Eternal Sonata
Review
Complete package: epic story, stunning visuals, gorgeous music..
by T3HDX
reviewed on X360
Some restrictions and repetitiveness (cont.)
A lot of strategy comes into play here because you can play to your own style. You can go round and attack them from behind so they can't block, stay back and hit them from long range, go straight in or stick to lit or darkened areas. The battles can be thick and fast, or long and slow, the latter of which can sometimes get tiresome and feel repetitive. One drawback in the game is the fact that while the areas are fairly small, they have enough enemies to make even the smallest section take a while to get through if you choose to fight everything. The monsters are free-roaming and can be encountered by walking up to them. This allows you to make some choices on who to encounter and who to avoid. However, half of the time there's no choice, because the enemies run straight at you and there's nowhere to run to avoid them.
Although the number of enemies you meet through the game is pretty big, they are usually stronger versions of previous monsters, with a different colour to mark them. This isn't so bad really, except for in areas where there are dozens of encounters, all with the exact same monster, over and over. This can make the level get very tiresome, very quickly.
The game forces you down most paths unfortunately, allowing for little exploration on most levels. On the other hand, there are also vast areas to explore that can become a bit tiresome, especially since you haven't got much of anything in return for your efforts. The only reason to fully explore these areas, apart from the odd little bit of treasure you'll probably end up not using, is to score pieces and people to play a session with. Playing sessions with people will ultimately give you a rank of that session, from F (failure) to an S ranking. Getting a B rank bags you an item that can be used in battle, getting an A gets you an EZI item, used later in the game, and an S gives you a piece of equipment.
An enjoyable game
The game is an amazing masterpiece, definitely worth playing again, even immediately after just completing it. Even if it's just to finish off a few side quests like the EZI items / score pieces, or to get an elusive achievement for your list. There's also the ability to set yourself a limit challenge, such as low levels through the game, avoiding all encounters etc, which gives a good variety to the gameplay. With a lifespan of a good 30-40 hours, there's bound to be different ways you can complete it.
The game is very stable, with minor bits of lag, very rarely. The sound never falters, and remains true to its atmosphere, and keeps things feeling more alive, even in the reaches of darkness. Overall, it's a well put together piece of entertainment from stunning visuals and gorgeous melodies to enthralling battles and epic storytelling. You get the complete package here, with a few minor issues, but a decent lifespan for a game of today's standards, as well as a large amount of fun for the money you spent on it.
8.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
