Chrono Trigger is the best video game ever created. In 1995, confined by a 16-bit video game system with only 128KB of RAM (the Super Nintendo), the game brought an amazing time-travelling story to life that somehow was enhanced by the limitations of the pixel graphics that allowed our imagination to fill in the full picture of the story.
Chrono Trigger deals with the inherent difficulty of making the trade- off between game-play and story. Basically, that open-world exploration of game play can sap the momentum of the main thrust of the story:
Chrono Trigger deals with this by having a pretty linear storyline for the first two acts. The key turning points of the story in these two acts are directly entwined with the game-play. And what an amazing two acts: the heroes travel back and forward in time as the true enemy is gradually revealed. The second act ends with the world being destroyed and the hero dead.
The open-world nature of the game only opens up at that point, where free form explorations fill in back stories and complete the key love and redemption subplots: the hero is brought back to life and frog finds redemption. Then the party powers up through these side quests before the final confrontation.
The story is tight, the 16-bit graphics allow our imagination to fill in where the 16-bit graphics can only provide outlines of the crazy epochs we visit (including an amazing world in the sky in 12,000 B.C.), and the musical score is absolutely out of this world (Frog's redemption theme is especially moving). Throw in a few flash forwards and crazy dream sequences that tug at the themes of the story and you have a truly unique cathartic experience.
My Story Chart of Chrono Trigger is at storycharts.ca
Chrono Trigger deals with the inherent difficulty of making the trade- off between game-play and story. Basically, that open-world exploration of game play can sap the momentum of the main thrust of the story:
Chrono Trigger deals with this by having a pretty linear storyline for the first two acts. The key turning points of the story in these two acts are directly entwined with the game-play. And what an amazing two acts: the heroes travel back and forward in time as the true enemy is gradually revealed. The second act ends with the world being destroyed and the hero dead.
The open-world nature of the game only opens up at that point, where free form explorations fill in back stories and complete the key love and redemption subplots: the hero is brought back to life and frog finds redemption. Then the party powers up through these side quests before the final confrontation.
The story is tight, the 16-bit graphics allow our imagination to fill in where the 16-bit graphics can only provide outlines of the crazy epochs we visit (including an amazing world in the sky in 12,000 B.C.), and the musical score is absolutely out of this world (Frog's redemption theme is especially moving). Throw in a few flash forwards and crazy dream sequences that tug at the themes of the story and you have a truly unique cathartic experience.
My Story Chart of Chrono Trigger is at storycharts.ca