Editor’s note: This review was written by Quiana Carrero, a game design student at Full Sail University.

Winner of E3 2007, according to Gametrailers.com, and Best of E3, according to Ign.com, Eternal Sonata is a game like no other. Eternal Sonata is place of fantasy, a place to learn to let live in a world of hypocrisy and ignorance, and a place of tyranny.

What would I do for love? What would I do for happiness? What would I do if death was staring me in the eyes? These questions were answered when I played Eternal Sonata. It is a game of magic and power, a game of betrayal and love. This game has realistic attributes in each character and symbolism of the real world. Nine remarkable stories combine to form one major story of getting past fears — all from a man’s deathbed.

Fredrick Chopin, a piano composer who is on his deathbed, dreams characters into real form and gives them a world where things may have to change to get better. His dream consists of people who are struck with illnesses and have magical powers.

There’s 14-year-old Polka, who has been susceptible to an illness that gives her magic powers to heal others. In her mind and many others, she is an outcast, and everyone is afraid that they too will become affected. The only person in her life that ever touches her is her mother. Another character is Allegretto, who provides for the kids in his town by stealing bread. Then there is Beat, who is Allegretto’s partner in crime. He loves his camera and will do anything to better his people and his town. Viola is a snappy one with her bow and tends to her farm in hopes of living a good life. Salsa is a guardian of her town Agogo Forest and has a snappy spirit and does not let bad things cross her way. March, Salsa’s sister, is another guardian of the forest. Jazz is a rebel and wants freedom to come to his town. Falsetto is a tough, no mess kind of woman who also wants freedom and a better way of life for her people. And Claves is a partner of Falsetto and Jazz, a newcomer and somewhat naïve about Falsetto and Jazz’s past.

Notice a pattern? Each and every playable character is named after a musical term. Eternal Sonata shares so much of the music atmosphere. You name it, and it has it. Even the title of the game means everlasting music or sound.

Eternal Sonata has so much symbolism in its story. For example, in the beginning, Polka’s mother shows her the difference in people and how they react to what they don’t know by putting a metaphor on light and dark and showing her how the sun and moon are different but still work together.

Gameplay in Eternal Sonata has an interesting feel. The magic has to do with light and dark. In order to kill an enemy, you would need to know its dark or light specs. If its power is light, then you know to use dark to endanger the enemy and lower its hit points. Tactical Time gives you time to choose your strategy. Once you begin or if time is up, you must make a move. The combat style is similar to other role-playing games, but you also have the choice to fight or flee.

Many of the enemies are tough to conquer, and that’s where your spells come into play. You can guarantee a win if you time your Tactical Time right and use your Action Gauge correctly. The Action Gauge shows you how many hits and/or how much magic can be used. If you time it exactly at 0.00 to 0.01, you can do the most damage to the enemy. The best path is to use your magic spell.

I like the controls in Eternal Sonata. Especially for an RPG, poor or too many controls can mess up a game. I can say that I did not like how enemies could creep up on you and automatically start a match. So, even if you were just walking through a forest low on health and magic, they still had the advantage to control the situation.

The details and graphics for Eternal Sonata are spectacular. Everything is defined to its totality. The color captures you and sends you into a world of beauty. One thing about the scenery is that you can always find something to capture your eyes. Whether it’s a flower swaying through the wind or a bird flapping its wings, you will always see something new. The characters’ hair and clothing move as they walk and fight throughout the game. This is what we need for future gaming.

One complaint I have about Eternal Sonata is that it was too short for an RPG (60+ hours). I also would have loved a different outcome for Chopin.

I would recommend Eternal Sonata to many gamers out there. If you’re male, though, you should be sure about your masculinity. I say this because I have recommended this game to many male gamers, and they all say that it was too girly or too pretty. I can honestly say that I think Eternal Sonata will reach more of a female base simply because we love the drama and love to reach a point in a game that leads to happiness. I love Eternal Sonata because it shows me how things are not to be taken for granted and to always love thyself even when others don’t.