Also, if the idea of reading a breakdown of the game based on the role of gender sounds boring to you, then perhaps this really isn’t the best reading material. Anybody who reads the book would be best served by having some measure of familiarity with the work of Joseph Campbell, as there is a chapter examining Chrono’s adventure through the lens of the monomyth concept. Williams has little interest in making his work easily accessible to people who have never played Chrono Trigger, he also expects a measure of intelligence not demanded by most game writers, though I guess that is to be expected from someone who has a day job in academia. One could perhaps argue that there isn’t enough basic information to bring people completely unfamiliar with the game up to speed, but this really isn’t a book meant for the uninitiated. The author obviously understands this concept and walks the line by providing just enough of these details to make his point and keep the reader aware of what is going on. Whenever writing a review, whether it be long or short, it is far too easy to get bogged down in needlessly regurgitating plot and characters’ details at the expense of worthwhile insight. The first thing that Chrono Trigger deserves credit for is what it doesn’t do.
Williams has delivered a surprisingly innovative piece of non-fiction that blazes a trail that more writers should follow. While I personally think the decision to simply entitle the book Chrono Trigger is somewhat lacking in imagination, author Michael P. Not only did Boss Fight Books make a smart choice in wanting to put out a book about the sprawling epic that is Chrono Trigger, it also handed the reins to a phenomenal writer. With this point of view in mind, it is easy to understand that I was quite excited for the opportunity to read a book analyzing one of my favorite games that is being published by people dedicated to exploring long-form writing about games. In other words, games are finally being given the attention they deserve. I feel this is another indication of video games growing as a medium for entertainment and artistic expression. After several decades of reviews, news articles, and editorials, it seems like there is a growing interest in taking the time to delve deeper into individual games. Ever since reading Killing Is Harmless by Brandon Keogh, a thorough examination and analysis of the criminally unappreciated Spec Ops: The Line, I have become quite interested in the manner in which writing about video games is evolving.