The story of Eternal Sonata begins as a famous composer, on his deathbed, drifts between this life and the next. In his reverie, a happenstance encounter of a young girl who accepts her terrible destiny and a young boy fighting to save her, changes the destiny of the world. Uncover the light that shines in each of us in this enduring tale of good and evil.
GenreRole-Playing
Platforms xbox360
DEVELOPER tri-Crescendo | PUBLISHER Codemasters | RELEASE DATE
Eternal Sonata Reviews xbox360
consolemonster.com review
A welcome feature to Eternal Sonata is the fantastic learning curve which takes your hand and introduces you into the game, whilst never damaging the story or your first impressions. Thanks to detailed instructions expressed throughout a brief start to the story, you will quickly get to grips with the game and can begin to enjoy what the game has to offer. Eternal Sonata features aspects typically seen in most RPG titles; a party of characters that improve as the storyline progresses, weapons and items that can be obtained or purchased, puzzles which need to be solved in order to progress, and of course a turn-based RPG styled combat system—but with a very noticeable twist. (More on that later) The typical RPG “mini-game†additions have been included too, with Eternal Sonata having you collect and perform musical scores for rewards and even photograph combat encounters for easy fortune.
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gamesradar.com review
While the basics are easy to pick up, the battle system also has enough depth to keep things fun. A major part of battle strategy in Eternal Sonata revolves around the distinction between light and shadow. Not only do enemies dramatically morph depending on whether they’re standing in a light area or covered in shadow (a small flying bat in the light will transform into a gigantic scorpion in the shadow, for example), but your own party’s special attacks will vary depending on whether you’re in light or shadow. Shadow attacks are generally more powerful, while light attacks can either be offensive or healing. There are also status inflicting attacks that can cast a shadow on someone no matter what, preventing that character from using a much-needed healing attack, and vice versa.
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nextlevel.com review
The biggest complaints Eternal Sonata will draw are just conventions of the J-RPG genre, and whether this is your kind of game or not. If the idea of an RPG with spiky-hair, colorfully cutesy anime-ish characters and childish voice acting don’t take your fancy, then it’s more of a knock on not liking RPGs altogether than just Eternal Sonata. Nevertheless, it remains a beautiful, engaging and ridiculously addictive game much thanks to its ludicrous amount of details, bubbles and cel-shading. And unlike most RPGs, only clocking in at a 25 hour quest feels just right, with a New Game +, secret dungeon and roughly half your achievements to unlock on the second playthrough. There is no telling whether Frédéric today could appreciate the masterpiece that is tri-Crescendo’s latest, but one thing is for certain: He’d sure as hell write a song about it.
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videogametalk.com review
Eternal Sonata’s achievements are fairly evenly spread out. You’ll gain points for each party level you increase and for each chapter you complete. The harder achievements force you to traverse a difficult secret dungeon, collect all score pieces, find rare items, and essentially play through the game again on the harder Encore difficulty. I salute the gamer who achieves 1,000 out of 1,000 because some of these are downright taxing (or time consuming – take your pick).
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rpgamer.com review
When one thinks about musically themed video games, Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero are generally the first things to come to mind. Rhythm games based around rock ‘n’ roll, disco, techno, and other modern styles of composition are the norm, so when Tri-Crescendo decided to base not just a game, but a role-playing game, around famed Polish pianist Frederic Chopin and his work, it quickly shot up the list of anticipated titles for many gamers. After many agonizingly long months of waiting, Eternal Sonata has finally graced us with its presence, a presence that was well worth the wait.
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gamezone.com review
This mystery is half of what makes Eternal Sonata such a brilliant premise. Yes, it’s odd to be taking control of a historical figure and inserting him in a game where the landscape is filled with fantastical creatures and characters that band together to bring light to the world but somehow this strange premise works splendidly. The story is also what sets this game apart from other role-playing games. It’s also rare to find a game that adds fantasy elements while also giving a history lesson seeing as we also get a peek at the life of historical figure (the game touches on many events that occurred in Chopin’s life). Really, if it wasn’t for the wonderful story and characters this would have been an old-school RPG filled with all the traditional elements of classic role-playing games of yesteryear.
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jolt.co.uk review
No Synopsis Available
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gametrailers.com review
The game’s explorative depth may not exactly strike a high note, but Eternal Sonata’s battle system is no slouch when it comes to action-packed beatdowns.
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gamespot.com review
It’s not the grandest, most epic tale ever told in an RPG, but it’s a highly personal one. Chopin must discover what he is searching for in this moving, thoughtful journey that we take with him. His travel companions are charming, multifaceted characters who develop strong bonds, including Alegretto’s touching affection for ever-sweet Polka. You will care for these characters, and if their initial quest doesn’t seem all that breathtaking, the passion with which they undertake it will win you over. The story also touches on topics that tie lessons of the past to current events. Blind devotion to the government, the separation of fact from fiction, social persecution, and other themes are all obviously meant to parallel our own modern political climate. The only problem with the narrative is the pace, which is broken up by narrated segments about Chopin’s life and the politics of his own time. These interruptions feature photo stills of such cities as Paris and Warsaw, accompanied by Chopin’s famous piano works. But the history lessons, as well intentioned as they are, just don’t fit because they force us back into a reality the game does such a good job of letting us escape.
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msxbox-world.com review
To sum it up, I was surprised with this game. I had barely heard of it before I had it in my hands and now I really like it. This is the kind of game you can play once or maybe twice and maybe never come back to it, but the experience from playing the game is one to remember. What makes this game enjoyable and worth the money is the mix of outstanding visuals, greatly written scripts and a highly strategic gameplay style, this is also what makes the game unique from any other western game and any other JRPG game that I’ve played. Unique gameplay is a rarity in today’s modern gaming world. Eternal Sonata does have its negatives and minor flaws, but these do not compare to the implicit immersion and uplifting experience the game provides.
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palgn.com.au review
The combat system in Eternal Sonata is somewhat unique and works like a charm – focusing on the use of light and dark to create different battle styles. Most of the battle-fields that you are taken to once you run into an enemy are mixed with areas of light and dark, created by shadows of the sunlight or moonlight seperating different scattered parts of the field. The attacks at your disposal change depending on where your character is standing; for example, if you’re in the light, using a move like Sun Slash would be good at close range, whilst in darkness, you could use a life-draining mana attack from a distance.
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planetxbox360.com review
Like most RPGs the game is rather linear, although Eternal Sonata makes it even more so by limiting the exploration of the land and providing extremely limited opportunities for side quests. Though is some dungeon crawling in the game, it is not nearly the wide-open range most gamers are used to. Rather the game, fairly strictly, limits where you can go. When tasked with finding someone inside the city, you are stuck in said city until you succeed. While walking the straight-forward path from one end of an area to the next, the enemies are wobbling around in a set pattern until they see you get too close; at which point they lunge at you to start a battle.
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cheatcc.com review
No Synopsis Available
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ign.com review
In using reality as a basis for an otherwise wacky world, the designers of Eternal Sonata were also forced to do something else games often shy away from — tackle real-world issues. War and the struggle for power, death, and conservation of natural resources are just a few of the issues faced in both the game and all of our lives. At times, Eternal Sonata isn’t exactly subtle about it. At other times, the game can feel downright preachy. Just watch the closing credits if you want a nice motivational lecture. But in the end, even if it doesn’t do it tactfully, Eternal Sonata puts out messages that are much more sophisticated than the traditional JRPG fare.
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eurogamer.net review
This is a level of depth which we simply didn’t expect from the game, and it’s compounded further by the more direct allusions to Chopin’s life and work throughout the narrative. Each chapter of the game is named after a famous piece of music created by the composer, and the influence of that score can be felt throughout Sakuraba’s music in that chapter. At some point in the chapter, the piano music itself plays unaccompanied – while photographs of buildings and locations from Chopin’s life appear on screen, and the background and history of the piece is explained.
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thunderboltgames.com review
Now comes crunch time. Does Eternal Sonata break the mould that is currently disposing of next generation RPG’s? Yes, it does. After finishing the game I find myself wanting to tell everyone to leave Master Chief alone for a while and try out something different. Of course, many will look at me as if I am a lunatic. However, for those who take the chance, you have yourself a true gem. It is a shame that such an intelligent narrative which is entirely character driven will be overlooked by the majority of gamers. This unpredictable tale will have players engaged until the excellent finale. It is time to put down the plastic Guitar you received with Legends of Rock, and time to embrace an entirely new musical adventure.
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videogamer.com review
The idea is apparently that the game can introduce more people to the wonderful, dreamlike music of Chopin. Engaging technology-hungry gamers to enthuse about classical music may sound a little ambitious, but Eternal Sonata is far removed from the dusty, dreary connotations orchestral music evokes with many youngsters raised on more modern stuff.
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totalvideogames.com review
Split into seven chapters that chart the party’s quest to first of all confront the Wizard of Oz-like Count Waltz for reasons as diverse as high taxes to the increasing destruction of the environment, Eternal Sonata’s storyline at times is compelling, but equally preachy. Talk of taxes, death, light pollution, and the taking of ‘substances’ litter the game, and can be off-putting at times. Keeping sight of the fact that the game is set in the dream world of Chopin, Eternal Sonata features brief dips into the composer’s biography and portfolio, unlocking key pieces (such as Revolutions and Raindrops) and even naming the chapters after them. It’s certainly not going to be a game that you’ll go back to once it’s been polished off, but it’s extended gameplay (typical to most RPGs) means that for the tens of hours that it lasts, Eternal Sonata will never fail to push you into carrying on, whether it’s the storyline, music, or its beguiling visuals. A real treat for fans of the genre, and a second chance for gamers who don’t traditionally go for ‘this sort of thing’.
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gamernode.com review
Like I’ve already said several times, it’s the characters and charm that make Eternal Sonata what it is. If you rely fully on the gameplay and story, you’ll find a below average RPG once again proving the Xbox 360 hates RPG gamers. However, if you pay attention to the interactions characters have with one another, the emotional attachments you gain with the characters as Chopin’s journey unfolds, and all of the little things that make Chopin’s dream world so wonderful, you’re in for a real treat. It’s not a game every RPG gamer will enjoy, because it’s a very acquired taste. It is a game any RPG gamer who owns an Xbox 360 should at least try, though. It’s not a console seller or something that will sway the Japanese market, but hey, it’s better than Blue Dragon.
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gamingtarget.com review
Gameplay is largely linear and divided mainly into two different sections, heavy dialogue cut-scenes and the previously mentioned exploration/battle system to loan the game about thirty-forty hours of gameplay. In between your normal cut-scenes, a few tidbits on the real life of Chopin were inserted History Channel-style to inform gamers on his real life. Although it occasionally disrupts the narrative flow of the game, it’s still an interesting and welcome gesture as it brings the game back to reality.
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