Everyone knows there has been a big lack of Japanese RPGs for the PS3 since it's launch. Now, Namco Bandai has re-released its first Xbox 360 JRPG For the PS3 with additional content, but is it worth it if you owned the 360 version? The graphics are very good for the genre. The color palette is wide and it really seems as though the world is LIVING, the exact opposite of a lot of games this generation ( sadly ). The character models are great and the same goes for the details in the environment. Two letdowns : You can't rotate the camera, which would have permitted the players to see the beautiful environments in all their glory, and there is a particular extra dungeon which constantly uses the same room over and over with the same color and it eventually gets annoying. Aside from these 2 things it is really a nice looking game. This is where the game lacks substance, especially the ending which is really weird. Basically, it's the story of Fredric Francois Chopin, famed Polish composer and pianist, who is about to die. The story takes place within his dream. An evil count is putting high taxes on everything except mineral powder ( a very strong medicine that supposedly cures all illness ), which he produces. However, the heroes of this story learn about something that people who consume mineral powder don't know about. A rather displeasing side affect, that turns people into mindless warriors/beasts. They then set out to ask Count Waltz to drop the taxes on other things as well, thinking he doesn't know about the side effects. And it simply goes downhill from there. There are no real plot twists and all that is happening is really predictable, except for the final boss which makes absolutely no sense at all. That aspect of the game really shines. The battles are handled in a similar way than ''Tales of'' games. Similar but turn-based. basically, when you touch a monster on the field ( no random encounters ), a battle starts. The arena is most of the time circular and every character and enemies take turns. When it is one of your 3 characters' turn, you perform actions in real-time such as attacking, using special attacks and using items. When it is the enemies' turn, you can block their attack. However, you cannot simply mash the guard button, you have to get the timing correctly when the Chance Icon appears. Blocking is mandatory and really keeps you on your toes during the enemies' turn. Also, as the game progresses, the party levels raises, hindering some aspect and improving other aspects, such as giving the opportunity to build the echo meter ( thus making the special attacks stronger ) or using Harmony chains ( Chains of special attacks between different characters ). one thing I didn't like about the battle system is that all items you can use in battle are kept in an item set, which you need to reload as your reserves deplete and it can get annoying, especially if you forget to resupply just before a boss battle and you go in with only but a few items. Also, the difficulty is higher in the PS3 version than the 360 version which makes it more exciting. Not much to say about the music except that it's absolutely brilliant. There are brief pauses during chapters in which you can hear Chopin's music playing and most of the music is composed by Motoi Sakuraba. The battle and boss musics are some of the best I've ever heard in a game and the same can be said about the Field music. Overall, this game is a truly great experience that should not be missed by JRPG fans who have been longing for one of those games on PS3. The game can be done in 25 hours if you rush your way through but after that you can play a New Game which is more difficult and in which you can change the party levels at will. The extra content for the PS3 version is : 2 new characters, additional endings, 2 new dungeons and bonus costumes for 3 of the characters. Those who really need a good story might want to pass on this because the story is average at best. Also, the people who played the 360 version really aren't missing out on much but those who have yet to play should not hesitate at all and give this game a chance.

I give Eternal Sonata for PS3 an 8 out of 10.