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I bought this game with a little trepidation. I'm always afraid that I'm going to spend $60 on a game, get it home and have it suck. I was especially nervous about this game because I was looking for a co-op game to play with my fiance. I didn't want to have to worry about wandering around looking for fights to get into so the other person could play, I wanted it to be fun for both of us.
With that being said, let me tell you why I give this game 5 stars:
I am absolutely in love with Eternal Sonata. It's everything I could have ever wanted in an RPG. Some people may say it's a little short or that the game is very linear, but in my opinion these are pluses. I played FFVII and I never finished it. I really really wanted to finish it and be one of *those* people, but I got stuck and couldn't figure out where to go next. I'm not one for looking up walk-throughs online to find out where I should go next, I really just want to play the game not figure out what I need to do next. If I wanted a puzzle, I would play a puzzle game.
The battle scenes in this game are great and there are plenty to keep both you and a friend interested. The graphics are just amazing and I was really surprised to see that the game actually looked like the trailers. I love the animations on the special attacks, my fiance said to me "This game probably makes us look pretty impressive because of all of these flashy moves." The best part of battles is that you are actually cooperating. It's not just you and your friend controlling different characters. When your party levels you can start earning echos for each hit you make that isn't blocked. These echos can be stored up and any player can use them to make their special actions more powerful. It's great for building up the last hit on a boss or saving a character whose near death.
I'm also really impressed with the story for this game. It's historical and philosophical and fantastic all at the same time. You get to learn about Chopin's life and meditate about the reality of dreams. Not to mention having a game based on a musician makes for excellent score. Each chapter is based on a different composition of Chopin's. I love playing just so I can listen to the music...it's not repetitive or boring.
I would definitely recommend this game to people who enjoy rpg's and want to play with a friend or significant other. I think it's a great game for all ages and it doesn't have a gigantic learning curve, but it's got just enough mystery to make it fun to figure out.
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Pros:
+Fairly good story
+Very inventive battle system
+Very good game; even better looking on the PS3
+A Great soundtrack
Cons:
-Very linear
-Slow story
-Lackluster voice acting
-There are moments when the game is just all out preachy
Eternal Sonata was released on the XBOX360 in 2007 and was largely overlooked by gamers. The game is now being given a second chance to appeal to most gamers. For the most part you're getting the same game you got a year ago with a few extras. It's a little hard to say whether or not it's worth getting a second time if you already played it before.
Eternal Sonata is largely focused on Fredric Chopin. He lies on his deathbed, unconscious and dreams of a world. In this world, those who can use magic are terribly sick and dying of illness. The citizens of this world are also in a bit of despair as Count Waltz continues an unpopular rule and stands against the people. The story is actually not a bad one. Unfortunately it isn't always presented as well. In the first place, the voice acting just isn't the best out there. Some of it is rather dry and emotionless. The voices themselves aren't bad, but the emotion is almost non-existent in most of them. The story also moves somewhat slowly, and that's strange given that Eternal Sonata is not a very long game. Also, some will probably not appreciate that the game eventually becomes incredibly preachy throughout its final moments.
While it may not present its story as strongly as it could, it's gameplay is still as strong as ever. The battle system for Eternal Sonata is one of the most inventive in the genre. It's a turn based game but adds an active element. When a character's turn comes up in battle, they all have what's called an action gauge. When their turn starts the action gauge counts down. During this time you can do whatever you like until it runs out. Mostly you'll be mashing on the attack button to get out as many hits as you can. You can also execute special attacks. It's a very easy battle system to grasp, but it's hard to master. This is because the battle system never stays entirely the same. You also have a party level that increases as the game goes on and it changes how the battle system works. 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. It adds a lot of variety to the game but also makes sure that battling is always interesting.
The battle system also has special moves that characters can use, but they change based on whether or not you're in the light or the shade. Some enemies will also change form depending on if they're in the light or the shade. It adds some strategy to the game, but in the end Eternal Sonata still feels like a button mashing affair. Along those lines, the game is not that hard. When you really grasp the battle system and learn it, accumulating large amounts of damage becomes consistent.
There isn't a whole lot that's been added to the PS3 version, but some of it is rewarding. Characters can change their costumes, there are now two new playable characters who were unplayable in the 360 version and a couple of new dungeons. On the other hand, Eternal Sonata is still short and largely linear game. It's nice that there are a few more extras than the average port but they still don't make a huge difference in the gaming experience as a whole if you have the 360 version. In short, if you haven't played Eternal Sonata and you want to, the PS3 version is the better choice. If you've already played through the 360 version, however, there's not much here to entice you to play through it again.
One huge noticeable difference between the PS3 and 360 versions, however, is by far the visuals. The animations are smoother and more vibrant on the Playstation 3. Eternal Sonata was already an incredible looking game to begin with, but the Playstation 3 brings out a lot more in the visuals.
Musically, Eternal Sonata still has some of the best in the industry. You'll even hear some of Chopin's own music at certain moments and get a little bit of a historical background on him. Eternal Sonata's biggest strength is easily its soundtrack.
In the end, Eternal Sonata is still a good game. If you have it on the 360 it's not really that different, nor does it include enough new content worth making it worth a second buy, but for those who haven't played it, it's another chance to play a pretty good game.
Buy Eternal Sonata Now
After having played the 360 version, I found this version not that different, even with the additional features exclusive to this one. After playing through it, I found myself just repeating almost everything in the 360 version. Of course, that's to be expected, but I guess the additional features didn't really do much.
As expected from some JRPGs, the game isn't THAT challenging, but maybe that's because I've played the other version before. To be honest I was confused at first, but now, I pretty much finished this version way under leveled compared to when I finished it before. I am however, happy that it's not much of a challenge. I find it annoying when I have to grind just to continue on with the storyline. In terms of controls and interface however, I find ES' to be one of the easiest to navigate, most beautiful to look at, as well as the most interesting to toy around with. I like how, in battle, most moves can be executed at the touch of a single button. That however makes it a bit easy for players, but I don't mind. Like I said, less grinding, more on the story please.
The story, I think, is one of the best I've actually seen in most JRPGs. While the main story of Polka and her magic powers may seem cliche, it's Chopin's story that I focus on. I admire how the developers made a story based on the life of a famous composer in real life. Not only do I find it as a form of appreciation for the said composer, but it actually made me appreciate Chopin, as well as classical music, more. The prospect of leaving this world upon your death and venturing to a new one is, for me, a dream come true. And this IS a role-playing game, so I might as well play that role, for my own entertainment. To be honest, I don't understand why a considerable number of people didn't like this game's story. There are actually some weak elements in the story, and I find the lack of humor to be one of the down sides... Not that I require every JRPG I play to be funny, mind you. And, as much as I hate mentioning it, I rarely see a person dying, and still be able to give a 30 minute-1 hour death speech to nobody in particular. And up until now, I'm sad that I managed to finish this game fast. Real fast. It seriously needs more game play time.
As much as the game doesn't push the PS3's graphical limits much, I found this game's graphics to be quite enchanting. It's as if, you're being invited into a world painted on canvas with vibrant, fresh paints. The characters move realistically for me: no awkward movements, and all moves are executed smoothly. I was most excited about the addition of Prince Crescendo and Princess Serenade as playable characters, and to be honest, that was the part I enjoyed most. These little additions are exactly what made me get the PS3 version.
And like before, the music is nice, but not exactly ground breaking. I mean, all right, I hear Chopin's pieces, as well as some by Sakuraba, and they fit the scenes they're incorporated into. But only very few of these pieces got stuck in my head. It does, however, put good emphasis on classical music, and I like that.
Overall, Eternal Sonata still is one of the greatest JRPGs I've seen in a while (or for the next-gen consoles at least). If you're looking for a nice RPG with lush anime-like graphics and an interesting storyline, I really suggest you get this game. Now.
Note: Although this amazon account is by sukotsuto, this review written by a745 using sukotsuto's account as proxy to write the review.
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To begin with, I'm been playing RPGs for many years now; it's the only genre that I play.
The battle system is great; it gets increasingly difficult, so you are always learning. You have regular attacks and special attacks. Both use an action gauge to predict how many attacks you will have. Special attacks are measured by how much time they take to complete. So lets say the action gauge is 10 seconds and a special attack takes 2.7 seconds; therefore, you have a rough idea how many times you can use that attack. Movement also used the action gauge, as well as using items.
As the game progresses, character levels are not the only levels which increases. You also have "party level" which will increase to a max of six. I'm on level 4 right now, indicating where I am in the game at the moment. As you increase in "party level" the action gauge will decrease faster and faster and continue to decrease even while you stop. If I remember correctly, the first two "party levels" stops the action gauge when you are just standing still. So as the "party level" increases the battle system becomes more difficult. I don't like this personally, but it keeps things interesting I guess. The last "party level" is annoying I've heard. The attack button will disappear and reappear on the screen and you will have to press them in order to attack. So you won't just be sitting there mindlessly pressing buttons. You'll have to pay attention.
To defend you will have to press the circle button when you are prompted by the "defend" icon which shows up during battle. If you press it at the correct time, you will defend. Don't worry, it's much easier that it sounds. Each monster will have a certain rhythm which isn't that hard to figure out at all. You will also be able to defend against boss attacks as well. Defending drastically reduces the amount of damage you receive. Later, at "party level" 4, you will be able to counterattack only regular attack. The "counterattack" icon will also appear just like the "defend" icon.
Lastly, there are "echos". Using regular attacks will build up "echos", which drastically increases the power of "special attacks". So you have two characters, or one, use regular attacks to build up "echos" and the third character will use their special attack and unleash massive damage. Later, at "party level" 4, you will also be able to use "harmony chains" which you will get when you build up at least 24 "echos".
The monsters can be repetitive. For a PS3 game, I expected better graphics, but in all fairness, its a relatively old game. I think the player should get an option of both a battle camera and field camera. When in battle you get a general overview of the battle field and you sort of have to remember where the monsters are, because if you do too much running around, your action gauge will run out and your turn will just end. No attacks. No items. A camera would have helped. But I guess this ALSO adds to the difficulty of the battle system. In the field, the camera is way too high up. I've missed chests because of this.
You will notice as you play, that the game is very linear. You are in a dungeon, you solve the little puzzles, then you have long cut scenes. You are in a dungeon, then long cut scenes. After being in the dungeons, you long for the cut scenes...lol. Leveling up can take a while, but if you fight everything you come across, you don't have to spend hours leveling up. When you leave a room and reenter while solving puzzles (and the puzzles are mainly around how to get chests), the monsters will reset, if you fight all of them again, instead of avoiding them, you won't have to spend hours leveling up, which is why, when you're finished with the dungeons, you long for the cut scenes...lol. For me its a much needed break.
Now for the plot. The plot isn't unheard of. But there are some good twists. It doesn't live up to the twists and turns of a Final Fantasy game, but good nonetheless. A general gist: two nations might be going to war; there is an underground group fighting against what is considered the "evil" nation; the "good" nation doesn't want to go to war; and the "evil" nation is raising an "evil" army...lol...to fight the good nation. There is a twist about how this army is being raised.
You get a choice of Japanese or English voice acting. I chose the Japanese voices because it sounds more authentic. You also get to choose between English and French text. I have Japanese voice and English text/subs.
If you are an RPG player, the characters are not ones you haven't come across before. The dumb blond girl, who is the main female, and wants world peace and speaks with a whisper. The cocky male main character, who like the dumb blond girl; his little brother; the kind of stern and cold female characters; and the joker, who is a girl.
I must say though that in all my years of playing RPGs, I've never come across such stupid characters in my life. The characters are built to be so innocent it seems, even for the brothers who are like Robin Hood characters. They're a bit preachy, especially the dumb blond. They don't understand, or it takes them a long time, to come to the correct answer, even though the answer is staring them in the face. This can be SO ANNOYING. And it seems like when they come to the correct answer, they don't believe it and have to meet the "evil" people to double check and make sure. The game is set up where the two nations are distinct. The "good" nation is in snow, the prince and princess where white, and everything seems to be about life and green stuff. The "evil" nation is darker. The duke (if I remember correctly) wears black. All his minions are evil. Yet, the main characters, still look for "good" in all people, even though the game is set up in such a way where you, the player, knows that there are "good" people and "evil" people in the game world. Very simplistic. It seems as if the script writers us the characters to create doubt about the clear distinction between "good" and "evil" in the game, which I think they fail at.
Chopin life is sort of the compass for the game. You get bits of how his life progresses. There is an interesting inquiry into what denotes reality. I love learning more about Chopin. During the game you can find "score pieces", which come in pairs. You will meet NPCs in the game with whom you can play music with. If the pieces matches up, you will get items.
Should you buy this game? Yes. But it's by no means an emphatic yes. Overall, it's a good game so far. I don't regret buying it. In fact, I'm glad I did. I've wanted it for a while. Maybe, my expectations were too high. I've wanted it since it came out on the XBox 360.
So BUY it.
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I usually dont write reviews but for this one I had to step up.
Normally I do all my gaming on PC but decided to take a break and check out an rpg for ps3, and this one totally took me off guard.
Right from the start, gameplay and combat was smooth and easy to get into, but somewhere around chapter 3 something started to happen...I finally started watching all the cutscenes then got all interested in the plot and the characters...Anyway after restarting and really paying attention from the getgo, I found the concept of making a game based around the condition of Chopin in his final hours was really weird (in a good way) and educational...and the graphics are really nice. Since this my first rpg for the ps3, and since I'm going for the second playthrough, I would highly recommend this game
