Eternal Sonata

aka: Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume, Xin Lai Ling Yin: Xiaobang zhi Meng
Moby ID: 30620
Xbox 360 Specs
Note: We may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made via eBay or Amazon links (prices updated 3/24 7:32 AM )

Description official descriptions

The hero of Eternal Sonata is a real historical character, the famous 19-century Polish composer Frédéric Chopin. The game begins with Chopin lying on his deathbed and having a strange dream in which he is transferred into a fantasy world where places and people have musically sounding names. Chopin encounters a girl named Polka, a magician who is on the run from her own destiny (since all magicians die young in her world). Other people join them on a quest to overthrow an evil nobleman. Events from Chopin's real life are shown as parallels to what happens in his dream.

The game is conceived in the tradition of Japanese RPGs, with a linear, character-oriented story line and graphics with animé influences. The gameplay combines several elements of classic turn-based combat, strategy, and real-time fighting. Your party has a limited amount of time for a turn, during which you can move a character over the battlefield and execute actions, which take different amount of time depending on their effects. Light plays an important role during battles, since characters have different attacks and spells when standing in the light or in a shadow.

The game uses works by Frederic Chopin as its musical score.

Spellings

  • 信赖铃音: 肖邦之梦 - Chinese Xbox 360 spelling (simplified)

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Xbox 360 version)

135 People (134 developers, 1 thanks) · View all

Allegretto
Polka
Frédéric Fran çois Chopin
Beat
Viola
Salsa
March
Jazz
Falsetto
Claves
Waltz
Legato
Rondo
Fugue
Tuba
Serenade
Solfege
Ludwika Jedrzejewiczowa
Doctpr
Narrator
Additional Voices
Recording Studio
  • Cup of Tea Productions Inc.
Engineers
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 79% (based on 55 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 32 ratings with 1 reviews)

With better gameplay this charming tale could have been a gem.

The Good
Beautifully drawn characters in a lush, colorful landscape. Movie-quality camera work and lifelike animations. The visuals are stunning and immersive! Cute story but overly simplistic (childish) and somewhat eccentric. The cut scenes are (too) long (5+ minutes) and are filled with philosophical musings (or tirades, depending on your tolerance for such). The Chopin/sonata concept is original but unfortunately just serves as a wrapper around a very average JRPG.

The Bad
Linear plot more fitting for a movie than a game. The player is led through a story where every detail is already decided. This means, for example, being forced to lose battles in order to build up tension between characters. The combat system is a frustrating button masher better suited for a beat-em-up. The combat system "levels up" and degrades even further throughout the game (more mashing). Generic combat encounters can easily be avoided but this will leave the party too weak for the bosses. Progressing through the story thus necessitates countless repetitive encounters in order to reach sufficient character levels. This shallow arcade-style combat system is a poor match for the peaceful and philosophical pacing of the story.

The Bottom Line
A charming, original and immersive world that unfortunately suffers from average gameplay. There are no player choices and no character customizations. The combat system is annoying and repetitive and lacks any opportunity for tactics. If you enjoy simple beat-em-up mechanics, however, this might work for you. On the positive side, up to 3 players can control separate characters in the party in combat (alternating turns, not simultaneously).

Xbox 360 · by kimsnarf (3) · 2010

Analytics

MobyPro Early Access

Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings!

Related Games

Clive Barker's Undying
Released 2001 on Windows, 2002 on Macintosh
Kingdom Hearts
Released 2002 on PlayStation 2
Oninaki
Released 2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Hearts of Iron II
Released 2005 on Windows, Macintosh
Hearts of Iron
Released 2002 on Windows, 2003 on Macintosh
Disney Fairies
Released 2007 on Dedicated handheld
Echoes of Nocturnal Chords
Released 2020 on Windows

Related Sites +

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 30620
  • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

Contribute

Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Unicorn Lynx.

PlayStation 3 added by Kabushi.

Additional contributors: Sciere, Starbuck the Third.

Game added October 16, 2007. Last modified September 28, 2023.