Eternal Sonata

Armchair Empire, The (9 out of 10)

Despite the flaws that it has, Eternal Sonata is still a visually stunning game with a charming story. Any Playstation 3 owner with a love for RPGs is recommended to pick up this title. The fact that it came out around the same time as Valkyria Chronicles and Fallout 3 should not stop people from picking up this game. If Eternal Sonata is a sign of things to come, then the Sony faithful can expect some great titles from the land of the Rising Sun.

Game 2.0 (9 out of 10)

Μετά από τις 28 περίπου ώρες που χρειάστηκαν για να ολοκληρώσω το Eternal Sonata, κατάλαβα πως τέτοια παιχνίδια δεν κυκλοφορούν κάθε μέρα. Μπορεί η όλη αισθητική του να ξενίσει αυτούς που αναζητούν κάτι πιο -υποτίθεται- σοβαρό, αλλά αυτοί ποτέ δε θα νιώσουν τη σύγκινηση, το θαυμασμό, τον οίκτο που νιώθει ο παίκτης προς τους χαρακτήρες του παιχνιδιού. Αν θέλετε να ξεφύγετε από τα τετριμμένα του gaming, το Eternal Sonata σας περιμένει.

Video Game Talk ( )

If you are looking for a solid role-playing game for the PlayStation 3 then you definitely need to add Eternal Sonata to your list. The gameplay is fast and furious and the presentation is simply to die for. Don't be surprised if the story leaves you scratching your head at parts but that's a small price to pay when you look at the whole package.

Cheat Code Central (4.4 out of 5)

Fans of Eternal Sonata's first time 'round may be disappointed to find out that the PS3 iteration doesn't feature a whole lot of new content. There are two new playable characters and a handful of new dungeons, but I'm hard-pressed to say that these items make the game worth purchasing over again. That said, if you've never experienced this beautiful, immersive game before, the PS3 version is probably better than that of the 360, so there's never been a better time to check out what all the fuss is about. There are a few minor problems, from sometimes-weird enemy A.I. to occasional frustrations in battle, but, overall, Eternal Sonata is a great JRPG and a must-play for any RPG fan. During a holiday season rife with shooters and action titles, I doubt you'll find as solid a traditional RPG as Eternal Sonata.

IGN (8.7 out of 10)

Although sometimes awkwardly paced and linear, Eternal Sonata is an RPG that everyone should consider checking out, especially for the unique premise and touching music. The battle system is rewarding and evolves throughout the game and seeing the characters interact is a lot of fun. Especially with the added features, there's really no reason for RPG-hungry gamers to pass up the PS3 version

Fragland.net (83 out of 100)

Eternal Sonata in the end seems like the final version of what the game should have been in the first place. It contains a bit more of everything and as such seems in all aspects better than the version for Xbox360. However, for those that own both consoles the high price isn't justified. Only for those that don't have a choice between versions.

4Players.de (80 out of 100)

Eternal Sonata ist ein ungemein bezauberndes Rollenspielerlebnis um und mit Frédéric Chopin, das selbst Musikmuffel zu unterhalten weiß. Die strikt lineare Handlung präsentiert sich zwar teils ziemlich pathetisch und klischeehaft, während Quest- und Leveldesign oft etwas altbacken wirken, aber das spielerische Grundgerüst weiß trotz seiner sehr traditioneller Werte zu gefallen und hält sogar einige originelle Ideen bereit. Vor allem das flotte, sich mit dem Spielfortschritt entwickelnde sowie weitreichende Licht- und Schattenelemente berücksichtigende Kampfsystem sorgt trotz gelegentlicher Unübersichtlichkeit für Laune. Wer will, kann sein Geschick sogar als Musiker oder Fotograf unter Beweis stellen. Und auch die liebevoll entworfenen Figuren und geradezu malerischen Kulissen sorgen für Stimmung. Schade nur, dass die meisten Gegner vergleichsweise unspektakulär wirken und sich später immer wieder in nur leicht abgeänderter Form wiederholen.

Eurogamer.de (8 out of 10)

Zwei Charaktere, ein paar Dungeons und ein gefühlt leicht optimierter Schwierigkeitsgrad bringen kein neues Eternal Sonata auf die PS3 und am Ende ist es immer noch ein Spiel, das sein Potential ein wenig verschenkt. Die Handlung lässt sich sehr früh in die Karten schauen und wartet anschließend nur noch mit wenigen Wendungen auf. Und das Design der Dungeons glänzt mit perfekter Linearität. Hätte man hier gefeilt, wäre Eternal Sonata der Sprung von sehr gut zu wahrer Größe gelungen. Genrefreunde sollte das aber von nichts abhalten: Eternal Sonata bietet Euch wundervollen Spaß für Wochen. Ein stimmiges, tiefgründiges Kampfsystem, lebendige Figuren und eine traumhaft schöne Spielwelt mit dem Extrastück Zucker im Design reichen dafür locker aus und machen Eternal Sonata für die PS3 zum Frühlingsbringer der J-RPG-Welt.

GameZone (8 out of 10)

Eternal Sonata is a good RPG, not great, but good and worth the play. The graphics on the PS3 looks amazing with an incredible level of detail to minutia in every scene. With a new approach to turn-based fight system that keeps you into each battle with timers and “chance” defense and wonderful character design and a good story, the player gets an enjoyable 30-40 hours out of this game that won’t probably blow them away, but won’t leave a sour taste in their mouth either.

Tweakers.net (8 out of 10)

Eternal Sonata biedt een intrigerende spelwereld met interessante verhaallijnen en personages. Tel hierbij het dynamische vechtsysteem en de schitterende afwerking op, en de conclusie is dat Eternal Sonata een prima rollenspel is, dat om verschillende redenen een groot publiek aan zal spreken.

RPGDreamers (7.8 out of 10)

Eternal Sonata has what one would call the look of a great JP rpg game. It looks like an rpg game that can't do any wrong. But sadly at the end of it all, you feel kind of disappointed from the game. The key components of all good to great rpg games are their characters and stories. Rpg stories are the backbone of what makes an rpg game great combine with the characters in the story. And with Eternal Sonata, you feel that the game doesn't live up to the hype of what the game looks like, hence the disappointment. The graphics and gameplay are top notch but when you finish playing the game, you're interest in Eternal Sonata seem gone because somewhere along the way, you lost interest in the story and the characters. And once that happens, you lose the emotion and excitement for the game.

Game Revolution (B)

Eternal Sonata isn’t a deep RPG by any means. There are few customizable options and very little in the way of exploration or even choice, but it is elegant and pretty. Some of the sweetest tunes are simply beautiful, regardless of facial expression.

RPGamer (3.5 out of 5)

Chiefly, Eternal Sonata is an enjoyable experience, if somewhat repetitive and bland at times. As it is, the game could be considered more of a casual RPG due to its lack of customization options and linear storyline. With a little more depth put into all of its aspects, Eternal Sonata could have been so much more, but is still a worthy purchase for those interested in the setting or in a simple RPG which is fun in short bursts.

Gaming since 198x (3 out of 5)

Eternal Sonata est un monument de mignonitude dans un monde de rêves très coloré, avec des combats sympas orientés action, et de la musique de Chopin. Sympa au début, ça finit par trainer en longueur. Si vous avez du temps à perdre jouez-y en prenant votre temps ; si vous avez des journées bien remplies, ne l'allumez pas le soir, sous peine de vous endormir pad en main dans les 5 minutes. Si vous êtes un enfant de 10 ans allez-y les yeux fermés, mais vous devriez peut-être sortir un peu au lieu de vous abrutir devant la console. Au final on prend du plaisir à jouer, mais on garde l'impression qu'il eut été facile d'en faire un jeu beaucoup plus motivant à jouer, au prix d'assez peu d'efforts de développement.

1UP (C+)

I understand the frustrations PlayStation 3 owners feel at the lack of available quality Japanese RPGs (Sega's spectacular alternate-reality WWII strategy-RPG, Valkyria Chronicles, should help ease the consternation next week, though). Trust me -- as a PS3 owner, I absolutely feel your pain. But I cannot recommend a PS3 Japanese RPG simply because it is a PS3 Japanese RPG. 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.