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Developer:Tri-Crescendo
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Release date: Xbox 360: JP June 14, 2007, NA September 17, 2007, EU October 19, 2007, AUS November 15, 2007 PlayStation 3: JP September 18, 2008, NA October 21, 2008, EU February 13, 2009, AUS February 19, 2009 Genre: Role-playing Mode: Single-player, local co-op |
Spoiler: Plot
The game for the most part takes place within the dream world of Chopin, with brief segments in the real world to report on Chopin's status. The story is divided into eight chapters, with each chapter being represented by one of Chopin's compositions, and being related to events within his historical life. The story begins with a small group of characters coming together, wishing to meet with Count Waltz of Forte regarding the use of the harmful medication mineral powder, but eventually evolves into a far-reaching tale dealing with political espionage and rebellion. Escapism is also a large theme in the game, one dealt with explicitly in the ending.
The story begins with Chopin in his deathbed in Paris, France in 1849. It is only hours before his death. In his unconscious state, he finds himself in a fantastical dream world, where he meets a girl named Polka. In this world, people who are terminally ill are able to use magic; Polka is one of these people, as well as Chopin. Aware that he is dreaming, Chopin decides to accompany Polka on her journey to Forte, where she intends to ask Count Waltz about the uses of the cheap mineral powder as compared to more expensive floral powder. As the two of them travel and encounter other characters on the way to Forte, it becomes more and more clear that mineral powder actually has fatal side effects, and that the mining of Mt. Rock to acquire it is damaging the nearby Agogo Forest. A separate, underground rebellion group Andantino also seeks to oppose Count Waltz and his wrongdoing; it appears that Count Waltz is using the victims of mineral powder to create an army of magic-users in an insurrection against the nation of Baroque .
On the way to Forte, Polka and her party are arrested and imprisoned in Forte dungeon; the group was mistaken as being Andantino, and the soldiers had been alerted that the rebellion group would be arriving that day. Shortly after escaping, the party unites with the real Andantino and leave the city of Forte. On their way out of Fort Fermata (a short walk from Forte), Count Waltz's henchman Tuba spots them and a battle commences; in his defeat, Tuba destroys the bridge and the party is swept away by the Fusion River.
The party has now been split in two; one half travels through the Adagio Swamp and poisonous Woodblock Groves to Andante, the underground city of Andantino. The other half of the party were saved by Prince Crescendo of Baroque and taken upon his ship. On the way to Baroque they encounter the dreaded Pirate Ship Dolce, but are able to defeat them. After getting safely into Baroque, the party discuss the situation. Forte is threatening a war, but Crescendo wants to maintain peace at all costs. The Prince considers a plan to assassinate Count Waltz of Forte, but the plan is quickly discarded at the insistence of his wife, Princess Serenade.
In the PlayStation 3 version, the party in Baroque (along with Prince Crescendo and Princess Serenade) are accidentally warped into the Lament Mirror. As they try to find each other and escape, the party discovers the history of Baroque and Forte; the two cities were once in a similar situation of a threatening all-scale war.
Both halves of the party finally return to Ritardando to reunite. The full party heads for Baroque and decides to explore Aria Temple, where they uncover a part of the mystery. When the party returns to Baroque they find Crescendo and Serenade missing. It is discovered they left for Forte to turn themselves in, in an effort to prevent the war. The party heads for Forte by way of Mount Rock, where they encounter Crescendo, Serenade and subsequently Count Waltz. They do battle, but when Count Waltz is in danger of being defeated, he gives his henchman Legato a potion, which turns him into a gigantic monster. Legato rips a portal through time and space and disappears with Waltz. Realizing the entire world is now at stake, the party follows them to the city of the dead, Elegy of the Moon, where souls lost to the mineral powder dwell. The party advances past the Xylophone Tower of the Shining Keys and the Noise Dunes of Fantasy to the Double Reed Tower of Sand, where Legato has opened another portal. In the world between worlds, the party defeats them; the portal begins to collapse and the party emerges in the flower fields near Polka's home; the forest has been destroyed and burned away.
The story begins with Chopin in his deathbed in Paris, France in 1849. It is only hours before his death. In his unconscious state, he finds himself in a fantastical dream world, where he meets a girl named Polka. In this world, people who are terminally ill are able to use magic; Polka is one of these people, as well as Chopin. Aware that he is dreaming, Chopin decides to accompany Polka on her journey to Forte, where she intends to ask Count Waltz about the uses of the cheap mineral powder as compared to more expensive floral powder. As the two of them travel and encounter other characters on the way to Forte, it becomes more and more clear that mineral powder actually has fatal side effects, and that the mining of Mt. Rock to acquire it is damaging the nearby Agogo Forest. A separate, underground rebellion group Andantino also seeks to oppose Count Waltz and his wrongdoing; it appears that Count Waltz is using the victims of mineral powder to create an army of magic-users in an insurrection against the nation of Baroque .
On the way to Forte, Polka and her party are arrested and imprisoned in Forte dungeon; the group was mistaken as being Andantino, and the soldiers had been alerted that the rebellion group would be arriving that day. Shortly after escaping, the party unites with the real Andantino and leave the city of Forte. On their way out of Fort Fermata (a short walk from Forte), Count Waltz's henchman Tuba spots them and a battle commences; in his defeat, Tuba destroys the bridge and the party is swept away by the Fusion River.
The party has now been split in two; one half travels through the Adagio Swamp and poisonous Woodblock Groves to Andante, the underground city of Andantino. The other half of the party were saved by Prince Crescendo of Baroque and taken upon his ship. On the way to Baroque they encounter the dreaded Pirate Ship Dolce, but are able to defeat them. After getting safely into Baroque, the party discuss the situation. Forte is threatening a war, but Crescendo wants to maintain peace at all costs. The Prince considers a plan to assassinate Count Waltz of Forte, but the plan is quickly discarded at the insistence of his wife, Princess Serenade.
In the PlayStation 3 version, the party in Baroque (along with Prince Crescendo and Princess Serenade) are accidentally warped into the Lament Mirror. As they try to find each other and escape, the party discovers the history of Baroque and Forte; the two cities were once in a similar situation of a threatening all-scale war.
Both halves of the party finally return to Ritardando to reunite. The full party heads for Baroque and decides to explore Aria Temple, where they uncover a part of the mystery. When the party returns to Baroque they find Crescendo and Serenade missing. It is discovered they left for Forte to turn themselves in, in an effort to prevent the war. The party heads for Forte by way of Mount Rock, where they encounter Crescendo, Serenade and subsequently Count Waltz. They do battle, but when Count Waltz is in danger of being defeated, he gives his henchman Legato a potion, which turns him into a gigantic monster. Legato rips a portal through time and space and disappears with Waltz. Realizing the entire world is now at stake, the party follows them to the city of the dead, Elegy of the Moon, where souls lost to the mineral powder dwell. The party advances past the Xylophone Tower of the Shining Keys and the Noise Dunes of Fantasy to the Double Reed Tower of Sand, where Legato has opened another portal. In the world between worlds, the party defeats them; the portal begins to collapse and the party emerges in the flower fields near Polka's home; the forest has been destroyed and burned away.
Spoiler: The End *Super Spoilers*
Final confrontation
This is too much for Chopin; during the entire journey, he has been questioning his place in the dream world, whether it is a dream or real, whether he should care about his friends or regard them as only figments of his imagination. Upon arriving in the destroyed fields where his traveling had begun, Chopin declares them all to be nothing but dreams, and that he must battle them to complete his destiny and finally die. Chopin is defeated, and Polka realizes that the world was a dream repeating itself; she throws herself off the cliff and is reborn, younger, and breaks the cycle; returning to the mountain where the rest of the party waits, she embraces Allegretto; the world floods with color and is restored. Back in the real world Chopin dies; his spirit rises out of his body and sits down at the piano; the room around him transforms into the flower fields near Polka's home, and he plays his final composition, "Heaven's Mirror."
This is too much for Chopin; during the entire journey, he has been questioning his place in the dream world, whether it is a dream or real, whether he should care about his friends or regard them as only figments of his imagination. Upon arriving in the destroyed fields where his traveling had begun, Chopin declares them all to be nothing but dreams, and that he must battle them to complete his destiny and finally die. Chopin is defeated, and Polka realizes that the world was a dream repeating itself; she throws herself off the cliff and is reborn, younger, and breaks the cycle; returning to the mountain where the rest of the party waits, she embraces Allegretto; the world floods with color and is restored. Back in the real world Chopin dies; his spirit rises out of his body and sits down at the piano; the room around him transforms into the flower fields near Polka's home, and he plays his final composition, "Heaven's Mirror."
Spoiler: Gameplay
Eternal Sonata follows many general conventions in a typical role-playing video game: the player controls a party of up to twelve characters to explore the world, talking with its inhabitants, buying and selling equipment at shops, and encountering monsters while in the field. These encounters are visible, and the player can opt to avoid the encounter, if possible, as well as gaining an edge on the monsters by approaching them from behind. Experience points are awarded to all members of the party, though at a reduced rate for those not involved in combat, and characters will improve in various statistics with each experience level as well as learning special combat skills. Weapons, armor, and accessories can be used to improve these statistics, which can be purchased through money earned in combat, found in chests, or by selling both equipment and photographs which can be taken by the character Beat during battle. The player may also find Score Pieces scattered about the world, which represent short musical phrases. Various NPCs in the game will offer to perform with the party, requiring the player to match a Score Piece to the phrase offered by the NPC, with the resulting composition being ranked. Discordant matches will result in no reward, but close or perfect matches will gain a bonus item from the NPC.
Combat:
Combat in Eternal Sonata takes place in both lit and shaded areas, affecting the skills the player can use
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 are made 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. Special skills which can include both offensive attacks and recovery skills will consume whatever Echoes have been generated to that point, and will have a more powerful effect relative to that number. When a character defends against an attack, there is a short period before the attack strikes where the player can press a button to block some of the damage for the attack, or to possibly even counterattack the blow and interrupt the monster's turn. Recovery and other one-time-use items are kept in a common pouch with a limited capacity; the player must "set" items in the pouch so that they can be cycled through and triggered during battle.
Light and dark areas on the battle field generated by the time of day, environment, and shadows of the characters and monsters will affect combat. Each party character has one or more special skills that are active in lit areas, and a similar number but with very different effects in a dark area. Monsters themselves may have a dissimilar set of powers in the area of the battlefield they are in, while other monsters will actually change form when they move between lit and dark areas. The player can manipulate the nature of areas using special items, but this can also be affected by the monsters themselves, or through dynamic changes on the battlefield such as the shadow of a cloud moving across the ground.
As the player progresses through the game, they will increase their Party Class Level. Each improvement in level grants some bonuses while also imposing additional limits on combat. For example, one Party Class improvement increases the number of slots for special skills for each character, but at the same time, cuts down the amount of Tactical Time and time available in the Action Gauge. This Level cannot be altered by the player in their first playthrough, but can be adjusted to the player's choice in Encore Mode.
Gameplay:
Combat:
Combat in Eternal Sonata takes place in both lit and shaded areas, affecting the skills the player can use
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 are made 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. Special skills which can include both offensive attacks and recovery skills will consume whatever Echoes have been generated to that point, and will have a more powerful effect relative to that number. When a character defends against an attack, there is a short period before the attack strikes where the player can press a button to block some of the damage for the attack, or to possibly even counterattack the blow and interrupt the monster's turn. Recovery and other one-time-use items are kept in a common pouch with a limited capacity; the player must "set" items in the pouch so that they can be cycled through and triggered during battle.
Light and dark areas on the battle field generated by the time of day, environment, and shadows of the characters and monsters will affect combat. Each party character has one or more special skills that are active in lit areas, and a similar number but with very different effects in a dark area. Monsters themselves may have a dissimilar set of powers in the area of the battlefield they are in, while other monsters will actually change form when they move between lit and dark areas. The player can manipulate the nature of areas using special items, but this can also be affected by the monsters themselves, or through dynamic changes on the battlefield such as the shadow of a cloud moving across the ground.
As the player progresses through the game, they will increase their Party Class Level. Each improvement in level grants some bonuses while also imposing additional limits on combat. For example, one Party Class improvement increases the number of slots for special skills for each character, but at the same time, cuts down the amount of Tactical Time and time available in the Action Gauge. This Level cannot be altered by the player in their first playthrough, but can be adjusted to the player's choice in Encore Mode.
Spoiler: Playable Characters
Frédéric François Chopin: Main antihero, age 39. He is a renowned composer and pianist. In the world of his dreams he meets Polka, a young girl with an incurable illness, who is the same age his younger sister Emilia was when she died of tuberculosis. Chopin adventures with his companions in search of answers in a world which is slowly becoming his new reality. On a special note in another Namco Bandai game, Tales of Vesperia, Frederic's costume is an alternate outfit for Flynn Scifo.
Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)
Polka: Age 14. She has powerful magic abilities, which in turn means doomed to die. Faced with this sad fate, she nonetheless refuses to give up hope and uses her magic for the benefit of others. Although she is reviled and shunned because of her illness, she holds within her a burning desire to save the people she loves.
Voiced by: Aya Hirano (Japanese), Erin Fitzgerald (English)
Allegretto: Age 16. A young man standing up to the contradictions of the world. Though Allegretto is poor, he has a good heart. He is a thief who steals bread in order to feed children who are not able to feed themselves. However, he knows that this is not a solution to the underlying problem. He has decided that he must do something in the hopes that someday none will go hungry.
Voiced by: Hiro Shimono (Japanese), Sam Riegel (English)
Beat: Age 8. Beat is a young boy who lives with Allegretto in the port city of Ritardando. His greatest treasure is a camera which was given to him by his father. He has a cheerful personality and can immediately get along with almost anyone he meets.
Voiced by: Yumiko Kobayashi (Japanese), Mona Marshall (English)
Viola: A 26-year-old shepherd the party meets in the countryside. She's a tough talker and can handle herself, being slightly older than the others in the party. She has a pet named Arco, who tags along with the group.
Voiced by: Hoko Kuwashima (Japanese), Megan Hollingshead (English)
Salsa: An 8-year-old guardian of the Agogo Forest with her sister. The party meets her when they were imprisoned in the Forte Castle dungeons. Salsa views hats as the best treasure in the world. She is quite brash, outspoken, energetic and very competitive towards Beat.
Voiced by: Mika Kanai (Japanese), Amy Gross (English)
March: The other guardian of the Agogo Forest; Salsa's twin sister. She tends to be the more reasonable one of the two, making her a sharp contrast to Salsa. March appears to be mature and gentle.
Voiced by: Chiwa Saito (Japanese), Amy Gross (English)
Jazz: Jazz is 27 years old, leader of the revolutionary group Andantino. Quiet and serious, he worries about the damage Count Waltz might be doing to the people with the mineral powder and the processes needed to mine it.
Voiced by: Joji Nakata (Japanese), D.C. Douglas (English)
Falsetto: Jazz's lieutenant in Andantino, she's perceptive and tough, and inwardly dislikes Claves. Falsetto is 22 years old and has known Jazz since childhood.
Voiced by: Tomoe Hanba (Japanese), Julie Ann Taylor (English)
Claves: Jazz's 24-year-old girlfriend and another soldier of Andantino. A spy for Forte, but soon regrets it. Murdered by Forte's Rondo because of treason, but can be revived further into the game.
Voiced by: Mie Sonozaki (Japanese), Tara Platt (English)
Crescendo: The young prince of Baroque. Crescendo replaces his father for leading Baroque into the future war between Forte due to a sickness his father is suffering on. He rescues Polka, Beat, Frederic, and Salsa after they fell into Adagio River. He is 29 years of age. Crescendo is only playable in the PlayStation 3 version.
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese), Cam Clarke (English)
Serenade: The fiancee of Prince Crescendo. She is 23 years of age. Spy for Forte—revealed by Claves—but leaves Forte to join Baroque. Serenade is only playable in the PlayStation 3 version.
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)
Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)
Polka: Age 14. She has powerful magic abilities, which in turn means doomed to die. Faced with this sad fate, she nonetheless refuses to give up hope and uses her magic for the benefit of others. Although she is reviled and shunned because of her illness, she holds within her a burning desire to save the people she loves.
Voiced by: Aya Hirano (Japanese), Erin Fitzgerald (English)
Allegretto: Age 16. A young man standing up to the contradictions of the world. Though Allegretto is poor, he has a good heart. He is a thief who steals bread in order to feed children who are not able to feed themselves. However, he knows that this is not a solution to the underlying problem. He has decided that he must do something in the hopes that someday none will go hungry.
Voiced by: Hiro Shimono (Japanese), Sam Riegel (English)
Beat: Age 8. Beat is a young boy who lives with Allegretto in the port city of Ritardando. His greatest treasure is a camera which was given to him by his father. He has a cheerful personality and can immediately get along with almost anyone he meets.
Voiced by: Yumiko Kobayashi (Japanese), Mona Marshall (English)
Viola: A 26-year-old shepherd the party meets in the countryside. She's a tough talker and can handle herself, being slightly older than the others in the party. She has a pet named Arco, who tags along with the group.
Voiced by: Hoko Kuwashima (Japanese), Megan Hollingshead (English)
Salsa: An 8-year-old guardian of the Agogo Forest with her sister. The party meets her when they were imprisoned in the Forte Castle dungeons. Salsa views hats as the best treasure in the world. She is quite brash, outspoken, energetic and very competitive towards Beat.
Voiced by: Mika Kanai (Japanese), Amy Gross (English)
March: The other guardian of the Agogo Forest; Salsa's twin sister. She tends to be the more reasonable one of the two, making her a sharp contrast to Salsa. March appears to be mature and gentle.
Voiced by: Chiwa Saito (Japanese), Amy Gross (English)
Jazz: Jazz is 27 years old, leader of the revolutionary group Andantino. Quiet and serious, he worries about the damage Count Waltz might be doing to the people with the mineral powder and the processes needed to mine it.
Voiced by: Joji Nakata (Japanese), D.C. Douglas (English)
Falsetto: Jazz's lieutenant in Andantino, she's perceptive and tough, and inwardly dislikes Claves. Falsetto is 22 years old and has known Jazz since childhood.
Voiced by: Tomoe Hanba (Japanese), Julie Ann Taylor (English)
Claves: Jazz's 24-year-old girlfriend and another soldier of Andantino. A spy for Forte, but soon regrets it. Murdered by Forte's Rondo because of treason, but can be revived further into the game.
Voiced by: Mie Sonozaki (Japanese), Tara Platt (English)
Crescendo: The young prince of Baroque. Crescendo replaces his father for leading Baroque into the future war between Forte due to a sickness his father is suffering on. He rescues Polka, Beat, Frederic, and Salsa after they fell into Adagio River. He is 29 years of age. Crescendo is only playable in the PlayStation 3 version.
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese), Cam Clarke (English)
Serenade: The fiancee of Prince Crescendo. She is 23 years of age. Spy for Forte—revealed by Claves—but leaves Forte to join Baroque. Serenade is only playable in the PlayStation 3 version.
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)
Gameplay:
You get the trailer of the game in both Japanese and English, because I couldn't find any Japanese trailers with sub. Me personally don't like the English voices at all, but here you get a chance to judge which one you prefer.
English trailer:
Japanese trailer:
So what do you think of the game? Have you played it? Watched it? Do you want to play it or watch it?