Eternal Sonata
Eternal Sonata is a role-playing video game developed by tri-Crescendo and published by Bandai Namco Games. The Xbox 360 version of the game was released in 2007, on June 14 in Japan, September 17 in North America, and October 19 in Europe. The game was also released on the PlayStation 3 with additional content as Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream – Reprise (トラスティベル 〜ショパンの夢〜 ルプリーズ, Torasuti Beru ~Shopan no Yume~ Rupurīzu) on September 18, 2008 in Japan, and in North America on October 21, and in Europe with the original name Eternal Sonata on February 13, 2009.
| Eternal Sonata | |
|---|---|
Xbox 360 cover art used in North America and Europe | |
| Developer(s) | tri-Crescendo |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco Games (Japan) Namco Bandai Games (North America, Europe and Australia) |
| Director(s) | Hiroya Hatsushiba |
| Producer(s) | Hideo Baba Shinji Noguchi |
| Artist(s) | Nozomi Shibahara |
| Writer(s) | Hiroya Hatsushiba |
| Composer(s) | Motoi Sakuraba |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 |
| Release | Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, local co-op |
The game is centered on the Polish romantic pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 39. The story envisions a fictional world dreamed by Chopin during his last hours that is influenced by Chopin's life and music, and in which he himself is a playable character, among others. The game's battle system centers on musical elements and character-unique special attacks. Light and darkness play a part in the appearance and abilities of enemies on the battlefield, as well as the types of magic that can be cast.
The game features a selection of Chopin's compositions played by pianist Stanislav Bunin, though the original compositions were composed and arranged by Motoi Sakuraba. It is notable for its use of classical piano pieces, educational cutscenes featuring real paintings and photographs (in contrast to the cel-shading graphics of the game) and lush landscape design.