I played half of this game (up to chapter 4), hoping that it would get better, as some other reviewers suggested. Then I gave up. Here is why,
First of all,a good story is a key element in RPGs. In Eternal Sonata, the story seems creative at first but it progresses very slowly. There are lots of cutscenes that don't go anywhere. At least half of the cutscenes from the first 10-12 hours (the parts I played) seemed redundant. They did not further the story or help giving the characters more depth, just idle talk. I didn't find them funny or interesting either, so the game got boring.
Second,the game is shallow in terms of character customization and battle mechanics. The combat is fun and interesting initially, but then you realize that all you are doing is to build up a multiplier by mashing one button and then do a special move with another button. Also, depending on whether your character is standing under light or shadow, your special move changes. That's about it. I don't see how this is innovative or strategic.
Third, character customization is also minimal. Your characters level up and their stats improve automatically as in most JRPGs. There is no skill point allocation or control over stats. You also learn different special moves as you level up, however again you have no control over what your characters learn. You just pick two special moves to use in combat for each character. That's all you'll get for character customization.
Last, the game has very tedious puzzle/maze sections. You pull a lever, backtrack several screens, pull another level etc. Because these sections also happen in large areas, it is more about trying to figure out where things are rather than solving the puzzle. You know what to do next, but you don't remember where it was, which gets frustrating.
On the other hand, the game has very nice visuals. The sections about Chopin's life at the end of each chapter are great, and it has multiplayer. However, these don't make Eternal Sonata a good RPG. It is just an ok game. If you are interested, try Tales of Vesperia instead, which is a far better game.
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