Eternal Sonata review (X360)

Every now and then a great game comes and goes but completely slips under the average gamers radar. It’s the kind of game that everyone in the know raves about but unfortunately never sees the light of day in most people’s living room due to lack of exposure but more importantly simply because it’s different. Without wishing to condescend my more than informed readers, the majority of gamers know what they like and like what they know. With the case of the Xbox 360 and its predecessor, the Xbox, a JPRG was a rare sight indeed, so given the fact that many made the jump from one console to the other many would overlook a game such as this due to the fact that it’s unfamiliar territory: a risk. PlayStation owners are more than accustomed to such title but the Xbox and its bigger brother have seen very little of the genre.

I know I’m putting my head on the block here but I liken this to films such as Amelie. A beautiful film that everyone really should see but your average film goer would rather watch what they’ve always felt comfortable with, namely the latest blockbuster with cars, guns, a healthy amount of swearing and women in tight T-Shirts sweating a lot. Now although there’s nothing wrong with watching these films or playing the latest FIFA from Electronic Arts but sometimes there are pieces of work that cry out for a larger audience and if you hadn’t already guessed it by now, Eternal Sonata is a title that fits snugly into the analogy I’ve unfolded.

Beauty

Right from the opening cut scene my jaw hit the floor. I was treated to rolling, lush, green hills, beautiful lighting as the sun hit the trees and stirring music that was both uplifting and melancholy at the same time. When the actual gameplay started however the graphics only served to improve. The detail and art design of the levels is nothing short of sublime. Ornate, lovingly crafted backdrops oozing creativity and originality leap out as you as you navigate your way through the various levels. Never once did a frame rate drop or a pixel tear. Even as I write this I feel that my words don’t do it any justice. Simply put, it’s the best looking game I’ve seen on a console to date. My praise certainly couldn’t be higher.

As this is a game that is centred round the last few hours of Chopin’s life, to create a soundtrack worthy of such a composer is an easy one to get wrong. However given tri-Crescendo’s history in creating music for titles such as Valkryie Profile and the Baiten Kaitos series they are certainly well equipped to take on the task. They didn’t disappoint.

The music carries you through the game knowing when to take centre stage and when to hold back and let the narrative play its part. The game itself is also interspersed with actual history of Chopin’s last years coupled with pieces of his work and the story behind their making. This is not only an excellent addition to the game but it actually generated more than in a passing interest in Chopin for me, which elevates it above the bog standard run and gun or drive really fast affair.

Finding Fault

The fighting will be familiar to those used to turn based combat but Eternal Sonata comes with a twist: if you read our preview posted a couple of month’s back you would have read that time plays a factor in navigating your moves and as does whether you are standing in light and dark areas. Well as you progress these factors prove ever more vital. As your party levels up, restrictions are put on the amount of thinking time you have before you make your move and the amount of time you have to attack. This is offset by the ability to build up ‘echoes’ which act like attack multipliers and add extra oomph to your special attacks. I really enjoyed this way of doing things and the fact that you build up these echoes by rapidly pressing the A button, it feel like you are actually taking part in the action rather than simply pressing a couple of buttons and watching the action unfold in front of you like most RPG’s on the market.

If I have to find any kind of fault with the game I’d point to the fact that the game world isn’t that big. Yes the levels themselves are vast in scope but the quests you are on means you stick to a fairly linear path. There are only around four side missions to tempt you off the beaten track which compared to games like Final Fantasy is literally nothing. This also depletes the replay value somewhat as the sense of completion and finding those hidden powers and items is what has drawn many back to RPG’s in the past.

Diversity

Eternal Sonata is game that for Xbox 360 owners is somewhat of a rarity. The console, although with a healthy library of games to its name still lacks the diversity that its Sony and Nintendo rivals offer their owners. If Xbox 360 is to truly realise its potential then games like this need to be bought by the likes of you and me to send a message that although we like to shoot things and drive fast cars we also like something different every now and then. Although we like Hollywood films we can also sit and watch an art house French movie. Although we like Halo and FIFA we like Eternal Sonata too.