Final Fantasy Chronicles - Chrono Trigger Review by: janus - 9.5/10
Final Fantasy Chronicles: Two More Classics getting an upgradeSince I've reviewed both these games already, this will be a focus on the differences between the original game and the PSX version. It will therefore be short.Since I love both Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo, I was very glad that they were released for the PSX and (almost) immediately bought them when they got out. It's basically a carbon copy of the original games, but it comes with some interesting upgrades.
Graphics: 8/10
The graphics are same old, same old. While interesting for their respective release dates they just look primitive for 2015.
However the FF IV game in this set IS the true Final Fantasy IV and not the watered-down version served as Final Fantasy II. Now EVERY character in whatever form has a special ability. Dark Knight Cecil can now use his own hit points to attack all enemies, which is very practical in the early game; Rosa can now pray to (maybe) cast Cure 1 without using magic points; Tellah can Recall his spells and (maybe) cast them on the enemy or your team (he still can't cast Meteo, though); and Yang can now focus for an entire turn, accumulating energy before attacking at double his normal attack on an enemy.
Square also tried to but movies as it did for its PSX games, but it wasn't well integrated. Other than Cecil's departure with the Red Wings, you only see some key scenes once you complete the game. And even those weren't given much attention to; a later version (for Game Boy?) has cinematics with life-like characters, not hyper polygonal characters with pointy noses.
This is the complete opposite of CT. The few movies you see are done Manga style, which is in line with the game. They are also put
directly in the scene that precedes it. For example, you see Crono, Marle and Lucca walking in this abandoned plants (with rats creeping around) when they discover Robo. You also see Crono Repitites before Ayla comes destroying them. To make sure the characters you have in your team match those in the movies, they only feature the compulsory characters. For example, you will only see Crono and Frog when he uses the Masamune to open the way to Magus' Castle. Finally there is an interesting movie at the very end showing what happens: Crono and Marle getting married, Ayla returning to her village, etc.
Music: 8/10
Once again the music is exactly the same.
However I did notice some annoying differences for CT. I don't know if it was caused by the PSX sound chip but there a net decrease in quality as the life-like instrumentation isn't anymore. Tracks with "piano" (End of Times, notable) or trumpets (like Boss Battle 2) now sound so... synthetic.
It is partially forgiven thanks to the complete sound test Square provided for the game. You can hear every single track from the game, including two never-released tracks. I didn't care much for them but it was an excellent addition.
Addictiveness: 10/10
It's Square, and if you like RPGs you will get hooked up.
CT has the best part for the addiction. For those who didn't know, the game has TWELVE different endings... and you can see how to get them all! As if it weren't enough you can also find out where ALL the treasures are, including the stats-boosting tabs.
Story: 9/10 Depth: 8/10
For their respective times, the game had great story lines. FF IV is the one that stands out the most for me as I found Cecil's redemption story to be quite endearing. Also dialogues finally are what they were meant to be. When you first meet Yang he says KIAI rather than ACHOO. When attacking the Mist Dragon Kain simply give an advice (Attacking mist is futile) rather than scream in panic.
CT however now seems to be rather short. You can finish the game in like 10 hours AND complete all the sidequests.
Difficulty: 4/10
This rating is mostly for Chrono Trigger. With all the secrets you are able to uncover going through the game is nothing at all.
For FFIV however, you will still need to grind your levels as the final boss is much harder than it used to be - unless you can still its crystal.
In short, unless you want to physically own the game, I would recommend trying Chrono Trigger on the SNES as the music was much better. However, Final Fantasy IV did profit from its dialogue upgrades and from enhanced character abilities. Plus, the CT movies add a great modern touch.
Oh well, why don't YOU make the decision yourself :P
Graphics
8 Sound
8 Addictive
10 Depth
8 Story
9 Difficulty
4