What’s your definition of a “10”?
More than a few people would call a “10” “perfect” and basically leave it at that.
And for most people, that’s fine and dandy.
But I subscribe to a belief that it’s a little more nuanced than that.
For me, a score of 10/10 isn’t an indication that a thing is actually flawless per se. It’s more of an acknowledgment of supreme excellence.
Think of it this way: A person can get 8 or 9 out of 10 questions on a quiz correct, but then nail the extra credit and still end up with a “perfect” score, even without a flawless performance.
Did the thing we’re talking about do what it set out to do in a special and exceptional way? And probably more importantly, at least to me, is how did it make me feel in the process? Thusly, a “10” is essentially the highest possible recognition or superlative, NOT a designation of perfection or flawlessness.
And can we acknowledge, at least a little bit, that perhaps nothing is perfect, and that when evaluating anything, it’s basically impossible to separate from that evaluation how a thing makes us feel?
How we react to a thing informs how we speak of it after the fact. And yes, that’s more of an undefinable thing, and yes, that complicates things greatly, but it’s not a thing we can ultimately avoid.
It’s how a game like Air Zonk can rank higher on this list than Ms. Pac-Man. One game is objectively more important historically and more universally well regarded and … well, tough cookies. Air Zonk makes me happier.
Chrono Trigger, our No. 26 game on the countdown (and another game that makes me happy), is a game that often gets lauded with the “perfect” moniker, and you can easily see why.
Its mix of story, characterization, game design, and enjoyment it engenders while playing are almost universally considered among the best in the genre. And moreover, it’s REALLY difficult to find anything to complain or quibble about here.
There just aren’t a lot of flaws in this game.
Does that make it perfect?
Not in the slightest.
It’s a wonderful game, and it should be experienced by everyone. That’s why it’s here.
But it ain’t perfect.
Let’s establish that now, so that inflated expectations don’t ruin the game for you.
Chrono Trigger at a glance:
Genre: RPG
Released: 1995
Platform: SNES
GamesRadar’s “2nd best Super NES game of all time”
