If you liked Inception and enjoy beautiful, story-driven RPGs, this game is brimming with good vibes. (Brief review).
The first thing you should know is that Eternal Sonata has a demo in the PSN store, so that's an easy start to getting acquainted with this gem. The demo, however, doesn't at all clue you in to the fantastic, immersive story you'll be privy to in the full game. You'll notice that the game and its interface does appear somewhat cutesy, but battles can be deadly if you're not thinking sharp. This is a game for those who enjoy some difficulty but need a break from the harsher, bleaker, more depressing games.
At the time of this review, Eternal Sonata appears slightly dated in some aspects (the exploration bits harken back to PS2 JRPGs), but the animation and the visuals themselves are still marvelous to behold. I've always been a sucker for games packed with fine details, and this is one of them. Enemies such as sewer rabbits pause on their path towards nibbling you to death to raise their noses and sniff the air, for example. I was surprised by the care taken to make these enemies seem like more than just experience points on legs.
I suppose I should also say that, yes, the battles are great fun. The use of light and dark areas in the battle area help to break Eternal Sonata away from other games, making it a fresh experience. For example, you might fail to notice that you've run into a dimly lit area, where the darkness could cause an enemy's special attack to become nearly fatal. It works the same way for your characters. You also get to stay involved during the enemy's turn since you have a chance to guard against attacks with button presses, if you're quick.
I really have to get back to playing the game, but I wanted to leave a quick note for those who've been able to relate to any of my previous reviews or feel that you share a similar mindset. The movie Inception was freakishly awesome and Eternal Sonata, despite being released much earlier, should definitely remind you of it! How cool is that?
EDIT: For those who are actually fans of Chopin's music, you get to unlock many of his full length compositions during the game. You can then listen to them at any time from the menu. There are cutscenes which explain parts of Chopin's life and how each song was inspired. So, you aren't just getting a game here, you're getting history lessons too! One of the great things about it is that some of the events in the game--which all takes place in Chopin's dreams--are linked to real events that happened in the real Chopin's life.
Also, in Eternal Sonata you can make money by taking photos during battle and selling them to vendors. It can be challenging to get a top-quality photo, but it is oh-so-cool when you do and you get enough gold for it to restock your healing potions. :)