Game Review: Eternal Sonata

Eternal Sonata is the latest in Microsoft's attempt to get a foothold in that all-important Japanese market. While it isn't perfect, it's a step up from bland old Blue Dragon. One certainly can't accuse it of being unoriginal. The game takes place in a dream world inside the head of a dying man. Namely Frederic Chopin. Yeah - him. He's one of the main characters in the game, all the while telling his party members that this is all really irrelevant since each of them is just a part of his fever induced dreams as he lay dying from TB.

translation: So long, Chopin.

In this dream world, magic is a side effect of having a terminal illness. So when you see someone flinging spells around, they're on their way out. This makes magic-users outcasts, always popular in RPGs. The story (within the story) revolves around corrupt governments, warring nations with lying and betrayal. While it isn't bad, it's no Bioshock in the story department.

Eternal Sonata's combat is good stuff.

The gameplay is where Eternal Sonata shines. The combat is a hybrid of turn based and realtime battle; when a character's turn comes up, you have unlimited time to decide how to proceed, and once you start moving you have a 5-second timer to do whatever you like. As you proceed through the game, the combat system continually changes, making combat more intense while making your party more powerful. It's a welcome change from the usual turn based stuff we've been seeing from JRPGs since the Dragon Warrior days.

The game world is gorgeuos, full of vibrant colors and environments, which makes it that much more of a shame that the camera is locked in place. Bad gamer, no surveying your environment for you. And, compared to most RPGs, Eternal Sonata is short - including an optional bonus dungeon - I finished up at 30 hours; And I spent a few hours lost, searching for hidden items or just looking for the damn exits, thanks to the lack of an automap feature. As someone who is always lost, this was especially damning for me.

Next gen gaming sure is purdy.

All told, despite a few a shortcomings that keep it from greatness, Eternal Sonata is a fine game. And you'll learn a few facts about Chopin and hear some of his beautiful compositions to boot, including Nocturne. Frederic fucking Chopin!