Eternal Fantasy

Infobox VG
title= Eternal Fantasy


caption=
developer= Circus
publisher=
released= vgrelease|JP=November 22 2007
genre= Eroge, Visual novel, Console role-playing game
modes= Single-player
ratings= 18+
platforms= PC
media=DVD
requirements=Windows 2000/XP/Vista
input= Nihongo|"Eternal Fantasy"|エターナルファンタジー|Etānaru Fantajī is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Circus, released on November 22 2007 for the PC, as both a standard edition and a limited edition. The gameplay in "Eternal Fantasy" follows a linear plot line, which offers pre-determined scenarios and courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the main female characters, but differs from traditional visual novel in that the player is allowed to navigate in an overworld map from a top-down perspective, and its utilization of a combat system.

Gameplay

The gameplay in "Eternal Fantasy" utilizes three different styles of gameplay. The game features an overworld map and a combat system, typical to

At times, the player will be engaged in combat. Combat in "Eternal Fantasy" utilizes a real-time battle system, with the player taking control of one member of the party, while other characters are controlled by AIs. Each character and enemy has a certain number of hit points, players may reduce hit points by wounding targets using different types of physical and magicial attacks, and may also restore their hit points by healing themselves using items. When a character loses all his or her hit points, he or she faints, and if all of the player's characters lose all of their hit points, the game ends, and the player may either restore their progress from a previously saved location or immediately before battle. Attacks from characters are restricted by a countdown gauge similar to Square Enix's Active Time Battle system, and can only issue attacks and place movements when the gauge is completely empty.

There are multiple plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience. To view all of the plot lines, the player will need to replay the game multiple times, access different areas and make different choices to progress the plot in an alternate direction. One of the goals of the gameplay is to view the hentai scenes, depicting one of the protagonists having sexual intercourse with one of the heroines.

Development

"Eternal Fantasy" is the tenth game developed by Circus' Northern subdivision not counting re-releases, and is their first game not in the "" canon since "AR: Forgotten Summer". "Eternal Fantasy" is notable for having a large development team for a visual novel. The producer for the visual novel is Tororo, who has also produced and composed for most of Circus Northern's past titles. [citeweb|url=http://erogamescape.ddo.jp/~ap2/ero/toukei_kaiseki/creater.php?creater=2582|title=Tororo's visual novel contributions on ErogameScape|publisher=ErogameScape|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-02] Planning and the original story was done by Futsumamu, who also contributed in character designs, along with Eko, Natsuki Tanihara, Soba Aki, Narumi, and Mochi Chinochi.citeweb|url=http://erogamescape.ddo.jp/~ap2/ero/toukei_kaiseki/game.php?game=7826|title=Staff information on "Eternal Fantasy" at ErogameScape|publisher=ErogameScape|langauge=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-02] Scenario work was split between six people, Masaki Sonoda, Fumihiko Kuwabara, Shingo Hifumi, Aiha, Mori no Me, and Shin Gotō.

Release history

"Eternal Fantasy" was first introduced to the public as a free game demo released online on November 10 2007, which introduced the player to the characters and the gameplay of the game through a short story sequence. The full game was later released on November 22 2007, as both a limited edition, and a regular edition.citeweb|url=http://circus.nandemo.gr.jp/sakuhin/nf/contents/html/index.html|title=A list of specifications of "Eternal Fantasy" at its official website|publisher=Circus|langauge=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-03] The limited edition contained the game itself, a 64 page book containing development materials, a fully-colored 20 page illustration book, a special original soundtrack disc, and a map of the Gladio peninsula;citeweb|url=http://circus.nandemo.gr.jp/sakuhin/nf/contents/html/info/tokuten.html|title=A list of "Eternal Fantasy" limited edition's extras|publisher=Circus|langauge=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-03] the regular edition did not contain the aforementioned extras.

Related media

Internet radio show

An internet radio titled "D.C. to EF" being produced by Onsen began streaming online on October 11 2007. The show is based on "Eternal Fantasy" and "", and is hosted by Ai Hinaki, Hijiri Kinomi, and Aya Tachibana, who voiced Locomoco, Farte, and Arcie in the visual novel respectively. Two sets of two CDs, each containing thirteen episodes previously streamed online and a special episode will be released on August 15 2008. [citeweb|url=http://www.onsen.ag/special/comike74/index.html#dcef1|title=Information on the "D.C. to EF" internet radio show CDs|publisher=Onsen|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-13]

Audio CDs

"Eternal Fantasy" has three main theme songs, the opening theme is Nihongo|"Eternal Fantasy: Love is like a Flower that Spreads over the World"|Eternal Fantasy 〜愛は世界に遍く花のように〜|Eternal Fantasy ~Ai wa Sekai ni Amaneku Hana no Yōni~, the ending theme is Nihongo|Love's Song|愛の詩|Ai no Uta, and the grand ending theme is Nihongo|When that Flower Blooms|あの花の咲く頃に|Ano Hana no Saku Koro ni. The opening theme and the ending theme were performed by Sena, and was written by Tororo, while the grand ending theme was performed by Aki Misato. The main theme songs were accompanied by eight insert songs, six for each of the heroines, one for boss battles, and one played during the climax of the storyline. Arcie's insert song is "Trust My Way" and was performed by Yoshino; Farte's insert song is Nihongo|"Pieces of Times"|時のカケラ|Toki no Kakera, and was performed by Hīko; Lyrica's insert song is Nihongo|"A New Light"|あらたな光|Arata na Hikari, and was performed by Ceui; Euretta's insert song is Nihongo|"Flowers that Blooms in the Heart"|心に咲く花|Kokoro ni Saku Hana, and was performed by Aki Misato; Locomoco's insert song is Nihongo|"Solution"|解|Kai, and was performed by Jun Miruno; and lastly, Pril's insert song is Nihongo|"The Little Saint's Song"|小聖女の唄|Shōseijo no Uta, and was performed by Yōsei Teikoku. The boss battle theme is "Last Fight" and was performed by Elefant, and the climax insert theme is Nihongo|"Dawn's Prayers"|暁の祈り|Akatsuki no Inori, performed by Sena.

The first music album released was a maxi single titled "Eternal Fantasy: Ai wa Sekai ni Amaneku Hana no Yōni", and was released on December 26 2007 containing the opening and ending themes.citeweb|url=http://circus.nandemo.gr.jp/sakuhin/nf/news/news_log.html|title=A list of albums released for "Eternal Fantasy" at its official website|publisher=Circus|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-14] The visual novel's original soundtrack was released on January 23 2008 containing fifty-eight background music tracks on two discs. It was later followed by a vocal album, entitled "Songs from Eternal Fantasy" released on February 27 2007, containing the theme songs and the insert songs used in the game. An image song album titled "Destination for Arcie" was released on March 26 2008, containing six vocal songs, and four instrumental pieces. All the vocal pieces were written and sung by Sena, while Lavi composed the instrumental pieces.

Four image song singles were also released for the heroines featured in "Eternal Fantasy", featuring the voice actors from the visual novel. The first single, for Arcie, was released on April 23 2008; the second single, for Locomoco, was released on May 21 2008; the third single, for Lyrica, was released on June 25 2008; the fourth single, for Farte, was released on July 23 2008; and a fifth single, for Euretta, will be released on August 27 2008.citeweb|url=http://circus.nandemo.gr.jp/sakuhin/nf/news/index.html|title=New information on "Eternal Fantasy" on its official website|publisher=Circus|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-16]

Reception and sales

According to a national ranking of bishōjo games based on amounts sold in Japan, "Eternal Fantasy" was placed at the fifth place for the most pre-ordered bishōjo games during mid-September to mid-October prior to the release of the game. [citeweb|url=http://www.pc-press.net/reservationrog.html|title=PCPress' pre-order reservation ranking log|publisher=PCPress|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-05] After the game was released, "Eternal Fantasy" premiered at the first place out of fifty during the month of November, and was then dropped to the twenty-eighth the following month, before dropping to the forty-sixth place the following month, making its final appearance on the charts. [citeweb|url=http://www.pc-press.net/salesrog.html|title=PCpress sales ranking log|publisher=PCPress|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-08-05]

References

External links

* [http://circus.nandemo.gr.jp/sakuhin/nf/index.html Official "Eternal Fantasy" visual novel website] ja icon