busterswd
2008-12-04, 02:52 PM
So before I get into the reason for this post, let me just say I love the remake. The new translations make more sense, the gameplay is as seamless as the SNES with the added bonuses of the PS1 cutscenes, and it's Chrono Trigger, which took what was good about the FF games and made them better, and it got rid of a lot of the annoying aspects (you can actually avoid most mook battles, the base healing items are dirt cheap, everyone shares XP, and there's actually a point to training characters you may not initially enjoy).
There are two new dungeons in the game as well, which is what I'm going to write about. If you're thinking about getting this game and haven't played Chrono Trigger before in any way shape or form, spoilers ahoy.
The second new region occurs after you beat the game and I have yet to get to it. The first region, called "The Lost Sanctum," opens up after Epoch gets upgraded. It is a shining testament to how even with a great game engine and a reputable soundtrack, you can make a terrible, terrible game. It only makes the main game look that much better. For starters, the sound effects don't make any sense. In combat, everyone makes the same "boop" noise, regardless of whether they're kicking you, hitting you with a hammer, pecking you, whatever. I'm not someone who is overly bothered by sound effects, but this was just ridiculous, especially for the next reason.
The level design is ATROCIOUS. Even if you don't care about level design, this dungeon will make you care. The most egregious of this is a region called Emerald Mountain, in which you trek up two very large maps (and run through another just to get there). On the way, there's about 4-5 forced encounters. "So what?" you might ask yourself.
I think if you don't mess up at all, you've got to run up and down this path 8 times, so a total of 16 treks through this. And by mess up I mean, if you don't talk to the exact right NPC at the exact right time or get the exact item you were supposed to get you will have to sigh, turn around, and run back down the mountain again, just to be prepared to run back up, running into the same ambushes each time, mashing A or picking your world ending magic spell to kill the monsters that are never more than an annoyance with poor pathing problems upon aggro to boot. And while this is the worst region, you will find yourself doing this a lot in other regions. "Didn't I just go here? Why am I going back again?" Even if you like the songs that play, you will end up hating them. I for one, like Spekkio's theme, but after doing this, I'm sick and tired of it.
Near the end of this trek into repetition, you'll only have to work your way through one dungeon. Except the designers have decided to throw identical encounters at you over and over just to laugh at you. They've also decided to give one particular pair of golden dragons Down's, so it takes them 10 seconds to get into place. Heaven forbid you run into them twice. At this point, I was sick of grinding, so luckily, everything besides bosses is susceptible to run.
Oh, and though it pails in comparison, and my mood towards it was admittedly made much worse by the stupid running back and forth, the dialogue is pretty bad, written like lines from an anime where people make friends for no real reason. You fought me in battle? Let's be friends. You brought me a banana? Best of friends! You did our stupid chores for several hours? FRIENDS!
Some of the boss encounters here, though, are good, to be fair. There's only a meagre handful of them for the amount of to ing and fro ing you have to do.
So why do this? The incentives are thankfully mainly received before you start working on Emerald Mountain, with one large exception:
-Conveniently located shop with Mid-Ethers.
-Extra Haste Helm.
^ both of the above are available after only a few quests.
-Extra Nova Armor
-Upgrade for Frog's sword, especially useful for New Game+ where they zap his primary weapon back into oblivion (very very late into the dungeon and possibly not worth getting, especially since the second dungeon might have an even better upgrade.)
-"Upgrade" for Lucca's unreliable final weapon, though it's actually weaker. If the random factor of Wondershot drives you nuts though, it's better than anything else she gets up until New Game+. (late into the dungeon as well).
In conclusion, this is Enix's punishment for you for not buying their games when they were an independent company, and Square's punishment for you for forcing them to merge with Enix. Do NOT do this region (well, maybe the first few quests up until getting the Haste Helm are worth your time). Do NOT let curiosity get the better of you, there's really nothing worth seeing. If you're stupid like me and decide to finish it, find your favorite DVD, pop it in, and prepare for a long, long journey.
There are two new dungeons in the game as well, which is what I'm going to write about. If you're thinking about getting this game and haven't played Chrono Trigger before in any way shape or form, spoilers ahoy.
The second new region occurs after you beat the game and I have yet to get to it. The first region, called "The Lost Sanctum," opens up after Epoch gets upgraded. It is a shining testament to how even with a great game engine and a reputable soundtrack, you can make a terrible, terrible game. It only makes the main game look that much better. For starters, the sound effects don't make any sense. In combat, everyone makes the same "boop" noise, regardless of whether they're kicking you, hitting you with a hammer, pecking you, whatever. I'm not someone who is overly bothered by sound effects, but this was just ridiculous, especially for the next reason.
The level design is ATROCIOUS. Even if you don't care about level design, this dungeon will make you care. The most egregious of this is a region called Emerald Mountain, in which you trek up two very large maps (and run through another just to get there). On the way, there's about 4-5 forced encounters. "So what?" you might ask yourself.
I think if you don't mess up at all, you've got to run up and down this path 8 times, so a total of 16 treks through this. And by mess up I mean, if you don't talk to the exact right NPC at the exact right time or get the exact item you were supposed to get you will have to sigh, turn around, and run back down the mountain again, just to be prepared to run back up, running into the same ambushes each time, mashing A or picking your world ending magic spell to kill the monsters that are never more than an annoyance with poor pathing problems upon aggro to boot. And while this is the worst region, you will find yourself doing this a lot in other regions. "Didn't I just go here? Why am I going back again?" Even if you like the songs that play, you will end up hating them. I for one, like Spekkio's theme, but after doing this, I'm sick and tired of it.
Near the end of this trek into repetition, you'll only have to work your way through one dungeon. Except the designers have decided to throw identical encounters at you over and over just to laugh at you. They've also decided to give one particular pair of golden dragons Down's, so it takes them 10 seconds to get into place. Heaven forbid you run into them twice. At this point, I was sick of grinding, so luckily, everything besides bosses is susceptible to run.
Oh, and though it pails in comparison, and my mood towards it was admittedly made much worse by the stupid running back and forth, the dialogue is pretty bad, written like lines from an anime where people make friends for no real reason. You fought me in battle? Let's be friends. You brought me a banana? Best of friends! You did our stupid chores for several hours? FRIENDS!
Some of the boss encounters here, though, are good, to be fair. There's only a meagre handful of them for the amount of to ing and fro ing you have to do.
So why do this? The incentives are thankfully mainly received before you start working on Emerald Mountain, with one large exception:
-Conveniently located shop with Mid-Ethers.
-Extra Haste Helm.
^ both of the above are available after only a few quests.
-Extra Nova Armor
-Upgrade for Frog's sword, especially useful for New Game+ where they zap his primary weapon back into oblivion (very very late into the dungeon and possibly not worth getting, especially since the second dungeon might have an even better upgrade.)
-"Upgrade" for Lucca's unreliable final weapon, though it's actually weaker. If the random factor of Wondershot drives you nuts though, it's better than anything else she gets up until New Game+. (late into the dungeon as well).
In conclusion, this is Enix's punishment for you for not buying their games when they were an independent company, and Square's punishment for you for forcing them to merge with Enix. Do NOT do this region (well, maybe the first few quests up until getting the Haste Helm are worth your time). Do NOT let curiosity get the better of you, there's really nothing worth seeing. If you're stupid like me and decide to finish it, find your favorite DVD, pop it in, and prepare for a long, long journey.