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Eternal Sonata Hands-On Preview for Xbox 360 (X360)

Eternal Sonata Hands-On Preview for Xbox 360 (X360)

What is in a Sonata?

August 16, 2007 – I have been following the Eternal Sonata game since I first wrote a preview for it in February. The game piqued my interest by blending the world of music and the magical world of RPGs, something I feel should be fairly simple to do given their complex similarities. Therefore, you can imagine how eager I was to get my hands on a demo of the game to see how well the blend worked. In the brief moments I had to explore the world of Eternal Sonata, I can say that Tri-Crescendo has done an above exceptional job with this title. Since this is just the demo, I can only imagine how the full game will play out with these two genres beautifully blended together.

Eternal Sonata screenshot

For those that have yet to catch the musical bug behind Eternal Sonata, the story is half Alice in Wonderland and half of what enters into one’s mind before they pass to the other side of life. Eternal Sonata is based on the fantasy world that Frederic Chopin dreamt of before he died at the age of 39 of tuberculosis. In this world, those that had horrible life threatening diseases have extraordinary magical capabilities. In the magical world, Chopin meets a young girl named Polka. Through their meeting, the young girl decides to live her life to help others while she still has life left to live. While the game has already been released in Japan to a nice reception, it will be September when we get to dive deeper into the game. However, the demo showed a small morsel of the game’s capabilities.

At the beginning of the demo, I was told that in order to complete this portion I would have to face and defeat the boss in the Heaven’s Mirror Forest just to the far end of Tenuto Village. Sounds simple enough – right? Therefore, I was off to see the world awaiting me. The start of the demo had me making my way into the Tenuto Village and, immediately with the first shot of the character, Allegretto, I noticed the sharp colorful graphics of the world. There was a vast amount of detail in the bright world. The individual leaves were detailed and visibly seen as I passed by them along the dirt road. I ran smack dab into a bouncing green creature that looked like an onion covered by leafy material. The screen blurred out, and then I was in battle mode.

Eternal Sonata screenshot

The battlefields were as detailed as the world outside the pre-rendered battle screens. The lighting on the battlefields played a heavy part in this one little battle. If one of the two bouncing green creatures entered in the shadows on the field, they no longer looked like the cutesy little creatures. Instead, they transformed into a snarling “Hulk” variation of themselves. The creatures were not the only thing that changed in between the light and shadow parts of the battlefield. The special attacks of the characters, Allegretto, Beat, and Polka, also changed accordingly. One move Beat could do in the shadow was called a Night Shot. With this move, he was able to take a picture of the creature you were facing. These photos could be looked at later when in the menu screen. Beat’s main source of attack is his rifle, which made him a great long-range fighter. Polka had the ability to heal herself and those around her while in the sun, but if she was shaded then she performed a Shadow Comet move. Allegretto was by far the most powerful attacker in the demo with both light and dark attacks dealing heavy amounts of damage.

To say this is a turn based RPG would be unjust to the title. While it does rely on the mechanic of turn based RPGs, you are given approximately five seconds to deal out as much damage as you can before your turn is over. If you start out with your basic A button attack, you can time it right and deliver the special attack followed by a healing item if necessary. This variation to the turn-based styles of RPGs is a welcomed change, and it will be interesting to see how well it continues to play out. Another option you will have during combat is to block attacks to reduce the damage. This will require you to pay close attention to the actions on the screen. You will have to time the B button push while it is on screen in order to decrease the damage received from each attack. Of course, you do have the option to avoid the creatures you come across as well. It came in handy as I continued to make my way into the Tenuto Village.

Eternal Sonata screenshot

After I made my way to the village, I was able to partake in one of the many semi mini-games the game will surely have – collecting Score Pieces. If you find another character that has a Score Piece, then you can play music together. If you play the matching piece to their music, then you will hear a nice melody. Likewise, mismatch Score Pieces and you will not only hear bad music, but will also receive a ranking that is less than admirable. After scouring through Tenuto Village for a bit and realizing that the flock of chickens on the ground can block any man, I headed to the far end of the village to enter Heaven’s Mirror Forest. After a few battles with a pelican plant thing, I decided to practice some of my evasion skills. I reached the end of the forest and then was treated to a short, but nice, cutscene. I then found myself confronted with the boss I was supposed to take down, a wild boar that seemed to have flowers/feathers protruding from all over its body. After a heated battle forced me to put to good use the tactics of light and dark parts of the battlefield, I stood victorious over the flower/feather boar, thus ending the demo.

With bright characters, an intoxicating soundtrack, and a deeper than the rabbit hole storyline, Eternal Sonata is truly shaping up to be the RPG to fill the void for the music loving gamers among us. There were a couple of technical issues, specifically some framerate issues that distracted a little bit, but this may not be that big of a deal in the final product. If I were not already intrigued by the game, then the gameplay has me hooked on the simplistic, yet innovative, RPG gameplay. With September being right around the corner, I still cannot wait for the final release of the possibly breathtaking game.

Features:

  • Custom-Made for Next-Gen: Enjoy amazing, high-definition, anime style cel-shading, and high quality textures shine to truly deliver an awesome next-gen experience.
  • Innovative Battle System: Battle using a unique hybrid turn based/action RPG system that combines free-roam and turn-based action (up to three players during battle).
  • All new location, story, and situations, with the same classic Harvest Moon gameplay!
  • Strategic Use of Light and Darkness: Adjust your battle strategy in the ongoing struggle between light and darkness. Beware of enemies lurking in the shadows as their stats – attacks and potency – will change, as will their physical form. Lure them out into the light or destroy them there in the cloak of darkness. Also, change your special attacks depending on whether you are in the light….or in the dark.
  • Dramatic and Evolving Storyline: Experience a deeply moving story focusing on the enduring struggle between good and evil all while taking place in a dream during the final three hours of world-famous music composer Frederic Chopin’s life.

  • Get swept away by Eternal Sonata!

    July 17, 2007 – I have to say one of my favorite composers of all time is Chopin (pronounced Sho-PAIN). If you haven’t heard of him, I suggest you perform a Google search immediately. Most of his work is free to download, and you owe it to yourself to check him out. He is one of the best pianists of the romantic period, and his work is just amazing. Up there with Rachmaninoff, in my opinion. Now, you may be wondering why all this talk about classical music, especially when you clicked on a game preview.

    Eternal Sonata screenshot

    Well, that’s the exciting part. You see, Eternal Sonata, the new game for the Xbox 360 coming this fall, is going to take place in a fantastical world, with, you guessed it, my main man Chopin! Sure it sounds a little weird, but the RPG genre sorta lends itself to the imaginative and the whimsical.

    And you can definitely count on some imaginative and whimsical content from Eternal Sonata. You’ll be playing in an alternate universe, where victims of terminal diseases wage war against the darkness within their own bodies. Chopin discovers this world through a dream he has prior to his death. He meets young Polka, who is struggling alongside her boyfriend Alegretto to fight the darkness. Sounds like a dead ringer for the drama, excitement, and even tragedy that only the RPG genre can deliver. But from the looks of it, you may need some Kleenex for this one. Just fair warning.

    Visually, this game looks like it’s going to be awesome. The characters have that anime-stylized cel shaded look that seems to be the trend coming out of Japan these days. And I must say I am duly impressed by both the art itself and its flawless presentation in the trailer. These clearly 2D stylized images are brought to life in vivid 3D, and it’s just amazing to see. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, I strongly encourage you to download it from Xbox Live, because it is something to behold. Trust me on this.

    Eternal Sonata screenshot

    Of course, a no-brainer for this one is going to be the music. Because it’s based (very loosely, of course) on the final hours of composer Chopin’s life, you can bet there will be a lot of Chopin’s music featured in the game. However, in addition to this built in score, there will also be a rather extensive additional score by Japanese composer Motoi Sakuraba who is most famous for his score on Tales of Phantasia and Baiten Kaitos (and who is also scoring the upcoming Super Smash Brothers Brawl). So, no worries here about whether or not the music will be quality.

    Your battle system will be mainly utilizing the dark/light dynamic to it’s full advantage by featuring different monsters and creatures that transform into different shapes with different stats depending on where they are. The dark and light will also affect character stats and abilities. And although most of the gameplay will be turn-based, there will be some action-based active gameplay elements as well.

    Eternal Sonata screenshot

    So, here’s one more to add to the list of anticipated RPGs for the Xbox 360. Although it might not promise the intensity of Blue Dragon or Mass Effect, and these comparisons are inevitable, Eternal Sonata looks like it’s going to bring a together a lively story with some solid graphics and gameplay. And what more could you ask for in a game? Plus, it’s probably going to have the best score of the year, so definitely take a look and a listen to Eternal Sonata on the Xbox 360 this fall!

    Features:

  • Custom-Made for Next-Gen: Enjoy amazing, high-definition, anime style cel-shading, and high quality textures shine to truly deliver an awesome next gen experience.
  • Innovative Battle System: Battle using a unique hybrid turn based/action RPG system that combines free-roam and turn-based action (up to three players during battle).
  • All new location, story, and situations, with the same classic Harvest Moon gameplay!
  • Strategic Use of Light and Darkness: Adjust your battle strategy in the ongoing struggle between light and darkness. Beware of enemies lurking in the shadows, as their stats – attacks and potency – will change, as will their physical form. Lure them out into the light or destroy them there in the cloak of darkness. Also, change your special attacks depending on whether you are in the light….or in the dark.
  • Dramatic and Evolving Storyline: Experience a deeply moving story focusing on the enduring struggle between good and evil all while taking place in a dream during the final three hours of world-famous music composer Frederic Chopin’s life.

  • A Musician’s Wonderland

    Feb. 13, 2007 – It is always nice to see a game take risks. Tri-Crescendo, the same team behind Baten Kaitos and Baten Kaitos Origins, has partnered with Namco to bring an interesting mix between RPG and the world of music. Eternal Sonata could pave a path of new concepts in a market that is running a risk of becoming repetitive. Releasing in Japan as Trusty Bell: Chopin’s Dream, it will be nice to have a game in the U.S. that will spark the imaginative creativity of a musical generation.

    Eternal Sonata screenshot

    Three hours before his death, on October 17, 1949, from tuberculosis, Frederic Chopin, age 39, dreamt of a beautiful world flowing with magic, a fairy tale land where people with incurable diseases have amazing magical powers. In the world, Chopin will meet a young girl named Polka, Allegretto, and Allegretto’s friend Beat.

    Polka is a young girl who lives with her mother in the village of Tenuto, which overlooks the port of Ritardando. There she makes a living by selling Floral Sealing medicine, but with the cheap government supported Ore Sealing medicine becoming increasingly available she is unable to sell any at all. She is forced to flee her village when rumors circulate that coming in contact with her causes transmission of her fatal disease. Since this is a world where the fatally ill are blessed with magic, Polka’s time left is rapidly depleting. As a result she loses faith in her people, but Chopin changes her mind and she decides to enjoy the rest of her precious time. Allegretto is a fisherman in the port of Ritardando where he works to help feed the poor children. He is a foul mouthed 16 year old boy who occasionally hits his friend Beat, whom he views as a younger brother in reality. Inspired by Polka, who makes light of her tragic situation, they, along with Beat, set out on a quest to find a way to use her magical powers to cure her.

    The gameplay will be a mix of something old, a turn based battle system, and something new, an active battle system. It will also be heavily combo based while swords and magical weapons. Chopin and Polka will be your primary magic users. Allegretto will use a sword and Beat will use a gun. The battlefield will be where the mix between RPG battle systems will be most noted. You will have the ability to roam freely around the battlefield, and use attacks as often as you can in the allotted amount of time you have. This is where the classic turn based system will come into play. Each character will take a turn using a bar that appears on screen to tell them how much time they have left, followed by the next character. You will also be told which character is next in line for attack. In addition to knowing which character comes next and the amount of time you have left in your turn, you will also be allowed to see the enemy’s time bar. While under attack, it will be possible to block the enemy by reacting to the cues that will flash on screen.

    Eternal Sonata screenshot

    The battlefield will be divided by light and shadows. Utilizing the ability to move your character freely around the battlefield, you will have the ability to use different special attacks depending on where you stand. Another way to use the free roam capability is as a defensive move. Each time you move around, your time bar will decrease; this also applies to your enemies. If you move around enough you might be able to shorten the amount of time the enemy has to attack. Much like other RPGs, you will gain experience, golby (money), and items after each battle. You will be able to use your experience to level you character up and obtain new abilities. Assigning each acquired skill to a specific button adds an extended amount of control over the fighting style of the characters.

    Eternal Sonata screenshot

    The total play time for the main story is to be around 30-40 hours, but there will be numerous side quests as well. These side quests will be directed at obtaining special items that can’t be acquired during the main story, and will incorporate a new system with elements heavily related to music. There will be so many extra quests that it will be difficult to complete every aspect of the game playing through only once.

    Cel-shading, though very cartoonish, fits the thematic feel of Eternal Sonata. The colors look vibrant and fresh. The smooth, dark lines around the characters and environments breathe life into a lush world. Though, judging by screenshots, Eternal Sonata looks somewhat flat in its 3-D world. Since music is the central theme of the game you can only anticipate beautiful melodies to flow from your television. World renowned pianist Stanislay Bunin performs ten of Chopin’s compositions throughout the game. Accompanying the music of Chopin will be 50 newly composed masterpieces by Motoi Sakuraba.

    Eternal Sonata screenshot

    While games that take risks are nothing new, games that take risks and succeed is something unusual. Eternal Sonata is shaping up to being such a game by taking old traditions and blending them with new, for what should be an enjoyably, complex gaming experience. For RPG and musician fans alike this is the game to wait for.

    Features:

  • A nice blend between both turn based and active battle systems.
  • Utilize the divided battlefield to perform various character specific special attacks.
  • Ten compositions by Frederic Chopin performed by world renowned pianist Stanislay Bunin.
  • 50 newly composed songs by Motoi Sakuraba.

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