I finally got around to playing this RPG title not too long ago, and while it is indeed a bit older (it predates PlayStation Trophy support), the game's themes and presentation still hold up quite nicely today. The story is definitely an odd one as you play out a deathbed dream that Frederic Chopin is relaying. It is every bit as fantastic in nature as you would expect from a fantasy/dream RPG.
Graphics - 8:
I really, really enjoyed the vibrant, colorful art style employed here. Sort of like how I gravitated toward the bright colors of World of Warcraft or Kingdoms of Amalur, Eternal Sonata looks beautiful the majority of the time. I did occasionally trip over some slowdown here and there where the framerate just seemed to fluctuate wildly, but that was more the exception than the rule.
Sound & Music - 8:
The soundtrack is enchanting, for a lack of a better term. There are some beautiful songs in here, many of which are memorable in a good way. There are a few in particular that just portray a dreamlike quality as you hear them. The sound effects are fairly average, with voice talent that is adequate but far from amazing.
Gameplay - 7:
Getting around the menus is easy enough, and I actually enjoyed the combat quite a bit. It has a mix of qualities, though it is mostly rooted in a turn-based approach. It is surprisingly deep, despite being easy to pick up and learn early on. This is probably the one element that makes it stand out from most other JRPG titles.
Intangibles - 6:
I liked the story and characters. Sure, the premise is a little wacky, but the cast was actually interesting to me. As far as RPG titles go, this one is a bit short - weighing in at a bit under thirty hours. To a degree, I appreciate that the narrative is a focused one, but the RPG elements like character advancement are a bit shallow, and the game itself does not offer up a lot of exploration. If that is an important element in your RPGs, you may be a bit disappointed here then.
Overall - 7.25:
A good JRPG game, but not a great one. Still, it can be found fairly cheaply and it has a good deal of charm to it. The presentation is enjoyable, both visually and audibly. Eternal Sonata could have used a little more depth in its systems and given you a bit more to do over the course of your adventure, but generally speaking it delivers a good RPG experience - especially for a title about five years old now.
I've seen this game sitting around on shelves at Best Buy a while back. Was tempted to pick it up, but I still didn't play RPGs yet or knew how they played. Now though, I don't mind experimenting, given the stale state of the industry in the AAA world.
ReplyDeleteNot many people talk about this, so I'm sure it's not great by any means. At least, not in a ground-breaking sense. But if I see it next time for a cheap price, I'll bite.
You said it's turned-based, right? Well, that one image in the graphics section kinda screams action-based. Or I played too much Tales of Xillia and my brain's playing with me... @_@
I love this game but i would have to say i would give it just a bit more higher then you...8 is what i would give it but good review dude!
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks! Yeah, it was a lot of fun. It didn't quite 'hook' me the way a few other RPG's did with a specific character or systems, but the overall game was well-made and stands up rather nicely for a title that was early last gen.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by!
Howdy! Glad you poked on by. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I enjoyed the game. Like I told Jim, it didn't do any one thing *amazingly* to 'hook' me, but the overall game was good enough that I felt it was worth a play. As to the combat, it has elements of both - but I thinmk this description of the combat that I nabbed just now from another site sums it up probably best:
While the main combat system is turn-based using only 3 characters within the party, it incorporates elements of an action game.
Each character's turn is preceded by "Tactical Time", a period of time
which the player can use to decide the course of action to take with
that character. Once the player initiates an action or "Tactical Time"
expires (a function of the Party Class Level), the player then has a
limited amount of time denoted by an Action Gauge to move the character,attack the enemy, and use recovery skills or items. Regular attacks aremade at melee or ranged distances depending on the weapon choice of the character, and add a small quantity of time back to the Action Gauge, and additionally add to the party's "Echoes" meter.