chrono trigger game review
Test: Chrono TriggerBorn out of a collaboration between Enix and Squaresoft which was celebrating its 10th anniversary, Chrono Trigger was developed under the leadership of a dream team in which we counted among others the founder of Final Fantasy and the director of Dragon Quest. It is therefore logical that this little gem shook the world of RPGs when it was released in 1995, with in particular a scenario on the fringes of usual concepts and sporting a theme that is both utopian and the source of many dreams. Yes ladies and gentlemen, this is about rescuing the world by traveling through time ... And it was in the year 1000, in the kingdom of Gardia, that this wonderful adventure began.
You play Chrono, a young boy with a scarlet mop, who wakes up to take part in the Millennium Festival taking place near his home. He must meet his friend Lucca, inventor of genius who wants to show him his latest invention. On his way, Chrono will first meet a young girl named Marle and with whom he will quickly befriend. The young lady being completely lost, it is in her charming company that Chrono decides to continue her visit of the present attractions. They will come across a strange trader who will be interested in the mysterious pendant that Marle wears, but who will end up completely changing his discourse and advise him to take great care of it. Thus after having taken advantage of the numerous stands for a long time, our two companions finally decided to visit Lucca. Proud, she explains to them how her brand new device works: the telepod, which allows you to teleport anyone from one point to another. Chrono then inaugurates the machine, and everything ultimately goes without problems ... to the surprise of the inventor. But when Marle decides to test the device in turn, the telepod interacts with its mysterious pendant, which creates a huge vortex that draws it in. Picking up the necklace abandoned on the ground, Chrono and Lucca decide to rescue the girl. They put the machine back in motion one last time, before being propelled 400 years back, in the middle of a hidden war against a formidable magician!
From the first moments of play, you can easily see that the technical capabilities of the Super Nintendo have been exploited with flying colors. We quickly understand that Square and Enix did not simply want to create yet another good role-playing game, but an RPG which would claim to mark the players for the years to come while remaining an almost absolute reference. Whether in terms of graphics or sound, the development team has really reached a rarely achieved technical outcome, which is also reflected in the reflection and the search for innovations brought to the scenario and even to the gameplay. This is what made, and still does, the success of the game, the proposed adventure has everything of a great epic while remaining ultimately very simple and very accessible. Bathed in an atmosphere both epic and engaging, Chrono Trigger offers you the possibility of preventing an inevitable future that would cause the end of the world, and it is in this perspective that the player begins a long adventure through the ages where the choices from the past will directly affect the future. The importance of these choices is very quickly highlighted, and this from the millennium celebration, where you can see that the least of your gestures will have a rather unexpected impact.
In all, Chrono Trigger gives access to seven periods: Prehistory, Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Present, the day of the Cataclysm, the Future and the End Times. The big highlight that results is that where the usual RPGs offer you a whole journey that will result in an end boss, Chrono Trigger goes off the beaten path by offering a boss who can fight n any time of the adventure. Indeed, as the game is entirely articulated on the timeline previously quoted, you will be able to face it when you see fit, and even at the very beginning! Depending on your choices during the game, you will have a total of 12 opportunities to measure yourself against him, which will lead to as many different endings to which are added 2 bad ends. However, during your first game, you will not have the level to face the Boss before the final final confrontation. It will be necessary first of all to finish the game normally the first time, which will then unlock the "New Game +" mode. The latter will allow you to start the adventure again while keeping your levels, your techniques and your objects, and thus give you the opportunity to overcome the Boss at any key moment of your journey while having this time a decent level.
Before eradicating this evil, you will be brought to meet various protagonists who will join your ranks. Each of these characters has its own personality and a story really worked, which the player will dedicate a certain interest as it progresses. Thus, in addition to the main plot, you will have the opportunity to dwell on the experience of each of them through different side quests. So you will end up with 7 playable characters, each with very different characteristics. The fights take place however in teams of 3, directly at the precise place where you meet your enemies and this without any change of scenery, the positioning of your team and your attackers being done randomly on the area. Interface level, here we find the Active Battle System of Final Fantasy VI. Clearly, each character has a gauge which once filled, allows to perform an individual action via a menu. Beyond the possibility of using a simple attack or an object, you will be able to launch techniques or magic specific to each character and which consume magic points. Some have a zone effect (circular or linear), which makes sense because unlike your characters, enemies can move during battles. Combats will therefore sometimes involve a strategic dimension since it will always be smarter to wait for a horde of enemies to regroup than to target them one by one. But the real innovation comes from the possibility of launching collective offensives. Indeed, each character can learn 8 individual techniques which can be combined with those of others. This is called double or triple technique, the possible combinations being automatically listed once two or three characters are ready to attack. Once the fight is won, you earn experience points to level up, and also technical points necessary to learn them. Note that in terms of magic, your characters have their element and only master it, which will further strengthen the diversity of your offensives during combat and will encourage you to rotate your troops.
Exploration also remains a key element of Chrono Trigger. You will travel in a single world, but which will be shaped according to the era you are going through. Movements on the world map are done manually, allowing you to reach the different places on the map. Besides the cities, various open or closed dungeons will be there, with of course their panoply of enemies and Bosses. New feature, there are no random fights, you directly see the monsters walking around you. You can sometimes avoid them by passing by, except for those who are aggressive in nature. There are also hidden enemies, which arise the moment you pass through a scripted area. Suffice to say that Chrono Trigger has been refined in every way, in order to create and maintain from start to finish a truly flawless immersion. The game is played without real dead time, nor any notable interruption in the scenario to which are naturally added a few side quests. In the end, it is you who decide when and how you want to continue the adventure. You have the fate of the world in your hands, but time is no longer an obstacle to that.
The notes
Graphics 18/20
Graphically, Chrono Trigger can claim to be one of the most beautiful 16-bit games, along with the famous Final Fantasy VI. Each era implies its particular environment, sometimes colorful and enchanting, sometimes dark and tortured. The whole is sometimes combined with beautiful backgrounds. Regarding the characters, everyone will have recognized the artistic leg of Akira Toriyama, creator of the manga Dragon Ball, who drew us here really engaging protagonists and totally different from each other.
Gameplay 18/20
The combat interface may seem rigid at first, but we quickly realize that it has on the contrary an almost perfect ergonomics. Everything becomes intuitive, and the game dynamics are only better. The different techniques and magic available prevent monotony during the clashes, not to mention the possibilities of combinations that will make your enemies have a very bad time. The menus for their part are also very clear and complete.
Lifespan 16/20
It will take about twenty hours to complete the game. You will then access a new mode which will allow you to start the adventure again with levels, stats and equipment that you had when you finished it the first time. This will allow you to discover all the possible endings, which are still 12 in number. The existence and relevance of a few side quests will further increase the duration and the interest in the game.
Soundtrack 17/20
Orchestrated by Yasunori Mitsuda and the composer of the Final Fantasy series, the soundtrack offered is simply divine. The various musical themes are perfectly integrated into the different moments of the adventure, thus accentuating the humorous or totally dramatic dimension of certain events.
Scenario 17/20
The scenario offers you to fulfill your destiny by traveling back in time. The concept is very interesting, and intelligently developed. So, being able to travel in time as you see fit, you will not feel tired during your journey. The main frame, however, remains fairly linear, but yet so well put together that you will have the feeling of having total freedom of movement at all times.
Chrono Trigger is an anthology game, loved by countless players around the world and which can boast of being a masterpiece. All the elements have been brought together to offer players a unique adventure, which is savored without restraint and which we return to again and again. The big black point remains that Europe has never been able to enjoy a PAL version on Super NES, players must necessarily fall back on import to enjoy the adventure. However, it is now possible to catch up on this sad delay thanks to the DS version which for the occasion is fully translated into French and is given some pretty additional cutscenes.
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