CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

I finally got around to picking up this month's Official Xbox Magazine, and loe and behold, inside was a disc that included a fully playable demo of the upcoming Xbox 360 RPG "Eternal Sonata." Let me just first say that the visuals in this game are absolutely incredible, even by current Xbox 360 standards. The attention to detail as well as some of the most realistic and dynamic lighting effects really bring this game to life. If ever there were a reason to go out and pick up an HDTV, this game is it. The few musical tracks I've listened to so far have also been very good, but it's the voice acting that's impressed me the most about the game. The combat system is a bit unique in the way the game uses an action-style system that puts each character on a set time limit. You can freely roam around and carry out attacks as long until your time bar runs out. Then it's the next character or enemy's turn to attack. The presence of Light and Dark also play a key role as your attacks change depending on whether or not you're currently standing in the light or the darkness. This also holds true for the many enemies and their attacks. Some enemies are stronger in light and some are stronger in the darkness so this becomes yet another strategic element during battles. If you want to use items, such as healing elixirs, you have to set them up in the menu before the battle begins. It may seem a little complicated, but the entire combat system is very intuitive and a lot of fun to use. Easily one of the best battle systems I've used in a long time and really adds a lot of strategy and fun to the combat in the game. The demo is a short romp, but there's plenty to do and enough to give you a good idea as to whether or not this is a game you'll want to pick up in September. Blue Dragon has been at the top of my Xbox 360 wish list for about a year now, but it's now moved down to number two after playing this demo. So far this is the best RPG I've played for the system and this could turn out to be a huge hit for Namco/Bandai during the holidays. My demo rating on this one would be a 9.1/10. This is one to keep an eye on.