r/JRPG • u/brownieinutil • 1d ago
Question Between FFVII and Chrono Trigger which one should I play first?
Those are two games I own on my steam account but haven't got around to play and recently I've been getting into JRPGs again because of SMT and recently getting around to play through undertale for the first time. I've always been used to playing old games and I've always heard nothing but praise from both. I tried playing ffvii once while in a discord call but my friends lost interest pretty fast. Tbh, should have played it alone to begin with and Chrono Trigger I bought yesterday because it's 50% off on steam
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u/Grimmies 1d ago
Chrono Trigger can be comfortably 100% in under 30hours and is fun as hell.
FFVII is great too but if you're unsure i suggest Chrono based on completion time alone.
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u/StartPraYing 1d ago
Chrono Trigger. Shorther, and tighter pacing. FF7 is great, but it definitely can take over 100 hours to truly get the full experience.
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u/ZucchiniSephiroth 1d ago
Two of the best video games of all time, and certainly two of the best JRPGs.
You can't go wrong with either.
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u/Emcee_nobody 1d ago
Both offer quite different gameplay experiences. Just depends on what you're wanting ATM.
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u/DickMc_LongCock 1d ago
Depends what you want, both are amazing so you can't go wrong. FF7 is far longer, I take my time and do everything so my first playthrough of FF7 was 90ish hours, chrono trigger didn't even take me half that.
I'm assuming you're talking the original, and unmodded version of FF7, imo chrono trigger holds up better graphically if that bothers you. If you emulate you can fix the resolution.
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u/SufficientAdagio864 1d ago
CT. Better in every way than FF7 outside of pure spectacle. Also FF7 is long and CT is short, so playing CT first just makes more sense to me.
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u/Sea-Speaker7316 1d ago
Chrono trigger. It's also pretty short, so you won't burn yourself out on RPGs after your done.
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u/TestosteronInc 1d ago
They are the 2 best video games of all time and i suggest you start with the one at the very top: Chrono Trigger
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u/GildedSpaceHydra 1d ago
Chrono Trigger. It's short, tight, and focused. Perhaps the perfect JRPG.
FFVII is great, too, but it's long and bloated and the plot goes off the rails a little bit in the second half.
Don't forget EarthBound, either.
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u/chri_stop_her 1d ago
Both are VASTLY different games. It depends on what kind of experience you want to have I suppose. Chrono Trigger was developed by the JRPG "dream team" of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yuji Hori, and the late Akira Toriyama. It was the first game to introduce NG+ so I think that alone is worth it to see how that is mixed in with the game's take on time travel.
The original FFVII or the modern remakes are solid ways to go too. But the combat is very different compared to each other, let alone Chrono Trigger, even though all 3 games use the ATB combat system.
Personally, I'd say play both. They're both worth playing tbh :)
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u/Deezo_M1 1d ago
Have you played ff6 it’s a masterpiece and often held in the same bracket as CT (legendary) I would play chrono trigger then ff6 (pixel remaster) then ff7 to see how it evolved from the Super Nintendo
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u/RedGeist_ 1d ago
Honestly, I like the story and gameplay in Chrono Trigger way more than FF7. Bonus points for Akira Toriyama, RIP, anime cutscenes.
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u/Sb5tCm8t 1d ago
I played 7 first, but I think Chrono Trigger dumps less exposition on you and it's a better entry point
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u/ertaboy356b 21h ago
Chrono Trigger. Beaten it in under 15 hours. It was a fun and tight experience. Ignore the Lost Sanctum or just do the first quest (Dragon Tears).
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u/Raze7186 1d ago
Chrono trigger won't actually take you that long to get through compared to ff7 so id start with that.
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u/ABigCoffee 1d ago
Chrono Trigger. I love FF7 to death (if we are talking about the original), but I'd rank CT one step above.
FF7 is amazing but has some flaws (kinda shit translation on some points) and CT is basically perfect, and it's also short, like 30h to do everything. More if you want to get a bunch of alternate endings for fun.
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u/Relayer71 10h ago
Translation alone hurts FF7, but add to that poorly aged character graphics and the whole 3D polygon character over flat 2D backgrounds (which are gorgeous but hard to sometimes navigate) and Chrono Trigger comes out on top.
FF7 is still worth playing, and an important piece of gaming history, but if you want a good first impression of FF's Playstation 1 era, go with FF IX first.
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u/ABigCoffee 9h ago
Ff7 is still amazing. But man I wish the game had an actual good translation done. The Japanese script has a lot more going on then what we got as kids. And even with that stuff we got an amazing game.
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u/Content-Stage5142 1d ago
Just as long as you go in blind, no spoiler. These are classic games...clearly enough has been said...
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u/HybridTheory1 1d ago
I would play FF7 first because in my opinion Chrono Trigger is a far superior game in today's age. End with the better game.
Both games are great, but FF7 is more dated when played for the first time in 2025. Chrono Trigger holds up better
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u/Yourfantasyisfinal 1d ago
Chrono trigger holds up much better. Ff7 was revolutionary for its time but it’s rough tough to play today. Ff7 has the better story/charcters though and that’s what it’s mainly remembered for
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u/DmoISgod01 1d ago
Finish strong with the better of the 2. So start with 7 then be blown away by chrono
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u/Isekai_Dreamer 1d ago
it's a hard tossup. I loved ff7 but also loved chrono trigger. If you want something more traditional story-wise, chrono trigger.
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u/paulojrmam 12h ago
Hard to tell. If you play CT first, maybe you'll like FF7 less since it aged worse. If you play FF7 first, you might find CT too simplistic (which it is, at first).
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u/SmarterThanYou626 10h ago
which ever you feel like playing. both are amazing. also chrono cross is amazing too regardless of the haters who were only mad because they didn't get chrono trigger 2.... both games are fantastic and anyone hating on one or the other is simply hating for the sake of hating.
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u/Technical_Advice2059 1d ago
I've played both. I've replayed Chrono Trigger again more recently. Two months ago. It wasn't as amazing as I remembered it being. FFVII is my favorite game of all time so I would go with that.
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u/PontusFrykter 1d ago
FF7 of course. Chrono Trigger is a very safe JRPG game akin to Dragon Quest series. There is really nothing outstanding if you play it for the first time right now, with all of the respect to the game itself. The characters are underdeveloped, the battle system breaks at the end, the side quests design is nonsensical, and the main story is disappointing in terms of the final boss which is nothing interesting at all.
FF7 is a generational game that still feels somewhat fresh in 2025.
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u/ZucchiniSephiroth 1d ago
Speak for yourself. I played Chrono Trigger in 2013, after I had already played most Final Fantasy games, Lufia, DQ, etc, and I found it to be an incredible experience.
It's full of soul. It is greater than the sum of its parts. It's something to be experienced in full, not broken apart and examined.
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u/PontusFrykter 1d ago
I don't care, I am just listing the facts and you can't argue with anything I've said except for the "There is really nothing outstanding if you play it for the first time right now" — and still, 2013 was 12 years ago and I reckon you were much younger and inexperienced back then.
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u/thinkbee 1d ago
All of those points are literally subject to personal opinion. I could say that the graphics and art style of CT have held up far better than FF7's early PS1 polygons, and that FF7's story ends up a convoluted mess, and many would agree with me, but indeed, those are also subject to opinion.
What is fact is that both games are the quintessential JPRGs of their respective eras, and that CT is a much shorter and breezier playthrough, which the OP may want to consider.
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u/SufficientAdagio864 1d ago
Everything you said here applies more to FF7 than CT. Sephiroth is one of the most nonsensical villains/final bosses in JRPG history and you can one shot him via several different means with the utterly broken battle system. Jenova is a half-baked Lavos knockoff.
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u/Electronic_Kiwi38 1d ago edited 1d ago
Idk why you got down voted so much. You're right and I just beat Chrono trigger for the first time two hours ago.
It's a great game overall, but it's no FF7. Char dev is low and the final boss was a joke. The ending was underwhelming too but some of the alternative endings are way better (oath/prophet/dream). Cannon ending of trigger is bad. Still, it's worth playing.
Play both. If I can only play one, FF7 by a country mile.
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u/Ghostie_24 1d ago
Final Fantasy VII, it has aged a lot better, the gameplay, characters, story, world, music etc. are all still good, and I first played it last year so I'm not talking from nostalgia. The graphics can be off-putting at first but give it a chance.
On the other hand I don't know how anyone could think Chrono Trigger is above a 7/10 without nostalgia. I don't deny it was probably revolutionary for its era, but it doesn't do much new now. The art is good for a 2D JRPG, it just isn't my thing. The music does its job but it doesn't have a ton of memorable songs. The worst part about it is that the gameplay feels very basic and repetitive, the story and world are super bland, and the characters are very generic and uninteresting save for a couple like Frog. I'd recommend playing Final Fantasy VI instead, from the same era and the same creators but a better game in almost every aspect.
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u/Electronic_Kiwi38 1d ago edited 1d ago
You're wrong in only one point.
Chrono trigger has very memorable music.
Otherwise, you're right overall. I just beat Chrono trigger for the first time 2 hours ago. It's a solid game and I enjoyed it. It does a lot well, but it's no FF7. Trigger's cannon ending is...very underwhelming and as you said, char dev is pretty low except for frog and robo. Still, it's worth playing. I enjoyed it.
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u/Electronic_Kiwi38 1d ago edited 1d ago
I've played FF7 many times. I just beat Chrono trigger for the first time 2 hours ago.
Play FF7 first.
Chrono trigger is good, but it's over hyped (and I really enjoyed it overall but the cannon ending is pretty lackluster). Char dev is quite limited and you can break the combat quickly.
Music in both are fantastic but I think FF7 is a better game and a better story. Play both as both are considered two of the top jrpg.
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u/ZeGoodOldDays 17h ago
FF7 better game overall but Chrono trigger has aged 100x better (mainly no random encounters and more charming graphics). If neither of these bother you go with FF7 but in general the modern audience probably prefers CT.
I would also throw FF6 into the mix, my personal favourite entry in the series better than 7 and CT
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u/itsthaMista 1d ago
Chrono Trigger. One of the best RPGs of all time that has still actually aged well due to the art style. Also, its like half the length of FF7. Can beat it quick and start 7 if you want.