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[Ace Harding]

I'm attempting to play through Chrono Trigger for probably the third time. I am determined to finish it this time after stopping twice sometime shortly after reaching that city

Spoiler

in the sky

. I am now 65 million BC or whatever, looking for

Spoiler

some red rock to fix the Masamune

.

And this is where I start to lose interest. It's not that anything really captivated me in the first place, it's just that it's been like 7 hours without any challenge or anything interesting happening in the story. I know it gets more challenging later because I've been there, but the game lacks depth in combat and while the premise of the story is great it's pretty lacking in execution. It can also be extremely unclear where you are supposed to go or what your options are to advance the story at times (more so later in the game), which can be really frustrating when you put the game down for a few days or weeks and try to pick it back up.

Why do people love this game so much? The one thing I love is the music. It's actually what drove me to pick it up again. But that can't keep me going for 30-40 hours or whatever. What am I missing here? Does the combat get amazing late in the game? Is there some groundbreaking mechanic I haven't experienced yet?

I genuinely WANT to like this game. I missed it as a kid (despite loving FFIV, VI, and Secret of Mana) and always wanted to play it. Maybe it just hasn't aged that well?

 

[10k]

It was amazing for its time, like the SNES FF's. It's hard to go back to them now based on how much gaming has evolved. It's mostly nostalgia that carries the game now.

 

[bomblord1]

Diminished attention span due to the age of instant gratification on the internet? I know this might sound weird OP but try doing a "media fast" get off of gaf, facebook, etc for a day or 2 and then try it. That may sound weird but it may very well help. It could also just be you have different tastes than the people who herald it I can't say for sure.

I got it a few years ago on DS and it was one of those games that completely captivated me from beginning to end.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Nothing. I didn't care too much for the game, either, for a lot of the reasons you stated. Differing opinions, etc.

 

[Dr. Buni]

There is nothing wrong with you. I played it in 2010 for the first time and loved it, but that doesn't mean everyone who plays it should enjoy the game.

 

[maxcriden]

Nothing. I didn't care too much for the game, either, for a lot of the reasons you stated. Differing opinions, etc.

This. Also, I find most turn-based RPGs really slow.

 

[Marceles]

The game had the full package when it was first released: graphics, music, gameplay, story, new game+ and multiple endings so there's the replay value. It just has it all

 

[Fireblend]

You should seek help. Professional psychiatric help.

Spoiler

I dunno man, maybe it's just not for you. Don't go around spouting silly nonsense like it hasn't aged well though wtf.

This. Also, I find most turn-based RPGs really slow.

CT's is easily one of the best and fastest RPG battle systems ever. Zero loading times, no battle transitions, quick command inputs, quick animations... not sure what game out there does it better. And that's just one of the reasons it's the best Square-developed game ever.

 

[Meneses]

I'm not the biggest fan (I liked it, just didn't love it), but I think it's more to do with the fact that I played the game way too late, after playing a lot of my favorite RPGs.

I imagine it would have been amazing if i'd played it when it came out.

 

[thomasmahler]

Yup, same here. I always loved all Final Fantasy games, etc., but Chrono Trigger... nope. Even though I always loved the music and the art. But as a game... nope.

 

[TheHall]

You don't have to like it just because the Internet does.

 

[LaunchpadMcQ]

Last time I checked, you don't have to like all the games the majority likes. I love Chrono Trigger, yet I got bored with Bravely Default. *shrug*

 

[drtomoe123]

I enjoyed CT when I played through it the first time years ago, and it certainly was a good game; the experience just didn't linger like a lot of other memorable games that I've played.

Chrono Cross, on the other hand...

 

[Lilo_D]

Spoiler

I'm not enjoying any Final Fantasy games after FF6, what's wrong with me

It's really fine

 

[CypherSignal]

The story really slows down the first time you're whisked to 65M BC. It took me two or three runs of CT to get past that part, but by the time I got to 12K BC, I was absolutely glued to what was going on. The story moves way faster and everything is just popping off, with a generally clear direction as to what to do.

Great music. Great art. Great story. Pretty decent RPG combat. Still holds up today, easily.

 

[roknin]

Different strokes for different folks. If you're not liking it at that point, I wouldn't force it.

I'm currently LP'ing it for my channel and I'm thoroughly enjoying it, but then again I've loved the game since its initial release and have beaten it dozens of times (probably more than that considering the different endings), so I'm pretty biased in that sense lol.

I will say that personally, I've never felt that it didn't tell you where to go or left things obscure. CT was actually one of the games that almost always smacked you in the face and said "probably should go here next" as long as you didn't skip dialogue too much.

 

[Semantic Continuum]

Why do people love this game so much? The one thing I love is the music. It's actually what drove me to pick it up again. But that can't keep me going for 30-40 hours or whatever. What am I missing here? Does the combat get amazing late in the game? Is there some groundbreaking mechanic I haven't experienced yet?

It's more of a 20h game, even on the first playthrough.
Honestly if the game didn't grab you before I'm afraid it's a lost cause. I love it because it's the perfect pacing for an old school jrpg, with fast combat and interesting characters. It strikes the right balance between depth and accessibility imho.
Maybe the break with the -65M BC is a bit too much for you, it's more of a cooldown moment where you get to explore a strange new world, similar to the first time in 2300 AD. I'd advise to finish the era before deciding to drop it or keep it, I really like the boss and events which give the game a new push forward in the story.

Also Mitsuda is boss.

 

[Dark_castle]

The strange thing about this game isn't that it has super amazing combat or super amazing story, no. I mean sure, the combat works well, dual/triple tech was fun to use and innovative, and an RPG about time travelling was also fresh at the time, and executed fairly well, but there is just something else that made Chrono Trigger a legendary title. Perhaps it's pacing, the unique kind of adventure going through different eras of time, Frog/Magus arc, all the minigames in Leene Square and the interesting events that happened at the beginning, the amazing OST and graphics for its time, and the fact that Robo's theme resembles Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley.

 

[SteveTR]

I like the game a lot, but there are some things which seem kind of silly now. I guess you have to be in the mood for 90s games to play a lot of 90s games now. If you didn't play the game back then, it's probably harder to get into that mindset.

 

[Koriandrr]

You don't have to like it just because the Internet does.

Probably the best thing I've read on the internet.

 

[Mikey Jr.]

I think it's like that with most games. If you played them when they came out, you can keep going back to them forever and love it. But jumping into a 20 year old game can be hard.

For me, it's the witcher 1. I honestly think that game sucks, but can see why it was so highly regarded back in the day.

I played ct when it came out, so I can keep going back to that game constantly because I've already accounted for all its faults.

It is probably my top 5 games ever.

 

[Chojin]

CT's is easily one of the best and fastest RPG battle systems ever. Zero loading times, no battle transitions, quick command inputs, quick animations... not sure what game out there does it better. And that's just one of the reasons it's the best Square-developed game ever.

Maybe he's playing the psx version


It's not my favorite jrpg. But its fun. Maybe its just not for you OP?

 

[AmethystEnd]

I've played and beaten Chrono Trigger at least once per year since the first time I beat it (about 1-1.5 years after its SNES launch) and I've enjoyed it every time. If it hasn't aged well, I guess I just don't care; it's still my favorite jrpg to date.

 

[ced]

I preferred Cross to Trigger, if that means anything.

 

[Uthred]

As mentioned "You don't have to like it just because the Internet does." is the single best piece of advice in the thread.

I dunno man, maybe it's just not for you. Don't go around spouting silly nonsense like it hasn't aged well though wtf.

The OP didnt say that though, they put it forward as a supposition, hence the question mark. While I think it's aged well it is in many ways a product of its time so theres certainly an argument to be made there. Dismissing it out of hand, especially when it wasnt actually said doesnt really contribute much to the discussion.

 

[nw3]

I just can't get going on it either, OP, have tried multiple times but lose interest.

 

[tapedeck]

I played it when it came out and thought it was amazing then...I tried to replay it for the first time about a year ago and was terribly bored even though I forgot a lot of what to do.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Your tastes differ from the mainstream. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[xevis]

CT's is easily one of the best and fastest RPG battle systems ever. Zero loading times, no battle transitions, quick command inputs, quick animations... not sure what game out there does it better. And that's just one of the reasons it's the best Square-developed game ever.

I love CT. I love it to bits. The music, the story, the characters, the art, the fact that Yuji Horii is such a visible influence in the game's design. All that good stuff. That said, the battle system can go die in a fire. I cannot stand active battles. They're stressful and error inducing and just plain... Gahhh! LET ME THINK!!!!

 

[maxcriden]

CT's is easily one of the best and fastest RPG battle systems ever. Zero loading times, no battle transitions, quick command inputs, quick animations... not sure what game out there does it better. And that's just one of the reasons it's the best Square-developed game ever.

That's all accurate, no question. I just don't enjoy it despite those positive aspects. I don't think turn-based battles in general are for me. I liked them a bit more as a kid, i.e. Pokemon and Golden Sun, but these days pretty much only the timing-oriented Mario RPGs are the only turn-based ones I'm interested in.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

Maybe he's playing the psx version


It's not my favorite jrpg. But its fun. Maybe its just not for you OP?

Maybe this.

OP what version are you playing?

 

[SliceSabre]

I played Chrono Cross first and absolutely loved it and it is easily my favorite video game bar none.

Then I decided to play Chrono Trigger on the DS to see what people were talking about since it seems every Trigger fan calls Cross trash and I had the reverse opinion. I thought Trigger wasn't all that fun. I played a good 5 hours of it but it just did not click for me at all. I just found every single aspect of Cross vastly better than Trigger.

In fact I'm replaying Chrono Cross again on my Vita for like the 20+ time since the game came out all those years ago.

 

[Semantic Continuum]

I love CT. I love it to bits. The music, the story, the characters, the art, the fact that Yuji Horii is such a visible influence in the game's design. All that good stuff. That said, the battle system can go die in a fire. I cannot stand active battles. They're stressful and error inducing and just plain... Gahhh! LET ME THINK!!!!

You know you can chose the "wait" option for combat, right ?

 

[jesu]

First time I played it was the DS version, didn't rate it all.
Modern JRPGs at that time were way more my style.

 

[Candescence]

Eh, it's not your fault, different strokes for different folks (I find that the original Bioshock to be enormously overrated, for example), but CT is still one of my favourite RPGs of all time. Excellently paced, not easy or difficult, a fairly endearing cast, a great script and narrative, amazing soundtrack, and one of the best turn-based battle systems by virtue of being surprisingly straightforward while still having its own unique quirks and basically giving the whole playable cast unique movesets rather than dumping an enormous list of generic spells on your party members.

It was a very 90s JRPG, but it's still the best of 90s RPGs. Shame Chrono Cross had to ruin things by being a terrible sequel (despite being at least a decent game in its own right).

 

[brandonh83]

I don't like The Last of Us. Seems crazy to some, but people react to things different and have their own mindset pertaining to what makes something good or bad. Chrono Trigger is bar none my favorite game of all time, but that's simply the experience I personally got out of it. I would have to heavily disagree about the story execution though! I think the story is fantastic, heartfelt and charming, and driven by wonderful characters. It's also not on the long end of RPG's, so I feel that it keeps up the pacing better than most and there were always new story hooks along the way, for me anyway.

 

[roknin]

I love CT. I love it to bits. The music, the story, the characters, the art, the fact that Yuji Horii is such a visible influence in the game's design. All that good stuff. That said, the battle system can go die in a fire. I cannot stand active battles. They're stressful and error inducing and just plain... Gahhh! LET ME THINK!!!!

But.... You can choose "Active" or "Wait", same as FF6...

I'd never choose Wait though, too easy. Gimme the stress

 

[QaaQer]

Nothing is wrong with you. It's an ancient game with Japanese gameplay. As far as the story goes, well it is a videogame at the end of the day, so its not like you'll be missing that much.

 

[potam]

I never finished this on the DS I stopped playing it for some reason, and now I have absolutely no idea what to do or how to play it well, and my save is right before a boss fight.

I personally don't understand all the love, but I don't think it was a bad game by any means. I could see this being something really special for its time.

 

[Plinko]

I found Chrono Cross to be more memorable and fun to play. It is easily one of my favorite games.

Nothing is wrong with you. It's an ancient game with Japanese gameplay.

*sigh*

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

I have beaten Chrono Trigger, which is more than I can say for FF6, but I never quite understood the love it gets. I enjoyed it more than you did OP, but thats the highest praise I can give it.

 

[xevis]

You know you can chose the "wait" option for combat, right ?

Yes, but it's not the same thing as a turn based battle. Wait just freezes time when b you're in certain menus. You cannot easily cycle through your guys, go back, adjust etc without losing time. Plus you still have to wait for the ATB timers. It's just... yuck. The whole time I play CT I find myself cursing Square. I think that's my main beef with the game actually. Too much Square. Not enough Enix.

 

[Barrylocke]

Nothing is wrong with you. It's an ancient game with Japanese gameplay. As far as the story goes, well it is a videogame at the end of the day, so its not like you'll be missing that much.

So is FFIV and FFVI, games that OP loved. This is obviously more than just a "Turn based Japanese style games aren't for me" thing.

There's nothing wrong with not being a fan of the game though. I feel like it's a game that plays pretty conventionally, but it does things very well. In the grand scheme it doesn't feel especially innovative, so I can see how a person who played it long after other JRPGs isn't too impressed by it. I personally first played it 10 years ago and while I do see it as one of the best of the SNES era, it's definitely not one of my favorite JRPGs of all time.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I genuinely WANT to like this game. I missed it as a kid (despite loving FFIV, VI, and Secret of Mana) and always wanted to play it. Maybe it just hasn't aged that well?

It's aged incredibly well, but some games aren't for everyone OP. If you've gotten as far as you did in the previous playthrough in your spoiler, and still don't like it, just accept that it's not your cup of tea and move on(Unless you're playing the PSX/PSN version, that is garbage - DS/SNES/WIIVC is the way). I love P&C games but am slightly cold to Grim Fandango. These things happen

It's mostly nostalgia that carries the game now.

Not really. I introduced people to this game when the DS version came out, and they absolutely loved it.

 

[thewhitehawk]

It's as impressive as it once was but overall I think still stands the test of time as one of the most solid and intricate plots behind an RPG with a memorable cast of characters, an exciting plot that seemed like something pulled out of a 90's cartoon in concentrated form and one of the first examples of a game in which you can pursue additional quests to learn more about your team members and help them become stronger.

Not to mention some of the secret content like the endings, some of the surprising revelations. There's a lot that I remember and love about the game, but that doesn't, by any means, mean that everyone has to enjoy it also.

One thing I will say though is that the soundtrack made most of the following games' ones for years onwards seem pale in comparison. Some of the greatest videogame music ever made is on Chrono Trigger.

 

[vanx0]

One of the best, if not THE BEST JRPG of all time. Dragon Age|Elder Scrolls|etc ain't got shit. BUT, if you like your action rpgs n' stuff, go ahead, have fun, but for me, turn-based rpgs are still the best.

 

[FindMyFarms]

Its a console video game from the 16 bit era. This is 2015. You're not going to be captivated by the story lol.

 

[blankempathy]

I always found the bc section and most of the first future part kind of slow. After bc though the game really ramps up. Totally worth toughing it out

 

[brandonh83]

Nothing worse than the "it's just nostalgia" argument but it always crops up pertaining to discussion of classic games. They're considered classic for a reason. I don't think that the more that time passes the worse that something becomes, at least in not all situations, therefore the nostalgia argument shouldn't be passed around so freely. There are obviously instances in which something you thought was good a long time ago actually isn't that good. Like Are You Afraid of the Dark. I used to love that show as a kid, but I recently tried to revisit it and it was just plain terrible. So while I have nostalgic memories of that show, it doesn't mean that the show is good. Or was ever good. It was good to me at a certain age, but now I can see that it's awful.

That is a situation in which the nostalgia argument can be reasonably applied, but with games like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI or movies like Star Wars, time isn't going to make them any worse. The special effects may not hold up as well (and this is debatable especially how people tend to prefer models and such over CGI) but that's a surface aspect; the real meat of Star Wars for example is the story, settings, art, music, and so on-- much how Chrono Trigger, while the visuals or other surface layer things may be outdated, still has those qualities that people adored about the game perfectly well intact.

Passing time does not degrade quality. Your perceptions and tastes may change, but something that was once legitimately good will always be legitimately good. And bad for that matter.

 

[LiegeWaffle]

I know a lot of people who find it "meh". I'm personally not very excited about it, and I love a lot of 16-bit RPGs. It's a game that does all things really well, but I do not find a single thing about it which really makes it stand out for me.