Eternal Sonata

"A Tale Worth Retelling"

Eternal Sonata, a RPG developed by Tri-Crescendo that was released on Microsoft's Xbox 360 console last year, has been brought to Sony's Playstation 3 console with a few touch ups! In this review, not only will I bring up the basics, but also bring a few comparisons to both versions. There will be NO spoilers, so chill ^_~



=Story=
Extremely important in an RPG, no doubt. Luckily, Eternal Sonata tells a very unique story concerning the real-life pianist/composer Frederic Francois Chopin lying on his death bed as his passage through death creates magically beautiful dream world in which the game of Eternal Sonata takes place.

While the game's central character is Chopin, you'll also be introduced to several other characters such as the silver-haired thief Retto, his cute sidekick Beat, the beautiful Shepard Viola and, noteworthy, a young girl named Polka in which the story also focuses on (perhaps even more than Chopin himself).

Not wanting to spoil anything, all I can say is that Eternal Sonata's story is interesting and has enough twists too keep the player entertained. Actually, the PS3 version expands the story a little more and even feels more complete than it's 360 counterpart - especially concerning the antagonists of the game.



=Battle System=
Another important aspect of an RPG (which may or may not surpass the importance of story) is the gameplay itself. Personally, I think I would go with the latter because I've stopped playing RPGs simply because the battle system was simply not working. I HATE (cannot dress this enough) the boring Turned Based system that several RPGs like to adopt (I'm looking at you, Final Fantasy!) accompanied with the ever-so-annoying Random Battles.

Luckily... Eternal Sonata has neither of these! The battle system is very much like a Tales RPG involving the player to move the controlled character around the "battle field" and attack the enemy by hacking it with the X-button. You are also allowed to perform more powerful attacks by using the Triangle button, and items available in your item bag can be used with the Square Button (I'm not going to go on about these as the game itself explains it very clearly). However, what I will mention is the Blocking System. This is very important and will very well determine if you survive the battle. When an enemy is about to attack you, you are usually allowed to block the attack with the Circle Button. However, you cannot simply hold the button down. You have to press it at the EXACT time or you will not block the attack. The speed is very fast and will no doubt feel impossible for the first while in the game.



=Graphics=
One of its highest selling points without a doubt, Eternal Sonata is a simply stunning game to look at and perfects the usage of cel-shading. Just the sheer amount of detail that was put into every little thing will surely leave you in awe - from the bugs crawling along the grass, to the simple stitching of the character's clothing. Graphically, the game is simply gorgeous.



=Sound=
With the overall theme of the game being based around music, no doubt the sound of Eternal Sonata should be incredible, right? Luckily that's exactly the case. The soundtrack to this game is really great and it even includes, along with it's own original soundtrack, some of Chopin's pieces of music (which are, speaking from a guy whose never heard of him before this game, actually quite enchanting). From the upbeat battle music to the simple sounds of water splashing against the sand, Eternal Sonata's music will bring you into it's world with open arms.



=Difficulty=
Ah yes, the difficulty of the game. When Eternal Sonata was first released on 360, there were complaints that the game was simply too easy. Tri-Crescendo heard this and, of course, upped the difficulty in the PS3 release. While the 360 was a cake walk, the PS3 version will require the player to pay attention during every battle and make you want to fight each enemy you encounter simply because you KNOW you need the levels.

But don't worry. This game still isn't going to make you want to throw your controller at the television. As long as you fight the enemies you encounter and keep a clear mind, you should be able to get through this game just fine. Never did I think the game was being cheap or unfair. But never did I think "Wow... this is way too easy." It's pretty hard, but not cheap-hard. Understand? No? Moving on!



=Voice Acting=
The voices in Eternal Sonata are actually quite good and every character sounds realistic enough to believe they're actually speaking. However, a special note is for Chopin's voice actor, Patrick Seitz, who completely blew me away at how good he was. Cam Clarke (famous for his Liquid Snake role in the Metal Gear Solid series) portrays Prince Crescendo who (along with his fiance, Serenade) are NEW playable characters exclusive to the PS3 version. Cam Clark is a fantastic voice actor and Crescendo is a very good character to use (along with Serenade, of course). So it's nothing but win!



=PS3 Content=
Besides the expanded storyline, increased difficulty and two additional characters, the PS3 version also gives the player a few other extras such as more bonus dungeons and alternate character costumes. Believe me, all of these truly make Eternal Sonata feel like a much better game than it already was.



=Conclusion=
So all in all, I highly recommend people who love a good, challenging RPG to play Eternal Sonata for the PS3. It's a very beautiful game that should be experience by everyone. And while the higher price may turn people to look at the cheaper 360 version of the game, I only pray that you believe me when I tell you that the PS3 version is worth the extra cash.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/08

Game Release: Eternal Sonata (US, 10/21/08)