Chrono Trigger Gets A Gorgeous HD-2D Overhaul Thanks To Fans

Published Oct 2, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT

Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.

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Chrono Trigger is one of the most beautiful RPGs ever made, but that hasn't stopped fans from imagining what it would look like with a makeover. Its direct successor, Chrono Cross, already proved that the franchise could maintain its pedestal of artistic greatness in 3D, mixing charming 3D models with some of the best pre-rendered backgrounds on the original PlayStation console.

Today, it seems likely that an updated take on Chrono Trigger would employ the HD-2D format popularized by Square Enix's Octopath Traveler games, which mixes the heavy use of pixel art with complex 3D environments. The publisher has employed a similar approach for remakes of games like Star Ocean: The Second Story and early Dragon Quest titles. Without any update to Chrono Trigger on the horizon, though, one fan took the task into their own hands.

Chrono Trigger's Kingdom Of Zeal Goes HD-2D

YouTube user Hydlide S shared a video of a scene from Chrono Trigger reimagined in the HD-2D style, maintaining the classic character sprites while converting a scene from the Kingdom of Zeal into a 3D environment. While it's simply a self-contained slice rather than a full remake project, it's a great example of what Square Enix's take on the concept might end up looking like.

Not everyone loves the HD-2D style, but it's hard to think of a better overall treatment for a Chrono Trigger remake. Although nothing is likely to supersede the excellence of the original game, this video proves that converting it to HD-2D wouldn't lose all the original charm. A more ambitious project in the style of the Final Fantasy 7 remakes might pose a greater risk of losing this appeal, and it would also be harder to get a project of that scale underway at Square Enix.

It's A Good Time To Be A Fan Of HD-2D RPGs

It doesn't seem like Hydlide S will ever take this project further, but they've done some other HD-2D work in the meantime. In 2024, Hydlide's studio, Wonderlust Games, released Infinite Mana on Steam, delivering a lengthy experience in that format. Their YouTube channel also contains examples of some other interesting projects, with a couple of unique VRChat worlds made for game jams.

Fans of the HD-2D style can expect a lot more of it in the future, as making games in that perspective is about to get a lot easier. The RPG Maker series has long offered a highly accessible way to develop top-down RPGs, and the upcoming installment, RPG Maker U2U, is adding the ability to create in an HD-2D perspective. The results aren't quite as stunning as Square Enix's own titles, but it's a fascinating technical leap all the same.

As for Chrono Trigger, the original game is currently available on PC, iOS, and Android, and the biggest historical problems associated with the modern port were patched out years ago. If it's not too expensive and inconvenient for you, the classic SNES release is still great, and the Nintendo DS port is flawless. These options might not have the dramatic god rays and dappled shadows of a Square Enix HD-2D game, but with some of the best pixel art of all time on display, they don't need to.

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