"Eternal Sonata" stars Polish pianist Frederic Chopin who died of tuberculosis at age 39.
And so I say bravo to developer Tri-Crescendo for having the creative cajones to make a video game about the life and death of a sickly 19th-century composer. This is the meat and potatoes of video game storytelling. Yes, "Eternal Sonata" and "Folklore" prove that video games can be both arty and amusing at the same time.Īlien invasions. For those less interested in art and more interested in whether these games are actually fun, rest assured both titles offer innovative battle systems, plenty of thrilling action, and an intriguing blend of both the action/adventure and role-playing genres. And both have shied away from some standard game trappings in favor of more imaginative pursuits. Still, both games deserve praise (not to mention a place on your shelves) for their inspired efforts, creative achievements and, more importantly, for daring to aim high.īoth games boast stunning visuals, outstanding music and unique narratives.
But before Matisse or Monet start doing back flips in their respective graves, I admit I'm not prepared to pronounce either game a masterpiece (they have too many flaws for that). "Eternal Sonata" for the Xbox 360 and "Folklore" for the PlayStation 3 are rare titles indeed. (Most games just wanna be games, after all.) So imagine my happy surprise to find two new titles that seem to have genuine artistic aspirations tucked deep down in their entertaining little hearts. In addition, the battle system gets more difficult over time, evolving from a turn-based system at first into one that requires quick thinking and careful timing.Granted, it's the infrequent video game that strives toward such high-falutin' stuff. This makes positioning important, as a character may only be able to heal in a light area or make a distance attack in a dark area. The fights are kept interesting by a detailed battle system that incorporates special moves that change depending on whether you're standing in a light or dark area. The game follows the usual RPG pattern of exploration, fighting, and leveling up, punctuated by boss battles. Chopin himself shows up as a playable character in the game, fighting enemies with a conductor's baton, and all character and place names reference music in some way, from Allegretto the young thief to the kingdom of Baroque.
The game is set in a gorgeously-detailed world, a combination of Regency fashion and Japanese video-game weirdness, that is purportedly the fever dream of the composer Frédéric Chopin. If so, that's a pity, because Eternal Sonata is a solid RPG with a unique look. Some gamers may be put off of Eternal Sonata for the Xbox 360 by the fact that one of the protagonists is a modestly-dressed young girl who fights with an umbrella and apologizes a lot, or the fact that many of the "cut scenes" are short tales from the life of Chopin, illustrated with still photos of landmarks.
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