 Review By: Nick Arvites |
Developer: | Namco Bandai |
| Publisher: | Namco Bandai | |
| Genre: | RPG | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | HDTV 720p | |
| Buy Now: |   |
Here’s an example (oh, and SPOILER ALERT): in the end game, you wind up on the moon. Sure, this is a standard destination in way too many JRPGs out there. I didn’t mind that per say. I did, however, mind that I wound up there with little or no buildup and little or no rhyme or reason as to why I was there. This is a prime example of the main problem I had concerning the plot. It really didn’t flow or provide reasons for most of the events that occurred. Too many characters, while expressing some really basic reason for their actions, just did things to do them. You never really understand why this evil ruler is actually evil and willing to sacrifice his people, and you never really understand what a few of the people in the game are actually fighting for.
The biggest missed opportunity is found in the music. The game is centered on Chopin, and I sort of expected to hear some works of Chopin in the game. I did, during the historical text and picture cards between acts. The battle music sounds like generic JRPG scores though, and just feels like a missed opportunity to integrate some of Chopin’s work into the actual game. I would have rather heard that during battles than the standard JRPG scores that were played instead. On the subject of music, expect to be bombarded with musical references throughout the game. Any person or place is going to have some sort of musical connection. Sometimes it feels ham-fisted and sometimes it feels natural. It doesn’t feel too out of place because you are in the mind of a composer, but sometimes the name choices seem silly (Polka, Jazz, Salsa, etc).
I normally ignore Xbox 360 Achievements for reviews, but Eternal Sonata made it so that the only way most of them can be earned is by playing the game on Encore Mode. Encore Mode is a second play through of the game off of a game-finished save. This mode unlocks a few new areas and allows you to collect and finish the Score Pieces mini-game. This mini-game is a collect and match game, in which you find a collection of randomly scattered musical score pieces that can be played to certain NPCs for rewards. The problem is that in order to find them all and complete this, you have to play through a 30 hour game twice and backtrack considerably. Look, I’m all for putting achievements reasonably out of reach, but I’m against being deprived the full experience of an RPG on the first play through. Encore Mode allows you to not only complete the Score Pieces collection, but also allows you to enter and realistically clear out a high level dungeon right before the last dungeon.
Despite all of my rambling, Eternal Sonata does have more positives than negatives. I liked the general concept of the plot. Using the dream of a master composer is a great idea, and it at least explains some of the shortcomings of the game world. Eternal Sonata also provides traditional JRPG fans a solid current generation outlet for their fandom. The art direction (with the exception of the characters) is pretty good, and the battle system feels refined. The game isn’t difficult per say, but rather feels “artificially” difficult with the dungeon puzzles. JRPG vets should feel at home, and this game is a great one to play if you get sick of action titles. Really, this is a good starter game for the genre. If you aren’t familiar with JRPGs, you may not be as cynical as I am towards the various plot clichés or JRPG shortcomings. Eternal Sonata also comes off as a good starter JRPG for a younger gamer. The game is rated T (mild language, alcohol and fantasy violence), but in my opinion falls somewhere between E and T. The alcohol use is probably there from the presence of bars, though your characters don’t drink. The mild language is there from a few instances of the word damn (if there was anything else, I missed it). So, I wouldn’t have a problem recommending this for a younger gamer not quite ready to play Lost Odyssey.
Bottom Line:
I had a hard time assigning a numerical value to Eternal Sonata. The game is a standard JRPG and went straight by the numbers in its design. There isn’t anything game-breaking with it, and if you can get past the JRPG clichés and shortcomings it’s worth playing. It doesn’t do anything special, but it isn’t terrible either. The only real gameplay problem stems out of the tedious dungeons, which is solved by using any of the freely available walkthroughs on the Internet.
In the end, Eternal Sonata is simply an average JRPG. In a generation that has been pretty much devoid of them, JRPG fans will probably enjoy this. The rest of the world may want to opt for something a little more original. I'm not going to punish it for being a by-the-numbers JRPG, but I'm not going to reward it either. Regardless, I feel it is worth playing especially as an intro to the genre or a first JRPG for a younger gamer, either by catching it on sale, on eBay or renting it.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 7.0 |
Posted: 2008-05-26 11:11:05 PST