Does the fact that the game takes place inside Chopin's head play into the plot, or is it simply a gimmick? Did the game designers idolize the man or something? Is the music based on his compositions?
I decided to split this off of the Christmas Gift thread since it sounds like it's going to be a discussion.
Thread starts like this:
Eternal Sonata is an amazingly deep game. The premise behind the story is incredible. Just listen to this summary:
On his deathbed, the famous composer, Chopin, drifts between this life and the next. In his final hours, he experiences a fantastical dream where he encounters a young girl facing a terrible destiny and the boy who will fight to save her. On the border between dreams and reality, Chopin discovers the light that shines in all of us in this enduring tale of good and evil, love and betrayal.
You are playing a game inside of Frederick Chopin's head. The music for this game is astounding.
Does the fact that the game takes place inside Chopin's head play into the plot, or is it simply a gimmick? Did the game designers idolize the man or something? Is the music based on his compositions?
It is essential to the plot - he's dreaming the whole game up. This is not a spoiler, it's listed right on the box, in the very beginning of the game, etc.
The music borrows heavily from his compositions. There are also whole sections of the soundtrack that are Chopin pieces.
I have the game. I love the game. Very well made RPG with some interesting twists to the genre. Everyone who like RPGs should at least give it a good 4 hour test drive.
I've had a quick go of it and didn't think much of this one. That may have been the fact I was rather drunk while playing it, hence making me crap at it??
Wow, I'm on day two of serious delving into this game, and I am just astonished.
Eternal Sonata should be like... required reading for all gaming parents to play with their kids. It is co-op multiplayer, which means that during battles every person with a controller gets full control over one of the characters. Tonight we had three hours on the couch together, having fun, talking, playing a cool game AND learning all about music history as well as the history of late 19th century Europe in a way that makes it supremely interesting for them to WANT to learn more; as the history of Europe in the late 19th century has a direct bearing on the game
Perry's like "Now I want them to make a game about Beethoven too". Kyle's like "Étude Opus 10, No. 12 is AWESOME" and we're only on chapter 2 of the game!
Each chapter is interspersed with a real world slide show of relevant location shots, such as Valldemossa in Mallorca, where he wintered in 1838-1839 to help recover from tuberculosis. The slide show is accompanied by a new collectable Chopin piece, as well as a vivid and well-written description of the events that were happening in the real world that inspired this particular section of the game. It turns out the North American localization was proofread by the Frederick Chopin Society in Warsaw. The localization team wanted to be as historically accurate as possible, without losing the original message of the script.
My kids, in a three hour gaming session, have come away with:
Quality bonding time with dad
A new appreciation for Chopin and classical music in general
A sense of success and achievement because we beat two hard bosses by working together and using tactical planning to take them down
Further inspiration to learn Piano
A 19th century European history lesson (about the Warsaw Rebellion, etc.)
I like moosics! I think anything that gets kids interesting classical music has got to be a good game, considering how studying music can help you improve in all sorts of different ways. Plus, the arts just don't get the attention they deserve. Yayy music games!
I'm on the last level I think, hopefully. It's fun but suffers from you having to do the same crap over, and over and over... it gets a little old. But I've had it for 2-3 yrs. now and never beat it so I figured "what the hell" and started playing it.
Which kind of why I was hoping this game would come out on PC so I would have something to look forward too.
Comments
Thread starts like this:
Eternal Sonata is an amazingly deep game. The premise behind the story is incredible. Just listen to this summary:
You are playing a game inside of Frederick Chopin's head. The music for this game is astounding.
It is essential to the plot - he's dreaming the whole game up. This is not a spoiler, it's listed right on the box, in the very beginning of the game, etc.
The music borrows heavily from his compositions. There are also whole sections of the soundtrack that are Chopin pieces.
Give it one more shot sober
Eternal Sonata should be like... required reading for all gaming parents to play with their kids. It is co-op multiplayer, which means that during battles every person with a controller gets full control over one of the characters. Tonight we had three hours on the couch together, having fun, talking, playing a cool game AND learning all about music history as well as the history of late 19th century Europe in a way that makes it supremely interesting for them to WANT to learn more; as the history of Europe in the late 19th century has a direct bearing on the game
Perry's like "Now I want them to make a game about Beethoven too". Kyle's like "Étude Opus 10, No. 12 is AWESOME" and we're only on chapter 2 of the game!
Each chapter is interspersed with a real world slide show of relevant location shots, such as Valldemossa in Mallorca, where he wintered in 1838-1839 to help recover from tuberculosis. The slide show is accompanied by a new collectable Chopin piece, as well as a vivid and well-written description of the events that were happening in the real world that inspired this particular section of the game. It turns out the North American localization was proofread by the Frederick Chopin Society in Warsaw. The localization team wanted to be as historically accurate as possible, without losing the original message of the script.
My kids, in a three hour gaming session, have come away with:
- Quality bonding time with dad
- A new appreciation for Chopin and classical music in general
- A sense of success and achievement because we beat two hard bosses by working together and using tactical planning to take them down
- Further inspiration to learn Piano
- A 19th century European history lesson (about the Warsaw Rebellion, etc.)
Amazing! I love this game!If you have played Blue Dragon, you will love this one. Makers of Final Fantasy are awesome.
Could be a clue there.
"patients are reminded not to die in the corridors..."
I swear I'll stop playing when I finish the game!
Which kind of why I was hoping this game would come out on PC so I would have something to look forward too.
14 years later... https://delightfullyweird.blog/2021/10/16/eternal-sonata/
If you're looking to play Eternal Sonata, it is available as part of PlayStation Now, which means you can play it on PS4 and PS5 with a subscription