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[duckroll]

Title: Infinite Space
Platform: Nintendo DS
Release Date: March 16th 2010
Genre: RPG
Developed by: Nudemaker
Produced by: Platinum Games
Published by: Sega
Official Site: http://www.sega.com/games/?g=375


Official Blurb:

BATTLE, EXPLORE AND ADVENTURE IN SPACE FROM THE COMMANDER’S SEAT

The talented creators at PlatinumGames and Nude Maker have collaborated once again, this time on Infinite Space™, an elaborate sci-fi RPG with an engaging battle system requiring both speed and strategy. The esteemed team’s first title, Steel Battalion™, was critically claimed and became a sought after collector’s item. Their latest space adventure promises the same high quality and intricate depth in over 70 hours of gameplay. Created exclusively for the Nintendo DS™, the saga immerses you in a dynamic, colorful universe on the verge of war. In the role of young Yuri, you command a fleet of spaceships and battle against tyrannical dictators and deadly space pirates while searching for a mystical epitaph known to have the power to change the world. As the story unfolds, Yuri grows into a man powerful enough to prevent another war and possibly, universal annihilation.


FEATURES:

• Extensive customization: Create and customize a fleet of up to five spaceships with over 100 spaceship blueprints and over 200 modules to choose from. Changing the crew and spaceship attributes directly affects the impact of the fleet.

• Unique tactical battle system: Decisions must be made quickly in the dramatic, action-filled battles, or enemies will get the upper hand.

• Two gameplay modes: Compete wirelessly with friends in 2-player versus mode or travel through the expansive universe on a solo quest.

• Vast storyline: In this epic journey that spans Yuri’s lifetime from child to adult, you can encounter over 100 unique characters in over 70 hours of gameplay.

• Retro graphics: In a nod to classic Japanese sci-fi anime, the game features spaceships and Japanese anime characters with a 1980s vibe.



Reviews

Infinite Space is an impressive DS offering given its depth and scope. A single playthrough will keep you busy for weeks if not months, and with so many branch points in the story and extra challenges, you'll always have something to come back for.

This is a game for those of us who always wanted to be Captain Kirk or, better yet, to design the Enterprise.

Fat with content, melodrama and fun, few DS games can match its ambitions.

Delivers on the shipbuilding front, though other aspects of the game like the combat and story aren’t as impressive (though they aren’t shallow either)

Infinite Space offers dozens of hours of deep space exploration and storytelling, but the overall package is clunky and inconvenient. Sci-fi and anime fans might find the story worth sticking around for, though, and there are some interesting characters to get to know. But getting to those good bits will test your patience.

What Infinite Space lacks in the soft approachability of a Pokemon or Mario RPG, it makes up for in bombastic scale and mettle. Hundreds of planets. Hundreds of interesting, fully formed characters. Hundreds of lasers, mess halls and intergalactic toilets to equip. Infinite Space feels like proper grown-up gaming and a proper grown-up journey.

Resources

Launch Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsJxsspHkm8

Tutorial #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21tn4Yvq7w
Tutorial #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyUq4_z9Ug8

Full Color Manual: http://dl.sega.com/guide/infinite-space/infinite-space-zero-g-manual-en.pdf

Yuri's blog: http://sega.com/is/yuri

Anime Short #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxGmeySOrTA
Anime Short #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sIs2QOnlZQ
Anime Short #3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW7duDb_r2s
Anime Short #4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8SRBvgrvLc

 

[Mejilan]

Excellent. If I'm really lucky, Amazon will have my copy at home by the time I get there. If not, however, then tomorrow is the day! Woo!

 

[Fodder76]

In the same boat. Really looking forward to finally checking this out!

 

[Totakeke]

Infinite Space offers dozens of hours of deep space exploration and storytelling, but the overall package is clunky and inconvenient. Sci-fi and anime fans might find the story worth sticking around for, though, and there are some interesting characters to get to know. But getting to those good bits will test your patien

Those fools... They forget their place.



;p

 

[electricpirate]

I heard about this, and totally assumed it was vaporware. Awesome to see it come out .

Will be ordering when I get payed on friday.

 

[duckroll]

I'm really glad everyone else will finally get to check out this game. It might have taken a long time for localization, but it's great that a larger audience can finally check out the game. It was kinda lonely playing it all alone, and Shouta didn't even finish it! :lol

Looking forward to be able to at least discuss the game with more people now.

 

[Mejilan]

Why would it be vaporware? It's been out for around a year in Japan, IIRC.

What else has Nudemaker done? Such an unfortunate name...

 

[Gerald]

I got stuck in Chapter 8; 30 hours and maybe 30-50% of the way through the game. After 50+ attempts at that boss fight, I've just given up.

Maybe I'll try again a little later today.

 

[Vard]

Awesome, I had no idea this was coming out this month. I love that it's inspired by Arthur C. Clarke. I'll have to pick it up down the line.

 

[Vyse The Legend]

Has anyone picked it up in the US yet. I never received a call from Gamestop, even though I paid off my preorder weeks ago.

 

[Totakeke]

I got stuck in Chapter 8; 30 hours and maybe 30-50% of the way through the game. After 50+ attempts at that boss fight, I've just given up.

Maybe I'll try again a little later today.

Damn, this and Strange Journey makes me wish I wasn't so occupied with lots of work left to do right now.


*surfs NeoGAF more*

 

[duckroll]

Why would it be vaporware? It's been out for around a year in Japan, IIRC.

What else has Nudemaker done? Such an unfortunate name...

Nudemaker is a small developer which focuses on simulation driven games with either lots of text, or lots of stats. Games like....

- Clocktower (SFC)
- Clocktower 2 (PS1) <-- Clocktower in the US
- Nekozamurai (PS1)
- Mikagura Shoujo Tanteidan (PS1)
- Zoku Mikagura Shoujo Tanteidan (PS1)
- Tekki (Xbox) <-- Steel Battalion in the US
- Shin Mikagura Shoujo Tanteidan (PC, Adult)
- Tekki Taisen (Xbox) <-- Steel Battalion: Line of Contact in the US
- AV King (PC, Adult)

 

[sk3tch]

I had this pre-ordered, but canceled it after reading a bunch of reviews. I was hoping for a modern day Star Control but it doesn't seem like it will fit that bill. Let me know what you guys think of this one...I'm totally into this type of minutiae but from the reviews it didn't seem like I'd have the patience. Oh well...plenty going on with BFBC2 and Pokemon.

 

[xenoflux2113]

First HGSS and now this? Can't my wallet get a break? I'll have to wait for my birthday next month to pick it up I guess.

 

[Cow Mengde]

Delivers on the shipbuilding front, though other aspects of the game like the combat and story aren’t as impressive (though they aren’t shallow either)

I'm sorry, but this sentence alone makes me worry. Hopefully, it's just Game Informer being Game Informer.

 

[WreckTheLaw]

Ordered this last week from Amazon, with overnight shipping. Still hasn't shipped, but lists tomorrow as the arrival date. If it's in stock locally by like 5 PM, and Amazon still hasn't shipped it, I'm canceling and grabbing it tonight.

Edit: duckroll, can you give us patient masses a few more gameplay details? What are the ship classes like in play? I know they're listed in that pdf guide, but some details from a person would be nice. Are any of the ship classes especially interesting or overpowered, are fighters any good? Stuff like that.

 

[Apath]

Oh snap, I'll be buying this tomorrow when I actually have some free time.

Nudemaker is a small developer which focuses on simulation driven games with either lots of text, or lots of stats. Games like....

- Tekki (Xbox) <-- Steel Battalion in the US
- Tekki Taisen (Xbox) <-- Steel Battalion: Line of Contact in the US

They made Steel Battalion? Hype +1. They better be making a sequel, and actually go USB this time >=[

 

[Capt'n Farrell]

Just read the review in one of my favourite German mag called GEE, they don't give out any scores but they pretty much said that the game was BORING-AS-FUCK and that the combat was terribly broken. They also said that you always get the same missions over and over again and the game lacks a quest-log. I don't care to much about what certain reviewers think of game XY but GEE's reviews are usually very well written... I'm not too sure about this anymore, despite most international reviews being quit favorable.

 

[red shoe paul]

Has anyone picked it up in the US yet. I never received a call from Gamestop, even though I paid off my preorder weeks ago.

Gamestop likes to get games in whenever they want, and never on release date. Remember that. :lol

 

[Cow Mengde]

Just read the review in one of my favourite German mag called GEE, they don't give out any scores but they pretty much said that the game was BORING-AS-FUCK and that the combat was terribly broken. They also said that you always get the same missions over and over again and the game lacks a quest-log. I don't care to much about what certain reviewers think of game XY but GEE's reviews are usually very well written... I'm not too sure about this anymore, despite most international reviews being quit favorable.

Yikes.

I know the other reviews posted are very positive, including the Game Informers, but the whole combat thing alone is enough to deflate some hype. I was really looking forward to this game, too.

BTW, Capt'n Farrell, is that Red Cliff Zhang Fei in your avatar?

 

[Gerald]

I'd agree with that review re: the lack of a quest log being a big negative. If you accidentally skip through some dialogue or pick up the game after taking a break, you can easily find yourself completely lost with no idea of where to go next.

Still a pretty good game, though.

 

[dallow_bg]

Nudemaker is an awesome name.
And those coverstars don't look very 80s anime.

I should have bought this instead of Metro 2033.

 

[botticus]

Ordered this last week from Amazon, with overnight shipping. Still hasn't shipped, but lists tomorrow as the arrival date. If it's in stock locally by like 5 PM, and Amazon still hasn't shipped it, I'm canceling and grabbing it tonight.

I had to cancel my order since I had seen that nonsense with overnight shipping as well. I'll be spending $35 in credit on something at GameStop today, so IS might get lucky if it's there. Otherwise I guess it'll be Suikoden.

 

[WreckTheLaw]

I had to cancel my order since I had seen that nonsense with overnight shipping as well. I'll be spending $35 in credit on something at GameStop today, so IS might get lucky if it's there. Otherwise I guess it'll be Suikoden.

I had snagged a $25 Amazon credit in that $8 Omnibus glitch sale last week, so it was an easy choice. But now I'm not so confident. I called around locally and no one has it yet. Maybe UPS arrives late. The bad news is that the indie shop didn't even know what it was, and they normally have a good idea about each incoming piece of inventory. We'll see, I guess.

 

[Mejilan]

Nudemaker is a small developer which focuses on simulation driven games with either lots of text, or lots of stats. Games like....

- Clocktower (SFC)
- Clocktower 2 (PS1) <-- Clocktower in the US
- Nekozamurai (PS1)
- Mikagura Shoujo Tanteidan (PS1)
- Zoku Mikagura Shoujo Tanteidan (PS1)
- Tekki (Xbox) <-- Steel Battalion in the US
- Shin Mikagura Shoujo Tanteidan (PC, Adult)
- Tekki Taisen (Xbox) <-- Steel Battalion: Line of Contact in the US
- AV King (PC, Adult)

Looked 'em up on Wikipedia and it seems like they also have talent that worked on Vanguard Bandits and the Firepro games.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

What's the combat like? Does customizing the ships really lead to the need to adjust strategically in battle, or is it just eye candy?

 

[Deku]

so awesome so awesome ^^ b

 

[Nekobo]

Digging the rad art style. How's the music for the game?

Waiting for my amazon order to ship. I don't mind waiting, since I'm still going through FFXIII and haven't even touched Yakuza 3 yet. Too many games at once!

 

[commish]

i'm considering... on the fence.... new shin megami game might get my portable dollars this month.

 

[Tiktaalik]

From the short description of the combat system that I've read, the paper/rock/scissors style combat system sounds like it might disappoint me by being a bit too basic and limited. I am still interested in the game based on all the other features though.

Regarding the combat can the upgrades done to your ship have a large swing factor in how combat goes? For example it has been described that certain actions can have your fleet either completely avoid damage or completely miss their attack targets. I'm supposing the strategy of the game comes into designing your ships to deal max damage or have max defence for the cases where the paper/rock/scissors mechanics result in a direct confrontation attack?

 

[Freyjadour]

Between XIII and SJ, I have no time to start playing this right now . As with RoF, it is going to straight to the shelf. Shame, looks fantastic.

Just read the review in one of my favourite German mag called GEE, they don't give out any scores but they pretty much said that the game was BORING-AS-FUCK and that the combat was terribly broken. They also said that you always get the same missions over and over again and the game lacks a quest-log. I don't care to much about what certain reviewers think of game XY but GEE's reviews are usually very well written... I'm not too sure about this anymore, despite most international reviews being quit favorable.

Ehhh. I'd normally dismiss this, but after Sands of Destruction it is difficult not to be a little more wary. Help us duckroll, you're our only hope.

 

[Wizpig]

Will buy, just... not now. :/

 

[JoseJX]

modern day Star Control

I was also interested in it for this aspect. If there's anyone who can comment about similarities (or disparities) to Star Control 2, I'd appreciate it! Or for that matter, any DS games like SC2? I miss space exploration games and they would be perfect for the DS.

 

[CiSTM]

I'm still waiting for my copy. I have played the JP version a bit and I have to say what I experienced wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Seemed bit too linear for my taste, but then again it is a JRPG so I don't know what I was actually expecting. Character designs are horrible but I got past that fact because I liked the ship design and I can spend hours modifying my ships. Combat system is fairly simple but it is also very satisfying.

SC2 fans, you won't get your fix from this game. This isn't even SC2 lite
Still buy Infinite Space, it's a good game too.

 

[jay]

Just read the review in one of my favourite German mag called GEE, they don't give out any scores but they pretty much said that the game was BORING-AS-FUCK and that the combat was terribly broken. They also said that you always get the same missions over and over again and the game lacks a quest-log. I don't care to much about what certain reviewers think of game XY but GEE's reviews are usually very well written... I'm not too sure about this anymore, despite most international reviews being quit favorable.

Edge is the go to magazine for well written English reviews and they liked it. So English cancels German?

 

[WreckTheLaw]

I'm still waiting for my copy. I have played the JP version a bit and I have to say what I experienced wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Seemed bit too linear for my taste, but then again it is a JRPG so I don't know what I was actually expecting. Character designs are horrible but I got past that fact because I liked the ship design and I can spend hours modifying my ships. Combat system is fairly simple but it is also very satisfying.

SC2 fans, you won't get your fix from this game. This isn't even SC2 lite
Still buy Infinite Space, it's a good game too.

I guess here's my question: Does it still feel like exploration, even though it can be linear? When you find a new part or crew member do you get that vibe that your effort that brought about the addition, or does the linearity really scream out at you?

 

[Capt'n Farrell]

Edge is the go to magazine for well written English reviews and they liked it. So English cancels German?

I'd love to read that edge review... I know they gave it an 8 but I'd love to know what they thought of the mission design and fight mechanics.

 

[DrAndonuts]

EDIT: nvm

 

[CiSTM]

I guess here's my question: Does it still feel like exploration, even though it can be linear? When you find a new part or crew member do you get that vibe that your effort that brought about the addition, or does the linearity really scream out at you?

I have only played under 10 hours but I have to say that there really isn't any sense of exploration in it. You can't just roam around the space without destination you have to go location A so you can advance to location B and so on. It's a shame but still I don't want to give an image that Infinite Space is a bad game... It's just not the game I wanted it to be :lol

edit: and if you look above post you can see that some people do get the feel of exploration. so don't just take my word on it

 

[jay]

I'd love to read that edge review... I know they gave it an 8 but I'd love to know what they thought of the mission design and fight mechanics.

They take forever to ship issues to the states so I don't have it yet, but I am also very curious. Maybe they'll post it online.

 

[Vyse The Legend]

I just picked it up. Impressions coming in an hour or so.

 

[Forkball]

I'll wait for GAF consensus. It looks really interesting, but it also looks overly complicated and convoluted.

 

[26thletter]

Just picked up my preorder from Gamestop. Going to finish Edgeworth (hopefully this weekend) before I start on this beast

 

[Mejilan]

I just picked it up. Impressions coming in an hour or so.

Still waiting!

 

[androvsky]

I've been curious about this one... doesn't sound too much like Star Control, but I might still enjoy it. Since it's Sega, did everything end up resonating with the west?

 

[faridmon]

This game is £30 at amazon. no thanks.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

The Edge review was really positive, almost bubbly. Paraphrased with my thoughts in italics.

The customisation aspect seems immense and you can build a ship to fit your style or imagination. The combat is described as rock-paper-scissors with your ship's components having an effect in battle like speeding you up or allowing more dodges. Extra crew are gained that add abilities and buffs to your ships. They don't describe the missions in any detail but mention that they can have criteria you have to fulfil that encourage experimentation and random events turn grinding into side-missions.
Hmmm, grinding but if the ship designs can be as outrageous as they suggest then there'll be enough variety to the gameplay to keep us entertained.

There's no mission log, you can't easily compare stats across your fleet and the UI can get cluttered but somehow the clutter endears itself to you.
okaay.

They close with:

Fat with content, melodrama and fun, few DS games can match it's ambitions.

It's on page 98 in the UK Edge. I'm very interested in some GAF impressions after that.

 

[Cow Mengde]

Still waiting!

Heh, same here.Take one for the team, Vyse!

 

[matmanx1]

Just got done playing for an hour or so. The game's premise is VERY thin and you are given almost zero character introduction and backstory before the game just kind of tosses you into the story and says "Go!". I was pretty confused and annoyed until I figured out what was going on but once I did I started to have some fun.

Basically the game seems to play abit like a visual novel with some turn based rpg and strategy sections thrown in. The game does a good job of presenting the ship battles and has some suitably epic music going on during combat and it's just enough for me to suspend belief and have fun with it. In the beginning you can only choose between "dodge" (cancels out barrage), "normal" (normal damage but crits if the enemy chooses dodge) and "barrage" (3x normal damage but misses if the enemy chooses dodge). From looking at the manual I can see that later on you get access to Fighter squadrons to launch and melee attacks (like a boarding party) plus anti air defense.

Of course you also buy blueprints to build ships (destroyers, cruisers, battleships, carriers) and weapon and ship modules, gain fame and money so you can find and hire new ship's crew, assign your crew members to their stations and still find time to take on the odd mission at the local spaceport.

The story seems to revolve around the boy, Yuri, who's longing to go into space so he can figure out what the mysterious artifact his father left with him is and it's importance. There's definitely anime influences in the characters and story and there's already foreshadowing of larger developments elsewhere that are about to impact Yuri and his smalll crew.

So far I like it. It definitely has potential and if what I'm hearing about the depth and length of the adventure are accurate then it's a good deal and certainly a unique game for the DS.

 

[botticus]

I'm not sure if I'm more annoyed with Sega or Amazon with their preorder pricing nonsense. I was going to reorder a copy through Amazon since I found it at GS, but in the last few hours they put the price back up to $35. Don't know why they think I would buy it at $35 when I didn't buy it at $28, but more power to them. It clearly worked with Sands of Destruction!