Hands-On: Eternal Sonata
Who knew the late, great Frederic Chopin was such an otaku? In Namco Bandai’s upcoming Eternal Sonata for the Xbox 360, the composer’s deathbed dream is one of a lush fantasy world filled with charming musically named characters, fast-paced combat and some incredibly tough bosses. In terms of offbeat game ideas this one is definitely off the charts and under a less talented developer, would probably fall flat on its face. However, the team at tri-Crescendo has combined this truly unique theme with a game engine that features beautiful visuals, an innovative combat system along with plenty of excellent music from both Chopin and game composer Motoi Sakuraba. After seeing the game in action and getting some hands-on time at a recent NYC press event, it’s clear that this will be a true gem for JRPG fans that also happen to own an Xbox 360. Granted, the 360 isn’t exactly known as a console RPG system, but that’s certainly about to change with this surprising sleeper.
Initially, you’ll play as Polka, a girl who’s a bit of a social outcast thanks to an illness that will eventually end her young life. At the game’s beginning, she’s trying to help her poor mother out by selling magic flower potions, but thanks to her condition, people tend to avoid her, well, like the plague. After a brief tutorial that shows the dynamic battle system, she eventually meets up with Chopin, who’s entered his own dream world with a renewed vigor for life. Before you ask, yes, Chopin is actually a playable character in the game, complete with a conductor’s baton, top hat and flowing cape. You’ll eventually end up with eight or nine characters total with names such as Beat, Allegretto and a few more that I can’t reveal just yet. From what I saw, there’s going to be some really cool-looking party members to adventure with, each packing some major combat skills.
Speaking of fights, without a decent battle system, this would just be a great-looking game with an offbeat plot. Thankfully, Eternal Sonata’s superb combat goes far beyond the usual “press A and wait” turn-based combat or the funkier rhythm-based combat systems now common to the genre. Enemies are onscreen at all times and can be avoided in most cases by running past or around them. If you do decide to engage, getting the drop on a monster from behind is a definite advantage (or disadvantage, should the tables be turned). When a battle starts, you’ll see a timer bar on the left side of the screen that goes down each time you move, attack or use a spell or item. You’ll need to quickly and strategically plan out an attack and or retreat before the bar runs down and the enemy’s chance occurs. In addition to standard attacks with the A button; special attacks can be activated at anytime by pressing Y. However, as you string together standard attacks, a combo meter builds up on the right side of the screen, allowing for even more damage when you use a Special as a final strike.
Light and shadow also play an important role in combat. In the shade or at night, enemies change on the fly into more powerful forms that can dish out massive pain to your party. On the flip side, your party members gain different spells or special moves in darkened areas that can deal heavy damage to enemies in lit areas. In addition, some characters have ranged weapons (some which are fired through a first person viewpoint) to keep them out of harm’s way and when combined with skillful use of lighting on your part, makes for some highly strategic yet fast-paced fighting. One thing you’ll definitely find out in battle is the game can be extremely difficult if you try to button bash your way to victory. I got to see and later feel the pain of being worked over by a few baddies with what seemed a few thousand hit points and at one point, even the two guys showing off the demo had their parties decimated by a huge sword-wielding dinosaur-like beast. Amusingly enough, this was one of the early bosses, making me wonder what the later hours of the game had in store.
Like tri-Cresendo’s two Baiten Kaitos games, monsters respawn when you leave an area, making it entirely possible to grind your way to high levels early on if you choose. However, the game’s difficulty level can be tailored so that the timer bar moves much quicker, giving you little time to breathe during tougher fights. You’re able to swap out party members as you play through the game and acquire them, so creating the perfect team won’t require constant trips to an inn or save point. Some of the locations are fairly large and have multiple enemy-filled paths, so getting to those out of the way treasure chests will take quite a bit of work. For such a pretty game, it’s safe to say that the hardcore RPG’er who likes his or her game to have teeth will have an ear-to-ear grin going on a few hours in.
Two other things you’ll get is a great deal of solid voice acting in English or Japanese for each character along with a healthy selection of music composed by Chopin and played by pianist Stanislav Bunin. These pieces are uncovered during the adventure and are accessed via a fun mini-game that also delivers historical information about each composition. This is an excellent touch that adds a great learning factor to the game that in turn should help it sell to those who prefer a little bit more brain food in their gaming library. Of course, the amazing visuals will lure in the anime and JRPG fans for sure. From the character models to the richly colored and varied environments, Eternal Sonata sings and soars simultaneously. Although the game is in full 3D, the camera is fixed or follows your movements near flawlessly. This more cinematic style truly allows players to appreciate the size of the maps while freeing them up from fiddling with the camera in tight spaces. Overall, there’s a nice mix of old and new school thought throughout the game that should appeal to RPG players of all stripes.
Right now, the game is set to launch in Japan on June 14 and in the U.S. this September, but the big question is are there enough diehard JRPG fans who own Xbox 360’s or are willing to buy one to experience this beautiful game? Granted, the perfect game library is one that has a full spectrum of titles, so there’s a high possibility that Eternal Sonata will do well based on it being the first game of its type to hit the system in the States. I’m absolutely looking forward to tackling the final English version as the 360 really needs a lot more than yet another stack of FPS, driving or gritty action games to keep me interested. Namco Bandai and tri-Crescendo have a real winner on their hands, so I’m hoping it gets the attention it deserves from those gamers looking to play something unique that tantalizes the grey matter as much as the eyes and fingers. We’ll have more on Eternal Sonata as the game’s release date approaches.
- Greg Wilcox
