Be aware: If you have not performed Chrono Set off to completion…what are you enjoying at? In the event you’re delicate to spoilers, come again while you’re finished as we talk about end-game particulars under…
“However… the long run refused to vary.”
For essentially the most half, Chrono Set off is a chirpy, cheery sport. It’s lightning in a bottle, a magical expertise filled with pleasure and pleasure. But, there are few endings as gut-wrenching as Chrono Set off’s ‘Dangerous’ ending.
You’ve spent hours travelling between time intervals, rescuing harmless individuals, gathering allies, and seeing firsthand the evolution of Lavos, the reason for the apocalypse in 1999 AD and the origin of evil all through historical past – all through thousands and thousands of years of historical past.
Travelling to 1999 AD and taking up Lavos proper earlier than it causes the apocalypse, solely to fail, is devastating. “The longer term refuses to vary,” and Lavos takes all life, together with yours. Life and the world collapse and gray out earlier than your very eyes. This lovely world you’ve grow to be acquainted with — that you simply’ve seen in six completely different instances and witnessed the spirit of humanity change, adapt, develop, and evolve — is gone.
However the future refuses to vary; it’s not that it might’t. The phrases on the display, in entrance of that greyed-out picture of Earth and Lavos’ blood-curdling scream blaring out of the audio system, would possibly really feel like a intestine punch, but it surely additionally serves because the gas, the motivation, to get again within the combat to avoid wasting the world.
However you already know that, proper? Within the 30 years since its launch, the whole lot that may be mentioned about Chrono Set off has been mentioned. You don’t have to simply accept the world as it’s. Pursue your desires. Battle for change. You possibly can’t change the whole lot, however you may change some issues.
The place many time journey tales are cautionary tales that preach the risks of fixing the course of historical past, Chrono Set off throws warning to the wind and says, “Screw that: If you wish to change the long run for the sake of you, for the sake of the world, change it.”
Chrono Set off’s message is poignant and, importantly, timeless. Issues are crap proper now, and I can’t actually get via a day with out feeling just like the world goes to break down indirectly. If I had my very own Epoch, I’d hop in it proper now, journey via time, and do one thing to vary the long run. That’s what Crono, Marle, Lucca, and buddies did. All as a result of they love the world, they usually love the individuals in it. And I do, too.
Chrono Set off throws warning to the wind and says, “Screw that: If you wish to change the long run for the sake of you, for the sake of the world, change it.”
Chrono Set off’s depiction of Earth is particular, and it does one thing that only a few RPGs handle to attain – it makes its setting a personality via its use of time journey. Over the course of thousands and thousands of years, you get to: expertise a world’s make-up bodily altering; spot similarities between continental shapes and city places; see the place sure islands have fused collectively, damaged up, and even been fully wiped off of the map. The additional you get via the sport, the extra similarities you’ll spot.
Certain, it’s apparent while you examine 600 AD and 1000 AD. The Center Ages and Current Day solely have a spot of 400 years to deal with, and plenty of places are in the very same locations. Truce, Guardia Forest, Porre, the Hero’s Grave, and some different locations have barely modified, and even the place islands have merged, their places match. The Solar Shrine is current in each single time interval. Even the Tyranno Lair’s reappearance within the Center Ages (because the Big’s Claw), after thousands and thousands of years, hammers dwelling the significance of the world.
There are smaller particulars in all the maps, too. The mountain vary behind the Dactyl’s Nest in 65,000,000 BC stays all all through historical past, even when it modifications. After all it might; rain, climate, and even human affect would erode the pure constructions. The Ice Age alone appears to have created a extra jagged vary of mountains, in comparison with the luxurious inexperienced plateau of the nest thousands and thousands of years in the past.
Traditions have even survived Earth’s turbulent historical past, simply as in actual life. Ioka Village is dwelling to a small competition the place the individuals dance. Crono, upon visiting the village, is challenged to a soup-chugging contest by Ayla, the chief. That is in 65,000,000 BC. At the start of the sport, in 1000 AD, Crono can participate in a prehistoric dancing sport on the Millennial Honest. He may also imbibe in a ingesting contest – not as secure as soup-chugging, children, don’t attempt that one at dwelling.
Chrono Set off loves its world. And it loves its historical past. Nevertheless it acknowledges historical past’s errors, too. The occasions of 12,000 BC and the collapse of Zeal greater than amplify that message. Due to Queen Zeal and the (aptly named) Mammon Machine — as a result of she tried to use Lavos — humanity’s innate potential to make use of magic was misplaced to time.
There are people who need to right that mistake, like Melchior, one of many three Gurus and the architect behind the Mammon Machine. He warned Queen Zeal of the risks of utilizing Lavos’ energy, however was thrust ahead to 1000 AD. He needs to vary ‘historical past’ – Antiquity’s future, the Current Day’s previous, and the apocalyptic way forward for 2300 AD.
Even Chrono Set off units limits to what you may and may’t have an effect on, although. You possibly can destroy Lavos on the Ocean Palace in 12,000 BC – in all probability not till a second playthrough, thoughts you. However doing that doesn’t change the long run, it simply thrusts you again to the Finish of Time the place Gaspar, one other of the three Gurus, resides, and lets you speak to the workers who labored on the sport.
Chrono Set off loves its world. And it loves its historical past. Nevertheless it acknowledges historical past’s errors, too.
Defeating Lavos earlier than killing the Black Tyranno doesn’t actually change a lot in addition to two issues: Lavos is useless, clearly; and, oh, everyone seems to be a reptite now and endlessly – they by no means died out on this timeline. In any other case, the whole lot’s largely the identical. In one other ending, if you happen to defeat Lavos whereas Crono is useless, then finally Gaspar will intervene within the celebrations and demand that there’s nonetheless a approach to revive Crono. There are lots of good and dangerous constants in all of those timelines, issues that the get together doesn’t have the facility to vary.
Nevertheless it’s additionally not honest to name catastrophic occasions just like the summoning of Lavos in 12,000 BC, or Magus’ try to summon the creature once more in 600 AD, a blip within the timeline, due to the struggling these occasions inflict. Historical past may be painful, and issues that occur prior to now ripple. We really feel the after-effects of occasions from over 100 years in the past; they wound individuals, bodily and mentally, and may alter paths. All we are able to do is bear the sins of the previous and do one thing with that info, to vary the long run.
Regardless of the whole lot, regardless of how bleak issues are, there are issues value preventing for
It’s that undercurrent of historical past’s weight and the facility of change that makes storylines like Fiona’s resonate so strongly. Regardless of solely being a sidequest, how vital it’s to vary the ‘little’ issues has caught with me, too. Restoring a forest would possibly seem to be nothing within the grand scheme, however to Fiona, it’s the whole lot. And to you, who has seen firsthand what occurs, you need to give that one particular person a spark of hope. It’s important to return, persuade somebody to plant a seed, defeat the monsters within the Sunken Desert, then have Robo keep and water and take care of the forest.
Within the current day, you may see the fruits of your labour at Fiona’s Forest, a good looking, lush woodland which is dwelling to the sport’s timeless campfire scene, and is an instance of Crono, Robo, and the others giving again. It’s a small, constructive change, and a beacon of hope. If we are able to do that one little factor, maybe we are able to make a distinction. As a result of we love this world, and we are able to make these ripples extra lovely, extra constructive. We can change the long run.
Chrono Set off’s world is what units it aside from virtually each different RPG. It’s small, however we grow to be intimately aware of it. Regardless of the whole lot, regardless of how bleak issues are, there are issues value preventing for: a greater future.
But even within the face of the apocalypse, Chrono Set off can find time for a joke or two. It stands as a beacon of sunshine towards tyranny and evil, and its message resonates now greater than ever earlier than. As a substitute of “The longer term refused to vary”, contemplate the phrases of a random nun within the Center Ages:
“In our world, each storm has an finish. Each night time has a brand new morning. What’s vital is to belief these you’re keen on, and by no means surrender. We should all preserve hope alive…”
