat and how battles play out is incredible. There are literally no generic or filler parts and that is rare in a JRPG, every part of the game felt substantial and interesting. I don't remember ever being bored, the game was fun throughout the entire adventure.
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I'm not enjoying Chrono Trigger. What is wrong with me?
- Thread starter Ace Harding
- Start date
He played those as a kid I believe. IMO, those are also overrated/hard to enjoy today. Ymmv of course.
I stopped playing it once before, when I was much younger, probably 13 or 14 years old. It just didn't click and I probably didn't get it. Then I played it again last year on DS and loved it. Guess I grew up and appreciated it more... still can't get into Chrono Cross however... that 3D is gross.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
I don't know Chrono Trigger, but is this really a matter of evolution of gaming? I've played Lufia (2 in the US), which is even older, for the first time in 2014, finished in 2015 and I found it a lot better than FF XIII-3, Lord of the Fallen and Dragon Age Inquisition, all released 2014.
You don´t have to like it, maybe it´s just not the type of story or setting that keeps you playing.
I played Trigger, Cross and even Radical Dreamers because I just liked the whole concept and execution of both.
BTW nostalgia talk is nonsense because my little brother liked it too so it also caters to ´new´ gamers.
I played Trigger, Cross and even Radical Dreamers because I just liked the whole concept and execution of both.
BTW nostalgia talk is nonsense because my little brother liked it too so it also caters to ´new´ gamers.
Were people telling you those games were the greatest games of all time and masterpieces?
You waited to long son. You've lost that magic when we were that age. I must have beaten it 6 times back then and my bro 10. Ahh to go back for a day *looks away as if in a daze as a lonely tear of happier times streaks down his face*
It might just not be hitting that spot right now, too. I find sometimes whether I'm enjoying myself or not can be dependent on my mood.
But otherwise, I mean, I played this as a kid, and while I think its a really good game, its not the best of the era or anything. I enjoyed FFVI, Secret of Mana and even Secret of Evermore more. So maybe your expectations are just too high and you don't feel its quite the end all be all of SNES JRPG's like I do?
I dunno. Either way, whatever. You don't have to like a game just cuz other people do.
But otherwise, I mean, I played this as a kid, and while I think its a really good game, its not the best of the era or anything. I enjoyed FFVI, Secret of Mana and even Secret of Evermore more. So maybe your expectations are just too high and you don't feel its quite the end all be all of SNES JRPG's like I do?
I dunno. Either way, whatever. You don't have to like a game just cuz other people do.
Yep, the writing/story of games today has just gotten so good across the board.
If you think of story as not just voice acting/script that feels as much like a live-action movie as possible, but also the pace of cutscenes, the feeling contributed by the music, which is often themes for specific characters, and most importantly the interaction between gameplay and story, Chrono Trigger's story is pretty strong even today I'd say. It's totally going for cartoony, simple fantasy with a touch of darkness though, which definitely isn't a style that appeals to everyone.
There's a great analysis of what makes Chrono Trigger special I read a while back, and it talks a lot about the deep integration between story and gameplay. Found it! http://thegamedesignforum.com/features/reverse_design_CT_1.html
But yes, to answer the incredibly obvious question, you don't have to like the game just because other people do.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
People didn't do that for Lufia either and wrt Dragon Age I at least need to say: It garnered a lot of GotY awards and even was in the lead for the GAF-GotY voting for a while. So a lot of people call it a masterpiece I guess.Maybe Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest games of all time, maybe it isn't - I'll form an opinion when I buy the game later this year - but I think it's nonsense to say that gaming has evolved so much as to make SNES-era games only likeable by nostalgia. My favourite game ever is from 1995 (Yoshi's Island) and while that may be tainted by nostalgia, Lufia (2) is now easily among my top ten RPGs, so I have to say no, games from the SNES era do not need a lot of nostalgia to be liked and enjoyed.
So, I played this game for the first time when it came out on DS and it didn't really blow me away either. However, I get why it's a classic, and why people playing back in the day would really really love it.
The game is very very tight, very little filler, a very visually distinct and memorable cast, a battle system that looked very advanced for its time, and the time traveling concept was extremely novel and well used in the game. Add in a stellar soundtrack, and it's easy to see why so many people loved it.
Playing it later on, I just found the story a little non-existant for my tastes and the world a bit empty, but it was still enjoyable. I like that the story wasn't entirely given to you, there was a bit of "fill in the blanks".
The game is very very tight, very little filler, a very visually distinct and memorable cast, a battle system that looked very advanced for its time, and the time traveling concept was extremely novel and well used in the game. Add in a stellar soundtrack, and it's easy to see why so many people loved it.
Playing it later on, I just found the story a little non-existant for my tastes and the world a bit empty, but it was still enjoyable. I like that the story wasn't entirely given to you, there was a bit of "fill in the blanks".
Ace Harding
Member
I'm playing the DS version. Is that bad?
All good responses here. I'm going to keep playing. I'm not hating the game at all - maybe I was being too hard on it. Its just not holding my attention like I want it to and I'm not seeing any "greatness" other than the music. I don't have a problem going back to older games and enjoying them either.
I think it's just been so hyped as one of the greatest games ever so I'm coming into it with that mindset. That is usually a mistake. Games should ideally be enjoyed without predisposition.
It's interesting that people are saying they never had an issue figuring out what to do next. Maybe that's one area where I've just been spoiled by modern games with quest journals and waypoints. It hasn't happened yet on this playthrough, but in the past I would take a week or two break and come back and have no clue what I was doing. I would look at a FAQ to avoid just traveling to random places until I advanced the story.
Things have improved, but we are nowhere near 'so good across the board' with writing and stories. Overall, its still a pretty appalling state.
Polioliolio
Member
I started watching Are You Afraid of the Dark again in October, chronologically. It's an even better show than I remember.. You're nuts, man. It's definitely one of the best written shows for children.
There are some lousy episodes, but even then they're a fun watch.
Your argument about nostalgia is now invalid.
brandonh83
Banned
Haha, fair enough! Glad you were able to still like it.
Sorry, that was pure sarcasm. Not that there aren't games that do stories well nowadays too, but it's definitely not something that has progressed at the speed of technology and design. In other words, I agree with you.
I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is that really high expectations almost always lead to disappointment. & people's memories aren't that reliable.
Dusk Soldier
Member
I had a feeling you were at that part of the game. It's my least favourite section.
Justin Bailey
------ ------
Ok, I would say give it a chance. 65 Million BC is probably the dullest area in the game. Everytime I replay it I have to soldier my way through that part.
The DS version is the definitive version
Nothing is wrong with you btw, game just didn't click with you and that's perfectly fine.
So much this, as someone who reads a lot of epic/heroic/urban fantasy video game stories are still really meh. Not denying there are games with ok/great stories but they are in he vast minority.
justjustin
Member
I've always thought of Chrono Trigger as a "lite" JRPG. My friend who had never played an RPG of any sort in his life enjoyed Chrono Trigger and has never played another RPG since. It's briskly paced and easy to play.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Then, please, be a bit more talkative and tell me what the point is. I was responding to someone claiming the genre has come such a long way that Chrono Trigger, while it once was a masterpiece, now is almost unenjoyable if you don't have nostalgia on your side, which came off really strange to me, because Lufia 2, which is even older, from my perspective, beats almost all contemporary rpgs and I'm sure nostalgia can't play a role here, because, as I said, I've played Lufia for the first time last year.
old manatee
Banned
I played Chrono Trigger for the first time a few years ago and I thought it was pretty dull.
dragonzdogma
Member
At that point in the game you are just learning magic,
it will get way more challenging afterwards.
I'd say you will enjoy it if you just beat the game already and stop replaying the same parts over and over.
it will get way more challenging afterwards.
I'd say you will enjoy it if you just beat the game already and stop replaying the same parts over and over.
He said he got to Zeal and didn't like it. Zeal was probably my favourite part of any game.
ReyVGM
Member
I don't know what your situation is, but if you take a two week break on any non-linear RPG, I'm pretty sure you'll be clueless the next time you go back to it.
2nd favorite game of all time, and probably the best RPG of all time.
It doesn't have the grab a current MMO or Skyrim might have, but for its time it was incredible. The music is great, the characters are great, and it was just the right amount of exploration without being annoying. Dual and triple techs are awesome.
Sorry you aren't enjoying it
It doesn't have the grab a current MMO or Skyrim might have, but for its time it was incredible. The music is great, the characters are great, and it was just the right amount of exploration without being annoying. Dual and triple techs are awesome.
Sorry you aren't enjoying it
Well, CT doesn't put as much weight into it's events as in later Square Enix games (Seiken 3 and FF7), and the silent protagonist is imho its major fault.
With that said, toward the end I came to enjoy better the greatness of it all. How the ages connect to each other and all that, it really clicked in the last chapters of the story. I appreciated the game much better once I finished it versus when I only played the first half.
CT is nonetheless one of the best jRPGs of all time. It's not THE best in my book, but it's very up there.
With that said, toward the end I came to enjoy better the greatness of it all. How the ages connect to each other and all that, it really clicked in the last chapters of the story. I appreciated the game much better once I finished it versus when I only played the first half.
CT is nonetheless one of the best jRPGs of all time. It's not THE best in my book, but it's very up there.
Rogue Agent
Banned
Nothing wrong with you, OP.
I played it on the DS and it's my favourite RPG. I didn't even need to grind once in the main story. Loved everything. The active battle system, visual style, music, characters and story.
I played it on the DS and it's my favourite RPG. I didn't even need to grind once in the main story. Loved everything. The active battle system, visual style, music, characters and story.
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Nostalgia doesn't just work that way, you've played and enjoyed similar games in the past.. so the systems in old JRPGs aren't all that tedious to you.
I played them too, played the hell out of... but I have a hard time returning to the old random turn based combat type systems. I just want to play on the easiest mode and press A for awesome and move the fuck on these days.
If the aesthetics don't keep you reeled in, it's probably not going to do it for you (at least right now). The idea of a game that a couple dozen legit geniuses all compromise on, and 100 top-tier devs inhouse, has moved from unimaginable luxury and must-see spectacle to status quo; on the flipside, the core gameplay is fairly superficial when taken by itself, with a "positioning is key but we don't let you reposition and make sure you never actually need to" flaw reminiscent of FF13.
Well, the op felt like something was wrong with him because he did not like the greatest RPG of all time. People, like myself, are just pointing out that finding the gameplay unenjoyable and irritating, and the story just OK is not uncommon or weird.
Justin Bailey
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Yeah Zeal is awesome, but it might be getting overshadowed by the Reptite part where you have to find all the petals, feathers, etc right before it. That part of the game is kind of boring.
It's a good game but like MOST JRPG's of SNES era wayyyyyy overhyped. These games offered great production values and mechanics for their time but don't stand the test of time as well as some of the more arcadey games of that era. It also helps that people played these games as kids/teens so they actually were blown away by the silly and naive stories and characters.
You are not wrong to dislike CT.
You are not wrong to dislike CT.
Justin Bailey
------ ------
The silliness adds to the charm for me. I like how the game doesn't take itself too seriously.
Yeah, no.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwfYGQPwFBc
Chrono Trigger had stuff like this as side content. The game deserves all the praise it gets.
Totally agree. It was pretty cathartic going from that to Zeal all of a sudden after the teleporter.
Deadpool_X
Banned
Absolutely nothing is wrong with you OP. Some games just aren't for everyone. Personally, I love Chrono Trigger, and it is up there with FF VI as my favorite JRPG of all time, and my second favorite Snes game. However, these are just my opinions.
If you cannot connect with the characters or care about the world and ages that you travel between, odds are you will never enjoy the game, and you know what? That's ok!
If you cannot connect with the characters or care about the world and ages that you travel between, odds are you will never enjoy the game, and you know what? That's ok!
BlackVenom
Banned
There is nothing wrong with you, some games should stay in past memories.
I cant even play trough some of my favourite games nowadays.
Tried ChronoTrigger and FF7, Shadow of the Colossus.
I just get bored playing them, and cant stand the gameplay and graphics anymore.
Its a combination of me getting older and more impatient and spoiled by al the games that have passed since then.
So i dont even try anymore, i just cherish the memories i have of them and not let me and todays standards ruin them.
I cant even play trough some of my favourite games nowadays.
Tried ChronoTrigger and FF7, Shadow of the Colossus.
I just get bored playing them, and cant stand the gameplay and graphics anymore.
Its a combination of me getting older and more impatient and spoiled by al the games that have passed since then.
So i dont even try anymore, i just cherish the memories i have of them and not let me and todays standards ruin them.
I've been trying to get into Chrono Trigger with middling success, but I recently tried Xenogears for the first time and got instantly sucked in. Maybe you're like me and it's just some combination of aesthetic/thematic preference. I'm going to keep at it with Chrono Trigger, though. It's a fine game, but It just hasn't grabbed me yet.