Who would have thought that an RPG based on the life of and death of composer Frederic Chopin would make for a fun game. But that is exactly what Namco Bandai and Tri-Crescendo have created. Eternal Sonata offers a rich story and great characters tied together by stunning graphics and a fun and inventive battle system. This is just a great experience all around and is highly recommended for JRPG fans.
Quick Hits
- Title: Eternal Sonata
- Platform:Xbox 360
- Publisher: Namco Bandai
- Developer: Tri-Crescendo
- ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
- Genre: RPG
- Pros: Incredible graphics; great music; fun battle system
- Cons: Not much to do outside the main quest;
Story
Eternal Sonata’s story is actually a dream that Chopin is having while on his deathbed. In his dream, there are several different characters and stories that eventually converge to paint a bigger picture. The characters come from several different walks of life, and each one has their own story and their own motivation and their own role to play. Each one is surprisingly well fleshed out, and even though the main story might not be the biggest and grandest campaign in RPG history, you become really attached to the characters themselves rather than their ultimate goal and that is where Eternal Sonata really shines.
The game is somewhat short, at least by RPG terms, as you can rush through it in 20 or so hours and beat it in 30 if you take your time. I don’t see this as a problem because I’d rather have a more focused story with great characters that lasts 25 hours than a rambling “epic” RPG with shallow characters that lasts 50 hours. One thing that is a problem here is that there really isn’t much to do outside of the main quest. It is on a linear path and you are just along for the ride to see it through to the end of the story rather than having to make any real decisions.
Gameplay
Namco BandaiThe gameplay is another area where Eternal Sonata shines. There are no random battles here, and you see every enemy out in the game world and can choose to fight or avoid them. When you do get into a battle, it is a mix of real-time and turn-based gameplay that gives the game a unique feel. During a turn, you can move around the battlefield freely in order to get into position for attacks. Moving around or attacking or using magic depletes an “action bar”, and when the action bar is depleted it moves on to the next character’s turn. Further complicating matters it the battle between light and shadow. You can perform different spells and attacks depending on whether your character is standing in the light or in the shadows. This is a very cool little system and gets even deeper and better as you play through the game because you gain abilities that let you alter the light or dark around you. And, of course, enemies can alter these things as well. At first the game is pretty straightforward - just run up to an enemy and attack. But by the end, battles are very strategic and character placement and positioning and the light/dark aspect all have to be considered before every turn.
Graphics and Sound
I think the area where Eternal Sonata will most impress you and draw you in is with the presentation. The graphics are very bright and colorful and the environments are incredibly detailed. The cel shading technique is used with amazing success here to create some amazing looking characters. The game doesn’t try to look realistic, or cartoony, or Anime inspired, or really like anything else you have seen. It just has a very consistent, very detailed, very colorful style that all comes together to create a fully realized world that is absolutely gorgeous.
The sound also plays a large part in Eternal Sonata’s appeal. The music, both Chopin’s music as well as new themes created by Motoi Sakuraba, is simply outstanding. The voice acting is pretty solid, and unlike a lot of JRPGs with English voices, none of the characters really grate on you.
Bottom Line
Namco BandaiOverall, Eternal Sonata is a very polished and very well put together game that RPG fans will really enjoy. The graphics and sound will hook you immediately, but the great cast of characters and fun (and deep) battle system will keep you playing for the full 25 or so hour journey. This is just a solid game all around that I highly recommend for any Xbox 360 owning RPG fan.
