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Eternal Sonata hits US on Oct. 21
Eternal Sonata brought the charming sound of Chopin onto the Xbox 360 late last year; meanwhile on the other side of the console pond, PS3 owners waited with the utmost patience, just waiting for the title to cross over -- which it did. Then came the waiting for an official date, which will officially be over once you finish reading the next sentence ... or the headline. The game will be out this October 21. That's four days shy of being exactly 13 months apart from the original release on 360. We're seeing shades of 2K's BioShock here, given the whole year difference. In any case, PS3 owners who so dearly wish to muck up the deceased composer's life can do so next month.
Fragile trailer is more than solid
Fragile continues to look like the most atmospheric Wii title since Samus did her thing. This short trailer doesn't contain much in the gameplay department, but what is there has a really eerie ambience to it. The haunting tune that plays as the beam from Seto's flashlight crawls across these desolate environments is perfect.The official Fragile blog still has this listed for a 2008 release in Japan, and producer Kentaro Kawashima has promised us there will soon be news of a release date. Then it's time to start crossing everything for a western localization!%Gallery-26285%[Via Nintendo Everything]
Fragile is the weirdest-looking Wii game you'll see today
Tri-Crescendo's Fragile continues to impress visually, with amazingly moody environments and detailed character models. But, in addition to being impressed, we're also now ... confused? Intrigued? Amused? At least the new RPG succeeds in inspiring emotions.What you see in the above image is Fragile's item shop. The item shop appears to be a person in a giant chicken head mask with one eye missing and a fancy suit with panda kneepads, rolling around a stroller full of junk. We understand that in a ruined world, the shop isn't going to be a fancy place with shiny new swords on display on the wall, and think the tattered, roving merchant is a good fit for that theme. But why the chicken head? Does he/she wear it for warmth?%Gallery-26285%
Fragile is the best-looking Wii game you'll see today
Click image to check out the new screens Even though there are only four new screens of Namco Bandai's Fragile ~ Farewell Moon Ruins, their beauty warrants an update. Besides, we can't have been the only ones who thought of Yorda, of Ico fame, when we first clapped eyes on the slight, barefooted girl above (also seen here). We currently know nothing about this waifish character, though some Ico-style hand-in-hand gameplay wouldn't go amiss; Fragile's post-apocalyptic wasteland certainly seems like the ideal location for a bit of cooperation!%Gallery-26285%[Via Go Nintendo]
Fragile is back and sturdier than ever
The status on Fragile has been officially updated from scanned to gallery'd. Yep, you'll find a whole bunch of fresh, clear and ... don't touch them .. rather pretty images from this intriguing tri-Crescendo RPG in our new gallery.Fragile? What the heck is that, you say? A history lesson -- it was announced as a "ruin-exploration RPG" last year, and only now has Namco released some new character art and images from in-game scenes. It seemed like vaporware for a brief period there, but new life has sprung forth! It's more stuff, just like we wanted, but we actually meant "give, game now! us!" instead of a simple collection of media.Here's an idea. Go to the official website, have a read (if understanding Japanese is a skill you possess), and make sure the volume is turned up to let the haunting tune surround you. Hit the gallery for quietly surreal screens and enjoy the Fragile experience! It's not as good as playing the actual game, but it beats playing something you'll regret.%Gallery-26285%[Via NeoGAF]
Eternal Sonata hits Japan in September, features tons of new content
The PS3 version of Trusty Bell (also known as Eternal Sonata in the States) is hitting Japan on September 18th, more than a year after its original release on Xbox 360. Sales of the 360 original were respectable, but it's clear that the PS3 version will attract a largest audience, especially in the RPG-hungry Japanese territory. To make up for the long delay, new content will be exclusive to the PS3 release. New event scenes, which flesh out the story, will be thrown on the Blu-ray disc. A new quest will be added, and unlike the original release of the game, there will be multiple endings. This new "director's cut" should alleviate some of the biggest complaints about the original. Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski had this to say about the ending of the original Eternal Sonata: "It was like the team gave up, knew they still had to pack in a 40 hour experience and just rushed through the rest. And unless you're a pretentious philosophy major, the ending makes no kinds of sense." While the PS3 version of Eternal Sonata is confirmed for release this year, the fate of a potential US release has been undetermined.
Rumor: PS3 Eternal Sonata for Japan only
Speaking with Videogaming247, the US branch of Namco Bandai said that the PS3 version of Eternal Sonata will most likely not be released outside Japan. "I can't speak for any other territories, but I believe Eternal Sonata is only announced for the PS3 in Japan right now," said the Namco rep. "We have no plans to release the game on the PS3 in the US at this moment." We haven't heard much about the RPG and Xbox 360 timed exclusive since the announcement of a PS3 port last year. We guess this explains why.
Rumor: Eternal Sonata on PS3 may not leave Japan
Videogaming 247 says it's been told by Namco Bandai US that Eternal Sonata on PS3 won't be leaving Japan. A spokesperson for the publisher tells the site that the game has only been announced for Japan and it has "no plans to release the game on the PS3 in the US at this moment." Of course, in the never-ending battle with PR semantics, "at this moment" could mean the game will eventually be announced for other territories. Eternal Sonata's official Japan-only PS3 status might explain some of the strange things that happened late last year when the game was announced for the PS3 on the ESRB site (pictured above) and on Namco's own US site, only to be removed sometime later.
Best of the Rest: Alexander's Picks of 2007
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC) Please, make the addiction stop! Civilization IV: Warlords, the first expansion for Civ IV, made my "Best of the Rest" last year and Beyond the Sword tops this year's list. The funny thing is I'm not a Civ fanboy, nor am I even that great of a player (Full Disclosure: I still play on Noble level), but Civ IV is a game I can come back to over and over again. Beyond the Sword added much-needed mechanics for culture-prone and passive-aggressive players, with enhancements in espionage and other concepts "beyond the sword." Oh, and just to keep last year's tradition going: Firaxis (2K, Take-Two), please get the rights to Alpha Centauri back from EA and give us a sequel!
Eternal Sonata: the PS3 trailer
Namco Bandai is bringing its JRPG, Eternal Sonata to the PS3 next year. Originally an Xbox 360 exclusive, the PS3 version adds a number of enhancements to the experience, with new characters and a fleshed out storyline. (Those that played the 360 original knows that the story needed to be slightly more developed.) Hopefully, by releasing on the PS3, Eternal Sonata will actually ... y'know, get played by an audience that actually appreciates this genre.
Namco unveils Fragile, a new Wii RPG
Tri-Crescendo, developers of Eternal Sonata for the Xbox 360 and PS3, are currently working on a new RPG for the Nintendo Wii. Entitled Fragile, the RPG follows the story of Set, a young boy who must explore various cities in a post-apocalyptic world.Details at this time are scarce because, well, we can't read Japanese. Those with a bit more skill in the language department might want to check out the game's official website, which also features screenshots and a teaser trailer for the game.Those that are a bit lazier can check out the trailer after the break.
First Fragile trailer and gameplay details leave us wanting more
Since it first emerged earlier this month, Namco Bandai's Fragile ~ Farewell Moon Ruins has been a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Slowly but surely though, more on the tri-Crescendo-developed "ruin exploration RPG" is being revealed, and the past weekend saw a flurry of new media (such as the trailer above from the official site), all of which points to an RPG rich on atmosphere and suspense.Famitsu also had a few tidbits of gameplay information. Apparently, protagonist Seto will be equipped with a flashlight, which players will be able to control by pointing the Wii Remote at the screen. A metal detector will also be available (again, this will be controlled using the Wiimote), as well as "other tools." There is also talk of demons appearing during combat, though sadly a rather impenetrable translation prevented us from learning more. Nevertheless, you can color us intrigued.Head past the post break for a selection of screens, as taken from last week's magazine scans.
Handle these Fragile scans with care
This week's issue of Famitsu has the scoop on Namco Bandai's new "ruin-exploration RPG," Fragile ~ Farewell Moon Ruins. Along with revealing that the game will be developed by tri-Crescendo (Baten Kaitos, Baten Kaitos Origins, and Eternal Sonata) and the Venus & Braves team, the Japanese magazine previewed Fragile with two pages of luxuriously purple screenshots and artwork. You can explore past the break for those. Despite the protagonist's feminine features and outfit, the pictured character, Seto, is actually a boy. Fragile might still be in the early stages of development -- Seto has the same pose in every shot and combat scenes are noticeably absent -- but it really looks like it has a lot of potential. Hopefully, this game won't eventually bomb in Japan like Opoona did, and some publisher will feel motivated to bring this to the states.
Eternal Sonata on PS3: More characters, more story
If you haven't slugged through the emo-heavy Eternal Sonata on Xbox 360 (and don't care about achievements) it might be best to wait for the expanded PS3 version. Siliconera reports that the PS3 version of Eternal Sonata features new playable characters Prince Crescendo and Serenade; developer Tri-Crecendo will also be adding extra story sequences. We hope that these extra pieces are available as downloads to the Xbox 360 version as well, if only to help out those playing the game in the future. Anyone who has finished Eternal Sonata can probably tell you that although the gameplay is fun, the second half of the game's story falls apart, making little sense and feeling completely tossed together. It's probably best not to think of this new version of Eternal Sonata as an expansion so much as a giant patch.
PS3 Eternal Sonata gets plenty of bonus content
While the 360 crowd has gotten to enjoy more JRPG titles than the PS3 this past year, we'll be grabbing one of their exclusives, Eternal Sonata, come early 2008. Instead of just porting over the skin and bones of the original version, the PS3 version will include a number of extras to enhance our cel-shaded experience.Bonus content! The very phrase is exciting, but then often times the "bonus" will be an unlockable soundtrack feature, a piece of artwork, or something incredibly lame, unlike all those old Working Designs collections. Those were great. Anyway, Eternal Sonata pulls out some worthwhile content, like making previously nonplayable characters Serenade and Prince Crescendo totally playable. There will also be added story sequences, probably for these characters. Sounds like a winner for the PS3's RPG library.[via SiliconEra]
Metareview: Eternal Sonata (Xbox 360)
Namco Bandai's Eternal Sonata waltzed its way into retailers this week around North America to generally positive reviews. If you still haven't tried out the demo, there's something about it that seems to speak to those who don't typically enjoy the RPG genre. The battle system definitely is refreshing for those who like a little bit more action and button mashing in their gameplay. Oh, and the game sure is purrdy. GameSpot (85/100): "Once you get beyond the glittering production, how does it actually play? Thankfully, the gameplay is satisfying and moves at a slick tempo. There are no random encounters, so you can see every monster. Oftentimes, you can simply go around them, though you will be forced into some battles (and some terrific, challenging boss fights too). Combat isn't a typical series of turns with infinite time in between, though: Eternal Sonata's system is an inventive mix of turn-based and real-time warfare that gets trickier as the game progresses." IGN (83/100): "Eternal Sonata is a great RPG to give to your kid, but it's also put together well enough for older gamers to enjoy. If you haven't had much experience with RPGs, Eternal Sonata would be a great way to get your feet wet. Hardcore RPG fans might find the game a bit lacking, but we found enough to enjoy in the game to keep the limited role-playing elements far enough out of mind from start to finish for the game to keep from growing stale." 1UP (60/100): "Sounds like the latest trendy European art-house flick, but this is the typically clichéd domain of Japanese role-playing games. Frédéric Chopin is no plucky teen, and he's certainly no bald space marine, so all the elements are in place to tell a different kind of videogame story -- which is why it's all the more frustrating that Eternal Sonata squanders its imaginative setting." %Gallery-2144%
Eternal Sonata hits PS3 next year, receives bonus content
Now that we know Eternal Sonata is definitely being released on the PS3, we've learned even more good news regarding Bandai Namco's newest RPG - the PS3 version will receive bonus content not found on the Xbox 360's. According to IGN, the PS3's Eternal Sonata will feature new events to flesh out the game's storyline, Crescendo and Serenade will be playable characters and you'll even be able to change your character's outfits. Although Eternal Sonata was released today on the Xbox 360, PS3 owners have to wait until next year, but, hey, it could be well worth the wait. [Via Euro PS3 forum]
New games this week: Eternal Sonata edition
We're not sure, but we bet Shari Lewis, were she still with us, would get a real kick out of the name of this week's game of the week. ... OK, we know, that wasn't much, as far as jokes go. But honestly, the well has run dry on "will it be on PS3" stuff to write about Eternal Sonata and "Song That Doesn't End" gags are about as much as we were able to muster. It also serves as a nice intro to this week's releases, which we're calling "Mediocrity Unbound!" Please, enjoy. %Gallery-2144%
ESRB shows Eternal Sonata on PS3 ... again
Go make yourself some popcorn and watch the madness as Namco Bandai just can't put the information regarding the PS3 version of Eternal Sonata back in the bottle. We've found it strange that Eternal Sonata was completely missing from the ESRB site for a while now, despite the Xbox 360 version being rated T back in April and scheduled to release next week, but the listing magically reappeared today with the PS3 still listed as a platform. Just to be clear, the ESRB lists their information directly from the publisher. Namco Bandai continues to list Eternal Sonata as strictly for the Xbox 360, but Famitsu reported otherwise and says the PS3 version of Eternal Sonata will be out in Japan next spring. A few days ago even Namco Bandai's own site listed Eternal Sonata for the PS3 before they decided to pull the information hours later. We really have no idea why Namco Bandai is sitting on this info, but the fact that they won't acknowledge it at this point is laughable. Namco Bandai can't seem to craft a proper message on Beautiful Katamari either.
Eternal Sonata is on PS3 reports Famitsu
Remember how yesterday we reported that Eternal Sonata is coming to PS3 because it was listed on the official Namco Bandai site? Well, if you didn't follow the story after that, Namco Bandai pulled the information later. Now, in a classic Willy Wonka "Scratch that, reverse it" moment, Famitsu reports that the Eternal Sonata is coming to PS3 in Japan during the spring of '08. We're also expecting the PS3 version of Beautiful Katamari -- also part of yesterday's disappearing act -- to show up announced somewhere in the relative future too. What we still find funny is that Eternal Sonata is still not listed on the ESRB website, despite it coming out next week in the States. The ESRB was who originally tipped off everyone that Eternal Sonata would make its way to PS3. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
