Chrono Trigger Review

It's been a long wait, but it's finally here - classic SNES RPG Chrono Trigger has been given a makeover and ported to the DS for European gamers.

The time travelling game was originally released in Japan and North America in the mid-1990s and while it was re-released for the PlayStation several years later, the new version never made it to Europe either.

The game begins with the player taking control of rakish boy hero Crono in what is essentially an alternative Earth.

In the present day, Crono makes an innocuous trip to the fair to see his inventor friend Lucca, but ends up meeting the strangely familiar Marle and being dragged into an adventure taking him and his party to numerous points in time, including the prehistoric era and a post-apocalyptic future.

The plot revolves around attempting to prevent a major disaster that would end the world as they know it, while carrying out the obligatory side-quests, battles and dungeon-exploring that is the norm for RPGs.



As the game goes on it quickly becomes apparent that it isn't your average RPG. The story has no fewer than 14 different endings, which are activated depending on certain actions taken during the game.

Chrono Trigger takes the top-down approach seen in other RPGs of the time, such as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and is primarily controlled using the D-pad and standard buttons, although the touch-screen can be used to navigate through menus and guide characters around the map.

One of the main highlights of Chrono Trigger is its battle system, which is more fast-paced than the traditional turn-based combat normally seen in such games. And although the game features the usual process of collecting experience points and building skill levels, its not as painfully slow as other similar games.



The graphics were stunning when the game first launched on the SNES and the re-release does a good job of preserving its look and feel. However, there are places where certain objects are far too small for the DS's screen, meaning some gamers may have to squint a little when searching for essential switches and items.

As for the soundtrack, Chrono Trigger is one of those games where its music is almost guaranteed to be stuck in your head after you switch your DS off. It also offers value for money length-wise, with the normal quest taking around 25 hours to complete - longer if you take the time to fully explore Crono's world and complete the various side-quests.



And it's likely that you'll want to take the time to squeeze every last drop of gameplay out of Chrono Trigger, as its superb playability, epic storyline and wonderful characters are likely to keep you playing long after you should have gone to bed; and to work. Chrono Trigger is a must-have for any RPG fan who appreciates the genre's classics.

9/10

Dipika Patel