Design lessons from Chrono Trigger

This week sees the release of Chrono Trigger for the DS, an expanded port of the classic SNES RPG. For a game that has garnered a huge amount of critical and fan praise in recent years, outside of the misunderstood Chrono Cross (and a Japanese–only visual novel game) Square has avoided its usual tendencies to run the series into the ground.

As a relative youngster, Chrono Trigger was one of my favorite games growing up. And even now, despite its age, Chrono Trigger holds up remarkably well as a game. More as a whole than a sum of its part, there are still elements of Chrono Trigger that deserve attention.

1. Seamless design. One of the few major changes with Chrono Trigger was how battles were both non-random and occurred in the same environment with exploration. Most RPGs then and now still utilize some form of random combat encounters and just about all RPGs still transition to a battle screen during combat. Chrono Trigger discarded both of these tropes for the better.
2. Simple enough. Chrono Trigger didn’t have a whole lot of complexity or innovation in its battle system. Characters have three basic commands, attack, magic, and items. The battle system itself is basically the same active battle system used in games like Final Fantasy VI, a compromise between turn-based and real-time games. The only significant new battle feature were the tag team abilities of dual and triple techs where characters could combine their attacks into a more powerful one. Yet despite the lack of newness to the system it remains a joy to play. Battles are fast and simple, but rarely boring. There’s always action and just enough strategy to keep players interested.
3. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Chrono Trigger still stands out as one of the few genuinely funny RPGs available. It’s not a comedy, but Chrono Trigger is always aware of the sometimes ridiculous nature of its own story and characters. Moments like the trial of Crono, the ineptitude of Magus’s henchmen, and even its secret ultimate programmer ending show a level of self-awareness that provides much needed levity in the game. The story still reaches for the dramatic at times, but you’re never too far away from some slapstick or witty dialogue to bring it all back.
4. Polish is essential. Chrono Trigger more than anything shows how much effect polish can have on the game as a whole. There’s not a single part of Chrono Trigger that doesn’t show a high level of love and care. The sprite work, the musical score, the dialogue (and excellent translation), even the tried-and-true story all demonstrate an obscene level of polish that would make most games envious. Chrono Trigger is a game where you can feel the love everyone had working on it.

These aren’t groundbreaking design rules here. But rarely do they all come together in a single product like Chrono Trigger. Be sure to pick up Chrono Trigger on the DS and maybe with good sales we can see Square–Enix give us the forever-rumored Chrono Break someday.