E3 2013: Hands-On with ‘Time and Eternity’
While touring the games on display at E3 this year was as exciting as always, it’s getting apparent that new ideas are getting fewer and far between. Which is why when something new does stand out, it makes it that much more exciting to try it out. One such moment was when I came across Time and Eternity, an RPG that takes a unique battle system and combines it with a creative visual presentation, essentially putting an anime in the hands of the gamer. Creativity? Anime? RPG? What other reasons did I need to see what this game was all about? I literally went into this demo with zero knowledge, having missed all of the information released on the game, so I was excited to find out what I could.
For a bright and cheery looking game, Time and Eternity starts on a point that can be called the lowest of the low. Moments before her wedding, Princess Toki and her husband to be are ambushed by assassins. Toki makes it out okay, but her fiance isn’t so lucky and is killed in the fight. As it turns out, the princess has another side to her. This traumatic event awakens Towa, a second soul that Toki houses. Joined by their pet dragon who now houses their fiance’s soul, the two set out to find out who attacked them and perhaps use time to prevent the murder altogether.
Just looking at Time and Eternity makes it come off as an anime instead of a game. Giving a vibe reminiscent of Dragon’s Lair, the visuals look like something you would be watching instead of controlling. This just goes to show how gorgeous the game looks in motion, which can be seen in the game’s newest trailer, (hint: check the bottom of the page!)
Random battles trigger while running along the map, starting one on one battles that play out in real time, but not in the way one would expect. Mixing real time with turn based, the girls are set in one spot, but can dodge, block, move forward or backwards and attack at will. Toki and Towa have a variety of stances and positions they can take by attacking the enemy up close or shooting from afar. Each girl specializes in different attacks, complete with their own stats and skills. After each level up, the girl you play as switches, but there are items that open up later on that lets players switch them at will.
If enemies get too close for comfort, they can be kicked back to create distance, which seemed like the best option since long range magic trumped physical damage in every way. Different enemies are said to have different vulnerabilities, but everyone in the demo went down with one spell as opposed to multiple rapid fire melee attacks, making physical combat useless. The difference is that Magic takes energy that must be recharged by dodging, blocking and attacking, so melee being unlimited makes it a strong tool when there’s no other choice.
Outside of battle, the game seems to have a large cast of non playable characters that Toki and Towa can interact with. Mostly voiced, (but all in Japanese in this demo,) conversations would serve to flesh out personalities and build relationships. Dating sim elements seem to play a role in how these friendships develop, which might play a bigger role than they seem. According to the information I was able to gather, Time and Eternity will have multiple endings, potentially making the would be husband to choose between Toki and Towa permanently. From being killed to living in a dragon AND having to choose between girls? Sounds like the worst day ever.
Walking away from Time and Eternity left me excited for what the full version will offer. Its unique battle system and stylish graphics are just a tease for the potentially robust features the demo teased. Having two party members in one person is a unique idea, and I’m anxious to see how far the “dating” elements take the story. My biggest concern is how overpowered magic was compared to melee combat, but considering I was just playing one area, the main game will have a much larger variety of enemies to test these battle skills on. After being caught completely off guard, I must say that it’ll feel like an eternity until I can finally get this game in my hands.
Time and Eternity is coming to the PS3 on July 16th.
