Chrono Trigger: The Dream-Team JRPG That Still Feels Ahead of Its Time

Made by the creators of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball, Chrono Trigger is still one of the greatest RPGs ever. Here's why – and how to play it today.

Imagine putting the creator of Final Fantasy, the creator of Dragon Quest and the artist behind Dragon Ball on one project. That's exactly what Square did with Chrono Trigger. Released in Japan on March 11, 1995, and in North America that August, the result wasn't just a great RPG – it's one that still regularly tops "best games of all time" lists today.

The Dream Team

Square's lineup was so stacked that it was nicknamed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy), Yuji Horii (Dragon Quest) and Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball) on character design. The music was led by Yasunori Mitsuda, with contributions from Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu – and the soundtrack is still considered one of the finest in gaming.

A story about time

You play Crono, a quiet young man whose ordinary day at a town fair turns into a journey through prehistory, the Middle Ages, a ruined future and beyond. Time travel isn't a gimmick: what you do in one era changes another. Plant a seed in the past, and you'll find a forest in the future. It's a structure that still feels clever today.

Ideas that were ahead of their time

Enemies you can see. Instead of random battles popping up out of nowhere, enemies appear on the map, and fights take place right where you stand. The battle system, called Active Time Battle 2.0, keeps the tension of real-time turns without screen transitions.

Combo attacks. Characters can combine their abilities into Dual and Triple Techs – a fire spell plus a sword strike becomes something new. Experimenting with party combinations is half the fun.

Multiple endings. Chrono Trigger has a dozen-plus endings, depending on when and how you finish the game.

New Game+. It helped popularize the idea of replaying the story with your levels and gear intact – a feature countless games have borrowed since – and New Game+ is how you reach many of those extra endings.

Character-driven side quests. Late in the game, optional quests dig into the pasts of your party members, and they're some of the best-written moments in the game.

How it holds up today

Very well. Chrono Trigger is short by JRPG standards – a first playthrough often takes around 20–25 hours – which makes it perfect for modern schedules. The pacing is tight, there's little grinding, and Toriyama's characters are as charming as ever. A few puzzles and dungeon layouts feel old-fashioned, but nothing that slows things down for long.

How to play it now

Chrono Trigger has been released many times since 1995:

• Steam (PC) – the most accessible version today. It launched in 2018 to mixed reviews, but Square Enix released patches that addressed many of the early complaints.
• iOS and Android – a solid option for playing on the go.
• Nintendo DS (2008) – a well-regarded version with extra content, if you own the hardware.
• Original SNES and PlayStation releases – for collectors.

The game shipped over five million copies across its versions. For its 30th anniversary in 2025, Square Enix announced a series of projects celebrating the game, including music releases. A full remake has long been a fan wish; at the time of writing, Square Enix hasn't officially announced one.

Who should play it

• Newcomers to JRPGs – it's the perfect starting point: short, accessible and brilliant.
• Fans of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy who want to see their creators collaborate.
• Anyone who loves great soundtracks. Have headphones ready.

Thirty years on, Chrono Trigger still feels like a game made by people at the peak of their craft. If you've never played it, there's no better time to start.

This article was written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games are updated regularly, so details may change.