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I'm not enjoying Chrono Trigger. What is wrong with me?
- Thread starter Ace Harding
- Start date
Might be some truth in this, but you also just have to be in that mindset that you are playing an old game. I played the PS1 Final Fantasy games around 2005 - 2007 and it took a bit of adjusting back to them, but once I did I had a lot of fun.
Same, DS copy was the first time I played it and I was completely hooked. I hear it is the best version since it doesn't have load times like the disc versions.
TheSlySoul
Member
I find the game fun, but vastly overrated. I do not understand the people gushing over it.
I've never really cared for it either. I always felt like I was missing something with the combat system. I love the art and the music, and I enjoyed he story. But gameplay is what matters most to me, and it never clicked with me. The first time I played, I got all the way to the end, and I just couldn't pick which
Lavos. A really dumb reason to not finish a game, but I was guilty of this sort of indecisiveness a lot in the past.
I've tried to replay it a few times, but I just can't slog through it again. And now that I've seen the story once, I've lost one of the only motivators I had to play the game in the first place. I want to like it, but it's just not for me.
time period in which to fight
I've tried to replay it a few times, but I just can't slog through it again. And now that I've seen the story once, I've lost one of the only motivators I had to play the game in the first place. I want to like it, but it's just not for me.
Ace Harding
Member
Oh god I forgot about that. That is what I am about to do. At least once I get to Zeal I will basically be caught up to where I dropped the game last time.
I think I just took too long of a hiatus while in Zeal, came back and just completely forgot what was happening. So I shut it down and said "I'll come back to this in a year or two" and that's where I am now.
More good thoughts in this thread. I have no issue with older games so it's not that. I can pick up and enjoy older RPGs and appreciate them. I think it's just the lack of combat depth and character customization that's holding this back for me. Each character is tied to an element and you can't change that, all character-specific spells (and not that many of them), not heavily loot-driven (except the accessories maybe). I like games with strategic elements and Chrono Trigger leaves very little room to come up with different strategies.
I've heard the same but I never heard loading times mentioned.
I try to be patient with games and not to expect instant gratification (I feel delayed gratification is better, more rewarding in the end, and is better on the end user for showing them they must do something to get something) but the internet has sort of spoiled me on this recently.
For me it is one of best RPG I played but I'm pretty sure if I played this game for the first time today I would not be as amazed by it as I was as a kid.
I feel like it's a game you had to play at the time and not today (for some players at least).
I replayed the DS version a few years back and I still liked the game a lot so it at least passed the test of time for me .
One thing is sure thought, the music of this game is awesome I still listen to it .
I feel like it's a game you had to play at the time and not today (for some players at least).
I replayed the DS version a few years back and I still liked the game a lot so it at least passed the test of time for me .
One thing is sure thought, the music of this game is awesome I still listen to it .
JudgmentJay
Member
I played it for the first time a year or two ago... first game I played on my 3DS. I loved it. The atmosphere and the music especially. I thought the story was great as well. Combat was fine, and I really appreciated no random battles. I feel like that was probably a big deal in its time. I know there are alot of endings, but I was surprised that it only took me ~20-25 hours to beat. I assume I got the standard ending. Definitely in my top 5 JRPGs of all time.
I first played it in 2008 and its one of my favourite games of all time.
KojiKnight
Member
Chrono Trigger is still a great game... but it's still a Japanese RPG, and some people just aren't that into Japanese RPGs.
I like CT a lot. That doesn't mean it's not overhyped though. A game can be great and still be overhyped at the same time.
Saying the story in this game is bad compared to similar games today just doesn't make sense. It's simple and forgoes all of the fluff to deliver a pretty tight story.
You can point to many instances that this game has that newer games don't try to do story-wise.
clem84
Gold Member
There's not much you can do when you dislike a certain game, even if it just happens to be a classic that everybody else likes. I personally found Persona 4 to be incredibly boring. I won't even attempt to play it again. I'm not touching any persona game with a 10 foot pole from now on.
Chrono Trigger just clicked with me right away and I enjoyed the game all the way through. But if you're not having fun, I wouldn't advise to keep playing. If you'd be very close to the end, then I'd say make an effort and finish it but otherwise, move on to something else you'll most likely enjoy more.
Chrono Trigger just clicked with me right away and I enjoyed the game all the way through. But if you're not having fun, I wouldn't advise to keep playing. If you'd be very close to the end, then I'd say make an effort and finish it but otherwise, move on to something else you'll most likely enjoy more.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
Chrono Cross is better. I just came in to add mroe salt to the wound.
Chrono Trigger is amazing though, but it's not for everyone. Like every other game.
RayearthRob
Member
"the game lacks depth in combat" ?????
DoktorEvil
Banned
Take a week off from consuming media and go into it with a fresh mind and ignore the hyperbole. See if the Internet opinion is clouding judgment.
KojiKnight
Member
This is incredibly true... Usually it's spam A for weak enemies, use one of your 8 spells for bosses, use triple techs when you're bored and want to see something flashy (or your healer has nothing to do for a turn).
I love CT to death, but you don't play CT for it's gameplay.
Barrylocke
Member
Yeah, compared to games like FFV, Shin Megami Tensei, Fire Emblem 4 or even FFVI, it kind of does lack combat depth.
Although to be fair I do think Chrono Trigger's combat depth is pretty on par with most JRPGs of the time.
I don't think there is, nor ever can be, a game that's going to be liked by everybody.
I know Chrono Trigger has been canonized as the best JRPG of all times, but it's still okay not to like it. It really is. I recently replayed it myself, and I found it to be a good but not fantastic. IMO a lot of the appreciation for it comes from nostalgia.
I know Chrono Trigger has been canonized as the best JRPG of all times, but it's still okay not to like it. It really is. I recently replayed it myself, and I found it to be a good but not fantastic. IMO a lot of the appreciation for it comes from nostalgia.
flatearthpandas
Member
I find it really hard to get into as well. There's too much out there to play to worry about things you're not enjoying.
That said, of course, I still plan on soldiering through it as well. I'm hoping SE approved it for Wii U VC because I would be much more likely to get through it on the Gamepad than Wii mode for whatever reason.
That said, of course, I still plan on soldiering through it as well. I'm hoping SE approved it for Wii U VC because I would be much more likely to get through it on the Gamepad than Wii mode for whatever reason.
mickagau33
Member
I got the game in 1995 for SFC and remember not liking it THAT much. It was good but it failed to impress me as much as, say, FFV or VI. My friends also shared that feeling. I also remember my favourite french videogame magazine reviewing it and thinking it was a very good game but not one of square best. I was actually surprised to see how much praise the game actually got when the Internet came around !
Lol nostalgia argument. It holds up better than most games made in the last 10 years. People complain about lack of depth and complexity in a genre that never focus on depth and complexity. Yout want crazy mechanics in a jrpg? That's hilarious.
This isn't ultima 4 5 6 where its almost impossible to play those games. CTs accessibility is still leaps and bounds many classics. Is it perfect? No,but what game is? A perfect game doesn't exist. Its a flawed masterpiece as far as I'm concerned. Its one of the most well made 16 bit RPGs, and only rivals ff6, and smrpg.
Rip square soft.
This isn't ultima 4 5 6 where its almost impossible to play those games. CTs accessibility is still leaps and bounds many classics. Is it perfect? No,but what game is? A perfect game doesn't exist. Its a flawed masterpiece as far as I'm concerned. Its one of the most well made 16 bit RPGs, and only rivals ff6, and smrpg.
Rip square soft.
I agree there's not much depth to the combat, but for how basic it is, everything it does works.
The story gets better at Zeal.
I don't think it's just a case of it being old as it contains few mechanics that are now seen as outdated. Random battles in particular are much less of a problem than in a game like Final Fantasy VI where it destroyed the experience for me.
I think the game is perfect for what it wants to do: be a mostly light-hearted time travel romp with accessible, well-done mechanics and charming characters.
The story gets better at Zeal.
I don't think it's just a case of it being old as it contains few mechanics that are now seen as outdated. Random battles in particular are much less of a problem than in a game like Final Fantasy VI where it destroyed the experience for me.
I think the game is perfect for what it wants to do: be a mostly light-hearted time travel romp with accessible, well-done mechanics and charming characters.
DoktorEvil
Banned
SMRPG was baby's first RPG.
I love the hell out of that game, but CT is more complex compared to SMRPG.
That's mystic quest. You can at least die in smRPG many times as a baby. Of course ct is more complex.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
I've done a fair bit of research into Chrono Trigger (for obvious reasons) and I've played through it several times.
At the time, Chrono Trigger had amazing visuals that felt drastically better than the competition. The music was (and remains) one of the best soundtracks on the SNES. The game was paced quickly - you're rarely in one area for long before you get whisked to a new era, meet a new ally, get a new major story revelation, and so on. Having combat directly on the maps that you explored was huge at the time, as were multiple character unite techniques, and no random encounters. The characters were likeable (in large part due to their visual design) & the time travel plot was unique and led to some great optional quests. In short, it was the total package.
Going back to it now, not everything holds up as well as it once did. The graphics are still nice for a SNES game but you can see where they cut corners and reused map tiles for a lot of the less important areas. The combat which once felt so fast at the time seems downright slow compared to some newer games like the Etrian Odyssey series where you can blaze through moves in under a second. Likewise, the combat system seemed like it had great depth at the time thanks to the combo system, but then you realize that almost every single ability is just a straight damage or heal spell. There's next to no freedom over character development (just linear learning abilities & whatever equipment you choose to use). The story & characters just don't match up to some later games like the Persona games which have the benefit of much more dialogue & much higher quality localizations. And in general, the game veers towards the easy side (both in general difficulty and complexity) which is great if you're young or just starting RPGs, but not so great if you're an RPG veteran.
I still think it's a milestone in RPGs & there's fun to be had in playing it even today, but I can definitely see how it's not for everyone.
At the time, Chrono Trigger had amazing visuals that felt drastically better than the competition. The music was (and remains) one of the best soundtracks on the SNES. The game was paced quickly - you're rarely in one area for long before you get whisked to a new era, meet a new ally, get a new major story revelation, and so on. Having combat directly on the maps that you explored was huge at the time, as were multiple character unite techniques, and no random encounters. The characters were likeable (in large part due to their visual design) & the time travel plot was unique and led to some great optional quests. In short, it was the total package.
Going back to it now, not everything holds up as well as it once did. The graphics are still nice for a SNES game but you can see where they cut corners and reused map tiles for a lot of the less important areas. The combat which once felt so fast at the time seems downright slow compared to some newer games like the Etrian Odyssey series where you can blaze through moves in under a second. Likewise, the combat system seemed like it had great depth at the time thanks to the combo system, but then you realize that almost every single ability is just a straight damage or heal spell. There's next to no freedom over character development (just linear learning abilities & whatever equipment you choose to use). The story & characters just don't match up to some later games like the Persona games which have the benefit of much more dialogue & much higher quality localizations. And in general, the game veers towards the easy side (both in general difficulty and complexity) which is great if you're young or just starting RPGs, but not so great if you're an RPG veteran.
I still think it's a milestone in RPGs & there's fun to be had in playing it even today, but I can definitely see how it's not for everyone.
D
Deleted member 20920
Unconfirmed Member
The DS version is good. Anything but the PSX version and maybe some say mobile version. The PSX version has really bad loading that slows down everything.
You could be having problems because you take breaks. I find that as I get older and play more and more games I have problems returning to games and playing from where I left off. It's best if you could just play it through without talking long breaks if you can. It's not a long game anyway.
At the end of the day if you're not enjoying the game there's no reason to continue. Some games just aren't for you.
I played Cross before Trigger and I love both games. I don't think it's just nostalgia that makes one think that Trigger is good. It does a lot of things really well despite being uncomplicated. I like how it's not bogged down by a million systems. The characters and stories are also not excessively written nor too complicated. It also sticks to its time travel rules very well. The pacing is mostly excellent and the side quests are not the sort that are no longer done in RPGs these days. The game feels pretty well balanced and no grinding is required.
Polioliolio
Member
Well, to be honest, I fully expect the quality to dip after the first few seasons, but it's still going strong.
I'm just starting Season 3 now (Amazon has them all out of order in their "seasons").
It helps that I'm a big fan of Twilight Zone and Outerlimits.
FunkyPajamas
Member
I finished this year's play through on the PSone version (playing on Vita) a few weeks ago. Loved every minute of it. I was very patient with the loading to be honest (and it is somewhat annoying), but there is no way such a petty thing can kill your enjoyment if you really love the game.
It's so odd that people always put out this theory in these discussions, even when it's been directly contradicted by other people earlier in the same thread.
Personally, I have multiple snes rpgs I discovered in the past decade which I loved, and my favorite game of all time is a PSone rpg I only discovered six or seven years ago. And I played a ton of games in the 16 bit era right around their release date.
Arthr2ShdsJcksn
Banned
I didn't play it back in the day, and it didn't have much of an effect on me when I did play it. I also don't get the love for the music, which I found to be mostly bland, but I tend to disagree with a lot of people when it comes to 'classic game opinions'. When it comes to non-FF Square games, I always preferred Secret of Mana.
Regginator3
Neo Member
I'm not that huge a fan. It's not that there's anything outright wrong with the game, I just don't find it as captivating as a lot of other JRPGs.
Tales of Phantasia on the other hand though...
Tales of Phantasia on the other hand though...
Well, it's definitely true for me. So I think it's definitely possible for some people that this is just the case, even though there are plenty of people who aren't like this.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
This is such a great analysis article. Major spoilers for the entire game, of course but well worth reading if you've already played the game.
Dusk Soldier
Member
There's definitely strategy. It's just that, being an RPG and all, strategy is meaningless in the face of overwhelming power.
IAmRandom31
Banned
There's nothing wrong with you but you are definitely going to hell
princemarth23
Member
I think the game's a masterpiece so it doesn't really make sense to me, but there's no game that appeals to absolutely everyone. It's fine if it isn't working for you, but I would recommend at least finishing it once as it isn't that long of a game, at least compared to many RPGs out there. Also the combat does get more interesting as the game goes on and you have more access to different special moves and all that, and there are a number of memorable boss fights that take a fair bit of effort. It's never all that difficult, but it does get more challenging for sure.
petran79
Banned
I remember giving the game a try in early 2000 through emulation. Spent quite a lot of time but in the end it didnt manage to captivate me. While I liked the premise and the story aspects, the whole gameplay turned out very repetitive in the end. Same for Seiken Densetsu 3. Also tried the translated Eien no Filena.
It seems turn-based JRPGs are not for me.
Prefer action RPGs.
But I admit that this game belonged to an other era. Up till the late-90s you played consoles and computer games offline for long sessions without constant flow of information from the net.
You were just you and the game.
Trying to do the same at the start of the broadband internet age made the game much more difficult to play through
It seems turn-based JRPGs are not for me.
Prefer action RPGs.
But I admit that this game belonged to an other era. Up till the late-90s you played consoles and computer games offline for long sessions without constant flow of information from the net.
You were just you and the game.
Trying to do the same at the start of the broadband internet age made the game much more difficult to play through