There are a lot of great game out there that are overlooked because they aren’t AAA titles, they’re made by an unknown developer, or they have a few problems here and there. These games are essentially given the ‘cold-shoulder’ by most purchasers because they don’t get the same level of exposure. A sad fact that I find absolutely tragic.

So why not provide a platform for these great games to represent themselves without a bunch of noise getting in the way? That’s what this serious will be about. The hope is that I’ll stumble upon a gem, play it, beat it, and share it with you. Maybe it will spark enough interest in the game for you to go out an buy - good for the developers, the industry, and you of course.

Enter: Eternal Sonata

Eternal Sonata is a music-inspired JRPG developed by tri-Crescendo (the folks behind Baten Kaitos, Fragile Dreams, and most of the music for earlier tri-Ace titles) and published by Namco Bandai Games. The game’s central focus is the final days of Polish romantic pianist and composer Frederic Chopin, who died of tuberculosis at 39. The main narrative is of a fictional world dreamed by Chopin in his last hours, influenced by his life and music. Naturally, the game features many of Chopin’s actual works. The games battle system is similar to other action RPGs (the Tales games, for instance), but different in that the plan of battle is 3D and battle mechanics themselves are heavily influenced by Light & Darkness (each player having different special attacks depending on whether they are in the light or shade of the battlefield). 

BUY:

+ If you have $15 (seriously, it’s wicked cheap now). 

+ If you like JRPGs with interesting battle systems

+ If you take the time to explore your environments, loot houses, and enjoy the scenery

+ If you love classical music (or, are fond of music in general)

+ If you need a diversion from the Western RPGs that pollute the Xbox 360/PS3 platforms

DON’T BUY:

- If you find JRPG dialogue annoying or grating

- If you hate overemotional (at times) storytelling

- If cell-shaded graphics aren’t your thing

Overall, I don’t see where you can go wrong with this purchase. It’s a great game for its price and needs a stronger fan base. Definitely check it out if you haven’t already.