Posted January 12 16 hours ago, Glen-i said: Anyone who has tried to 100% the challenge Board in Smash WiiU will have flashbacks about that one! Oh, and just looking it up, it's 8 opponents. Literal hell. Tried it last night (on Ultimate though), max I got was 5. I know it's called Cruel Smash, but it's a bit too cruel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Ike said: Tried it last night (on Ultimate though), max I got was 5. I know it's called Cruel Smash, but it's a bit too cruel. Yep, it's fine as a completely optional "Total BS mode" but when the Challenge Board was brought in on Brawl, they locked a couple of things behind Cruel Smash. But hey, no big deal, just save your Golden Hammers for that. Phew! Except Smash WiiU's "8 Cruel Smash KO's as Lucina" can't be hammered! In hindsight, Smash WiiU was probably the entry that made me finally decent with Marth because of that. Silver linings, eh? Edited January 12 by Glen-i Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 I checked the Wii U thread and yeah, I completed that challenge. Quote There's a stupidly easy way to do this. Search the challenge on Google and watch the GameXplain video. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 No good to me now, is it!? At least I can always say I did it without cheese. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 Just now, Glen-i said: No good to me now, is it!? At least I can always say I did it without cheese. It was posted way back then. Not my fault if you didn't check the thread. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 4 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: It was posted way back then. Not my fault if you didn't check the thread. I guarantee I finished it long before that became apparent. I played way too much Smash WiiU when it launched. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 2 minutes ago, Glen-i said: I guarantee I finished it long before that became apparent. Game released 28th Nov. I posted the strat on the 29th. 1 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 Then, I clearly never watched it out of pride. Definitely forgot about it by the time I got around to it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 (edited) It's great going through that thread again. They are kinda like little pockets of time that you can go back to. It's such a shame we lost a lot of them when we changed servers/sites. Topics from the early days/N64/Cube eras no longer exist. Even a lot of the individual DS game topics seem to have been lost as well. Edited January 12 by Hero-of-Time 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 (edited) Right, now that I'm caught up on last year's threads, time to post in this one - less about what I'm playing (although I have started playing my first game of the year!), and more to answer my own questions On 1/1/2024 at 8:25 PM, Julius said: So, heading into this year, of course the question on my mind is: are there any gaming-related New Year's Resolutions you'd like to declare at the top of this thread? A particular game or series or developer you'd like to scream out your intentions for playing or digging into? A particular console you want to dig out of the No Man's Land that is your storage space of choice? Or a new approach to how you play? So, I think my New Year's Resolution for games is to simply play more. Easier said than done though, right? Over the last couple of years I've found myself playing fewer games, for a multitude of reasons, and I want to get back on the saddle and play a bit more than I have been, and also with a bit more purpose. With this in mind, I kind of want to broaden my horizons this year and start talking more about games I haven't really played before, be it classics I've never got around to, or indies which came and went and got lost a bit in the shuffle (I really enjoyed talking about and highlighting SANABI and Storyteller a couple of months ago). Hopefully me diving into older games on retro consoles, which generally makes way for shorter experiences, will aid my efforts. I think that while I generally play a good mix of games, a consistent thread I've spotted with my gaming over the last year or two where my desire to play has dropped has been in my approach: I have been getting more Platinum trophies than I typically would in a year, when I look back at old threads and on my PS profile. While there are some I've really enjoyed getting because it has involved seeing and experiencing more of the game (Bloodborne, the Yakuza games) or simply grinding mindlessly to zone out and listen to podcasts or some music (GT7), games I played last year like Final Fantasy XVI and Jedi Survivor I stopped enjoying after credits rolled. Heck, XVI involved another playthrough which I enjoyed much less than the first, and though I think it highlighted some issues worthy of criticism in the game (there's a sequence while skipping through cutscenes I came across where there were seven - SEVEN! - of them stitched together), it didn't really bring much new to my overall thoughts on the game. Why was I chasing something beyond the credits? Not to mention both had 20+ hours put into them after that point to get to the Platinum...that's 40 hours I could've put into other games! I think part of it is that I feel like it's a weird way of appreciating what I've played through and showing my love for the game (or some aspect of it), and I'm pretty sure I've mentioned on here before that I got the Plat in Yakuza 6 purely because it was my way of showing my love and appreciation for the franchise. I do think there's an interesting conversation to be had about trophies, less about the enjoyment they do or don't bring to the table and more about what it reflects of the mindset of the developers who crafted the game, and the difference between a good trophy list and a bad one, but this is hardly the place or time. Long story long: trophy notifications have been turned off, for now, and I'll probably only turn them on and hunt down Platinums for certain games this year, either ones which I already know I'll want to get going in due to getting more out of the game (Yakuza) or stick with games I've really enjoyed to get more out of them/experience them in new ways. Now, I also have a clear aim and hope for 2024: to find the last 3 games in my personal Top 10 list. I've been keeping a running list on my phone of my Top 10 for the past few years and after adding a certain game last year it's turned into an absolute ironclad Top 7, followed by around 10-15 games being in the conversation for the final three spots. So, yeah, I want to try some more games out and hopefully find those last few games to round out my personal Top 10. This all sort of ties into the new approach to how I play this year, but something else I've done in years past is generally say I want to get to X and Y games, or make a crazy long list of games I'd like to get to...and then end up feeling weird when I don't really get through many of them. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail and all that, so with that in mind, I headed over to backloggd.com to clear out my already exisiting profile and start over with game ratings, and limiting my listed backlog on the site strictly to the games I physically have on my shelf. Similar to my Top 10, I've been keeping a note on Google Keep I've been updating with every game I play, but it gets a bit messy and hard to follow at times (especially when I start to annotate), so I'm hoping to use the site as a much more succinct way to quickly see what I've played, and keep the note-taking for my thoughts on the games. I have some issues with it (for instance, I wish remakes/remasters also listed the release dates of the originals), but it's otherwise Letterboxd-lite, and well, I love using Letterboxd. Anyways, with all that out of the way and my NYR and gaming goals for the year in mind, I started writing three lists: games I want to revisit in 2024. games I want to get to from my physical backlog in 2024. games I want to get to from my digital backlog in 2024. The games I want to revisit were a bit of a mix: just a handful of games I'd like to see through to the end which I either technically hadn't already in the case of one (whoops), wanted to clarify my thoughts on, or even just favourites to revisit. The backlog lists were all made from memory to really narrow down what I wanted to play from what I could recall rather than when I was staring at a wall of games, and both ended up being just over 20 games long; my aim isn't to get through all of them (I want to get to new releases too!), but I have then ranked the games in each list by how much I want to play them, and that was going to be my guiding star. I mean, it still kind of is. But then I saw the below post in the Favourites Games of 2023 thread, and well...the plan has been tweaked slightly. On 1/2/2024 at 7:43 AM, Hero-of-Time said: My favourite yearly gaming vid has arrived. Love seeing what classic these guys delved into over the course of the year. Firstly, thanks for posting that vid H-o-T I hadn't watched any of MLiG's content before and after adoring this video, I've since gone back and watched their 'The Games We Played In' for 2022, 2021, and 2020, and I'm sure I'll be going back further and digging into their other types of content too. Super cosy vibes but also really honest, and I love the variety of games they play and how console agnostic they are, definitely added a few games from their lists to my various wishlists to check out at some point or another The reason I bring this video up is because of Coury and Try pledging to beat their own lists of 10 games they want to get to in the following year. Now, I've had a bit of a hum and haw over the idea of doing similar the past few days, but, well, ultimately I think it keeps me somewhat accountable and transparent by getting hyper-specific about the games I want to get through in the coming year; with that in mind, here are my 10 games that I pledge to beat in 2024: I ended up using the Top 5 in both of my physical and digital backlog lists, and the rule I gave myself was only listing one game in a series in the pledge list because it keeps things varied and interesting; some are going to be introductions to series I plan to play more of, and others I'm sure I'll get to shorter games in their respective series before getting to the one listed. I could try to explain why each game is on the list...but well, I feel like I've waffled on long enough, some seem super obvious (Julius hasn't played KoToR?!), for those which aren't, I'm sure the reasoning will come up when I play and talk about them Anyways, if you'd like to join me in making a pledge list for 2024, I used topsters.org to make my list - would love to see what similar lists would look like for some other folks on here! You don't need to pledge to beat 10 games, by the way - some people might have lists that are longer or shorter than this, but I think 10 for me personally is good enough to set up a nice cadence of getting through games; feel free to make a pledge list of 3, 5, or however many games you want. It's all in good fun, and I think is an interesting way to try to keep ourselves accountable in trying to get through some of those pesky games on our backlogs: by making a public pledge to clear your declared list to everyone else on here Here's to 2024, everyone Edited January 20 by Julius 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 (edited) Literally have less then 10 games (unless you include games that aren't out yet, but I don't) on my backlog, so I can't follow in your example, but... YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED GALAXY 2, @Julius!? Edited January 12 by Glen-i 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 (edited) 1 hour ago, Glen-i said: Literally have less then 10 games (unless you include games that aren't out yet, but I don't) on my backlog Muhahahahahaha 1 hour ago, Julius said: You don't need to pledge to beat 10 games, by the way - some people might have lists that are longer or shorter than this, but I think 10 for me personally is good enough to set up a nice cadence of getting through games; feel free to make a pledge list of 3, 5, or however many games you want. No pressure of course, but would love to see what's left in your backlog at this point, especially if it's less than 10! 1 hour ago, Glen-i said: YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED GALAXY 2, @Julius!? I have not despite Galaxy being my favourite Mario of the ones I've played (haha, let's not start listing those ), it's just kind of been sitting on my shelf these past couple of years. Well no more! I'll get to it in 2024! I publicly pledged so! Edited January 12 by Julius Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 How can anyone here have not played Galaxy 2? That's crazy. (Don't look at me, cough, cough) 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12 23 minutes ago, Julius said: No pressure of course, but would love to see what's left in your backlog at this point, especially if it's less than 10! Wow, I am tired! Read the whole thing, and didn't register that. Anyway, sure thing! I'm halfway through Sea of Stars, but I've also started Hi-Fi Rush (in glorious stereoscopic 3D). My unstarted games include Chained Echoes, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, and Divinity Original Sin II. Baldur's Gate 3 would be there, but it's not available on a platform I own, so I'm hoping for a Switch 2 port sometime in the future. There are a few games on my wishlist, but those are firmly in the "I'll wait for a sale" territory. Until then, not on my backlog. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 13 On 01/01/2024 at 8:25 PM, Julius said: So, heading into this year, of course the question on my mind is: are there any gaming-related New Year's Resolutions you'd like to declare at the top of this thread? A particular game or series or developer you'd like to scream out your intentions for playing or digging into? A particular console you want to dig out of the No Man's Land that is your storage space of choice? Or a new approach to how you play? I somehow missed this question. Good thing I answered it in another thread Quote Gaming-wise, I have a few (mostly backlog-related ones) that are set: Focus on clearing the NSO: By "clearing", I mean make a decision one way or the other. "Dropping" I game I have no interest in also counts as "clearing". I don't expect to clear it fully by the end of the year (watch them add Banjo-Tooie & Perfect Dark simultaneously in December or something), but if I reach 80-90%, I'll be very happy; Clear every game in my backlog that's marked as "Unfinished": I have tons of unplayed games, but only a dozen or so that are "unfinished". Once again, not fully expecting to clear it by the end, but reducing it to 1 or 2 would be excellent; Finish at least one RPG: Not "drop", I mean, properly finish a longform game. Could be a 10-hour NES RPG, as long as it is that genre, and a proper adventure; Make a firm decision regarding Fire Emblem Heroes: December was a wreck for that game, or rather, my enjoyment of it. I'm giving it until February to get its shit together, and if it doesn't, I will officially uninstall it. Yeah, keep it small and realistic, focus on one goal at a time. Should be fun. So yeah, broad goals. But I did like that Top 10 pledge, so I'll make a quick one of my own that broadly represents some games I'd like to properly tackle/finish in 2024: I only picked games that I do not want to start that soon. I guarantee that my first proper entry in this thread will have none of the games above. It's also non-binding. There's like 3 RPGs in there 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 14 Quote Finish at least one RPG: Not "drop", I mean, properly finish a longform game. Could be a 10-hour NES RPG, as long as it is that genre, and a proper adventure; @Jonnas. If you haven’t played Golden Sun before, it would fit your requirement perfectly! It can easily be beaten within 15-20 hours your first time through (and much quicker if you’re good). Comes out this coming Wednesday on GBA NSO! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 15 18 hours ago, Dcubed said: @Jonnas. If you haven’t played Golden Sun before, it would fit your requirement perfectly! It can easily be beaten within 15-20 hours your first time through (and much quicker if you’re good). Comes out this coming Wednesday on GBA NSO! To be fair, Phantasy Star (which is on his list) is a very short JRPG as well. Takes around 15-20 hours to complete. Probably less if you have the Switch version which allows for increased exp and money. In other news, I earned my first platinum of the year (Assassin's Creed Mirage was started last year and God of War Ragnarok PS5 version was auto popped) playing this game. I've been interested in this game ever since a seen a trailer for it a couple of years ago. It was on sale in December and decided to finally snap it up. The game is a Metroidvania that also mixes RPG elements into it, adds a touch of DK64, as well as a bit of Dark Souls. Many who have played it regard it very highly and after playing through myself it I can see why. The Metroidvania part of the game comes from you needing to explore a large map. You need to work your way to the top of the tower but doing so isn't an easy task. The map will show you if there are any secrets in the room you are in and you can buy certain upgrades to help out with your exploration. Late on in the game you can even buy a map that shows you any room that you may have missed. This is great if trying to go for 100% and means that you don't have to wander around aimlessly to find anything you have missed. The Dark souls part comes from the fact that when you die you will end up back at the very start of the tower. If you are thorough with you exploring you can unlock shortcuts that make it easier to get back to where you died pretty quickly. There is also an elevator just before each boss fight so that you can be transported from the very start of the tower to any of these elevators you unlock. Dying also provides you with an opportunity to spend any souls/currency that you collect. Killing enemies will drop souls and you can then funnel these into things like HP, attack, defence or special abilities. This makes your next run through the tower a little easier and allows you to progress a little further, just like Dark Souls. This means I was always on the lookout for enemy placements that allowed for some grinding. At the start of the game you will only be allowed to upgrade your characters when you die but eventually statues can be purchased so that you can do this at various points on the map. The DK64 side of things comes from the way characters are used. You start off with 3 to use and each of them have their own unique abilities. In order to work your way around the map you will need to switch characters on a regular basis. This means you will need to go and find a campfire, which is also used as a save point, and switch your characters there, just like a DK barrel. It can be a little bit of a pain at the start of the game but about a quarter of the way through you can find an item that allows you to switch characters whenever you want with a simple press of a button. The main game takes around 15 hours to get through and then another 5 or so to mop up. Complete the main game and you then unlock a few more modes. Two of them have you play through the game again but with 2 different characters. This may seem dauting at first but because of the abilities they have you can finish each of their runs in an hour or so. The other mode that unlocks is the Boss Rush mode. This pits you against the bosses you fought in the main game but with very limited abilities and currency, as well as giving you random drops to work with. It's a bit like a roguelike mode and it was quite fun and challenging. Even if games was just the main story I would recommend picking it up but with these other modes it becomes a must have indie game. It starts off very challenging and unforgiving but as you learn the layout of the map, start getting your upgrades and become familiar with each of the characters abilities, you will start to make a lot of progress and see how far you've come since you started. Fantastic game. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 15 On 14/01/2024 at 2:37 PM, Dcubed said: @Jonnas. If you haven’t played Golden Sun before, it would fit your requirement perfectly! It can easily be beaten within 15-20 hours your first time through (and much quicker if you’re good). Comes out this coming Wednesday on GBA NSO! Nice try, but I'm onto you: I know that Golden Sun is actually two games! But seriously, I played through the Golden Sun duology twice already. I love them, they're great games, but I'm not in the mood to replay something familiar right now (Unless they announce a fourth entry, *hint* *hint* *nudge* *nudge*, then I'd be replaying the entire trilogy) 9 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: To be fair, Phantasy Star (which is on his list) is a very short JRPG as well. Takes around 15-20 hours to complete. Probably less if you have the Switch version which allows for increased exp and money. I have the Steam version, which I imagine has none of those things. But I'm good with playing RPGs with their original intended balance. Increased gains is meant for replays and such, imo. 9 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: In other news, I earned my first platinum of the year (Assassin's Creed Mirage was started last year and God of War Ragnarok PS5 version was auto popped) playing this game. Oh, I remember playing the demo for this one Looked really cool, and the gameplay felt quite satisfying. I remember it being tad more difficult than usual for Metroidvanias, which I always welcome. Judging from your review, it sounds like the game stays strong well after the end, so I'll definitely need to keep an eye out for deals. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 16 22 hours ago, Jonnas said: I have the Steam version, which I imagine has none of those things. But I'm good with playing RPGs with their original intended balance. Increased gains is meant for replays and such, imo. I can't believe he mentioned the grinding cutdown, but didn't mention the exemplary map they added! It's dynamic, so it fills in as you explore. This is the actual reason the Sega Ages version is the best one. Being able to see your max HP/MP on the side is another nice QoL feature. You know what else? The increased EXP and money is optional, if you choose the Original Mode, then the gains are the same as the original game. Seriously, it's an excellent version. Glad it's the way I first played it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 16 Hey N-E, here's to another year of great gaming! Just realised that I didn't actually finish updating my 2023 gaming diary oh well, here's my first games of 2024... Bramble: The Mountain King: Wow, what a messed up game. Really cool though, if you can stomach the content. It starts out like a nice fairy tale and then all of a sudden transforms into a absolute nightmare! Awesome way to enhance the horror though. It also has that kind of weird/creepy old European film vibe going for it, you know, the kind of stuff that'd be on late night TV back in the 80s. So yeah, the concept is spot-on. Unfortunately aspects of the presentation (and more importantly, the gameplay) are a little bit rough around the edges, it's mostly fine, but there are several moments (mainly insta-death stealth based sections ) where it felt like it could've done with a bit more polish. But I did enjoy the game, it's not that long (only around 5 hours) so the bits I wasn't that keen on didn't detract too much from the overall experience. Next up, a game that I should've played a long time ago, but inexplicably have waited until now to play. Yep I finally got around to playing... Stray: Mind-blowing! OK, I'm one of those crazy cat people, so obviously I was always going to adore that aspect of the game no matter what, but I wasn't prepared for just how much I would love it. I cannot believe how accurately the developers have managed to portray the movement and more amazingly the behaviours of a cat! That is no mean feat but they've done such an amazing job, it's crazy how good it all is. I was completely enthralled by the main character from the very second it first appeared on screen, all the way through until the credits rolled. I've heard comments about how if you were to remove the cat from this game it wouldn't be anything particularly special, and honestly there's some truth to that, but doing so would also require the entire game to be drastically different. I mean, everything has been so meticulously designed around the limitations and advantages of being a cat... the need to often move vertically, or to squeeze through small gaps, even the way the cat jumps. I recall being disappointed when I first discovered that jumping was context sensitive in this game, but it makes perfect sense for animation purposes and also maintaining that illusion of authenticity around the cat's behaviour. The game is very linear as a result of the level design and constrained jumping mechanics, but the atmosphere and visuals are so stunning that you just get sucked right into the world and it feels like a much bigger adventure than it actually is. I was especially amazed by the quality of the lighting in this game, absolutely phenomenal considering it's not utilising ray tracing. Soundtrack is awesome as well, fits the setting perfectly, but what I probably loved the most concerning audio in this (apart from being able to make the cat meow at any time, even during cut-scenes ) were the little ditties that play on the radios! If there was anything I found disappointing about Stray, it would be that outside of going through the story there isn't more to do. With such a cool playable cat to control it would've been great if they added some extra modes or something to be able to mess about with after completing the game. Anyway, glad I eventually played it. And finally, a game that I started playing in 2023, but continue to play every night. In fact I've clocked almost 800 hours now and I'm still nowhere close to completing it! This might just be the most epic and hardcore game I've ever attempted, I am of course referring to the one and only... Spoiler Pokémon Sleep!: It wasn't a dream, it really does exist! I'll go into details next time though, because I need to go and "play" this soon or Snorlax might eat my Pikachu. 2 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 17 6 hours ago, Glen-i said: I can't believe he mentioned the grinding cutdown, but didn't mention the exemplary map they added! That... is more enticing, I will admit. I do have my reasons for wanting to see the game as it was originally, but I can't deny that the AGES series is top-notch. I will consider it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 17 3 hours ago, Jonnas said: That... is more enticing, I will admit. I do have my reasons for wanting to see the game as it was originally, but I can't deny that the AGES series is top-notch. I will consider it. The map is an absolute game changer. Makes the game SO much more enjoyable and approachable! The rest of the new features are cool, but really they’re just gravy compared to the automap. Of course, you can choose to play it completely faithfully to the original with the SEGA AGES release as well, but once you map? You can’t go back! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 17 @RedShell's reaction to people not liking Stray. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 17 (edited) I still have little time to game, but I have managed to reach 200 (out of currently 252) achievements in Halls of Torment. One of the many horde survival roguelites out there. It's a lot of fun even if it's still in early access. It lets you aim your attacks and comes with equipment that increase stats or give other bonuses (like summon a skeleton to fight for you every 15 seconds). Bought it last year for 4€ and it's been a good investment and a lovely game to play on the Steam Deck in bed at night I consider it "finished" for my list, but I will definitely keep playing this, especially with more updates on the horizon. Managed to get a few minutes of playtime with A Plague Tale: Innocence, as well, last night. Currently in chapter 2 and it's not too bad. I obviously don't like the "if you're caught you're immediately dead" stealth sections but everything else is quite good. Amicia's and Hugo's relationship, the atmosphere, the mystery, the world. Everything plays off of each other. I took today off from work because I have a pretty bad headache. I hope it gets better soon so I can play more, but right now posting and reading stuff is all I can do Edited January 17 by drahkon 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 17 (edited) Wrapped up my first game of the year last night... Chrono Trigger | 1995 I talked about Chrono Trigger extensively the last time I played it back at the start of 2020, and long story short, well, reading it back I agree with everything I wrote back then, so I guess if you want a long, thought out write-up from me on the game, it's already out there Instead, I want to spend this time highlighting the little things I picked up on that I didn't really speak to last time. This time around I played the game on TV for the first time via my docked Steam Deck, which was a transformative experience for the most part. Hearing those themes blast out of my TV and not needing to look down at a small DS or 3DS screen felt much more appropriate for a game of this scale and grandeur. There were a few minor hiccups throughout, with things like audio issues and getting stuck on the geometry of the pixel art happening one too many times to go unspoken about, but it in no way became an obstacle to my enjoyment. There are small tweaks to minor issues like those, though, which I'd like to see for an eventual - I hope - release on current platforms...perhaps in time for the 30th anniversary of the game next year? To dive right in, one of the crowning achievements of Chrono Trigger is its brevity - playing through to the normal ending with all sidequests completed took me a bit shy of 19 hours - in a genre known for getting carried away and stacking hour after hour to your playtime, and what really struck me on this playthrough is just how brief every type of interaction in the game is. Combat is fast and reactive, even on this playthrough using Wait rather than Active (just to see if it changed how I got on with it) it was going along at a much faster clip than many of its modern contemporaries; dungeons and the like are incredibly short and easy to navigate, just a few screens save for some late game areas, and you're often in and out in the course of 15-20 minutes, with a major story beat has typically playing out in that time; and it's very rare that you spend longer than 30 seconds at a time on the World Map screen between locales, which has you consistently moving from one beat to the next. Conversations and quick talks with random NPCs aren't long and meaningless button-mashing sessions, with such interactions kept lean and often to limited to three or less text boxes, but they often add so much value to the game, whether it be something to ponder over, chuckle about, or pointing you in the right direction - which is exactly what I want to talk about next. A whole lot of this game's brilliance is down to how much faith and trust it places in the player, but also how it balances with not being afraid of telling you the fastest route from A to B. One of the best examples of this is that there are numerous times throughout the game where an NPC will clue you in on an enemy or boss weakness or nuance ahead of going into their respective dungeon, with one of the best examples of this being an NPC in the Middle Ages hinting that the wooden hammer-wielding Ogan in the Denadoro Mountains are cowards without their weapons, a very direct and obvious suggestion to use a Fire-based attack. Fights against the hammer-wielding variants of Ogan could take a while without this knowledge, as their hammer offers extra resistance to attacks, and this information is gained simply by following the typical general advice in a JRPG - especially of the time - to talk to anyone and everyone you come across, and an additional hint in case you come across these enemies without talking to that NPC is that there are also Ogan you'll encounter without the hammer, clearly nudging you in the direction of needing to wanting to do something about their big and brutish splintered mallets. This in turn reinforces the need to talk to anyone and everyone - similar to Dragon Quest's excellent job of getting you to ransack every place you come across in the search for items, because valuable ones are out there to be found - which in turns leads to interesting side tangents, humourous moments, little details about the world, and you're usual NPC-talking affair, but the key difference being the efficiency with which it is conveyed. This level of trust but also direct communication throughout the game about what and when you need to do something shaves valuable time off the game, I think, saving players from dragged out sessions; I genuinely think this game would be 5-10 hours longer if they took a similar approach to other games of that period, which either wanted you to rely on a guide or to simply try things out in an aimless manner. This also carries through to boss fights, where there can often be a lot of moving parts, but weaknesses and what the game wants you to do often feels very clear even against the tougher bosses - and if you do find yourself trying things out, the game very quickly corrects your course in a fast and heavy-handed way, such as by having that part of a boss immediately counter or by hinting at the order you should take parts of the boss out in by clearly telegraphing that this hand heals, or that leaving both hands of the boss around can result in disaster. The developers clearly and simply didn't care if you found the game easy, because you'd earned the knowledge required to push ahead, and its in this way that they respect your time and that, in turn, Chrono Trigger gains your respect. There is a sense of humility on show by some of Japan's best and brightest creators of the 20th century which I think few other games and creatives dare to even consider matching. The side quests - the main ones of which are left to the end of the game, with each party member getting a sizeable focus - are absolutely brilliant, too. Why should you deviate from the main path so close to the end of the game to complete these quests? Why, for important character moments and progression, and some of the best gear in the game, of course! It's yet another way in which your time is being respected, and its in all of these little ways that there are these constant value-adds throughout the game: you're rewarded, in some form or another, by doing as much as you can, without it ever becoming a slog. And then, well, there's just the usual stuff to praise which I talked about last time. Awesome ensemble of characters. Arguably the greatest soundtrack ever composed for a game (and if not, it is firmly in the conversation, and spawned the career of a legendary composer still active in the industry today, nearly 30 years later). A combat system with appropriate depth should you want to dive in, but it's totally optional, as no particular trio of characters or set of gear feels like it's ever going to hold you back. A tear-jerking, chills-inducing story with an amazing message just as important today as it was back when the game launched, and will be decades from now when I'm on my 20th playthrough, and beyond when I'm long gone. There is simply a peace and tranquility offered to the handling of heavier topics in this game, such as the idea of death and the passing of time, which this game bestows that no other game, or film, or book I've ever come across has been able to communicate, in the kindest but most honest, communicative and understanding matter-of-fact way; almost as if a parent speaking to a child. I'm so glad I revisited Chrono Trigger to remind myself that, yes, everything that I remembered about it and more holds true: this game is a timeless, and always timely-to-experience, masterpiece - far and long ahead of its time - in every sense of the word. Edited January 18 by Julius 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
