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Eternal Sonata Review
Jon Wilcox
17/10/2007
Known as Trusty Bell in Japan, we can't think why Namco Bandai decided on a name change for the West...
For years, fans of Japanese RPG have had to believe in a number of 'wacky' ideas, such as the use of airships in Final Fantasy to an almost fetishist degree, and Mistwalker's animalistic shadows in Blue Dragon. However, we can only imagine the conversation at Bandai Namco's offices when developers Tri-Crescendo pitched Eternal Sonata (aka Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream) to them:
Tri-Crescendo: Today, we'd like to show you our latest idea, Trusty Bell...
Bandai Namco: We're assuming it's another RPG from you guys?
Tri-Crescendo: It is, but here's the thing - it won't be turn based, it'll be time-based.
Bandai Namco: We like the sound of that, so what's the background to the game?
Tri-Crescendo: Well this is the interesting thing about Trusty Bell. It's set in a world created by the imagination of the Polish composer Frederic Chopin during the final hours of his life as he lies on his deathbed in Paris.
Bandai Namco: erm...Seriously?
Tri-Crescendo: Yup!
Bandai Namco: Sounds absolutely crazy, but we feel that there's not enough classical music in videogames...we were going to try it in Katamari Damacy but that was already bonkers visually, and Ace Combat sounded better with the occasional overly dramatic audio turn, so we had to pass. Alright then, here's a pile of money and a contract...and we'd like to green light a sequel about Beethoven or Bach at the same time...
Tri-Crescendo: Great, thanks! One last thing though, when it's released in the West we're going to have to change the name - otherwise it opens us up to schoolboy sniggering and shifty wordplay...
OK, so perhaps the meeting wasn't quite like that, but the truth of the matter is that Eternal Sonata's synopsis is certainly one of the most 'original' in an RPG for quite some time and you have to wonder how the guys at Tri-Crescendo cooked it up. Besides taking place in a land conjured up by one of Poland's greatest musical sons as he lies dying of TB in the French capital, the synopsis of Eternal Sonata features complex nods to everything from the Wizard if Oz, The Matrix, environmental issues, and the struggle between Dark and Light...not exactly light gaming before bedtime then.
As you'd expect from a game world that takes place in the mind of one of the greatest piano composers of all time, music and time runs through every thread of Eternal Sonata. From the name of characters (Polka, Beat, Allegretto, Salsa, March, Tuba, and Waltz are just a handful), environments (including Castle Forte), the Battle System, and of course the audio (by Chopin), you won't lose sight of music and time at any point in the game. Without doubt one of the most beautiful videogames, certainly on Xbox 360 (and PlayStation 3 in 2008), Eternal Sonata's intricate character models look hand drawn and lovingly painted, resembling book illustrations. The environments are bright, hyper-saturated in colour to the point that you'll almost be tempted to turn down the settings on your TV (even the sewers offer a full palette), and the camera work when the character roams around the hillocks and open-air environments is incredibly smooth and enchanting.
Many elements that have featured in Japanese RPGs since time immemorial are of course in Eternal Sonata, such as the extensive use of story-driving cut scenes and sometime dodgy dialogue, but the game also continues to deviate from the standard train of thought for the genre. There aren't any ambush battles from monsters; instead, they populate the game world, allowing players to dodge them at times - though they'll chase the party for a short time if you get too close. Dropping ambush battles at least means that players won't have to suffer the infuriating 'run two metres...into another battle. Run two metres...into another battle' stop/start gameplay that usually dogs the genre. Instead, it allows players to stay immersed in the storyline and gameworld to a greater extent than usual.
But where Eternal Sonata really succeeds rests with the Battle System, which borrows bits of the classic (and often ploddingly repetitive) turn-based combat typical of Japanese RPGs, and makes it much more enjoyable. Like much within the game, music of course plays a key theme in combat, in this case moulding a turn-based system into more of a time-based battle system. During the battle sequences, players are given a few seconds to decide what their next move should be with a particular character before making it (referred to as 'Tactical Time'). Additional seconds are then given to players, depending on the experience of the Party, where they can move freely around the battle arena in an attempt to fight an enemy or get out of their way before it's their opponent's turn to move. By making combat time-based, characters can make more than one attack during a single move, depending on whether they have enough time. Aside from linking it with the importance of time in music, the Battle System also breaks the shackles of traditional Japanese RPGs; it's a far more fluid and assured medium between turn-based and real-time combat.
Besides using melee or ranged weapons, characters of course have access to special powers, usable depending on whether the individual is standing in shadow or not. Another degree of tactical depth open to gamers given the characters' ability to run around the arena freely, the switch between light and shadow can dramatically change the type of special power. For instance, Polka can unleash a Shadow Comet attack if she's in shadow, whereas she'll be able to heal with Orange Glow if she's not. Additional powers are unlocked as the story unfolds - as usual for RPGs - and players can access alternative options by holding down a button - though they have to take into account that time continues to tick down during the hold. Dark and Light also affects the monsters that Chopin, Polka, Viola, and the rest of the party members face, with some changing form (and their own attacks) accordingly. The idea of using Light and Dhadow in this way really helps to drive the tactics, especially when faced with one of the main bosses and party members desperately try to find some light in the arena to heal themselves. In addition to all that, Eternal Sonata includes an 'Echoes' system, which rewards players that use standard attacks against enemies. As the number of Echoes increase, characters heighten the potency of their special attacks, pushing players to hold off from using them until the last moment before unleashing 'powerful attacks for maximum damage'. Again, the system just adds further depth to the combat in the game, involving players more far more than most other Japanese RPGs.
Split into seven chapters that chart the party's quest to first of all confront the Wizard of Oz-like Count Waltz for reasons as diverse as high taxes to the increasing destruction of the environment, Eternal Sonata's storyline at times is compelling, but equally preachy. Talk of taxes, death, light pollution, and the taking of 'substances' litter the game, and can be off-putting at times. Keeping sight of the fact that the game is set in the dream world of Chopin, Eternal Sonata features brief dips into the composer's biography and portfolio, unlocking key pieces (such as Revolutions and Raindrops) and even naming the chapters after them. It's certainly not going to be a game that you'll go back to once it's been polished off, but it's extended gameplay (typical to most RPGs) means that for the tens of hours that it lasts, Eternal Sonata will never fail to push you into carrying on, whether it's the storyline, music, or its beguiling visuals. A real treat for fans of the genre, and a second chance for gamers who don't traditionally go for 'this sort of thing'.
Stunning visual style.
Sometimes dodgy dialogue.
