Getting Out Of Debt

Eternal Sonata is a PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 exclusive video game that comes from Namco. The game is a role playing game set in an alternate reality. It transpires in Paris, and the protagonist is named Frederic Francois Chopin. He succumbs to a disease and dies; however, something occurs before his untimely death. Before dying, he dreamed of a mystical world full of enchantment and mystery. Herein lies the dilemma. Was the dream more real than he could ever imagine? Is it possible that the dream was nothing but a figment of his imagination? That is what gamers will ponder in Eternal Sonata.

If this storyline sounds monotonous, then it is because it is monotonous. I would like to take the been there done that approach with the plot in this game. There have been a few similarities to the parallel world in this game to The Matrix Trilogy. Now that I think about it, I was waiting Frederic to wake from his dream and say "I know kung fu." Unfortunately, that never came to fruition. The game might have had a cohesive plot from the start, but that swiftly dissipates as gamers progress. It turns into this bizarre and ineffable story that is all over the place. This game is definitely not the best storytelling from a next generation console like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Luckily, the gameplay is a significant improvement over the convoluted plot. Up to four players can be in a party. All of the adversaries can be seen in real time (ala Chrono Cross and Final Fantast XII); furthermore, they can easily be ignored. The combat is fast and furious throughout the duration of the game. Members of your party have a certain amount of time in which they are given to perform a specific task. Within the time given, the player can attack, heal, move, and various other actions. The trick is to find an action that increases the time gauge higher and higher. Linking combination attacks together will enable gamers to execute more powerful maneuvers. This provides a real strategic contemplation to the gameplay. When a foe attacks your character, you can chose to block or counter attack if you time it correctly. Moving around during combat can have different ramifications on the battle. For instance, being in the shade can have either positive or negative results (depending on the character).

Conversely, the same rule applies for the opponents. There could be an appearance alteration when they are in the sunlight, or their attributes might be bolstered. The controls are fairly responsive in the game, and I had no gripes about how to do an attack. There is also a cooperative multiplayer that was a nice touch. The graphics in the game are egregious. It looks like this game was on a Nintendo Wii console. This is not what I have come to expect from the hardware on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. If any gamer were to do a side by side comparison of the visuals in Eternal Sonata and Oblivion, then it would be obvious that Oblivion is superior. I do not know what the game developers were thinking with the visuals in this game.

The one aspect of the game that really intrigued me was the audio. I have to admit the musical score is amazing. There is a wide variety of instruments from pianos to violins that perfectly fit the theme of the game. The countless number of crescendos and decrescendos is absolutely brilliant. Disappointingly, the voice acting itself is average at best. Occasionally, I felt like the dialogue was unintentionally humorous. Overall, Eternal Sonata will not keep anyone up all night playing. The game is easily something that can had potential to be fascinating, but the flaws are too enormous to dismiss.

final verdict 6.5 out of 10

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Certain phrases in the English language are often used to great effect, such as when we think of marketing: "Don't leave home without it", or "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands, and even "Obey your thirst". These key phrases and words associate certain products with them when we are exposed to them over and over, so it isn't surprising that in the world of video games, certain key phrases and words have taken on associated meanings. After all, there are tens of thousands of used video games, and thinking all the way back to the Nintendo Enterainment System(NES) and moving forward to the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii, there is bound to be a wealth of intentional and unintentional 'sloganizing'.

We are all aware of the success of franchises like Super Mario Brothers and the Legend of Zelda, but what about the other guys, those games that might go unnoticed were we not here to salvage their epic playability and raise them to that famed 'classic' status? It is with these less well known video games that we are here to discuss today

If you have ever thought of the phrase Tales of.. in relation to a video game, what did you think of? For me, I envision a role-playing game (RPG) fraught with turned-based combat and towns full of common folk ready to share information with you. I also think of three particular games: Tales of Symphonia (Nintendo Gamecube, Playstation 2), Tales of the Abyss (Playstation 2), and Tales of Phantasia (Super Famicom, Game Boy Advance, Playstation, PSP). What do these three RPGs have in common? Let's take a look:

Tales of Symphonia - Like previous games in the Tales series, Tales of Symphonia uses a version of the Linear Motion Battle System - a real-time battle system, as opposed to the turn-based systems used in traditional role-playing games. When running around in the overworld, battles can be triggered by running into the monsters that dot the landscape. The Overlimit feature, which is a result of building 'tension points', allows characters to take less damage, perform special actions, and cast spells more quickly. 'Grade' is substituted for experience, and can be used to purchase items and EX gems

As characters level up in Tales of Symphonia, they can learn 'EX-skills' which allows them learn different abilities, sometimes combining them for greater effect. Each character can earn up to 25 titles in the game either by playing through a certain point in the game, by leveling, or by meeting certain conditions. Different titles will have different effects. Items in the game are a result of loot from battle, from recipes learned from the Wonder Chef (success in cooking is determined by the character's skill level), and from NPCs upgrading items when given certain components.

Along with the cut scenes in the game, decisions you make will affect how others think of Lloyd, the main character. Depending on the choices you make, the friendship's among the characters may change.

Tales of the Abyss - Tales of the Abyss is a story about Luke, and the value of friendship and sacrifice. As Luke, you begin inside your family's manor, an amnesiac caused by the shock of being kidnapped years ago. Shattering your forgotten memories, a girl named Tear breaks into the castle, and you are taken from the safety of home to places unknown. Luke roams freely through his environment finding treasure and voracious enemies to boot.

The land is full of particles created from elements including light, dark, air, earth, fire, and water called Fonons, and the you can master the a particular area by using attacks that are based in one of six particles. Luke can charge-up normal actions to become super attacks by using moves that require the primary Fonon found within that environment. Luke's companions Mieu and Jade, will join you along the way and fill out your party.

Elemental attacks are made more powerful by using slot chambers to add special effects such as power, damage, and health increases, and as your characters level up, you have over 80 unlockable attributes that affect Luke and his friends. As you journey through your main quest of uncovering Luke's affiliation with the Order of Lorelei, side stories include cooking to increase attributes and accessorizing with swimsuits, upscale clothing, and more. You can journey by yourself, or invite up to three friends to play along as characters in Luke's party.

Tales of Phantasia - Tales of Phantasia, was a role-playing game originally released for the Super Famicom, and due to its success as a series, it has finally been releasted in North America. Today, Tales of Phantasia distinguishes itself with its action-oriented, side-scrolling battle sequences (reminding one of Zelda II - The Adventures of Link (NES).

Tales of Phantasia is the story of Cress, a teenager out hunting one day who encounters a strange phenomenon, and as a result realizes he must save the past in order to insure the present. Along the way, he'll be joined by several other characters, learning magic, commanding elementals, taking sides in political struggles, and more.

The combat system defies the tradition of most RPGS, and is most similar to Tales of Symphonia. Rather than take turn based attacks, battles in Tales of Phantasia put you in direct control of Cress. You can perform a variety of strikes using the attack button and control pad,learning other techniques as the game progresses. It's also possible to perform chain combinations, much like Symphonia. The combat system is pleasant diversion from turn-based RPGs, and the animations and backgrounds are beautiful, and have held up well over time on the Gameboy Advance.

Certainly, as video game technology progressed, so did the marketing skills of the companies making the games. Reading the back of the boxes of some Sega Master System games one morning over a box of cereal, I realized how bad the writing was for some of the games. In the 90s, and 00s, companies started employing professional writers, and marketers caught on to sloganizing in video games, giving us a wealth of 'Tales of..' games. The ones I came with are listed here: Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Eternia, Tales of Fandom, Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Legendia,, Tales of the Abyss, and Tales of the Tempest. Hmmm. It is starting to not sound like an accident after all. In any case, I will leave it to the reader to judge which elements are similar in the three reviewed titles, and which are not. You could also go out and play these three classics, given enough time.

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Can you find the free download of Xbox 360 games website? If you have been searching and searching on where to download free Xbox 360 games then you have finally landed on the right page. The following will show you where and where not to download free games.

There are certain sites called torrent sites where you can download free Xbox 360 games. While these games are completely free, there are some things you should be aware of when downloading from the sites. Some of these sites that offer free downloads are filled with spyware and viruses that could really damage your computer. There is another way to download free games though.

If you are looking to download free Xbox 360 games then you can use what is called a paid free download site. What this means is that you pay a one time fee, often less than the cost of just 1 Xbox 360 game, and you can download unlimited free games. The best part is that you will not have to worry about spyware because these sites take care of that unlike the other free sites.

Instead of spending hours and hours searching for a free site, check out the following sites and see which have been rated the top download sites available today.

The best thing you are doing right now is research, but you can end your search here because I have already searched through hundreds of download sites and came up with the very best that won't put viruses or spyware on your computer.

Get a free Xbox 360 tips and tricks guide and download free games now.

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Hey Gamers, ever wish you could get paid for sitting on your bums and playing video games all day? YOU CAN!! That's right, people everywhere are getting paid for the same thing you do everyday...Playing Games! Gamers are making a living just by playing games in the comfort of their own homes. Sounds crazy? The truth is that big gaming companies are paying top dollar to those people just to play their games.

Why? Simple...the Video Game Industry has skyrocketed over the past few years. In 2008, the video game industry is now over a $50 billion dollar business. That figure is expected to increase substantially in 2009 and 2010. What does this mean for you? If you work in this industry the amount of money going into your bank account will increase to a lot more. And next year. And the year after. That's IF you work in this industry.

Companies worldwide are desperately searching for people to test their games and PLAY THEM ONLINE, and they'll pay you nicely in return. It's a win-win situation. They release more quality games, you get paid. It's as simple as that.

These companies have cash, LOTS of it, and they're eager to share it with you. Just think, if you bought a new game that crashes every time your character jumps while running, chances are you will not like the game and tell all of your friends not to buy it. This is a serious setback for the game company. The customers that bought their product will not buy it again and neither will their friends. This company now will have invested millions of dollars in game development, manufacturing, shipping, and marketing costs but no one will buy their game because of one glitch.

That where you come in. See, the way it works is simple, there are just 2 steps to becoming a Game Tester...

1. You submit an application to several companies that you want to work with (over 50 companies to choose from)

2. Once you've figured out which company you'll work with, you'll be set. They'll send you games, you'll play them, send them a list of bugs, and they'll pay you. The more games you test, the more money you earn. It's that simple! Remember that this is something you could do in your spare time. If you're already playing games, then why not get paid for it?

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