| Time and Eternity | |
| Developer: | Imageepoch |
| Producer: | Kei Hirono |
| Composer: | Yuzo Koshiro Takeshi Yanagawa |
| Platforms: | PlayStation 3 |
| Genre: | Role-playing |
| Modes: | Single-player |
Time and Eternity (Japanese:, sometimes called Toki to Towa) is an animated role-playing video game for the PlayStation 3. It uses 3D models for backgrounds and hand-drawn 2D sprites for characters and enemies. The story is centered on a princess, Toki, and her alter ego, Towa. The theme of "time" plays an important role, and is also utilized in the game's action-oriented battle system.[1] [2] [3]
Battle is based on use of different skills, which the player character learns as she progresses through the game. Enemies use skills to fight as well. Throughout the game, the player switches between controlling Toki and her alter ego Towa. The switch happens on each level-up or upon using certain items. Toki and Towa have different skills: Toki is skilled at long-ranged attacks, while Towa is better at close-range fighting.[4] The battles take place in real-time.[5]
In January 2012, the game was announced in the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. At that time, it had been in the planning stage for two years, and was 45 percent complete.[6] Toki to Eien ~Toki Towa~ differs somewhat from many Japanese role-playing game by having a female protagonist, and by only having one playable character instead of a party. Producer Kei Hirono said that "We wanted to break the mold and step away from the current trend of male hero... to have a female hero playable character who is strong." As for only having one player character, Kei said that this is both to highlight the uniqueness of the character switching mechanic, as well as to reduce animation work.[7] Another key difference from usual JRPG fare is that Toki to Eien ~Toki Towa~ eschews the epic "save the world" type storyline for the more personally relatable experience of marriage. Kei himself was getting married at the same time that the game was in development.[8]
In May 2012, Imageepoch's CEO, Ryoei Mikage, held a meeting to determine whether Toki to Towa would be released in English.[9]
A standard edition and a limited edition were released in Japan on October 11, 2012. The limited edition includes a 48-page artwork booklet, a soundtrack and drama CD, eleven custom PlayStation 3 themes, and a special storage box.
Speaking at the 2012 Taiwan Comic convention, Namco Bandai's Kei Hirono confirmed plans to release the game in English.[10] In late December, a trademark application confirmed the English version's title to be Time and Eternity.[11]
On February 21, 2013, NIS America revealed that they would release Time and Eternity in Europe on June 28, in North America on July 16, and in Australia on July 18 in regular and limited edition.[12] [13] While some English versions of JRPGs alter the content, such as changing character names or plot details, Kei Hirono has said that "Aside from the language, it's going to be the same as the Japanese version." The English version also gives players the option of either Japanese or English voices.
The game's theme song, "Rewind", is performed by Japanese R&B and J-pop singer May J. The music score is by Yuzo Koshiro and Takeshi Yanagawa.[14] [15]
Time and Eternity received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Elliot Gay, associate editor of Japanator, gave the game a very negative review, heavily criticizing the characters, animation, plot, and gameplay. IGN praised the game's unique combat system and character progression, but criticized its dating simulator elements, technical issues, and repetition.
The Digital Fix gave it a score of four out of ten, saying, "Rather than the suave, impressive chat-up line it could so easily have been, Time and Eternity instead sashays up to feminism and blurts 'I like your boobs' like Seth Rogen's menacing delivery in Donnie Darko. It could be a misjudged line but it's not attractive and it's not funny. It's just plain creepy."[16] Slant Magazine gave it a score of one star out of five, saying, "This clumsy attempt at RPG matchmaking throws together a super-casual dating simulation with a sluggish battle system, framing the whole thing with a story that never stops wobbling between the serious and lecherous." Anime News Network gave it a D−, saying, "Time and Eternitys attempt at playing anime falls to ruin at every possible juncture. Hoping to fuse games and animation into a revolutionary RPG, it instead picks terrible ingredients from both worlds. It adopts the random-battle drudgery and routine questing of a mediocre RPG, plus the juvenile storyline from a low-budget TV series that only the most ardent fans would watch beyond the first commercial jump. It's anime, sure enough, but in the worst way."
Not all reviews of the game were negative; Famitsu gave it a score of one nine, two eights, and one seven for a total of 32 out of 40. Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku highly praised it, saying, "if you like JRPGs, this one is a must-play", though he did note the animation's "lack of polish".[17]