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• 5Oct 08

  Infinite Undiscovery

  Here is a game that has seen some wildly varying reviews since it's recent release. It seems that Infinite Undiscovery is this year's marmite of JRPG releases.
  
  
  
  After years and years of playing JRPGs, I've settled into a niche where Infinite Undiscovery is most welcome, so you can probably tell which angle I'm taking on this game. I haven't finished the game yet, but I'm well into the second disc and have been thoroughly entertained (and on occasion, astounded!) by what I have seen so far. Even to the extent of Capell-ing my Live user pic and Xbox Theme!
  
  A story featuring a maniacal order chaining the Moon to the Earth is a big plus in my book. Taking part in the group striving to unchain the Moon is another plus. There is also a great cast of characters you can utilise in your quest, 18 to be precise, and while some of them feature only fleeting appearances, cast mainstays are great characters (Capell, Aya, Rico and Rucha) and some of the most entertaining I've seen in a JRPG recently. Yep, there is a low standard of voice acting on the whole (although I actually reckon the softly spoken Capell and headstrong Aya are pretty good...) but the chief characters are very memorable, and some of the lines they come out with are hilarious, sometimes in a pretty cringworthy manner ('You said "Anything", right?'), but overall the story is fantastically... Fantastic!? It is hugely enjoyable, suspend your disbelief for a while (this is a JRPG about the Moon being chained to the Earth after all) and you'll have a whale of a time.
  
  Combat-wise, Infinite 's real time system feels somewhat old-school in that there are essentially two types of attack, standard and strong. There are also special attacks that can be executed by holding down the A or B buttons, and to add to the mix you can also connect with any of the members of your potentially 4 strong party. Some of the best parts of Infinite Undiscovery make use of several parties. With such an extensive cast of characters, there are times where you'll split into two or three groups and take on the next area togther. These sequences are nothing less than exciting, as your liberation force takes on many foes in a real time clash that barely gives you time to breathe. Think Star Ocean's combat system without the game breaking away to a battle ground for each fight, then chuck in equal parts Secret of Mana and you should have a good idea of what to expect on the fighting side of things.
  
  Graphically, the game is pretty good. There are some awe-inspiring sights to behold, not least of all the imposing Moon, with chains reaching up to it. The game may not be up to the standard of Lost Odyssey, but the vistas on offer all feel natural and part of the same world. Again, think back to SNES era RPGs, then take the camera down from a birds eye view to ground level and you'll have a close approximation. Also, if you were in any doubt, this is most definitely a good thing!
  
  Last but not least, a big thanks must go to Motoi Sakuraba for playing a part in creating one of the best JRPG soundtracks of recent years. This is classic Sakuraba tat you've heard in Star Ocean, and earlier Tales games (Eternia springs to mind here), however the sound is refined and perfectly complements the locales you'll be battling through. The purchase of the OST is a must for me.
  
  Must get back to it, although I'll be genuinely sad when it is over, though I thoroughly intend to play through again on the unlockable difficulties. Well done Tri-Ace. I'll ensure I get a full review up when the credits have rolled.
  • Posted Oct 5, 2008 9:15 am GMT
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• 4Oct 08

  Star Ocean: First Departure in PAL release shocker!

  Bleedin' 'ell. Who'd have thought Star Ocean on PSP would actually get a look in in PAL regions? I really thought I'd have to import again, but no, October 24th is the day and my preorder is set. It'll be my first legitimate playthrough.
  
  The PSP really is growing on me as of late (not in a DS way) considering I only really bought one so that I could play Tales of Eternia initially. I've picked up quite a lot for it recently, and Star Ocean is just the icing on the cake. Certainly makes up for the difficulty in importing PSP games anyway. Yay.
  • Posted Oct 4, 2008 9:45 am GMT
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• 2Oct 08

  Nintendo DSi

  
  
  Not a huge visual change for the next DS then, but even so it is new and therefore I want one. I've been toying with getting new DS after destroying mine with The World Ends With You and this could be the one (It is out on November the 1st in Japan). There are few things against it though...
  
  With there being a camera, I'd unlikely be able to use it at work, nor would I be able to attach my rather fetching FFIV protector kit as not only would it not fit, but it would obscure said camera-age. There is also no GBA slot.
  
  Good things though, it is a new system, there is camara functionality, it is even smaller, thinner. Many more media functions, including SD card support so presumably I'd be able to do all sorts with that. The biggy is that the screens are also a little bigger too.
  
  Tempting either way, and looks to be not far off the price of the DS Lite. That said, if the DS Lite came down in price as a result of the DSi, I may just plump for what I already know...
  • Posted Oct 2, 2008 12:50 am GMT
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