Ign and gametrailers have their reviews out for Eternal Sonata, and they're all pretty positive.

Ign - http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/819/819923p1.html

Gametrailers - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/24973.html (SD)

Gametrailers - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/24972.html (HD)

I still think that games that have average score under 80% is not that good really. Blue dragon proved that to me. But i still have hope for eternal sonata.

I think the sad excuse for side-quests is the main problem for the game.

Yojimbo -

Exactly what in you playing Blue Dragon didn't you like, compared to similar Final Fantasies and Dragon Quests?

Either way, the reviews are pretty positive about the game. Still got it on pre-order, where it's staying till I get it Wednsday.

I can understand this genre not going over with the free roaming RPG fans and getting knocked for that.

I have been relying more and more on the game demos lately... Reviewers don't seem to be consistent in how they rate games anymore. More based on public consensus then actually reviewing the games for what they are... I only use reviewers to guide the time I spend researching games...

Anything below 60% does not even get downloaded to my console. 60-85% I download first before I buy and assess, 86%+ I definately buy... And this average has to be after 5 or more reviews on gamerankings.com.

I'll post the reviews I saw in magazines:

EGM- 6, 8, 7

Game Informer- 8.25, 8

So EGM gave it better than Blue Dragon and Game Informer gave it less.

For one thing, FF and DQ games (especially FF games) have great story and characters, this has neither. 

The combat system in Blue Dragon is good, not the best, but it's good. It has a good encounter system.

The music has been mostly good, some parts a lot better than others. FF music is usually godly. The boss music is something else. I mean most people hate it, but I love it cause it's so bad that it's good. I dunno if they were going for a joke or what with that but I liked it :)

The voice acting is terrible but bareable (there's much worse), FF XII might have the best voice acting of any Japanese game localized for the US.

It looks great, that's for sure and I like the art direction specifically on the fiends you face on the go (more than the one for the characters, but I have no problem with the whole Dragon --- look)

I'm still early in the game, like 6-7 hours in so I can't review or decide how good the game was as a whole yet. but these are the impressions so far and some comparing with the Square games that you wanted. 

I just don't think it lived up to the expectations people had in it according to the reviews. This was supposed to be the FF/DQ challenger, this and LO anyway. Also, people are ignoring the fact that the game is developed by Artoon, the developers of Vampire Rain, it's only supervised by Mistwalker and Sakaguchi...

Out of curiosity Mrstickball do you play FF and DQ games?

Eternal Sonata Game Rankings Average: 79%

Play Magazine		9/1/2007	9 out of 10	90.0%
IGN		9/13/2007	8.3 out of 10	83.0%
Game Informer		9/1/2007	8.25 out of 10	82.5%
GamePro		10/1/2007	4 out of 5	80.0%
Hardcore Gamer Magazine		9/1/2007	4 out of 5	80.0%
Official Xbox Magazine		9/1/2007	8 out of 10	80.0%
Electronic Gaming Monthly		10/1/2007	7 out of 10	70.0%
gamesTM		9/1/2007	7 out of 10	70.0%

 Of course it would be signifficantly lower without Play's retardedly overly high score, but still obviously solid review scores.  Nothing revolutionary, but a good game.

That means Eternal Sonata is currently higher than Blue Dragon's average, which is 77%

Play Magazine enjoys damn near every game they put their hands on lol Must be nice.

The demo of Eternal Sonata was enough to get me interested. I would really love to play it Co-op with two other players.