Retro Review: Eternal Sonata

Originally posted on D-Pad.co.uk

Lost in the shuffle of Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy, and the plethora of Triple-A games released in 2007 was Microsoft's umpteenth attempt to crack the Japanese market.

Eternal Sonata is an RPG centred on legendary Polish composer Frederic Chopin. Developed by tri-Crescendo, the makers of the Baten Kaitos series, Eternal Sonata takes place in an imaginary world conceived by a terminally-ill Chopin on his deathbed.

The story is based on teens Allegretto and flower-girl Polka's quest to stop the evil (and prepubescent) Count Waltz. The Count has raised taxes to a ludicrous level, and our heroes set out to obtain an audience with Waltz to air their misgivings. Instead, events escalate, threatening to throw the whole world into turmoil. Chopin himself features in the main story but curiously, as a side character. Chopin must have been a very humble man to consign himself a bit character in his own dream.

As the world is based in Chopin's mind, music plays a big part in Eternal Sonata; The main characters are named after musical terms (other than Chopin himself). Pianist Stanislav Bunin faithfully recreates Chopin's pieces. In addition, the game features original music composed by the prolific Motoi Sakuraba.

The game's events are inspired by Chopin's life story, such as the rebellion sub-plot, which has similarities to the Polish–Russian War 1830–31. Main heroine Polka suffers from a terminal illness similar to the one that befell Chopin. In the world of Chopin's dream, the side-effect of a terminal illness is the ability to wield magic. The story is complex and has many underlying themes, with no clear plot; the story is hard to invest in and will fade from your memory after completion. tri-Crescendo has to be applauded though, for creating a story based on high taxes and tuberculosis.

Two playthroughs are required to experience everything the game offers fully. Eternal Sonata's Encore Mode would suitably challenge hardened gamers. The mode is unlocked after one playthrough; the enemies in Encore deal out 1.5x damage, have 2x HP and are more aggressive in battles.

Despite being released over seven years ago, Eternal Sonata still looks impressive as it did in late 2007. The colours are vivid, and the cell-shading creates an Anime feature-film look. In addition, the monsters of Eternal Sonata are highly imaginative; watch out for the flying goat and oversized onion.

The PS3 version – released a year after the 360 game – includes exclusive playable characters and new areas. Regardless of the system, Eternal Sonata will satisfy underserved JRPG fans or those wanting to sample something different, which Eternal Sonata most definitely is.

Overall

Colourful, original and bonkers. Eternal Sonata is unlike any game this gen. The gameplay might not be revolutionary, but the vivid graphics, whimsical music and unique story hit the right notes

7/10

XBOX Event Report

Originally posted on D-Pad.co.uk

Microsoft brought E3 to a hidden corner of West London.

The company invited a select group of gamers and journalists to get hands-on with titles first previewed at last month's E3. I managed to wrangle myself itself an invite; here are some thoughts on the day:

Not announced beforehand, FIFA 15 made a surprise appearance at the event. A new feature touted by EA is Emotional Intelligence. Whenever players miss a shot, or a decision doesn't go their way, they are considerably more animated than before. But the issue of the 'dead eyes' persists. Other than that, the game looked great (the pitch degenerated through the match) and played superbly. Two new tactical options have been added on the side of Ultra Defensive and Ultra Offensive: Park The Bus and All-Out Attack, respectively. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to test out All-Out Attack, but Park The Bus is precisely just that. My entire midfield line raced back to the penalty box when I moved that slider all the way left.

Sunset Overdrive was the event's showpiece, with most of the screens in the room dedicated to Insomniac Games first Xbox title. What immediately stood out about Overdrive was the vivid colours. There wasn't a grey or black in sight. I was having so much fun blowing stuff up with the plethora of weapons on offer that I had to be reminded by an Insomniac employee on the objectives to be completed. Believe the hype.

Forza Horizon 2 continues to attempt to fill the hole left by Project Gotham Racing. Being quite rusty with the racing genre, I hit the curb once or twice (or fifty times). A neat addition for terrible drivers like myself is the rewind feature which allows you to turn back time and skid into a different hay bale.

The game that attracted the most attention was Evolve. The co-op FPS from the creators of Left 4 Dead garnered many awards at E3, including "Best of Show", and It was not hard to see why. Evolve is a five-player co-op game. One player plays as the monster whose role is to avoid the four others who seek to stop him. The beast gradually evolves (hence the title) throughout the game, with three levels in all. Expect the phrase "This isn't even my final form" to be uttered frequently. Playing as one of the chasing squad, I felt like a part of a sci-fi thriller. Eventually, we killed the monster just before it almost wiped out our entire squad. Evolve will be one to watch.

Fable Legends also implements the same four-versus-one concept as Evolve, but the two games are miles apart in terms of quality. The controls were muddled, and attacks didn't hit solidly. Granted, this was an early demo, but every other game on show is scheduled for release in a similar timeframe and didn't look as shoddy. It's time for Lionhead to leave Albion and create a game that is not Fable.

Assassin's Creed Unity and Halo: The Master Chief Collection were at the event but not playable to the public. The fellow demoing The Master Chief Collection for us displayed Halo 2 Anniversary's split-second toggling between the old and new visuals of the original Xbox title. This game is packed with features and will undoubtedly delight Halo fans.

Also on show was Alien Isolation and four ID@XBOX titles.

Stand by for Titanfall: Xbox’s Counterattack

Originally posted on D-Pad.co.uk

The biggest game so far this gen and Microsoft's hope to turn the console war is incoming…

Pac-Man & The Ghostly Adventures.

...

Titanfall is also out this week.

Xbox One's UK price cut was Microsoft's most notable move since the arrival of the Xbone and PlayStation 4. Adding more indignation to early adopters, Microsoft also announced a Titanfall bundle. The current price cut only applies to the UK but don't be surprised if Microsoft slashes prices of Xbox One's globally; Sony's PS4 has out-sold Microsoft's console 2-to-1

It was clear this was going to be an intense battle; the Xbox One and PS4 launched a mere seven days apart. Boasting an almost identical line-up, specs and design, it's hard for general consumers to differentiate between the consoles.

Bad press has blighted The Xbox One from early on; the backlash Microsoft had to endure after gamers roundly rejected their always-online policy made the PSN hack story seem a million years ago. The issue over Xbox One's inability to play games at 1080p was another – albeit minor – bullet in the brand. Ultimately, the critical difference between the two machines has been the PlayStation 4's lower price. So when presented with two parallel machines, it's no surprise that shoppers have opted for the lower-priced model.

While Sony has other interests, such as their electronic and movie divisions, the PlayStation brand has always been a focal point in Sony's portfolio. The company's CEO, Kazuo Hirai (he of "RIIIIDGE RACER!" fame), obtained his position on the strength of his work on the PlayStation. Hirai is always seated front row for Sony's annual E3 conference; his commitment to PlayStation is firm.

The Xbox, in contrast, is treated like the red-headed step-child of the Microsoft family. Overshadowed by the lofty Windows, the Xbox has never been able to shake the 'novelty' project label. Investors have urged new CEO Satya Nadella to abandon the Xbox brand. Nadella's stance on the Xbox remains to be seen; he had little interaction with the brand on his ascend. Phil Spencer has stated that Nadella is a "supporter" of Xbox, but Nadella has not gone on record expressing his views on the gaming device. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is convinced that the company should sell the Xbox brand.

The Xbox, in contrast, is treated like the red-headed step-child of the Microsoft family. Overshadowed by the lofty Windows, the Xbox has never been able to shake the 'novelty' project label. Investors have urged new CEO Satya Nadella to abandon the Xbox brand. Nadella's stance on the Xbox remains to be seen; he had little interaction with the brand on his ascend. Phil Spencer has stated that Nadella is a "supporter" of Xbox, but Nadella has not gone on record expressing his views on the gaming device. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is convinced that the company should sell the Xbox brand.

Analysts estimate that the Xbox brand loses $2 Billion annually. With Microsoft losing money elsewhere, the Entertainment division (which includes the Xbox) would be the first to taste the sword.

Titanfall drops this week on Xbox One and PC, followed by an Xbox 360 release next week (Yes, Titanfall is on Xbox 360). In promotional material, Microsoft is touting the Xbox One version of the game as the lead platform.

Open betas, bundles, limited edition console, Microsoft has put their promotional muscle behind Titanfall. The reaction to the game has been unanimously positive. The hype behind Titanfall is reminiscent of the furore surrounding another First Person Shooter that Microsoft was banking on kick-starting a console, Halo. Whilst Halo and its sequel sold exceptionally well and helped MS sell thousands of Xboxes, the original Xbox didn't come close to the overall sales figure of the PS2. As a result, the machine lost a staggering $4 billion.

The exclusives will decide this console generation; HDD space and 1080p are fringe issues. Microsoft snatched up many of Sony's gems last-gen; Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and even Tekken made the trip to Seattle. The only series Sony can rely on is their first-party games, which are a mixed bag. As fun as Infamous and God of War are, neither will convince fence-sitting gamers to hop over. Gran Turismo has lost its spark and is released too infrequently to make a difference. And no, those extra 60 minutes of Watch Dogs isn't going to be a gen-winner.

Sony's ace is undoubtedly Naughty Dog; the studio has delivered many of Sony's greatest games and arguably the best overall game last-gen, The Last of Us. Despite the strength of Naughty Dog, recent history has shown that it's FPS's that sell consoles – Not action-adventures games. Sony should focus on obtaining the rights to Titanfall's inevitable sequel.

With Nintendo getting out of the console race, it's a two-way battle between Microsoft and Sony. Both consoles are very similar and expensive; it's likely consumers will only pick one. If Titanfall doesn't shift as many Xbox One's as MS requires, it doesn't automatically spell the end, but it'll be a blow the Xbox will be hard-pressed to come back from.