System: Xbox 360
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

Namco Bandai has announced that ETERNAL SONATA will be coming to North America in 2007. The Xbox 360 RPG was unveilled at the Tokyo Game Show just yesterday as TRUSTY BELL. The interesting thing about it is that it is a heavily Japanese styled RPG. Like ENCHANTED ARMS before it, there have been no RPGs on either the original Xbox or Xbox 360 in the same vein as them. While the system has always had unique and critically acclaimed RPGs such as THE ELDER SCROLLS, FABLE, STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC and JADE EMPIRE just to name a few, none were that classic Japanese RPG flavor that many RPG fans are used to.

The story of ETERNAL SONATA begins as a famous composer, on his deathbed, drifts between this life and the next. In his reverie, a happenstance encounter of a young girl who accepts her terrible destiny and a young boy fighting to save her, changes the destiny of the world. Uncover the light that shines in each of us in this enduring tale of good and evil.

“ETERNAL SONATA will set a new standard in next generation RPG’s as it combines an immersive, in-depth story line that will draw the player into the game,” Yoshi Niki, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.’s Product Group Director said. “With a host of impressive next generation features such as a unique monster morphing system, a hybrid of a turn-based and action battle system with a special attack feature dependent on light and shadow, ETERNAL SONATA will set a new standard for next-generation RPG gaming.”

Having Namco Bandai announce the title for a US release the day after it was announced in Japan is a good sign. We’ll have more details as they’re released. For now, check out the first images released for the game.