I've been thinking about games involving time travel recently, and I became curious as to how many video games have explored the concept, how deeply, and what "type" of time travel is used.
If you mention a game, please include what "type" of time travel is used in the game, if applicable, and whether the time travel element is integral to the story (the game doesn't have to revolve around time travel like Chrono Trigger or Radiant Historia, but if at least one major story sequence uses it, the time travel is a major element in the game) or if the time travel is incidental, used only for one sidequest or minor plot sequence and then forgotten. Please put any specifics about a game's plot in spoiler tags, so as to not ruin any plot elements for anyone.
For reference, the two main types of time travel are "free-will" and "predestination" time travel. In "free-will" time travel, any actions undertaken in the past can affect the present or future, sometimes drastically. This is the type of time travel in which characters must be careful or risk running afoul of a paradox. "Predestination" time travel, however, states that the "changes" the characters make to the timeline have already happened, and the characters are just doing things "all over again." Paradox is impossible in this model, because everything has already happened, and the heroes are just the catalysts.
Games I can think of off the top of my head:
Games With Plot-Integral Time Travel
I can't think of any games with time travel as a minor element of the plot off-hand.
If you mention a game, please include what "type" of time travel is used in the game, if applicable, and whether the time travel element is integral to the story (the game doesn't have to revolve around time travel like Chrono Trigger or Radiant Historia, but if at least one major story sequence uses it, the time travel is a major element in the game) or if the time travel is incidental, used only for one sidequest or minor plot sequence and then forgotten. Please put any specifics about a game's plot in spoiler tags, so as to not ruin any plot elements for anyone.
For reference, the two main types of time travel are "free-will" and "predestination" time travel. In "free-will" time travel, any actions undertaken in the past can affect the present or future, sometimes drastically. This is the type of time travel in which characters must be careful or risk running afoul of a paradox. "Predestination" time travel, however, states that the "changes" the characters make to the timeline have already happened, and the characters are just doing things "all over again." Paradox is impossible in this model, because everything has already happened, and the heroes are just the catalysts.
Games I can think of off the top of my head:
Games With Plot-Integral Time Travel
- Final Fantasy (Predestination)
- Chrono Trigger (Free-Will)
- Final Fantasy Legend III/SaGa 3 (Unknown)
- Earthbound (Free-Will)
- Radiant Historia (Unknown)
- Time Hollow (Predestination)
- Warriors Orochi 3 (Unknown, but likely Free-Will)
I can't think of any games with time travel as a minor element of the plot off-hand.