This is my favorite JRPG, I've beaten both versions multiple times. The system allows for tons of different strategies with true opportunity cost where other games tend to restrict the player. Its just not immediately intuitive. Echoes and the item set system synergize in a way that allows the game to be uniquely aggressive. If you plan ahead to use items for healing you can spend all of your echoes on offense, allowing for meaningfully different teams. Most other games practically force you to have an obligatory healer. But at the same time, if you do choose to run a standard party being the healer is actually fun. Striking a balance between using echoes and items is an interesting challenge, and harmony chains not only allow, but incentivize you to get in the fray even if you're playing the healer. Playing a healer (or really most characters other than the MC) usually sucks in the Tales games, and it can make multiplayer a nonstarter. Eternal Sonata is fun regardless of what role or character you're playing, so multiplayer is a blast. For another example, you can almost always status bosses in Eternal Sonata. If you start a Harmony Chain with Marches Full Moon/New Moon Bind it has a dramatically higher chance of sticking. Even if you're just using items they have a pretty good succes rate providing they're not blocked. Poisoning Fugue with Wormwood is a common strategy for Encore mode. Tons of other games make bosses either highly resistant or completely immune, which sort of defeats the purpose investing in ailments. Even special attacks that only do damage have interesting quirks. Single hit attacks like Salsas Solar Flare do massive damage if a fully charged one crits (Since the bonus damage applies to the entire attack). If you're starting a turn without echoes you can use a multi hitting attack (like Marches Super Nova) at the end of your combo to tack on extra damage for free (since the special will build most or all of the echoes back in certain situations). You can even use the knockback on attacks to knock enemies into the Dark/Light for a better matchup. In most other games there's barely any reason to use older moves once you have one that does better damage, but in Eternal Sonata almost none of your moves become obsolete. Don't get me wrong, the game has its problems and they certainly could've done more with the mechanics. But I feel like the biggest problem is that the game never really hooks you (The story doesn't either). TBH I initially thought the game was pretty lame when I played it as a kid. There are a lot of games that you need to meet halfway to really appreciate, I'd say Eternal Sonata is one of those games.
Great review, thank you! Always found this game intriguing since I played it on Xbox 360 years ago, but also despite its awesome setup (dreams of a dying Chopin) it also never left a truly memorable impression to me
Ironically enough, the PS3 version's story is an improvement. The xbox 360 version came out first and the story was much worse somehow. This game definitely deserves a remake with a better story and more fleshed out gameplay available on all consoles.
I definitely have nostalgia blindness affecting my view of this game, but as someone who really loves it I will say I think the combat and story are pretty empty. They both have good bones imo but they just fail to go far enough. I think the the dark/light aspect to special attacks was cool but I agree that there needed to be something beyond Harmony Chains. It almost feels like they originally intended to add something above it, probably similar to ff limit breaks but they didn't for whatever reason. Similarly for the story, I feel like they had this really complicated, original, and ambitious story planned, but failed to flesh it out or execute it well at all. By the time you get to the finale you've spent the whole game following a very simple, linear story that results in a pretty lame climax partially because the story was framed as being complex and intriguing. Idk I love it for what it is but this would definitely hit hard asf if someone kept the skeletons of everything, but actually went balls to the wall with the ideas.
I 100% agree. It felt like the game was on the borderline of being off the wall vs playing it safe to appeal to the masses. If it just leaned into more of the untraditional mechanics and story it would have been more memorable than what it is.
@@Natquerx If I had all the money and influence at Bandai Namco I’d honestly fight for a FF7 esque remake of this game in terms of story and combat. The visuals are already good enough for me but with better enemy variety, combat that goes a couple steps further and a better story that fully sees through the mineral/floral powder storyline, the forte/andantino storyline, and whatever the frederic/polka magic and death/rebirth storyline was supposed to be, I honestly think it would be an amazing game. There’s a good complex narrative in there somewhere.
If you don't like the combat in this game just say you don't like turn based JRPG combat at all. Its the same as all the others around or before that time except at least this combat feels a bit cooler/refreshing.. Hopefully you're not the type of person to praise the combat in games like ff7 or chrono trigger then bash this games combat like u did.. saying it was unfulfilling.. i think that's a little harsh considering the high amount of characters and special moves that can be unlocked and how the devs of this game actually tried to make combat more interesting.. but anyways, wouldn't that mean you think all JRPG's from around or before that time are unfulfilling as well? I'm interested in what you think makes a JRPG's combat feel fulfilling enough for its players. You should make a video on it perhaps that would be nice
Unfulfilling and dislike are two different things. My point was more so on the lack of specials for the characters like how it was done in Legend of Legaia 2. I understand the large character roster but harmony chains wasn't enough to scratch that itch for me personally. Combat is fine it's just nothing special.
This is my favorite JRPG, I've beaten both versions multiple times. The system allows for tons of different strategies with true opportunity cost where other games tend to restrict the player. Its just not immediately intuitive.
Echoes and the item set system synergize in a way that allows the game to be uniquely aggressive. If you plan ahead to use items for healing you can spend all of your echoes on offense, allowing for meaningfully different teams. Most other games practically force you to have an obligatory healer.
But at the same time, if you do choose to run a standard party being the healer is actually fun. Striking a balance between using echoes and items is an interesting challenge, and harmony chains not only allow, but incentivize you to get in the fray even if you're playing the healer. Playing a healer (or really most characters other than the MC) usually sucks in the Tales games, and it can make multiplayer a nonstarter. Eternal Sonata is fun regardless of what role or character you're playing, so multiplayer is a blast.
For another example, you can almost always status bosses in Eternal Sonata. If you start a Harmony Chain with Marches Full Moon/New Moon Bind it has a dramatically higher chance of sticking. Even if you're just using items they have a pretty good succes rate providing they're not blocked. Poisoning Fugue with Wormwood is a common strategy for Encore mode. Tons of other games make bosses either highly resistant or completely immune, which sort of defeats the purpose investing in ailments.
Even special attacks that only do damage have interesting quirks. Single hit attacks like Salsas Solar Flare do massive damage if a fully charged one crits (Since the bonus damage applies to the entire attack). If you're starting a turn without echoes you can use a multi hitting attack (like Marches Super Nova) at the end of your combo to tack on extra damage for free (since the special will build most or all of the echoes back in certain situations). You can even use the knockback on attacks to knock enemies into the Dark/Light for a better matchup. In most other games there's barely any reason to use older moves once you have one that does better damage, but in Eternal Sonata almost none of your moves become obsolete.
Don't get me wrong, the game has its problems and they certainly could've done more with the mechanics. But I feel like the biggest problem is that the game never really hooks you (The story doesn't either). TBH I initially thought the game was pretty lame when I played it as a kid. There are a lot of games that you need to meet halfway to really appreciate, I'd say Eternal Sonata is one of those games.
Not Mid at all.
Definitely above average. I love it.
I saw 'Eternal Sonata' on my home feed and never clicked so fast.
Great review, thank you! Always found this game intriguing since I played it on Xbox 360 years ago, but also despite its awesome setup (dreams of a dying Chopin) it also never left a truly memorable impression to me
Thank you for stopping by! It's a unique game in its premise. It is just that its execution left it vanilla.
Ironically enough, the PS3 version's story is an improvement. The xbox 360 version came out first and the story was much worse somehow. This game definitely deserves a remake with a better story and more fleshed out gameplay available on all consoles.
is this an ai script lol
It is
never heard about this game, an interesting review, for sure!
Thanks for checking it out!
Good review I enjoyed it.
Thank you for stopping by!
I definitely have nostalgia blindness affecting my view of this game, but as someone who really loves it I will say I think the combat and story are pretty empty. They both have good bones imo but they just fail to go far enough. I think the the dark/light aspect to special attacks was cool but I agree that there needed to be something beyond Harmony Chains. It almost feels like they originally intended to add something above it, probably similar to ff limit breaks but they didn't for whatever reason. Similarly for the story, I feel like they had this really complicated, original, and ambitious story planned, but failed to flesh it out or execute it well at all. By the time you get to the finale you've spent the whole game following a very simple, linear story that results in a pretty lame climax partially because the story was framed as being complex and intriguing. Idk I love it for what it is but this would definitely hit hard asf if someone kept the skeletons of everything, but actually went balls to the wall with the ideas.
I 100% agree. It felt like the game was on the borderline of being off the wall vs playing it safe to appeal to the masses. If it just leaned into more of the untraditional mechanics and story it would have been more memorable than what it is.
@@Natquerx If I had all the money and influence at Bandai Namco I’d honestly fight for a FF7 esque remake of this game in terms of story and combat. The visuals are already good enough for me but with better enemy variety, combat that goes a couple steps further and a better story that fully sees through the mineral/floral powder storyline, the forte/andantino storyline, and whatever the frederic/polka magic and death/rebirth storyline was supposed to be, I honestly think it would be an amazing game. There’s a good complex narrative in there somewhere.
If you don't like the combat in this game just say you don't like turn based JRPG combat at all. Its the same as all the others around or before that time except at least this combat feels a bit cooler/refreshing.. Hopefully you're not the type of person to praise the combat in games like ff7 or chrono trigger then bash this games combat like u did.. saying it was unfulfilling.. i think that's a little harsh considering the high amount of characters and special moves that can be unlocked and how the devs of this game actually tried to make combat more interesting.. but anyways, wouldn't that mean you think all JRPG's from around or before that time are unfulfilling as well? I'm interested in what you think makes a JRPG's combat feel fulfilling enough for its players. You should make a video on it perhaps that would be nice
Unfulfilling and dislike are two different things. My point was more so on the lack of specials for the characters like how it was done in Legend of Legaia 2. I understand the large character roster but harmony chains wasn't enough to scratch that itch for me personally. Combat is fine it's just nothing special.
It was TOO basic, got repetitive fast. Also a bit slow. Not horrible but could be way better.
Nooooooooo