Chrono Trigger's first patch brings back 'Original' graphics

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The Steam release took heat for a visual filter that mushed up its old-school look.

Mid-90s RPG classic Chrono Trigger debuted on Steam in February, but the decision to apply a pixel smoothing filter, and the visual mushiness that resulted, left a lot of fans unhappy. Square Enix moved to address that dissatisfaction today with a patch that enables visual improvements including an "Original" graphics options, and also dropped a couple of before-and-after screens demonstrating the difference. 

The updated visuals may not be an exact replica of the old-school Chrono Trigger graphics, as the patch notes state only that it brings them "more in-line with the original style," but it definitely looks more like it should. The patch also sets the "Original" graphics mode as the default, updates the font for "a more classic look," corrects various problems with in-game text, and fixes the way the word "Trigger" appears on the title screen—apparently it was somehow a problem. The animated startup sequence has also been adjusted to be more like that of the original game. 

A couple of before-and-after screens illustrate the difference: 

More changes to make the interface more PC-friendly are planned for future updates, and Square Enix is also extending the availability of the Chrono Trigger Limited Edition on Steam, which includes wallpapers, game music, and "digital liner notes" by computer Yasunori Mitsuda. It was supposed to disappear on April 2 but will remain up for purchase until April 30.   

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.