Eternal Sonata/Party Level

Eternal Sonata has a concept of Party Levels which affect how the characters engage battle as a party. They primarily affect two things: available turn time and available battle abilities. There are six levels in total. As each new Party Level is unlocked, you are given an outline of the tradeoffs each level provides. Party Level can be selected at the sub-menu from any available unlocked levels, but the advanced combat abilities (such as Echoes) can only be used if the Party Level is kept above their minimum levels.

Level 1

Available from the beginning.

• Tactical Time: Unlimited

Tactical Time affects how much time you have to think about your turn.

• Action Gauge: 5 seconds

Action Gauge affects how much time a character has to act. When the Action Gauge expires, a character's turn is over. Also note: Action Gauge for a given Party Level applies to both allies and enemies.

• Action Gauge will stop if character stops acting.
• Item Set Points: 10

Item Set Points determine how many and what items you're allowed to bring into battle via your Item Set. The more points you can allocate, the more and more powerful items you can bring.

Level 2

Unlocked by defeating Forest Boar (Chapter 1).

• Tactical Time: Unlimited
• Action Gauge: 5 seconds
• Action Gauge will continue to run once character starts acting until it runs out.
• Echoes are unlocked.

Echoes are built as allies score hits on enemies (up to 32) and are consumed when a Special Attack is invoked. The more Echoes built when the Special Attack is used, the more powerful its effect.

Level 3

Unlocked by defeating Killer Knight (Chapter 2).

• Tactical Time: 3 seconds

Action Gauge will automatically begin to run once Tactical Time expires. Action Gauge will also start to run if character acts.

• Action Gauge: 4 seconds
• Item Set Points: 20
• Secondary Special Attacks are unlocked.

Special Attacks are cycled between primary and secondary by holding the Special Attack button until the desired name appears and then releasing to invoke.

Level 4

Unlocked by defeating Fugue (Chapter 4).

• Tactical Time: 1 second
• Item Set Points: 30
• Counterattacks are unlocked.

By pressing Attack instead of Guard at the right prompt when an enemy attacks, an ally can counterattack instead of simply block.

• Harmony Chains are unlocked.

With at least 24 Echoes and two different Special Attacks allocated, an ally can chain both Special Attacks together by pressing Special Attack at the right time at the end of the first attack.

Level 5

Unlocked by defeating Count Waltz (Chapter 6).

• No Tactical Time.
• Battle Speed increased by 50%.
• Can counterattack with a Special Attack.
• Harmony Chains increased to 3.

The third Harmony Chain link comes from the Special Attack of a second ally within range.

Level 6

Unlocked in Mysterious Unison.

• Moving Commands are activated.

Guard, Attack, and Special Attack will be randomly reassigned during the battle.

• Harmony Chains increased to 6.

A full Harmony Chain requires both Special Attacks from all three allies.

• Echoes carry over between battles and during Harmony Chains.