Eternal Sonata

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
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  1. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    70
    A game this pretty should be a no-brainer, but as soon as the characters open their mouths, your beleaguered brain will ache for a return to the action. [Holiday 2008, p.78]
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  2. Level7.nu
    70
    The first couple of hours in Eternal Sonata are simply enchanting. Great design, graphics and music together create a truly endearing atmosphere. Battling enemies in the game is great fun as you progress in the game and delve deeper into the battle mechanics. The plot is a bit uneven though and the options for exploration, character development and equipment are meager to say the least. These flaws aside, this is still a great and beautiful adventure.
  3. Boomtown
    70
    Despite being about one of the great composers, music is not an integral part of the game.
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  5. PS3bloggen.se
    70
    Whilst being colourful and sweet, Eternal Sonata has a few archaic gameplay elements that are totally unnecessary, such as insta-death battles and a slow-paced story. However, as far as role playing games go this isn't bad. It's just a pity that the game doesn't break very much new ground.
  6. Gaming Age
    67
    In the beginning, the lengthy and frequent cut scenes really started to grate on my nerves, but after the 6 hour I started to really take an interest in certain characters, and the game felt like it just took off from there.
  7. Metro GameCentral
    60
    The new PS3 version of the Chopin-themed role-player still sounds more original than it plays.
  8. 1UP
    58
    You don't have to settle for mediocrity as a fan of the genre -- and you sure as hell don't have to support it.

Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Best PS3 Game of 2008
51
#51 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2008
29
#29 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2008

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 139 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 95 out of 139
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 139
  3. Negative: 13 out of 139
  1. daguis
    Sep 22, 2011
    4
    I can't believe i'm the only one who thinks this game is crap. Visuals are mediocre at best and the artistic design is so boring and genericI can't believe i'm the only one who thinks this game is crap. Visuals are mediocre at best and the artistic design is so boring and generic it hurts. Towns and dungeons especially suffer from poor design, making you lose all the excitement about discovering new places (they all look pretty much the same). Only character design makes the cut. For a game based on a musical theme, music is surprisingly disappointing. The story and writing are so dull and clichéd it is ridiculous, and they will make you want to smash Polka's head against a wall in no time. There is absolutely NO customization for your character development except choosing the skills you want to bring to battle (wow) and your equipment. The battle system is boring, with little strategy involved: it basically consists in button-mashing most of the time and normal battles provide no excitement or challenge at all. Boss battles really do, but the biggest impact on the outcome of those will be pressing a button in time to defend against attacks, suddenly turning this JRPG in some kind of ridiculous rythm/reflexes minigame. The light and dark system makes very little impact on the battles, except when it comes to healing. The controls in battle are clunky, the camera is awful (often hiding where the f**k enemies are), and this combined will make absolutely no guarantee that the game does what you want it to do (especially if you want to play Viola, who loves to miss arrow shots for apparently no reason). The only positive feature I can think about is the inclusion of japanese voices (kudos for that).
    Being a JRPG fan, I was extremely disappointed by this game and i would recommend to avoid it unless you are that type of jrpg fan that plays every genre game even if it is crap. If that's the case, good luck.    … Full Review »
  2. SethB
    Jan 6, 2010
    10
    This is a prime example of what an turn-based RPG should be. Very interesting storyline, dark life-related themes, and many, many hours of This is a prime example of what an turn-based RPG should be. Very interesting storyline, dark life-related themes, and many, many hours of gameplay. The visual effects are stunning, Anime fan or otherwise, and Tri-Crescendo did a spectacular job with music. Every so often they have Stanislav Bunin perform a musical piece by written Chopin, and gives the real-life story on what influenced the game. This is a very unique feature I've never seen in a game, and for this JRPG it works and actually makes the game more interesting. If I was to cut that feature out it would still be a must play. This game needs to be played, and as you see from the user ratings it was very underrated. Go down to your game store and get it. Play it. Love it.… Full Review »
  3. yesterdayatnoon
    Oct 6, 2012
    8
    Much of what I played of this game was cool. The combat system is a little too hard for my seven year old, and requires enough experienceMuch of what I played of this game was cool. The combat system is a little too hard for my seven year old, and requires enough experience with it that I forgot how to play after putting it down for a month, which is nice; the genre needed some originality in the combat mechanics department. The story, the writing, and the monologues are a bit heavy handed. I'm glad to see writers go in to philosophy and art in a video game, but their handling of it was a hauntingly familiar throw back to hot boxing in high school.
    There are a few visual elements that don't fit together well, such as the main male character's top hat not fitting on his head; these elements show that certain pieces were created independently, a common fact, but one you shouldn't be aware of. All that said, it's a good game that would have been a perfect fit for me twenty years ago. I would recommend it to anyone interested in philosophy and history who doesn't have much education in either.    … Full Review »
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