Customer Reviews

Eternal Sonata

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

There aren't a lot of JRPGs on the XBOX360 and what ones there are aren't as special as promised. Eternal Sonata is a different story. It's a grand game that hits all the right notes. It has a few minor issues, but nothing that keeps it from being fantastic.

Fredric Chopin is terribly sick and dying. As he lies unconscious in bed he has a dream where he is in a world unlike any other. In this world, those who are sick with incurable diseases can use magic, but is it really a dream? Or is it another reality? This world has its own problems, however, the people are being taxed and a man named Count Waltz is slowly enslaving everyone. It doesn't sound like much, but the story is surprisingly deep and is full of several themes. There are also many music references throughout the game. From the characters who have names like Allegretto, Polka and Beat. To some of the places you'll be going like the Chrous Plains.

The story is told through cutscenes voiced by the characters. The voice acting isn't the best in the world. They've got the right voices for the job, but a lot of the actual voice acting is dry. Luckily, if the English voice overs are annoying you, you have the option to switch the voices to Japanese. The story jumps between Chopin's life and the dream world which the gameplay centers in. Also, throughout the game, you'll get to learn a little about the real Chopin. The game gives you some historical accounts and during these moments will play his beautiful music. This is all great, but sometimes these historical segments come up at inappropriate times. The good news about these historical segments is that they do relate to the overall story. Also, as good as the story is, it's rather slow to start. On the bright side, the cast of characters are really likeable.

The game isn't all that different from your traditional JRPG. There's a field mode and a battle mode. Outside of battle you'll run around on the field gathering treasure and talking to denizens. Battles are contact based which means you can easily avoid battles you don't want to bother with. Battling in Eternal Sonata is quite fun, though.

The battle system is perhaps one of the most inventive battle systems in the genre. Your characters and enemies have what's called an "action" gauge. When a character takes his or her turn in battle they'll have what's called an "action gauge" on the left hand side of the screen which will count down. Within the allotted time, you can pretty much do anything you want. Either attack normally, use items or special attacks. You'll have to plan well, though. It's a simple battle system to grasp, but it's hard to master. This is because the battle system never stays entirely the same throughout the journey. You have what's called party levels, and the higher your party level the more difficult battles will be. For example, at Party level 1 the action gauge decreases only when you move, and stops decreasing when you stop. When you hit party level 2, however, the action gauge never stops. Just when you're positive you've mastered the battle system, it throws another twist at you, via the party level.

The battle system works well because it relies not only on real time, but strategy as well. Special moves are an important part of combat. There's no limit to how often you can use them, but even here there's a twist. Your party has what's called echoes. The more hits you score in battle the more echoes you get. These will increase the power of your special attacks and are shared by the whole party. While it's tempting to end every combo with a special attack, it's even better to save them until you've acquired enough echoes. Just the same, Eternal Sonata will give you quite a challenge, especially in the boss battles. You can also block your enemies attacks by pressing B at the right time. This doesn't mean you can just mash on the B button when the enemy attacks as your character will guard prematurely and take the full extent of the damage. These timed presses take a long time to master.

Another really big aspect of the games battle system is the use of light and dark. Special attacks change based on whether or not you are standing in light or in shade. That's not all light and shade have an impact on. Some enemies change form depending on where they are. Some enemies will also throw you for a loop because they can provide their own light. The game is very touchy on this as even standing in the enemies shadow will cause you to use a dark special attack instead of a light one. It's pretty amazing stuff.

The only major issue with Eternal Sonata is that there simply isn't much to the game. There's a sidequest where you can collect and play musical pieces, but for the most part, it's quite linear. There's no overworld map either, so there's not much of a chance to really explore anything throughout the game. Another big issue with exploring the environments is that the camera is at a fixed angle and you can't shift or rotate it. In some moments when you're traversing behind scenery, it'd be nice to be able to shift the camera to see what was in front of you.

Another smaller issue involves the story itself. While it is good, there are moments when it rambles and even (to a certain extent) preaches to you. A lot of the cutscenes are long, but that shouldn't be much of a problem. You can skip them.

Those issues aside, the game is absolutely gorgeous looking. It's not the greatest looking game on the system, but it's beautiful and artistic nonetheless. This is one of the most beautiful looking cel-shaded games out there. It also doesn't suffer from terrible load times or framerate issues. The best part about Eternal Sonata is its beautiful music soundtrack, which sounds nothing short of fantastic. It's absolutely remarkable. The fact that they also play some of Chopin's music is also really nice.

Eternal Sonata is easily the best JRPG available on the XBOX360 at the moment. It has a surprisingly deep story and is a burst of creative energy. All minor problems aside, it's an enjoyable game.

Pros:

+Surprisingly deep story
+Very well defined characters
+Some historical background on Chopin's life
+Very inventive battle system
+A good challenge, and the game only keeps getting harder as you go
+Very gorgeous game
+Remarkable soundtrack, some of Chopin's actual music is also used

Cons:

-Very linear
-Historical moments sometimes show up at inappropriate times
-Slow story
-Bad voice acting
-There are moments when the game is just all out preachy

I have just a few things to add to Sean's excellent review.

One thing a lot of people miss is that you can play this game coop with up to 2 other friends. This is unusual for an RPG. The fighting is great fun - my wife and I have pretty much played this game from start to where we are now (about 12 hours in). We absolutely love this game.

We have never had any issues with items, in fact we rarely use them. Maybe this will change later on when things get harder. Personally, I like the item limitation as the game would be too easy if they were limitless.

We like the linearity of the game. It's a matter of taste I guess. Since this game is coop, the linearity works in your favor when you are playing with friends (who wants to watch you figure out mazes and backtrack all over the place trying to figure out where to go next?). The game moves at a very brisk pace.

We thought the voice acting was excellent with a few minor exceptions. The main characters were played perfectly.

And I would like to doubly highlight that this game has one of the best soundtracks to date. It is absolutely magnificent. Probably the best soundtrack that I've heard this entire generation.

If you like Japanese-style role-playing games, you cannot go wrong with this game. You will love it.

Eternal Sonata is amazing!

This game was just splendid! From start to finish there is never a dull moment. A deep fleshed out story line with characters based on real life people combined with totally original characters all blended up into a refreshing mix of RPG amassment. The story is about the Famous composer redrick Chopin and his band of dream world heros as they strive to take down an evil king. It's incredibly well done and no RPG goer should miss out on such a masterpiece.


Visuals: 9
High def anime beauty. Tons of detail can be seen on every single character model and lush environment throughout the game. Crisp anime style characters, glowing forest, and so much more can be seen here. It's truly a feast for the eyes.

Gameplay: 10
A totally new concept for the action adventure RPG style. Namco took eveything you love about action RPGS and slapped it into a turn based strategy package. It works out very well. There are tons of different moves to learn that change depending on if you are in light or dark areas. It's a lot of fun!

Music: 10
With a game based on a composer.. You have to ask. How is the soundtrack? Well, it won't disappoint. There is a wide variety of music to be heard ranging from Chopins work to new original music to fit the anime style theme

Overall: 9.5
Eternal Sonata will not disappoint. There is so much to love and so much to do here that you will never get tired of playing. I recommend every fantasy/rpg gamer pick this up ASAP!

I had just finished playing 'Okami' (which is a fabulous game for PS2 or Wii) when I started playing Eternal Sonata. So, that might be part of my biased disappointment toward Eternal Sonata.

The first thing I noticed about Eternal Sonata is that it felt "OLD", even as a brand new game, and it seems like a game that was designed 5-10 years ago. The color is vivid in the game, but the gameplay itself lacks a modern feel. The characters at times move 2-dimensional directions and rarely have control over the full span of the screen, a similar feel to an old Nintendo game.

A lot of the design seems very lazy. Maybe half of the story scenes do cut to animated film of the characters talking with voices, but the other half of the time, they simply stand in front of something that might pace back and forth on screenwith text displaying on screen. Their mouths don't move, and it's just silly text-based narration. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why some parts are animated, and some are just boring text boxes that you escape by being forced to press 'A' over and over and over.

Gaining levels can be tedious. The battles are the same from beginning to end. This is another reason it feels old; each battle, your characters and the enemies stand in the same place every time. The battles are also turn-based. The only thing that changes from battle to battle is which side of the screen you'll be standing on and whether you or the enemy will have your back to the other, and also which characters you'll fighting with increased difficulty. Same with the battles with the bosses. The whole thing is turn-based and the same each time.

The story itself is laughable at best. It meanders and a lot of it doesn't make sense... nor is it engrossing. In fact it's downright stupid and pointless most of the time. The ending was almost the worst and nonsensical RPG ending ever, so look forward to that. The unfinished feel carries all the way to the very end after "45 MINUTES!" of ending and the credits rolling, when the game just goes to a frozen black screen, which you have reset the console just to even get back to the title screen.

As for achievements... about 1/4 to 1/3 of them can be achieved on the first runthrough (maybe 20-30 hours). To get all achievements, you must go through the game twice. You don't get to keep any of your hard-earned levels nor most of the items you acquired for the second runthough. You get to keep things called "scores" and something called "party levels", which assists you do to more damage in battles, but with more effort.

In the second runthrough, the enemies are more difficult, although the gameplay is identical and with very few new things to do or see. So, if it wasn't fun the first time... it'll be harder, and no more fun the second time, either.

One aside that may not bother everyone, but most of the battles are fighting animals who moan, groan, and wail when you're beating them with your weapons. After a while, it just kind of felt cruel.

Finally, there is no world map. Many times I wish I knew where I was relative to other places, but no such luck. If you forget which area you are in, you just have to run to the edges of each area until you find what you're looking for.

I would recommend this game only if you have time to spare and love RPGs. It's not the best title you can get your hands on, but it's fine if you like the genre. I tended to focus on negative aspects of the game, but there game itself is nice to look at, and some of the areas to explore can be interesting. Just don't expect perfection, because nothing about this game is perfect in any way.

...I admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. The premise just seemed so outlandish, I didn't think it would be possible to create a fun gaming experience out of such a weird concept. I decided to give it a try, and found that it actually is a fun, solid game with a very classic feel to it. With all the magic, swordplay, cute-but-annoying animal sidekicks and the convoluted storyline, It brings to mind early Final Fantasy games (before it jumped the shark with FFX) but is new and innovative at the same time. The battle system is definately original, and the enemies and abilities that change depending on the lighting adds a whole new twist as well.

The graphics are absolutely beautiful, even the sewers are a feast for the eyes! The music (supplied by the real-life Chopin) is gorgeous as well. The characters are different, interesting, and likable (I especially like the no-nonsense, butt-kicking goatherder/archer Viola) and the storyline, though very confusing at times, is pretty interesting. There is also an educational aspect to it, with cutscenes explaining Chopin's life at the beginning of each chapter.

One of the biggest drawbacks though, are those NEVER-ENDING CUTSCENES! Good Lord! I felt deserving of an achievement after sitting through the opening scene in which the narrator drones on and on seemingly without end about the freakin' flowers! And that half-hour long, wikipedia entry worthy cutscene about George Sand...oi vey. Yeah education is cool and all, but I felt the sheer length was really tedious and was taking away from the game.

A fun game all-in-all that fans of old-school rpgs will find especially entertaining.

Although its music is amazing and its environments are stunning, what is really great about Eternal Sonata is the gameplay. The battle system us a hybrid of turn based battles and hack and slash action. This gives you the opportunity to run around and attack in battle much like the Tales games, but since only one character moves at a time, you avoid the chaotic atmosphere of Tales games. As the game progesses, the rules on the battlefield change, such as the amount of time for attacks and chaining combo attacks. This keeps battles fresh til the very end. As the rules of battle changes through the game, you will be forced to think strategically about characters' strengths and weaknesses, and about what set of characters can best complement the others. AGain, Eternal Sonata manages to avoid getting stale as you shuffle your party around throughout the game. Exploration in Eternal Sonata appears shallow, but the linear movement of the game makes the experience relaxing and enjoyable. Because of its linear design, Eternal Sonata makes a great RPG for those who are put off by overwhelmingly complicated games. It's relatively short completion time (~35 hours) also may be appealing for those who want a great RPG experience, but don't want to spend 100 hours in front of their 360.

Overall, Eternal Sonata is unavoidably fun.

Not only has Eternal Sonata provided me with some RPG fun on my Xbox 360, but it is one of the best games I've played all year! (Edited: I mentioned that I was disappointed with Blue Dragon, but after getting into the game the past week I have to say Blue Dragon is much better than I thought.)

Most importantly, this game looks incredible. Played in 720p on my 23" LCD TV, the game is stunning. Every location is so stylized and beautiful in Eternal Sonata, filled with vibrant colors, intricate designs, and great lighting. Lately video games feel so rushed, as if the developers adopted a "good enough" attitude and push a game to retail as fast as possible. Eternal Sonata does not feel this way in the least. You can tell Tri-Crescendo spent a large amount of time making every environment. The attention to detail is very refreshing.

Battles look good, too. Animations are always smooth, and special attacks look great.

Eternal Sonata's soundtrack is also above average, which is fitting with it being so heavily influenced by music style-wise and thematically. One problem is that many tracks start to sound almost identical. The composer clearly didn't differentiate them enough. You can also unlock piano solos of some of Chopin's pieces throughout the game and play them whenever you like.

The story is fairly average, although as the game goes on it becomes slightly confusing and weird. I found the voice acting to be good, but not great. This is partly due to some of the awkward monologues the game forces in some scenes.

Eternal Sonata is so great because it's easy to pick up and play. The battle system that becomes more difficult and powerful as you progress is one the best parts of the game, although even it can become repetitive. I know for me, I usually lose attention in many RPGs after a while because they just become too mundane. Fortunately Eternal Sonata (usually) provides enough content to keep you playing until the end.

(Review edited March 28, 2010 because my perspective on the game has changed with recent game releases)

After playing the demo, I decided I could give this game a try, mainly because I find myself always wanting to try an RPG (especially if it is a Japanese RPG). I am glad I did. This game had much to offer.

The most interesting aspect of this game was its battle system. It is a combination of real-time and turn-based. Each character gets a "turn," and goes in order from the fastest to slowest. The character who is engaged in their turn has five seconds (later in the game four seconds) to fight the enemy. They can increase the time a little bit with every blow dealt to an enemy. Each normal attack can be used to build up a very simple, yet great, echo combo system. The combos acquired can then be used with the special attack, which varies from standing in a light area to standing in a dark area. Every blow that is dealt on your party can be blocked real-time for a substantial reduction in damage. Overall, the battle system was the most pleasing aspect of the game.

Moving on, we get to the story. The story revolves around Frederic Chopin, a renowned composer. The game starts in the "present," which is in the past when Chopin is on death bed. The world inside of Chopin's dream is what you play in. The cast of characters is delightful, each ranging with their own unique abilities; the only problem is that EVERY character and location, save for real word people, is named after a part of music (i.e. Forte, Allegretto, Waltz). The story progress along with Chopin existing in his dream. He constantly tells the participants in his dream that they are a fabrication of him. He begins questioning whether this world is still a dream as the game progresses.

There is a rather interesting twist in the game, which, suffice to say, really ruined the story in my opinion. I would disclose more information, but it is a major plot spoiler.

The voice acting was adequate and lacked the corny dialogue that many JRPG games have. The visuals suited the game really well. The learning curve was easy, but got steeper as the battle system got more complex after certain scripted events.

Overall, it was a great RPG to own, and I am glad that I purchased it.

Pros
+Battle system
+Graphics
+Character cast
+Soundtrack
+History "lessons" on Chopin

Cons
-Weird plot twist
-Annoying naming system
-Little replay value

Eternal Sonata is probably one of the best JRPGs out there for the X-box 360 currently to date. There are some negatives and positives to the game, but over all, the game mixes music and JRPGs together to create something fun and enjoyable.

Story: The story of Eternal Sonata is basically about Frederic Chopin dreaming about a vivid world as he lies on his deathbed. You basically play through his world that crosses between dream and reality. The story is something that piqued my interest when I first saw Eternal Sonata and I thought it was interesting. The only problem I had with the story is that it moved to fast sometimes and that some parts were irrelevant -- like getting water for a flower. Another problem I had is that the game was short --- I finished it in about 29 hours.

Graphics & Music: The graphics and the music of Eternal Sonata are just suburb and beautiful. The graphics is unique and is one of the highlights of the game. Furthermore, the music is just stunning and I could listen to it everyday.

Gameplay: One of the most fun things of Eternal Sonata is the battle system. The battle system is a "Shared-Time/Real-Time Battle System." Basically meaning that as characters attack the enemy, the game moves in real time only in the time allotted to each of the characters. It's pretty easy to understand and has a unique system of light/dark where depending on where you are, your attacks change or the monsters change.

Characters: You have a choice of 3 out 10 characters to have in your party. The characters all have unique designs and have their own story to be said. The sad point of the game is that you really don't get to know the characters, especially the bad guys --- you know them for one second and then that's it.

Others: The game is of a linear aspect, there really is no exploring of the map. Also, there is very little side quests in your first play through. In addition, the camera is a set-view and you cannot change the camera to your liking. These points really didn't bother me though.

Overall, Eternal Sonata is a great game that I would recommenced you to play if you like JRPGs. I had a fun time playing it even with it's negatives.

Must play, but only if you like Jrpgs.
Its clever and inventive, but still very stereotypical.ARGH THE VOICES, they are my biggest complaint, so terrible
As I get older I like these games less and less, and I feel embarrassed playing them.
If you haven't played Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia try those first