Blue Dragon or Eternal Sonata?

[Happenstance]

Im in the mood for a new RPG and these are both cheap at the moment. Both of them interest me so I thought id get peoples opinions on which is the better game?

[Daft]

I don't know about Blue Dragon but I started Eternal Sonata about a week ago and I am loving it.

[Jordan]

From what i've played/heard Eternal Sonata is the far better game.

[triforce_keeper]

I only have Blue Dragon, and it's a great game.


Hoping to pick up Eternal Sonata soon though.

[Hero-of-Time]

I played Blue Dragon to death and loved it. I started Eternal Sonata and hated it, stopped playing mid 2nd chapter.

[Stefkov]

Eternal Sonata!

!

Definitely the better game. I loved Blue Dragon, it's fighting system was good and the story was good but I havn't played it at all since I restarted it. I will continue it another time but Eternal Sonata is great. The story is intruiging, the music is amazing and the fighting system is different and better than the usual stand and fight like BD and FF games.
Playing it now and it's lasted me 24 hours.
I have to play through it again to get all the stuff I missed. All in all it'll last me about 50 hours.

[KKOB]

I like Blue Dragon a lot more than i thought i would. It was nice having a simple turn based style, and combo-ing different groups of monsters into one long 5 battle chain is satisfying and nets you extra points so your characters learn stuff faster.

I was very surprised by Blue Dragon, and it's about £15 cheaper than Eternal Sonata so it's worth a punt. The demo of it is pure SHITE though, talk about throwing you in at the deep end!

[McPhee]

Blue Dragon, you can find it dirt cheap at the moment (seen it for £15, can't remember where right now)

Once i've played C&C3 a bit i'll be buying BD for sure!

[The-Ironflame]

I definitely recommend Blue Dragon it's so well done despite the storyline being cliche it does have it's moments and twists, the job system adds so much depth, the battle system is old school turn based with a twist it has a charge bar which determines how much power you give your attacks and spells and whether you attack before or after your other party members and monsters. The music composed by the great Nobuo Uematsu and graphics are superb despite some tearing and slight frame drops its not as bad unplayable as Mass Effect though.

I didn't like Eternal Sonata myself it's a nice looking game with Baten Kaitos quality type of a music from Motoi Sakuraba but the storyline is randomness itself with dialog that drags on and on and the battle system is real time with but it get's repetitive against the random monsters you find in the dungeons and outside the town you start it (there isn't a world map more like linear paths) but is enjoyable when it comes to the bosses.

[Girgo]

Eternal Sonata was a huge disappointment to me.
The story was insignificant and the world seemed so small, it felt like the game never started!
The battles were fun but they went always the same pattern.

[Hero-of-Time]

I totally agree about the story in Eternal Sonata. I couldnt care or less about some Polish composer! The cutscenes just dragged on....and on.....AND ON!

[Girgo]

I totally agree about the story in Eternal Sonata. I couldnt care or less about some Polish composer! The cutscenes just dragged on....and on.....AND ON!

Especially when the game didn't have ANY character development...at least for me.

[immy]

persona 3!!!

[moorek]

You can get Blue Dragon from COMET for £4.99, if you can find a copy. I got one before xmas for £9.99, went in today to see that was now £4.99 on there system.

[Daft]

Just found this, annoyingly since I just bought it, Eternal Sonata £20.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B000UYUJCK/202-2155583-5270256?SubscriptionId=0MNMC603FA906P2NSD82

[Bluejay]

You can get Blue Dragon from COMET for £4.99, if you can find a copy. I got one before xmas for £9.99, went in today to see that was now £4.99 on there system.

For that price I cannot refuse.

I'll give my local branch a call tommorow.

[killer kirby]

persona 3!!!

WINNNAR!!!!

[Stefkov]

I totally agree about the story in Eternal Sonata. I couldnt care or less about some Polish composer! The cutscenes just dragged on....and on.....AND ON!
But that's what the game was about. It was about Chopin, about his music etc.
The cutscenes you could skip aswell. The game isn't what it is without, well, basically what it is about. Otherwise it would be just another long RPG with nothing new which is what I think Blue Dragon is. Same fighting system, and the same made up story where they go on an adventure to save someone/something.
Eternal Sonata is different and is the only long RPG I've ever sat and played through.
Reviews said the game was heavy on the cutscenes and what the story was about. I just wonder why you got it despite this.

[Hero-of-Time]

I dont mind cutscenes hell I love the MGS series which is basically 1 big cutscene. The point is the fantasy story didnt do anything for me and the real life history lesson you get after every chapter just pulled you out of that setting. Why did I buy it? I will give most games a shot and I love RPGs but I just didnt like Sonata.

[Daft]

I normally hate cut scenes but I actually really enjoy the ones in Eternal Sonata. They are normally a solid length, I know this annoys some people, but it means I can put my controller down and just take in what is going on and it is kind of like watching an anime. Also the game looks awesome, so I don't mind just staring at it.

As for the info about Chopin, like Stefkov said, the game is based around him. I love the slideshows, the music is fantastic (I play the piano which I imagine helps :heh: ) and its always fun to read abut the piece in context and also the crappy translation of the subtitles in them. I actually really enjoyed how they broke up the action. They serve the same purpose as chapter breaks in a book imo.

As for the story, I'm half way through, and I love it mainly because it isn't the usual save the world gig that happens in most games, its about death and taxes from what I can tell. Also the other threads in the story like Polka and her magic or Chopin and his thoughts on reality are awesome. And Beat is the cutest character I've ever seen which is strange because usually I want to break "cute" characters necks. :heh:

The only think I can fault about the game is that there is no visual change when you upgrade equipment and amour.

[Stefkov]

I dont mind cutscenes hell I love the MGS series which is basically 1 big cutscene. The point is the fantasy story didnt do anything for me and the real life history lesson you get after every chapter just pulled you out of that setting. Why did I buy it? I will give most games a shot and I love RPGs but I just didnt like Sonata.
Fair enough. It was a change from the same old RPGs though, I've loved every minute of it. You could probably say the same stuff to me if I were to pick up FF13 and say it was shit while you liked it.

I disgree with your last paragraph Daft. If you had the visual change then, it would become more of a which looks better and people getting the best combination of equipment and crap then that would take away from the basis of the game.
I like how you can just buy a new weapon for Allegretto and it'll just make his strength a higher number. Go into battle and kick ass.
The Harmony Chains are something new aswell. Linking up your special moves (if your up to the 6th part level or 5th) 6 times. Wish I had good enough reactions but linking together some big Ice combo with Falsetto, then her Dragon Punch straight after is a killer combo.

[Eddage]

Fair enough. It was a change from the same old RPGs though, I've loved every minute of it. You could probably say the same stuff to me if I were to pick up FF13 and say it was shit while you liked it.

I disgree with your last paragraph Daft. If you had the visual change then, it would become more of a which looks better and people getting the best combination of equipment and crap then that would take away from the basis of the game.
I like how you can just buy a new weapon for Allegretto and it'll just make his strength a higher number. Go into battle and kick ass.
The Harmony Chains are something new aswell. Linking up your special moves (if your up to the 6th part level or 5th) 6 times. Wish I had good enough reactions but linking together some big Ice combo with Falsetto, then her Dragon Punch straight after is a killer combo.

If you just keep hitting the Y button (or whatever button it changes to for Level 6) then you shouldn't ever miss a Harmony Chain!

Personally I preferred Eternal Sonata, I didn't think I would after playing and absolutely loving Blue Dragon, but Sonata was something else entirely, although I can't make head nor tail of the ending! That being said I did trade it in today to help with the PS3, but I had completed it twice and got all the gamer points so I'd say I got my monies worth.

[Stefkov]

I suppose you could do that. tbh I just sit there and just watch the combo happening. Some of them look so good you just see Harmony Chain po up and when it's gone you realise it was there and you press Y.

[martinist]

I've been playing Eternal Sonata for 2 days now and i think its great. I heard alot of bad things about this game and was frightfull of buying it at first but once i got playing i couldn't put it down.

[Happenstance]

I am leaning towards Eternal Sonata at the moment but with my severe lack of funds im gonna leave it until after New Years so hopefully amazon will still have it cheap

[Daft]

I disgree with your last paragraph Daft. If you had the visual change then, it would become more of a which looks better and people getting the best combination of equipment and crap then that would take away from the basis of the game.
I like how you can just buy a new weapon for Allegretto and it'll just make his strength a higher number. Go into battle and kick ass.

I don't really mind about the clothes and other things. I just wished the weapons looked different. Its not a major thing but its just a bit annoying selecting a different weapon and it looks exactly the same as every other one.

Off topic: Jazz's weapon is awesome!!

[Stefkov]

I don't really mind about the clothes and other things. I just wished the weapons looked different. Its not a major thing but its just a bit annoying selecting a different weapon and it looks exactly the same as every other one.

Off topic: Jazz's weapon is awesome!!
What level your characters at now?
The moves they learn further in the game. I'm up to 61 ish with 3 of them, going through the Mysterious Unison, and that Viola. Freakin awesome move Bone Crumble.
What I find really funny is Beat is soo weak. Me and Nintenchris used to (¬__¬) chat while playing the game and we both laughed at Beat.
I mean, he has a gun. Falsetto has fists. Guess which does more damage?
Still I laughed and felt harsh when he got his across the face.

[Daft]

All my characters are around level 20.

Beat isn't that weak at the moment. Does he really get that bad?! I really like him. I always try and take him into battles.

I love how Beat's arms seem stuck in that weird floating doll like position, and Polka's gravity deifying hair!

[Stefkov]

Like all the girls gravity defying arms?
I always laugh at it.
But Beat is pretty weak. His long range attacks don't do that much damage, then you can't pull off special moves because of those attacks taking a while. Then his special attacks are weak. I only take him into battle to take photos and at the same time, like where I am now, so that the 3 I use for this place stay around the same Exp.

[Daft]

Yeah, the whole gravity does not apply thing is pretty funny!

I really like Beat, even though he is weak, so I think I'm going to try and keep him in my party.

[daftada]

Just found this, annoyingly since I just bought it, Eternal Sonata £20.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B000UYUJCK/202-2155583-5270256?SubscriptionId=0MNMC603FA906P2NSD82


Thanks a lot for that! Now to trek down to my local comet for Blue Dragon...

[Daft]

Thanks a lot for that! Now to trek down to my local comet for Blue Dragon...

Yeah, Blue Dragon for a fiver sounds like an epic find. I just wish I lived near one.

[Bluejay]

Yeah, Blue Dragon for a fiver sounds like an epic find. I just wish I lived near one.
I do but they said they didn't sell such a product when I phoned.

Shame. As I'm never going to play it now, probably.

[jammy2211]

Anyone know if there is any news on Eternal Sonata's port to the Ps3? I need an RPG for the system and this seems to be the first headed it's way, unless White Knight Story really ends up pushing ahead >_>.