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Eternal Sonata for PS3 in North America

MrDenny said:
I don't understand why so many gaf members complain about this game. It seems to be getting better scores than most of todays rpgs. Ign scored it higher than lost odyssey, tales of vesperia, blue dragon. wierd...

Maybe because some people have different opinions than other people
 
Fady K said:
BTW guys, some funny error I found in the gaming age review:



:lol

What the hell. Seriously, the least they could have done is check out Wikipedia, or any sort of official source.
 
If there's anything to be said about the game.. it's a really beautiful work of art. I'm not really far, I just started, but for instance.. the flower field of Tenuto at night time is breathtakingly beautiful. This game has some fantastic art design.
 
I'm glad some of you are having fun with it, i'm one of those rare gaf people that loved the game on 360.

DarknessTear said:
If there's anything to be said about the game.. it's a really beautiful work of art. I'm not really far, I just started, but for instance.. the flower field of Tenuto at night time is breathtakingly beautiful. This game has some fantastic art design.
Visually it's amazing, and some great tunes in the game all add up.
 
DarknessTear said:
If there's anything to be said about the game.. it's a really beautiful work of art. I'm not really far, I just started, but for instance.. the flower field of Tenuto at night time is breathtakingly beautiful. This game has some fantastic art design.

Yeah, some areas remind me of Folklore in their design.
 
Darunia said:
Battle system seemed to lack a bit of depth, but not much can be said about that so early in the game
Well, ultimately, it's not a particularly deep combat system. The early game is a fairly good indicator of how the rest of the game will play out. The main things is that you'll be able to use 2 specials per day/night cycle, and eventually be able to add specials together in combos, but it's relatively 'shallow'. It was fun enough overall, but don't expect tactics to be particularly important. Though, actually, I was actively avoiding every battle I could and got more and more underlevelled, and some of the end-game bosses were very challenging.

Darunia said:
The things I really disliked were the characters and their dialogue. Long-winded conversations that didn't go anywhere. Characters and story are always part of the reason I play an rpg and this game appeared to be lacking in that category
Er, yeah. Don't expect too much.

The best thing, I think, from new players getting into the game is that they might be exposed to the best game soundtrack (IMO) of 2007.
 
Well I liked the demo enough to give this game a buy, this game will be bough the same day I get Valkyria Chronicles. Will have a very nice rpg holiday and Fallout 3 will accompany them.
 
DunpealD said:
Just got my copy today.

Is it just me or is the battle system in the demo really a tad bit different?

How come? Can you explain the difference?

BTW to all the gaffers who got the ps3 version, are your impressions of the game positive or not so far? How long have you been playing?
 
RpgN said:
How come? Can you explain the difference?

BTW to all the gaffers who got the ps3 version, are your impressions of the game positive or not so far? How long have you been playing?

I dunno it's probably a misunderstanding on my side... I always thought in the demo when going into battle I only have limited time to move around on my turn, whereas in the full game the movement system is like in Valkyria Chronicles when you don't move you have all the time you need to think of a battle plan.

Anyway I'm about an hour in and so far it's good even though the beginning sequence was rather boring like a town commercial video. Also I haven't seen any bad dialogs, but it could also be only me since I'm someone who had absolutely no problems with the script writing of the MGS series or Japanese games in general.

In terms of gameplay I'm not that far in so I can't really say much except that the further you go the more actions you have like second special move and counter due to a higher party level. Also for those who have problems using X as attack button you can switch it to O, that's only a small thing but I really had problems with it in the US demo.

On technical side so far this port is well done. No installation and haven't seen neither slowdowns nor loading times worth mentioning.

If you still have questions feel free to ask.
 
DunpealD said:
I dunno it's probably a misunderstanding on my side... I always thought in the demo when going into battle I only have limited time to move around on my turn, whereas in the full game the movement system is like in Valkyria Chronicles when you don't move you have all the time you need to think of a battle plan.
the rules for the battle change over time
 
Thanks for your impressions, DunpealD. I'm liking what I'm hearing :D You pretty much answered all I asked for :D
 
RpgN said:
Anyway, ign gave it an 8.7 more than the xbox version (8.3). Gameage gave it a B (They gave the xbox 360 version a -B). Not bad.

As if we needed any more proof that mainstream reviewers have no idea when it comes to RPGs... apart from the graphics and Chopin history lesson, the 360 game was terrible (extremely linear dungeon design, mindless combat where you can spam the same moves over and over, nonsensical story, bland Sakuraba soundtrack), and I highly doubt the PS3 version is a significant improvement over the 360 one.
 
MrDenny said:
I don't understand why so many gaf members complain about this game. It seems to be getting better scores than most of todays rpgs. Ign scored it higher than lost odyssey, tales of vesperia, blue dragon. wierd...


I don't give a fuck about review scores. I played it and my opinion is that game's tragically broken.
 
Kasumi1970 said:
He said it look better on the PlayStation 3 than on the Xbox 360, because the colors seem to pop even more. To me that doesn't sound like better graphic to me. It just sound like he was looking for a reason to make the PS3 sound better. As for the IGN 8.7 to 8.3 have some of you thought the reviewers could be different people, and one person might not have enjoyed the game as much as the next. Enternal Sonata s not a bad game but it not worth a double dip. the game got an 8.5 for both the PS3 and 360

Well, it's a different system, it doesn't have to be the very same colors.

Also, HDMI instead of composite can mean quite a difference, i've tested it myself.
 
Well, we have a 9 from digital chumps and 4.4/5 (Xbox is 4.2/5) from cheat code central too.

Crazy! I don't know what to believe and think now...
 
RpgN said:
Well, we have a 9 from digital chumps and 4.4/5 (Xbox is 4.2/5) from cheat code central too.

Crazy! I don't know what to believe and think now...

I think you should try it to see for yourself (there's a demo in the PSN). There's quite a few people that hated it on the xbox 360, but also a lot of people hated Radiata Stories PS2 and it's a game i loved it myself, so different people different tastes.
 
Vorador said:
I think you should try it to see for yourself (there's a demo in the PSN). There's quite a few people that hated it on the xbox 360, but also a lot of people hated Radiata Stories PS2 and it's a game i loved it myself, so different people different tastes.

The thing is, I actually like the demo a lot. But many naysayers say that it will suck after few hours. That's why I'm not 100% sure. I think I've never seen a game getting a praise from the press, while unliked by a few members. Something is wrong and it bothers me :(
 
The game is quite good, really. I don't know if it's 9 material, but maybe 8.0 or something at this point. The main selling points are the art/graphics and music. My sound settings are like.. Music - 100, Voice - 40, Sounds - 40. I crank my surround reciever up and.. yeah. Japanese voices too. The English is unbearable.

It's quite a fun game to play, and from what I hear the battle system gets more fun as the game progresses and you get party level ups.
 
Vorador said:
I think you should try it to see for yourself (there's a demo in the PSN). There's quite a few people that hated it on the xbox 360, but also a lot of people hated Radiata Stories PS2 and it's a game i loved it myself, so different people different tastes.
Well, personally, I hated Radiata Stories and loved Eternal Sonata. I don't think the two are very comparable.

I am massively amused by the fact that Eternal Sonata PS3 is, as of now, the single highest ranked HD JRPG on the review aggregators -- while, if you listen to some people on GAF, they'll tell you it's among the worst :lol
 
Durante said:
Well, personally, I hated Radiata Stories and loved Eternal Sonata. I don't think the two are very comparable.

I was just using Radiata Stories a an example of what works for some doesn't for others. :P
 
Durante said:
I am massively amused by the fact that Eternal Sonata PS3 is, as of now, the single highest ranked HD JRPG on the review aggregators -- while, if you listen to some people on GAF, they'll tell you it's among the worst :lol
Well, that's pretty much proof that most "reviewers" probably play about three or five hours of a game before reviewing it. There was a review of Enchanted Arms that talked about the cast of characters that were ONLY playable in the first hour tutorial section. Anyway, Eternal Sonata starts off pretty fresh and awesome but degrades PRETTY FAR the further you get into it.
 
Princess Skittles said:
Well, that's pretty much proof that most "reviewers" probably play about three or five hours of a game before reviewing it.
No, it's proof of nothing beyond the fact that reviewers for various outlets enjoyed it. I played the whole game and I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10. And that's the 360 version, the PS3 version is apparently improved in various ways.
 
RpgN said:
The thing is, I actually like the demo a lot. But many naysayers say that it will suck after few hours. That's why I'm not 100% sure. I think I've never seen a game getting a praise from the press, while unliked by a few members. Something is wrong and it bothers me :(

One of my friends beat it over the weekend and he said it was great.
 
Princess Skittles said:
Well, that's pretty much proof that most "reviewers" probably play about three or five hours of a game before reviewing it. There was a review of Enchanted Arms that talked about the cast of characters that were ONLY playable in the first hour tutorial section. Anyway, Eternal Sonata starts off pretty fresh and awesome but degrades PRETTY FAR the further you get into it.

Kagari said:
One of my friends beat it over the weekend and he said it was great.

XD

Durante said:
No, it's proof of nothing beyond the fact that reviewers for various outlets enjoyed it. I played the whole game and I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10. And that's the 360 version, the PS3 version is apparently improved in various ways.

You haven't got the ps3 version?

EDIT:

Oh right, you're from EU too :D
 
Durante said:
Well, personally, I hated Radiata Stories and loved Eternal Sonata. I don't think the two are very comparable.

I am massively amused by the fact that Eternal Sonata PS3 is, as of now, the single highest ranked HD JRPG on the review aggregators -- while, if you listen to some people on GAF, they'll tell you it's among the worst :lol

yeah, i can't believe it. at most, i could see this game as a 7.0. being generous. again, great art direction and outstanding music. story falls apart, battle system gets boring and is way too simple, and most dungeons are really plain (other than the art direction)

Hmm. Perhaps the PS3 version made things better? I'm curious to know how the newly included dungeon + cutscenes are
 
Durante said:
Well, I already have the 360 one, and while I do plan to get the PS3 version as well at some point I surely won't do so at full price.

Understandable. It's the reason why I wait on buying many games. I hate to buy a game then hear a better version will be released later. FF1 and 2 on the psp comes to mind. Tales of phantasia psp version as well. I might still get that one someday.
 
Initial impressions:

I'm about 3 hours in, I have passed 2 dungeons and stopped after the "death lights" cutscene. I never played the 360 version or followed the threads on it.

-No installation
-Instant battle transition
-Nice looking game
-A little disappointed by the "static" environments. They have some moving elements but not enough. They feel kinda dead. It's hard to describe, and more nitpicky than anything else.
-Combat starts simpler than the demo, just reached party level 2 last night though. Kind of repetitive, but I like dynasty warriors, so haters can go screw for now. I like the overall pace of the combat
-Dubbing is excellent. Battle quotes sound "right", that fine mix between cheesy and hot blooded that is so hard to attain.
-Story is has surprisingly dark overtones I was not expecting.
-Has it's own save screen, doesn't use the system screens for anything. Minor, but a nice touch.
-Music is excellent.
 
I've got to chip in - I love this game. The sound design is superb, as well as the visuals. The content is really good, too. I loved the demo on 360 but was waiting for a PS3 version because I knew they'd give it better treatment.

When you're playing loud, though, turn down the voice bar to 70 or 80. The english dubbing is terrible not because of delivery, but because when they laid it on the sound stage, they added nothing to it. People talking in a nice, big open city sound like two people talking in a sound stage. Ungh.
 
Forgive me if this has been addressed before but does this game have dual audio? I'm kinda interested in it but I'm going to wait until the price drops.
 
Baha said:
Forgive me if this has been addressed before but does this game have dual audio? I'm kinda interested in it but I'm going to wait until the price drops.

Yes.

I see that on the box it says DTS. I don't see anything in the options to activate DTS. Do I have to do the same thing like in Valkyria Chronicles and disable Dolby Digital to force DTS in this game?
 
xero273 said:
Yes.

I see that on the box it says DTS. I don't see anything in the options to activate DTS. Do I have to do the same thing like in Valkyria Chronicles and disable Dolby Digital to force DTS in this game?

Ok thanks.
 
RpgN said:
Understandable. It's the reason why I wait on buying many games. I hate to buy a game then hear a better version will be released later. FF1 and 2 on the psp comes to mind. Tales of phantasia psp version as well. I might still get that one someday.

Alright, this is coming from an Jrpg die hard, I just started it on ps3, and........I love it. The battle system is entertaining..so you won't be bored. The GFX are Fantastic, no aliasing, great toon shading, and impecible old world design! The story in the first 2 hours already makes me think of it even when I'm not playing, and seems to be quite emotional.

If you are a Jrpg fan then there is no reason to wait. Remember that most(not all) people that bought the 360 are use to more western design, and jrpgs just don't float their boat.
Also some people just won't like it, as even the greatest games have non-fans.

I recommend it......:D
 
xero273 said:
Yes.

I see that on the box it says DTS. I don't see anything in the options to activate DTS. Do I have to do the same thing like in Valkyria Chronicles and disable Dolby Digital to force DTS in this game?

It supports DTS? Holy crap! How DO you activate it?

DTS was astounding in Uncharted.
 
KeioSquad2 said:
If you are a Jrpg fan then there is no reason to wait. Remember that most(not all) people that bought the 360 are use to more western design, and jrpgs just don't float their boat.
Also some people just won't like it, as even the greatest games have non-fans.

I didn't like the game one bit (when I played on 360), and I'm as faaaaaaar from a western game/RPG fan as you can get.
 
djtiesto said:
I didn't like the game one bit (when I played on 360), and I'm as faaaaaaar from a western game/RPG fan as you can get.

May I suggest you read the last line over again? I can appreciate your feelings toward this game, but I'm a huge fan of the genre, and the game does not disappoint me.....
 
Durante said:
No, it's proof of nothing beyond the fact that reviewers for various outlets enjoyed it. I played the whole game and I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10. And that's the 360 version, the PS3 version is apparently improved in various ways.

hey, if you trust reviewers more than common people who bought and played the game, it's your choice brudda.
 
KeioSquad2 said:
May I suggest you read the last line over again? I can appreciate your feelings toward this game, but I'm a huge fan of the genre, and the game does not disappoint me.....

Sorry, but your last line is wrong. It isn't that some people won't like it, it's that some people will like it.
I' a big fan of JRPGs, and this game disappointed me.
 
Anasui Kishibe said:
hey, if you trust reviewers more than common people who bought and played the game, it's your choice brudda.

That' the dumbest thing I ever heard. Reviewers are the same as the common folk, all people with an opinion. It just so happens that the opinion of the majority out ways the 3 of you who didn't like it!!!
 
Lain said:
Sorry, but your last line is wrong. It isn't that some people won't like it, it's that some people will like it.
I' a big fan of JRPGs, and this game disappointed me.

How can a figure of speech be wrong. You say you did not like it, I say not all people will like it.......you still confused?
 
Dyne said:
It supports DTS? Holy crap! How DO you activate it?

DTS was astounding in Uncharted.

It's troublesome to get it to work. You have to disable Dolby Digital under sound setting. Then the game will start up in DTS.
 
xero273 said:
It's troublesome to get it to work. You have to disable Dolby Digital under sound setting. Then the game will start up in DTS.

Ahh, you mean the PS3's sound settings?

That's alright though, I'm definitely not taking this out of my PS3 until it's done. :D
 
KeioSquad2 said:
How can a figure of speech be wrong. You say you did not like it, I say not all people will like it.......you still confused?

I wasn't and I'm not confused.
Most people seem to dislike this game, and just some people seem to like it, which to me seems to run contrary to what that last line of yours seemed to imply.
 
Lain said:
I wasn't and I'm not confused.
Most people seem to dislike this game, and just some people seem to like it, which to me seems to run contrary to what that last line of yours seemed to imply.

Well to each his own, though I really don't see what the hate is about. There are much worse designed games out there, and for a first try on this gen, to me the game is really good. Although it has been quoted already, most every review besides 1up seems to agree.
 
Anasui Kishibe said:
hey, if you trust reviewers more than common people who bought and played the game, it's your choice brudda.
No, I trust myself. And I had more fun playing this game than pretty much any other 360 JRPG. (Note that as a European I've not yet played ToV)
 
Hit chapter 2 today, Viola is awesome and has a crazy strong bow. Head shots! Please tell me I can keep her.

Stopped just inside the dungeon after the bridge. Can't wait to fight Mr. Monacle for real.
 
Well, I beat the game finally.

+ Pretty game. Great art direction.
+ Amazing music. I love you, Sakuraba.
+ Fairly fun battle system.

- Horrible story.
- Horrible ending.
- No subs in some cutscenes at the end. Weird. It got pretty annoying.
- Battle system in my opinion went from decent.. to good.. to bad. Party levels at a certain point kind of ruined things.

I'm pretty disappointed, honestly. I await their next RPG, and I hope it's a lot better than this one.
 
Finished it few days ago too. I liked it over all. Looks good and sounds good. Reminded me a lot of Radiata Stories, which I also liked. Didn't think the story was horrible (or anything special). But yeah, the ending sucked. They have an extra 1 year and couldn't fix that???
My least favorite part was the Chopin interludes. Particularly because 3-4 of them repeated the same Poland story.
 
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