The “JRPG” is one of the most formulaic genres in games. Regardless of how may times you’ve played one, you always know what to expect: a hero with an impossible task, a multitude of turn-based battles, and somewhere around 20-40+ hours of fetch quests and plot-driven twists and turns. Even though Eternal Sonata is guilty of committing many of these trite expectations, it remains both original and refreshing despite its shortcomings.

Eternal Sonata’s story is one of the most unexpected tales to come out of Japan in quite some time. It exudes originality through its quasi-main character, Polish composer Frederic Chopin, who dreams up the totality of the tale on his deathbed in Paris. Knowing the futility of the tale is curious enough, but the way that the story is divided up into chapters based on his famous compositions, with biographical interludes to boot, is unlike any RPG I’ve come across in quite some time.

At the core of Chopin's story is a motley crew of musically-themed adventurers that all bring a little something different to the story. The game begins with a young girl named Polka, who is blessed with the power of magic thanks to a terminable illness. As the game’s initial protagonist, Polka runs into fellow vagabonds Alagretto and Beat (and eventually Chopin) who are looking to improve the conditions of the land of Forte. As the team sets forth to stop the Count of Forte’s evil regime, Chopin’s dream world begins to intersect with reality, creating a lucid adventure based upon the composers life, trials, and eventual demise.

An original storyline is reason enough to give any RPG a few hours of your time, but Eternal Sonata outright demands it through its phenomenal graphics and score. While other PS3 RPGs may have skimped slightly on their visuals (save for the stellar Valkyria Chronicles), this game feels like you’re watching a living, breathing anime. Bright and vibrant, with pre-rendered backgrounds that are equally impressive, those with top-of-the-line HDTVs will not be disappointed with this game. Both classical fanatics and casual listeners are sure to love the score, which is obviously inspired by Chopin’s works and shines almost as bright as its accompanying visuals.

In addition to the original storyline and presentation, the game continues to innovate through its battle system; an active, turn-based combat system that focuses on tense action rather than passive commands. Instead of running around MMO-style or positioning your party nearly opposite their adversaries (a la Final Fantasy), battles take place in an open area with plenty of room to run and attack. Each ally has a set of commands mapped out to the few buttons on the gamepad, with “X” executing regular melee attacks and “Triangle” triggering specials that vary depending on whether the character is in the sun or the shadow. These special attacks can be used endlessly in battle and strengthened through chain attacks, but have no place outside of battle; making healing an active part of every fight. On the defensive, each character can help minimize the damage of an oncoming attack if they can press circle at the exact instant required, which is a lot easier said than done.