Developer: Namco Bandai
Publisher: Atari
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: RPG
Date posted: 11 October 2007
ScreenShots: 6
Written By: Ian
Hands-on PREVIEW
"Eternal Sonata", or 'Trusty Bell', as it is known in Japan, is Namco's latest RPG game, and it is exclusive to the 360, and will be coming out in October this year, and we had an exclusive chance to check out a new demo of the game!
The game is presented in an interesting way.
The game world has fixed camera angles, but they move with the character, and whilst it may at first seem a little last-gen, actually works really well. It also allows for the game to look really great.
Whilst the style is distinctly cartoony, and thus won't exactly be challenging 'Bioshock' or 'Gears of War' in the graphics department, it still looks awesome.
Individual leaves on trees are modelled, and the characters are incredibly detailed.
The music is also great, far better than in Blue Dragon and most other RPGs.
This is probably due to the plot, which is more random than most JRPGs. Basically, it follows the dreams of 18th century composer Chopin!
The gameplay is also a departure from traditional RPGs. The paths are even more linear than the average RPG, but this is a good thing, as many JRPGs have had confusing paths, despite the fact that they are all essentially linear experiences.
The battle system is also an amazing improvement over most. It is turn-based, but you have a time limit on your go, and you can move and attack freely, building up combos with well-timed button presses.
Building combos then gives the party extra energy for your special attacks, accessed with the Y button. This system is far more free and tactical than the average JRPG, and it is both refreshing and innovative for the genre. The battles are also nicely difficult, but never frustratingly so, unlike many titles in the genre.
Also, like Blue Dragon, random encounters are a thing of the past, thanks to the fact that all enemies now appear on the screen, and can be avoided if you want.
Overall, "Eternal Sonata" looks like an incredibly solid and lengthy RPG that should appeal to all fans of the genre, and may even bring in new devotees thanks to its unique style and gameplay.
This deserves to be one of the biggest hits of the year, despite the competition if the full game plays anything like this demo!
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