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  • $59.99
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Eternal Sonata (Xbox 360)

common sense media says

RPG visits Chopin's death bed and fantasy world.


parents & educators say
  • 40% say it's educational

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that underneath its pretty veneer, this Teen-rated game raises serious philosophical questions about the choices people make when faced with their own mortality. Several cut scenes take place at Frederic's deathbed in his Paris apartment. There's plenty of fantasy violence but nothing too realistic -- except when it's directed at rats and other animals. Settings include scenes in bars and a wine cellar and players will encounter a drunken person.

Educational value: Kids learn about events in Chopin's life and get to listen to some of his major works.
Positive messages: The character of Polka is a social outcast because her illness means she can use magic, and people mistakenly think she is contagious.
Violence: Players battle a variety of villainous humans, monsters, and animals. The violence is animated and not graphic. All of the enemies are aggressive but not all of them look menacing -- some might find it disturbing to beat up on mice, ponies, and other creatures who cry out each time they're hit.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Occasional mild and non-gratuitous cursing like "damn."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Settings include bars and a wine cellar. In the wine cellar you briefly interact with a drunken worker.

More on Eternal Sonata

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about whether it would be worth it to have a rare and special talent if it meant also having a horrible side effect, like Chopin's prodigious musical abilities along with frail health, or Polka's incurable illness granting her the ability to use magic.

What's the story?

What's the story?

Video games have featured some unlikely heroes, but ETERNAL SONATA surely takes the cake by making its central character 19th-century composer Frederic Chopin. In real life, the sickly pianist succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of 39, but in Eternal Sonata he's a robust character who whales on enemies with a souped-up conductor's baton and unleashes devastating magical attacks while uttering battle cries: "You cannot stop my relentless advance!"

As Chopin lies on his death bed in his Paris apartment, in his mind he travels to a beautiful fantasy world where he meets a girl named Polka who, like him, is afflicted with an incurable illness -- except that in Chopin's dream, characters who are doomed to die from illness are granted a wondrous side effect of being able to use magic. Eventually he and Polka meet up with other characters and set out to confront the warmongering Count Waltz, who is breeding a sinister army.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Chopin's world is a gorgeous one, with bright and colorful surroundings and characters with exquisitely detailed costumes and expressive faces. Eternal Sonata also boasts a unique and dynamic battle system where there are a limited number of seconds to execute a turn, and special abilities are affected by whether the character is standing in light or shadow. Each battlefield includes both sun and shade, and a big part of fighting is maneuvering characters into the desired lighting. There are also documentary-style interludes that narrate important episodes in Chopin's life while his music, performed by pianist Stanislav Bunin, plays in the background.

In spite of its many high points, the game is weighed down by long cut scenes and the lack of an overworld map to prevent frustrating backtracking in several locations. Annoyances aside, however, Eternal Sonata is a fresh and beautiful role-playing.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Xbox 360
Not available online
Genre: Role Playing
Developer: Namco Bandai
Released on: September 21, 2007
Price: 59.99
ESRB Rating: T for fantasy violence, mild language, use of alcohol.

This review was written by Erin Bell
 
 

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What parents & educators say

11
Based on 5 parent & educator reviews:
  • 40% say it's educational

Most useful reviews by all members

wavymouth
parent of 8 and 15 year old
 
must get xbox360 and this
i've watched beautiful videos of people playing this. if only i can...

 
great game
this is ok for all ages and the stuff in it doesn't bother me at all

 
Awsome
Good story, good music.

aallison77
parent of and 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 15 year old
 
Worth playing

 
Music
I personally don't care for the game itself. However, it shouldn't be a problem for most kids, and can be used as a platform to teach them about music, as almost everything in the game is in some way musical or a musical reference.

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age