Chrono Trigger, released in 1995, is unarguably one of the most iconic JRPGs ever to be made. Chrono Trigger inspired new titles with a diverse storyline and action-packed battle system. Later in 1997, Final Fantasy 7 was released and set the tone for future Final Fantasy titles.
Final Fantasy 7 is, without a question, the more popular title. JRPGs weren't a trend in the United in the early 90s. Final Fantasy 7 was the landmark title that introduced JRPGs to a broader audience. However, there are a lot of arguments that could be made that Chrono Trigger was the superior RPG. Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 7 were both amazing RPGs, but only one game can reign supreme.
10 Chrono Trigger Has a Better Plot
The plot of Chrono Trigger was pretty simple. Crono and his friends accidentally time-traveled and saw the fate of the world by an alien life-form named Lavos. Determined to change time and save the world, they venture throughout time, collect new comrades, and battle those responsible for unleashing the wrath of Lavos upon the world.
Time-travel plots are a bit obsolete now, yet the creators of Chrono Trigger forged an impeccable plot that touched on the legend of magic, Lavos' beginnings, and side quests regarding characters like Frog and Magus. Final Fantasy 7 had a decent plot that also revolved around saving the world. Though, Chrono Trigger had a multi-dimensional plot that was uncommon back in the early 90s. This game gets the nod over Final Fantasy 7 in regards to a complete plot.
9 Final Fantasy 7 Had Better Characters
This determination was more of a no-brainer. In Chrono Trigger, Crono didn't talk (Cloud didn't talk much either) and the rest of the characters were a bit one-dimensional. They all didn't interact much, as Chrono Trigger was one of those early titles where both characters and NPCs didn't have much dialogue.
Final Fantasy 7 had a bunch of interesting characters, such as Vincent, Red XII, and Yuffie. One shouldn't also forget about the pasts of Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith. Without a doubt, Final Fantasy 7 had the better characters out of both titles and it's not much of a debate.
8 Chrono Trigger Had Vibrant Gameplay
Now, Final Fantasy 7 had an action-packed battle system that first introduced a limit break, which was a special attack any playable character could perform. There was also a sweet motorcycle chase in Final Fantasy 7 that set the tone for the entire game. However, Chrono Trigger gets a slight nod in the gameplay department.
Chrono Trigger had the epic Magus scene, allowed players to fight on the Epoch, and featured the triple-attack battle sequence that revolutionized modern JRPGs. Chrono Trigger was simply ahead of its time, and it's vibrant gameplay is still something that attracts retro gamers to this very day.
7 Final Fantasy 7 Had Sephiroth
There are very few video games (besides Final Fantasy 6), where players hugely anticipated fighting the final boss. Of course, Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda do not count as Bowser and Ganondorf are two legendary villains, but they're somewhat overplayed. Sephiroth, on the other hand, is a complete villain.
His signature Masamune, his apathetic background, and calm mystique makes him the bane of Cloud's existence. Sephiroth alone trumps any villain Chrono Trigger and most games have to offer.
6 Chrono Trigger Had More Memorable Battles
Sephiroth, Hojo, and Jenova headlined Final Fantasy 7 as premier bosses. But Chrono Trigger had a lot more memorable bosses, such as Lavos, Black Tyranno, Queen Zeal, Dragon Tank, and Masamune. Chrono Trigger also featured the opportunity to battle tons of monsters either by bumping into them or interacting randomly with the map.
Bosses in Chrono Trigger also had numerous status proficiency and deficiencies. This allowed players to formulate strategies to defeat monsters and bosses instead of using sheer might.
5 Final Fantasy 7 Has the Better Battle System
There are so many things to like about Final Fantasy 7's battle system. The limit break is absolutely a plus, and the game boasts dozens of more magical attacks than Chrono Trigger. The limit break system certainly rises to the occasion, allowing players to master several different special skills for all characters.
The new and improved ABS gauge is also a breath of fresh air compared to older RPG titles. Everything about Final Fantasy's battle system was superior to Chrono Trigger's. The only exception being the triple-attack feature.
4 Chrono Trigger Had Lovable 2D Graphics
Before 1997, 2D graphics reigned supreme on countless video game consoles of the day. The Super Nintendo (SNES) featured some of the greatest JRPGs of all time, from Final Fantasy 6 to Tales of Phantasia. Chrono Trigger arguably had the greatest graphics on the SNES console. Of course, legendary concept artist and creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, developed the game's art along with Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series.
The development team put a lot of time and effort into Chrono Trigger. Final Fantasy clearly has better graphics, but Chrono Trigger stood out on an entire console of great RPGs.
3 Final Fantasy 7 Was More Challenging
Chrono Trigger was a very difficult game for its time. For those familiar with the game, Ocean Palace was home to more than 100 enemies players had to fight. There was no getting around them, and it was certainly tedious to defeat them all and still have the wherewithal to fight the map's boss. Interestingly, Final Fantasy 7 was even more difficult.
Bosses and enemies in this game had much higher HPs and defenses. They were also much more enemies to fight on each map. Special bosses like Ruby and Emerald Weapon have given gamers nightmares over the years, as well.
2 Chrono Trigger Had a Better Soundtrack
This isn't even up for debate. Before you try to close the window and retweet this article in disgust, take the time to listen to "Corridors of Time" from the Chrono Trigger soundtrack. While you're at it, listen to the Chrono Trigger "600 AD" theme. Legendary composers, Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy) who is known as the Beethoven of video game music and Yasunori Mitsuda (Xenogears) created the music.
Both composers created a masterpiece soundtrack for Chrono Trigger. While Final Fantasy 7 had an amazing OST in its own right, it doesn't come close to the magic of Chrono Trigger's vivid soundtrack.
1 Final Fantasy 7 Had a Deeper Plot
Chrono Trigger clearly had a better plot than Final Fantasy 7, yet there is a definite caveat here. There were certain aspects to Final Fantasy 7's plot which included the death of Aerith and the complicated past of Sepiroth that made the game seem realer than Chrono Trigger. Players in this game were determined to save the world from the evil Shinra corporation, and it honestly felt like Final Fantasy 7 could actually happen here on Earth in some weird future.
Both games are undoubtedly works of fiction, but Final Fantasy 7 had a few advantages with a deep plot that explored diverse tropes other than magic and monsters.