Eternal Sonata demo goes Live in U.S.

by Justin McElroy { Aug 7th 2007 at 9:57AM }

If you weren't quite l33t enough to hook it up back in May, the Eternal Sonata demo has burst forth from its shackles in Japan and has made its way to Xbox Live in Canada and the U.S. If you didn't already play through it with the help of a Japanese friend (wink) expect a really gorgeous RPG with a healthy dose of Chopin and choppin'. Strangely, the demo's information is in Japanese in the Marketplace. Hopefully this will be cleared up soon.

Perhaps this is a good time to mention that we're still completely puzzled by the demo release schedule on Live. As if to illustrate our point, there's also a new Vampire Rain demo today that's "not available in Germany, Korea, Taiwan or the United States." Either someone is using a giant, whimsically-colored dartboard to make these decisions, or way too many resources are being devoted to this stuff. Since it's not rocket science to create a Live account that's supposedly from another region, the only real choice being made is which country is going to be inconvenienced. Why waste everyone's time?

Tags: demos, eternalsonata, xboxlive

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

TonyBlair @ Aug 7th 2007 10:07AM

I really hope this game doesnt suffer from the same horrendous screen tearing and framerate hits as Blue Dragon. I need me some JRPG action, and soon.

Jake @ Aug 7th 2007 10:27AM

Well, you have Lost Odyssey, Sonata, and Blue Dragon coming this Fall. That is a pretty healthy JRPG selection for your 360.

I can't wait to get this game pumping on my 50" HDTV. My guess is that it will look amazing.

As for the demo issue, how much do you want to bet it has to do with some retardedly useless legal licensing red tape?

bak8807 @ Aug 7th 2007 10:54AM

Blue Dragon sucks in general. I played the Eternal Sonata demo a few months ago and from what I recall it was a much better game, if only because the storyline felt a little less cliche and the graphics were more appealing. Anyway, I'm skipping this one. The only RPG I have time for this year is Lost Odyssey.

Jake @ Aug 7th 2007 11:23AM

Some people claim Blue Dragon sucks. I absolutely hated the demo and dropped it immediately, so I suppose I fall into this catergory. But, Famitsu scored it well, as did review sites in general, and it did extremely well in Japan for a 360 game. Is it just one of those games that only a Japanese teen could love?

TonyBlair @ Aug 7th 2007 11:30AM

I liked the battle mechanic, the field abilities, and the graphics. I was skipping over the dialogue to avoid spoilers in cause I bought it, so I cant vouch for it.

Anyway, with the exception of screen tearing so bad its nearly unplayable (for me anyway, it distracts me) the game is solid. If this issue is just a demo thing, I can see this game doing well in the US/UK.

Slvrgun @ Aug 7th 2007 10:36AM

This demo has been available forever using the Foreign Account trick. Anyways I've played Blue Dragon on my LCD HDTV and haven't experienced framerate issues.

TonyBlair @ Aug 7th 2007 11:03AM

Then you must be the exception to the rule. Google up "Blue Dragon screen tearing framerate." Nearly every review mentions it.

And Im also gaming on a LCD HDTV, a Sharp Aquos 1080p. Its not my TV.

Vidikron @ Aug 7th 2007 1:01PM

I never saw it either, but I didn't play very long. I'm was playing on a 1080p TV.

ssuk @ Aug 7th 2007 10:41AM

"If you weren't quite l33t enough to hook it up back in May"

What? People weren't smart enough to make a new XBL account and when given the option of stating where you live, you select "Japan"?
I'll give them the benifit of the doubt if they didn't know the demo was out there, but if they read that and then still couldn't download it after... Well, there is no hope for some people.

ForceUnleashed @ Aug 7th 2007 10:48AM

SPAAAAAAAAAMMMMING!

What a fucking loser...

Pool Man @ Aug 7th 2007 12:34PM

thats not spamming...I was telling other games like myself about this sweet online pool game. I play it at work and at class in college a bunch. Just trying to hook up my fellow gammers thank you very much...And my god...do you sound tough cussing and stuff..real cool

deaftly @ Aug 7th 2007 11:18AM

this and lost odyssey are looking to be a couple of great jrpg's. im more excited about lost odyssey though. ill give this demo a try after work.

Mike show! @ Aug 7th 2007 11:23AM

this demo was alright but what bothered me was the lack of magic. You had no forces, or elements just two plain attacks.
light or dark.

kind of lame.

Jake @ Aug 7th 2007 11:25AM

I wonder if that is a demo thing, or if the game completely sticks to just two "schools" of magic.

Lost Odyssey and Eternal Sonata are looking like very solid RPG's right now. Not enough time this Fall to get through the 360 game lineup.

TonyBlair @ Aug 7th 2007 11:33AM

Can you explain this lack of magic further please? Every character in the demo had the ability to add elemental damage to his/her avatar's physical attack. Also, there was a character built on white magic/support, and a character built on black magic, and they both had a nice amount of spells.

Bloo @ Aug 7th 2007 12:04PM

This demo blew my mind. BLEW MY MIND!

Crono @ Aug 7th 2007 12:04PM

Eternal Sonata is the first JRPG to give me that sense of awe since Final Fantasy 7. Nothing since has been able to rouse my interests like this demo has, not even BD.

This is a day 1 purchase for me.

Dacool561 @ Aug 7th 2007 12:18PM

is this the same demo as the one from the OXM disc?

3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 7th 2007 12:59PM

I hope this is good.
There aren't many RPGs on the 360 that catch my interest.

Mike show! @ Aug 7th 2007 1:02PM

Play other JRPGs to understand what i mean of the lack of 'schools' of magic.

Its just very, very, very limited.
Usually games like this are flooded with different areas of magic, yet i didnt see any 'add elemental damage'
You got to choose between 3 physical attacks on the first guy.
very little customizations (compared to blue dragon or FF)
although, i know this is just a demo it shortened my expectations

Crono @ Aug 7th 2007 1:17PM

All that customization garbage is way to damn complicated. Its a story driven game with a fun and engaging battle system. RPGs should not revolve around how the magic system works.

Materia was complicated enough. Then square went Junction, and totally lost me. In FF9, you learned abilities from weapons (WTF?). I think they were trying to emulate how Espers worked in FF6 (which made sense, they were sentient magical creatures you could learn things from, not inanimate weapons). Then in FF10, the sphere grid pissed everybody off because it was dumb as hell. Customization meant "going left instead of right at level 20, and again at level 40". FF12 isn't much better, because they moved EVERYTHING to the license board, a glorified sphere grid, only with weapons and armor as well as magic.

Eternal Sonata's system seems to be a breath of fresh air in an overly complicated genre. Maybe, you know, people will actually PLAY this game, instead of raping it.

BananaBoat @ Aug 7th 2007 1:14PM

Blue Dragon is one of the worst games I've ever played, and that's saying something (I've played ET and Superman 64). Eternal Sonata looks pretty good (in an anime-esque sort of way I guess) but that it's turn based (or atleast someone told me it is, I can't confirm) killed it for me, just like turn based combat kills every other J-RPG with a supposed "Good Story". Turn based combat needs to go the way of the dinosaur. What is the point now that we have full 3D, and are capable of fighting mechanics in the vein of Ninja Gaiden and God of War? Mehhh

Crono @ Aug 7th 2007 1:21PM

You need to play the demo before you talk about the battle system. Yes, its turned based, but each turn lasts 5 seconds, and for those 5 seconds you control your character in real time and can use any of his abilities or items or anything that time allows. Then the next characters turn, it waits to start the 5 second timer until you make the first move (move your character, cast a spell, swing your sword).

The battle system is great. And honestly, there hasn't been a decent non-turn based battle system since Secret of Mana and/or Kingdom Hearts.

will @ Aug 7th 2007 2:29PM

I wouldn't say Blue Dragon was one of the worst I've played, but it really disappointed me. That japanese review that gave it like 38/40 or something plus the forums I've seen praising the game, I expected oen damn good RPG. Instead I get a lame piece of crap, I actually honestly like Enchanted Arms better (I DO like Enchanted Arms though, so that isn't a stab at it).

Eternal Sonata however... DAMN! Game's crazy, this will probably creep into my must-have pile quickly.

Lord Chako @ Aug 7th 2007 3:50PM

I was pleasantly impressed by this demo. I like the battles how you have a certain amount of time to perform as many attacks as you like.
I really haven't gotten into RPG's since the Saturn, but I think this maybe the one that pulls me back into them.

For some reason it reminds me of Dark Savior, which was a great game IMO.

Bangbang... @ Aug 7th 2007 4:12PM

The fighting system in Eternal Sonata is actually what I like the most about it. It was simple, cute, and Real Time. Maybe i'm stupid, but I actually like to play my video games instead of selecting an action from a list and watching the game animate the move for me. Crazy huh?