LIVING IN AMERICA
Reviews of games released in the U.S.
Reviews of games released in the U.S.
Fans looking for a solid Japanese-style RPG will find Eternal Sonata to be music to their ears
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Note: This game review originally ran in the Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper and Web site, and I am posting it here on my personal site as backup. Since I picked Eternal Sonata as part of our Friday A-List recommendations for the paper, I am also including the short A-List review below, followed by the full review.
A-LIST REVIEW: Things are even better the second time around with the release of Eternal Sonata on the Playstation 3. Folks who missed the Japanese-style RPG on the Xbox 360 get another chance to enjoy this wonderfully crafted game, which features a unique storyline revolving around a dream by Frederic Chopin. Yes, that Chopin. Who would’ve thought the piano virtuoso could lay the smack down on monsters and an assortment of evildoers?
Eye candy lovers who want to justify their high-definition TV’s will appreciate the game’s tack-sharp, HD visuals. The music is also excellent as to be expected from a game influenced by Chopin’s works.
The battle system features a nice blend of turn-based and live-action controls that keeps players involved and also levels up as you progress through the game. Unlock the final battle system level and get ready to unload a day’s worth of stress by chaining your characters’ super attacks on hapless enemies as you entertain delusions of grandeur.
Notable options include multi-player battling and using the original Japanese dialogue. PS3 extras include bonus characters, dungeons, quests and outfits.
Eternal Sonata’s world isn’t as expansive as say, a Final Fantasy, but the intimate feel works quite well. Although the story serves up some RPG clichés such as friendship and war, it also does a good job in tackling serious themes such as discrimination and the fragility of human mortality. It’ll make you wanna hug the person right next to you. In short, I highly recommend this game.
AND NOW, ON TO THE FULL REVIEW...
You've got to hand it to Japanese game developers. I admit, the Japanese role-playing game genre has done its fair share of recycling the same old formulas. But they also have a knack of coming up with some pretty crazy concepts. Case in point: Who would have ever thought of creating an RPG centered around famed pianist Frederic Chopin?
The thought of a piano virtuoso battling all sorts of monsters while smacking them with his conductor's baton sounds cooky to say the least. But somehow, some way, Eternal Sonata makes it work. And work well it does.
I never had the chance to play the original Xbox 360 version that first came out last year. I've always meant to. But then Namco Bandai announced they were releasing a Playstation 3 version with extra features so I decided to wait instead.
The good news is that Eternal Sonata holds up very well even today. Graphically, the game looks clean and crisp even on my 63-inch high-definition TV, which has a knack of exposing the graphical warts and deficiencies of games due to its ginormous size. Eternal Sonata definitely takes full advantage of the widescreen display, particulary in the design of open areas that feature expansive views and deep chasms. Extra details like floating dandelions in half bloom at a lush meadow also give the game that added touch that shows how much effort designers put in the environments. Coupled with its excellent production values, the game looks like a dream, which is quite fitting because it's based on, well, Chopin's dream. And the music is top notch, as to be expected from a game inspired by Chopin's works.
The battle system is also quite entertaining, offering a mix of turn-based and real-time action. Characters still wait their turn like traditional RPGs. But once their turn is up, you control them in real time. When attacking, you have the option of using regular attacks and more powerful super attacks depending on how much time you have left on an action bar. You also can use super attacks right off the bat but it's generally better to preceed them with normal combos in order to deal the most damage. To make things more interesting, your battle level also "levels up" as you progress through the game. It starts out pretty simple but eventually allows you to chain attacks between characters once you reach Battle Level 5 at the end of the game. Unlock Battle Level 6 via a secret dungeon and you'll find yourself linking up to six super attacks or Harmony Chains, which helps signficantly against the more beefy enemies and bosses. You also have the option of blocking attacks and doing counters in real time -- the former being quite important if you don't want the games tougher and speedier bosses to wipe the floor with you. At the very least, the live action component keeps players involved -- generally a good thing since RPG battle systems tend to be repetitive in nature as well designed as they may be. The addition of Light and Dark properties for enemies and your characters' own attacks during battle also adds an extra bit of "strategery" to the game. Some heavy-hitting enemies, for example, turn into soft wimps when lured into dark areas and vice-versa. Your characters supers also change depending on whether theyr'e in light or shadow -- chiaroscuro as my art teacher used to say. Then there's the ability to have two human players join in the action, a good way to pass the time when you've got extra bodies around.
Speaking of battles, I applaud the fact that the game doesn't feature random encounters. Instead, the game features visible enemies and you have the option of avoiding them if you so choose (I wouldn't do that too much, though, lest you don't gather enough experience). The best thing about no random encounters is that it encourages exploration, making it more enjoyable to hunt for item chests and what have you as opposed to turning it into a major chore. I do wish that the game added an option to save anywhere. I understand that save points can help with pacing but they seem like an archaic concept at this point.
Of course, a large part of any Japanese-style RPG's success lies in its characters and story. Creating original and compelling characters is always tough since pretty much every type of character has already been done. The game's got your balanced swordsman, your bow-and-arrow warrior, healer, hand-to-hand expert, speedy characters, lumbering characters, etc. (though the Chopin character can certainly be considered unique). Then again, some folks play RPGs because they want to see your lumbering swordsman and your bowman (or bowgirl in this case), so that's not necessarily a bad thing. Character personalities also run the gamut of Japanese anime-style personalities so don't expect anything revolutionary on that end. Still, I found the characters quite likeable and I grew an affinity for the cast as I kept playing. The fact that the playable cast has a whopping 12 total members(theoriginal 10 plus two bonus ones) also helps keeps things fresh. I give Namco Bandai bonus points as well for including the option to play with the original Japanese voices on, which is always appreciated ~ "da be".
Storywise, Eternal Sonata starts out quite powerfully with its theme of discrimination and also death. The discrimination issue certainly remains a key theme in these times, given some of the labeling and fear-mongering you still see in the world today. And the question of what someone should do when they don't have much time to live will always strike a chord with anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Admittedly, the game falls back into typical RPG themes like good vs. evil, a kind ruler vs. a megalomaniac, etc. along the way. But I also give it extra originality points for weaving in Chopin's story and details about the composer's life as well. Compared to the more ambitious and grand "Wagner-like" worlds of say, a Final Fantasy, Eternal Sonata has a more intimate feel, kind of like Chopin's piano compositions. And you know what? That's not a bad thing either. If you're looking for a quality Japanese-style RPG, I encourage you to give Eternal Sonata a play. SHINGENMOCHI
FINAL VERDICT: Highly recommended
