Joystiq plays Eternal Sonata, new screens
Joystiq got a chance to sit down and get some play time with the upcoming Eternal Sonata, known as Trusty Bell in Japan. We've been intrigued by the title's quirky premise (Chopin and his magical, musical friends go on a whirlwind adventure) ever since Eternal Sonata was first announced. Joystiq reports that the game's combat system is actually real time. Characters still take turns fighting, but each character has approximately five seconds per turn to deal as much damage as possible. Extending the real time combat is a battle system called Echoes. Essentially, as you string together melee attacks, you build the strength of potential spells. The Echoes system is also used to power up party based spells.
Joystiq also reveals that there is no traditional overworld map and that players are free to explore as they wish. Additionally, there are 10 playable characters and players may organize their 4 person party in any manner that they wish, though certain situations will require the use of certain characters. Hit the "read" link for Joystiq's detailed impressions. Also, check out the Eternal Sonata gallery for plenty of beautiful screen shots.
