Eternal Sonata
| 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 |
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, in North America on October 21, and in Europe with the original name Eternal Sonata on February 13, 2009.
The story follows the Polish romantic pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 39, and his adventure in a fictional world that he dreams as he is dying, which is influenced by his life and music and in which he and others are playable characters. The game's battle system focuses on musical elements and character-unique special attacks. Light and darkness affect 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 performed by pianist Stanislav Bunin, with original compositions 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 its cel-shaded graphics, and lush landscape design.