ABSTRACT
Chrono Trigger is a game designed for a very wide audience. In the mid 90s, Squaresoft knew that they had the talent, resources, and market position to begin making JRPGs for people who didn't ordinarily play them. As such, most of the strengths and weaknesses of the game arise out of a desire to include an audience who had varying levels of JRPG experience. Chrono Trigger's NPC irony is abundant, but not diverse. It is not necessary to have well-developed characters to make a great game. Chrono Trigger's characters are one-dimensional, but they work just fine. The game never puts a spotlight on the characters or their motivations for very long, so it's easy to miss how paper-thin they are. Chrono Trigger is light on character development, but this weakness actually complements the skills of its composer, Yasunori Mitsuda. The plot of Chrono Trigger is compelling, but not astonishingly original.
