01.20.08
GAME CLEARED: Eternal Sonata (360)
At 6:59p, I defeated the final boss of Eternal Sonata on the Xbox 360. This is the second game cleared in 2008. The next game that is queued for completion is Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (PSP), followed by Touch Detective 2 1/2 (DS) and Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii). Final clear time is 23:13 over 22 days.
The seal on purchasing new games will be broken on April 1st, 2008 if there are greater than five Game Clears before then, or March 1st, 2008 if there are greater than eight.
Kain said,
01.21.08 at 1:46 am
Try as I may, I still can’t quite get my head round the idea of a traditional JRPG where the main character is Frederic Chopin, and some of your other entries have led me to believe he comes across as somewhat extraneous to the plot and characterisation as is (a bit like the title characters of early Dickens books, who were generally rather dull but met more interesting characters as they plodded across the pages). Although I suppose there are other RPGs where the main character is not particularly intrinsically interesting and is one of few characters (perhaps even the only one) who is not at the heart of any subplots (his death and resurrection aside, Crono is a good example of this), so perhaps it’s not so surprising.
On a not entirely unrelated note, I received three Chopin CDs for Christmas containing a host of his works I hadn’t previously heard; I very nearly have a complete collection of the pieces published in his lifetime or shortly after his death (still missing: the Prelude in C-sharp minor Op.45, the Allegro de concert in A major Op.46, the Polonaises Op.71, the Funeral March and Ecossaises Op.72 Nos.2-3, and the Polish Songs Op.74). It’s been a while since I’ve been on a Chopin kick, and some of these discs have reminded me why my last one lasted about three years.
I don’t know if there is a soundtrack listing included with the game, but if there is, I’m curious to know which Chopin pieces were included in it (does a game called Eternal Sonata include any of the movements of his three piano sonatas, for example?). So far I’ve been able to ascertain that the soundtrack includes the “Revolutionary” Etude in C minor Op.10 No.12, the “Raindrop” Prelude in D-flat major Op.28 No.15, the Fantasie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor Op.66, the Grande Valse Brillante in E-flat major Op.18, and at least one of the Nocturnes (best guess: Op.9 No.2 in E-flat major). Can’t seem to get a clear idea of the others, though.
Incidentally, I see the pianist on the Chopin pieces is Stanislav Bunin, winner of the 1985 International Chopin Competition. I don’t own any CDs where he is the performer, but I do have many other recordings featuring other winners of the competition (such as Adam Harasiewicz (1955), Maurizio Pollini (1960), Martha Argerich (1965), Garrick Ohlsson (1970), and Krystian Zimerman (1975) - as well as the second, third, and fourth place winners from 1955, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Fou Ts’ong, and Bernard Ringeissen).
Yes. I need to get out more, don’t I.
John said,
01.21.08 at 5:16 am
The Chopin pieces are indeed related to the chapter names; one is unlocked for each of the first six chapters automatically (the one you’re missing that I know of is Chapter 6, “Tristesse”, but if that’s not helpful enough, sorry– I’m terrible at identifying these; the only one I really knew by heart was the Revolutionary Etude) but the seventh chapter’s track, “Heroic”, remains locked unless one completes the optional dungeon. I intend to do that, but in a little while– I’m probably going to go through the Phoenix Wright games before I take on another huge RPG.
I’m also going to talk at length about ES today on the LJ, and touch on what you mention– Chopin’s ultimate involvement in the plot is not only quite inexplicable, it’s also a massive, huge, big fat spoiler, so putting it in these comments is a Bad Idea. Let’s just say he has more in common with Crono than you think, but with an interesting yet confusing twist.
John said,
01.22.08 at 11:28 am
I’m just testing to see if commenting has become broken here. Ignore this, please.