Infinite Space - RPG from Nude Maker & Platinum Games! - OUT NOW

[Cao Cao]

Infinite Space @ Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Space-Nintendo-DS/dp/B002BRWU8U/)

Infinite Space (http://www.gamekyo.com/newsen29069_infinite-line-new-space-opera-rpg-from-sega.html) [Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Space)], a collaboration between Nude Maker (Clock Tower, Steel Battalion) and Platinum Games (MadWorld, Bayonetta). Being set in outer space, fights largely involve ship-to-ship combat in 3D, though your characters are apparently able to board enemy ships. There will also be some anime cutscenes created by Production I.G. and Gonzo. It was released in June for Japan, and Sega confirmed in a dubbed anime webisode that it will be released in the US in Spring 2010.
US Launch Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsJxsspHkm8)
US Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCzs05WllMI)

Anime Webisodes (Dubbed versions will be added as they release):

Ep. 1 Dubbed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9LEVv_1HVw)
Ep. 2 Dubbed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkDfqkac45s)
Ep. 3 Dubbed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUjIfnw-CLk)
Ep. 4 Dubbed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAe7aBH5g8M)


--------------

Info for 7th Dragon, another RPG published by Sega in Japan, since I'm turning this into a topic primarily for IS:
First up is 7th Dragon (http://www.gamekyo.com/newsen29067_sega-announces-7th-dragon-for-the-nintendo-ds.html) [Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7th_Dragon)], an RPG created by the director of Etrian Odyssey. As such, it has some resemblance to EO (The cutesy art-style, class system), though it seems to go more of the route of a classic Phantasy Star or Dragon Quest, rather than EO's Wizardry-style design. It's already out in Japan, so we'll probably need to wait for Sega or Atlus to localize it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-DPMg4unJI

[nectarsis1]

Hmmmmm both look interesting...waiting for more info...

[LeafPanda]

Cool
Infinite Space smells like Star Ocean.

[laaj]

Cool
Infinite Space smells like Star Ocean.

Nah is more like Mass Effect. You control where you go instead of giving you a linear path.

[rothgar24]

more ds rpgs = win.

[laaj]

I think Sega is taking advantage of Square-Enix's weakness on DS. SE spread themselves too thin trying to support all consoles.

[Vinny]

more ds rpgs = win.

Unless they're mediocre and/or targeted towards distinct audiences like almost all of the RPGs on the system...

[Kerig]

They really need to start coming up with some better titles for these games. Infinite Space is almost as bad as Infinite Undiscovery.

[EXStrike]

We've known about Infinite Space for a good while now; it's one of the games that's being developed by PlatinumGames in their agreement with Sega. This is just the first time that we've actually gotten real media on the game.

Its previous name was Infinite Line.

[Kaijufan]

Controlling a battleship in a space RPG sounds pretty interesting, I'll be keeping my eye on Infinite Space.

[Dr Mario Kart]

New 7th Dragon video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5-2jiKkUD0&fmt=18

Producer: Rieko Kodama (Skies of Arcadia, Phantasy Star pre PSO)
Director: Kazuya Niinou (Etrian Odyssey)
Composer: Yuzo Koshiro (Etrian Odyssey, Actraiser, Streets of Rage, contributions to Shenmue, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Smash Brothers Brawl)

The faces are SO horrible. Battle looks decidedly EO except that your character sprites get in on the action.

[Squarehard]

Cool
Infinite Space smells like Star Ocean.

The gameplay looks nothing like Star Ocean

[punkmaggit]

This looks so awesome. Two parts Etrian Odyssey and one part Phantasy Star??! fucking WIN.

[JEKKI]

new 7th Dragon video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjMmC0WUWsI

between that, Infinite Space, and "Sands of Destruction," Sega's gonna make a killing on the DS!!!

[near]

Still annoyed that we don't have a fixed date on Sands of Destruction, the longer this takes, the longer it'll take for 7th Dragon to come over. :(

[JEKKI]

Famitsu review score I found on gaf!!!

7th Dragon (DS) - 9/8/8/8

[Dead of Knight]

They need to announce this for here now.

[near]

It's been 5 months since World Destruction released in Japan, and still no fixed date for us. I really don't think 7th Dragon will make it here this calendar year. :(

[Dead of Knight]

As long as it comes at some point, I don't really care if it takes a while.

[Cao Cao]

New trailer for Infinite Space:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbh61uCyWYw

EDIT: Video made private, check later post for re-upload.

[JEKKI]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v447/sambao/fap.gif

[Cao Cao]

Whoever uploaded the trailer in my last post made it private, but it's back up on Youtube and GameTrailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XR80aRqRKo

And here's the three Anime shorts that they've been releasing over the past few months; the third one came out today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb-RZAIeOH4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du5nrmNiwQ0
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/48447.html

[Cao Cao]

They released a video of two ship-to-ship battles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtRHEu0WaWE

[Dead of Knight]

When the fuck are these gonna be announced for the US?

[Cao Cao]

When the fuck are these gonna be announced for the US?

7th Dragon: Don't know. Depends on whether Sega decides to localize it themselves, hand it off to Atlus, or just not take it out of Japan.

Infinite Space: It's listed on Platinum Games' English official website, but not with much information. I'd imagine that they would make an announcement at e3.

[fart_bubble]

Gamestop has Infinite Space up, its listed as a July 7th release but I'll believe it when I see it. Either way, I've got my pre-order in

[Cao Cao]

Gamestop has Infinite Space up, its listed as a July 7th release but I'll believe it when I see it. Either way, I've got my pre-order in

It's not likely, since the game was released in Japan only three days ago. Even the other rumored release window of Q3 2009 seems too soon, though Amazon's March 2010 filler date sounds like a more likely date, but who knows, Sega could surprise us.

As it has been released in Japan, there's been more information for Infinite Space (無限航路) lately, like the Famitsu reviews (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174584) (9/9/8/8; 34/40 Gold Award). As the 1up article says, the Famitsu reviewers had plenty of kind words to say about the game:
Sega and Platinum Games' Infinite Space has had the worst luck spreading the word about itself. A spacefaring RPG for the Nintendo DS, it had the misfortune not only to be outshone (outgored) by Platinum's balls-out first release MadWorld, but for its Japanese debut in stores to coincide with E3 week, all but guaranteeing that few will notice overseas.

It's a bit of a shame, because apparently the game's a corker. Famitsu magazine rated it 9/9/8/8 for a total of 34 points in this week's issue, earning it a Gold award. "From the ship customization that reflects the player's tastes down to the tiniest detail to the battle difficulty (you are killed instantly if you let your guard down) to the vast and complex SF story; every aspect of this game is deeper than I imagined," wrote one reviewer. "The sheer volume is also overwhelming, and I applaud their efforts. There are some unkind parts of the game, but they are easily overpowered by the game itself."

Several other reviewers were similarly "overwhelmed" by the "vastness of the setting," which one found "simply staggering." High marks were generally given to the ship customization: "Customizing your ship doesn't seem very flashy, but it's highly addictive, and the customizations stick out pretty well from each other."

All this adulation came to Infinite Space despite the game's high learning curve. "The battles present a pretty high hurdle, and you can't even let your guard down in regular fights," one wrote. "It takes time to learn the tricks to battle, but the game stands up to extended play." Another agreed: "The game can be severe, with seemingly insignificant decisions having effects on the entire game situation. It seems complex at first glance, but the interface is easy to use and the game's simple to get into."

The US version of Infinite Space is due out later this year.

GameFAQs user 99enbandit has also been posting his impressions of the game at this topic (http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=946344&topic=49922572), and according to the topic, RPGfan should have their impressions up eventually.
99enbandit | Posted 6/11/2009 1:22:45 AM | message detail
Hey, I was just in Akihabara yesterday... getting kebabs. I like the kebabs from the van by the station. They are bigger than the ones in Ueno and have better sauce variety. 100 yen more but worth it. But the guys in one of the the doner kebab shops in Ueno know me, so I usually go there.

Anyway, I just played this game for about an hour. It is really good so far. The battles are pretty easy (but that's to be expected this early in a game). I like the little screen you can see inside the ship during battles and en route to other planets.

The battle system works well, but seems pretty simple. In addition to attacking, you can move forward to get the target in range or backward to get out of range of their weapons.

There's nothing too complicated as far as gameplay so far. You go to a planet, visit the bar, and talk to the bar-tender, people from your ship and locals. I got 300g for doing a mission for a bartender. When you want to move on you just tap departure and select the next destination.

The reading level is not too bad. I would say about 5 th to 6th grade elementary school. Some of the options are in English and Japansese.
-------------------------------
99enbandit | Posted 6/11/2009 5:33:36 AM | message detail
Holy ****. I just got the first planet with ship customization. You can buy new ships, customize and up-grade your ship, assign crew members to different sections of a ship. The insane amount of customization is awesome, but I think I need to go searching for a guide for this tomorrow.
-------------------------------
99enbandit | Posted 6/11/2009 4:04:06 PM | message detail
EchoNull. Yes, I would say that this game is kind of like Sid Meier's Pirates meets Firefly. But the game is more detailed in the sense of ship customization. There is also a lot more involved with the crew (instead of just recruiting new crew, like you would in Pirates, you have to place your crew on the ship in different areas). And it looks like you can have a fleet of 5 or 6 ships (6 I think, but I can't remember). It has some freedom of travel, but certainly not as much as Pirates does (at least not yet, with only 5 locations to travel between right now). It is also much more story oriented. So while you can travel around to any available location, there is a goal along the story line to be achieved.

I finally fought my first challenging fight last night. It takes a lot of thought and ship maneuvering to survive those. I lost 2 times before I figured out their tactics and was able to beat them. It's a good kind of challenge though (not so frustrating), because you know you CAN win. It's just a matter of figuring out how.
-------------------------------
99enbandit | Posted 6/12/2009 7:00:54 AM | message detail
Yeah. I just got there. That opened up quite a few new planets and locations. This game just gets better and better.


Finally, I've been having some difficulty finding some direct gameplay footage on Youtube, but luckily Nico Nico Douga has one user video up, where the player messes around in the navigation screen and later gets into a battle:
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm7314511

[Cao Cao]

http://tinycartridge.com/post/133833542/infinite-space-blasts-off-to-us-in-spring-2010
Spring 2010 for the US.

That's the release window that Sega gives us, at the end of their dubbed version of the first anime webisode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9LEVv_1HVw

[cochesecochese]

Platinum Games

Day motherfucking one.

[Cao Cao]

Might also be worth pointing out that Akira of RPGFan has also been posting his impressions of Infinite Space:
http://www.rpgfan.com/boards/index.php?topic=6073.0

I've been working on it for a few days now and I'm impressed so far. The level of ship customization is astounding. You buy blueprints and designs from companies, then you can trick out your ship's weapon, recon, and armor systems, and add shit like recreation rooms and libraries to make your crew more comfortable. Some of the designs are really cool. There are scores of crew members to find, all of them with unique skills and proclivities. You assign people to all sorts of posts on your ship, everything from commander, to security officer, to gunner, to cook.

The number of characters and the space battle remind me of Suikoden, especially the duels. The core mechanic for space battles (for the beginning of the game at least) is basically a rock-paper-scissors trio of commands: regular attack, evade, full-power attack. Regular beats evade, evade beats full-power, full-power beats regular. There are other commands as well as hand-to-hand combat on ships. It's not a cakewalk either. Usually you're outnumbered and outgunned, and if you aren't careful about how you advance and attack, you'll be blown away even in regular battles. I lost the first boss fight because I hadn't learned to read and anticipate enemy commands, but once you get a knack for it the combat becomes really fun. You really have to be careful you set up your formation and assign crew members otherwise you can lose battles before they even begin. There's also a versus mode.

So far the story isn't exactly Arthur C Clarke level. The protagonists are a bit too young for my liking (17 and 14 fer chrissake). Basically, you play as a teenage boy who hires a large-breasted pilot to take you off your boring planet. She then hooks you up with a ship, a space suit, a katana, and makes you into a space pirate. Pretty much every otaku's wet dream. There are lots of destinations to explore though, and now that I am in chapter 2 things are starting to get interesting.

So far it looks like this may be Sega's Valkyria Chronicles for DS. It is far deeper and potentially more interesting than most handheld RPG's. Sega needs to fire their marketing department. I know it has the same problem VC did in that the title does not include the words "Final Fantasy" or "Metal Gear" and as an original franchise it isn't getting much attention. But it could turn out to be one of the best releases of 2009. I don't get why there isn't more buzz.

I'm also working on Arc Rise Fantasia for Nintendo Wii if anyone's interested. Verdict on that so far: Classic JRPG in a good way.
Update now that I'm at the 20 hour mark.

This game is a bit of a slow-burner but it just gets more and more epic with time. The depth of customization is fuggin' psychotic. Let me break down some recent developments:

- I'm still commanding three ships, though I've gone through six and done a lot of upgrading and refining.
- Their names are "Mystery Machine," "Magic Schoolbus," and "Enterprise" for those keeping score.
- "Enterprise" has carrier function and can launch fighters to tie up enemy ships that they may be owned by my main guns.
- Installed some anti-aircraft guns on my main ships. Battles get a lot more complicated once small fighters get into the mix around chapter 4.
- Got about twenty people in my crew, though that isn't nearly enough to fill every job on the staff list.
- Finally got a decent cook though, so the crew's endurance is much sturdier for long missions with no time for stops at space stations.
- I also got this sweet android lady as my security chief. Hand-to-hand combat during ship raids is frickin' cake now, though enemies are usually smart enough to keep their distance or run from losing matches.
- The story has picked up. Lots of political unrest and intergalactic intrigue. Also a weird incest vibe going on with the MC and his little sister. Pretty sweet.
- The universe is HUGE. There are dozens of planets, systems, and space ruins to explore. It's hard to keep track of all of them. Lots of them are just a space station and a bar sadly, though you can get random missions from bars sometimes.
- Installing a decent laboratory on your ship is great if you have a science officer. They invent upgrades for your ship. A decent accounting office and cafeteria are handy too.
- My most recent boss battle took two days to figure out a winning strategy. Three battles in a row, 15 enemy ships total versus my three, and the last enemy mothership had tons of fighters on my ass. The challenge is pretty good but some of the battles feel like friggin' Ender's Game shit. You're just like, "Am I supposed to win this?"
- Right now I'm torn between continuing the story or just murdering a lot of pirates to farm experience and golds to further renovate my ships. I'm thinking about getting a new destroyer and naming it "Starscream."

Verdict so far: Really fucking addictive. It's a fun space sim for anyone who just dreamt of putting together their own ship, team, and just setting off having random adventures. It's great to have it on DS too. Simple, intuitive controls with the stylus and easy to pick up and put down for ten minutes at a time. With the ability to skip battle animations and cinemas encounters can finish in a few seconds. What is with Sega's recent fetish for making decent RPG's and not marketing them at all?

[RubyEclipse]

Good to hear people are having great impressions so far. What do you guys think of the first English anime short? (Voice acting, etc)

[Cao Cao]

Two more anime shorts have been dubbed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkDfqkac45s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUjIfnw-CLk

Also, Akira posted his RPGFan import review some time ago:
http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/infinitespace/index.html

[fart_bubble]

I want this game now :cry:

[Cao Cao]

The fourth Anime short has been dubbed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAe7aBH5g8M

Some early English screenshots (http://www.escuadronpikmin.com/2009/09/24/tgs09-imagenes-y-trailer-de-infinite-space-para-nintendo-ds/).

And a video interview over at Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/infiniteline/video/6230391/infinite-space-interview-with-hifumi-kouno).

[Cao Cao]

Might as well point out that 1up's RPG blog played part of IS for their "monthly grind" series. The writer plans to pick it up again when the localized version comes out. Here are the more relevant blog entries:
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9003374&publicUserId=5725436
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9003921&publicUserId=5725436
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9005726&publicUserId=5725436

[Cao Cao]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCzs05WllMI

US trailer, still has the Spring 2010 window.

[Cao Cao]

http://gamekyo.com/newsen34836_infinite-space-new-release-date.html
A release date has apparently been announced. March 23rd for the US, and Europe gets it a few days later on the 26th. Also, this was pointed out on the VGD board, but Amazon is accepting pre-orders for $27.99 w/ FSSS, below the $35 MSRP.

Infinite Space @ Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Space-Nintendo-DS/dp/B002BRWU8U/)

[pete5883]

The same day as the other high quality DS RPG set in space (http://www.atlus.com/strangejourney/)? Sega really does have a deathwish.

[Dead of Knight]

Sega are just plain trolls. Everyone just needs to accept this.

Strange Journey isn't in space AFAIK though, it's set in Antarctica.

[Ryukahn]

Yeah it's not in space. It's crazy sci-fi gameplay though!

[2DMention]

Sounds difficult. I may pass on this one, although the premise sounds interesting.

[Cao Cao]

New trailer:
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/24/infinite-space-lands-on-ds-march-16/

The trailer confirms that the US release date is March 16th. Europe is getting it 10 days later on the 26th.

European Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arGOHK2WXqg)

[elessar123]

New trailer:
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/24/infinite-space-lands-on-ds-march-16/

The trailer confirms that the US release date is March 16th. Europe is getting it 10 days later on the 26th.

European Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arGOHK2WXqg)

Can't watch it right now, but I can't wait lol. I love difficult and complicated games, so I've been excited about this for about 8 months now, but hopefully it is done well and doesn't flop.

[saetia]

2 MOAR days!!1!

[Dr Mario Kart]

The game flopping is a forgone conclusion. Its releasing in proximity to pokemon, god of war 3, final fantasy 13, among others. Most people already have their money allocated and this game is way, way down the list of things to get.

[pete5883]

<-- pumped

[Puffa469]

The game flopping is a forgone conclusion. Its releasing in proximity to pokemon, god of war 3, final fantasy 13, among others. Most people already have their money allocated and this game is way, way down the list of things to get.


This.

I'll pick this up in a couple of months when it's Amazon DOTD $20 or something similar.

[Backlash]

This sounds like a good opportunity to buy one game that I can probably play for like 5 months. I think I'm just going to have to give up on playing a lot of games and resign myself to missing lots of interesting and/or AAA titles. At least I'll save money :)

[Kay_Faraday]

I wish I could get this, but like the other user said, my money was spent on FFXIII, ROF, and PKMN....*sigh*

[Cao Cao]

Sega released a launch trailer today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsJxsspHkm8

[formerroadie]

mine will be here a little late cuz amazon got over bought..... it shipped today though :)

[elessar123]

mine will be here a little late cuz amazon got over bought..... it shipped today though :)

Mine shipped yesterday, so with their recent track record of under 24hr for me, I'm hoping to get it today.

[kkrraagg]

I ordered mine 2 or 3 days ago, and today the estimated shipping date is April 5th. Ridiculous..

[elessar123]

I ordered mine 2 or 3 days ago, and today the estimated shipping date is April 5th. Ridiculous..

That's what mine said since preordering in January, up till the day before it shipped.

[Cao Cao]

Over at GAF, duckroll has been posting some impressions over the past few months, and was kind enough to place them all in a single post:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=20328538&postcount=64

There are also a few reviews up at Metacritic:
http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ds/infinitespace

[Dead of Knight]

Duckroll needs to be placed in a mental institution. Not because of this post, but because of others. Talk about a mod power trip.

[beerme]

The writing/story is terrible so far. When you first meet the main character he says his family is all dead, then just a little later he suddenly has a sister? Ugh.

[keithp]

I may enjoy this, but after reading some reviews I'll wait til I find it really cheap.

[Dead of Knight]

The writing/story is terrible so far. When you first meet the main character he says his family is all dead, then just a little later he suddenly has a sister? Ugh.

Sega.

[ratzombie]

I have put in about an hour into this so far and I am enjoying it, the combat seems a bit repetitive but the amount of ship customization you can do is dizzying to say the least.

[laaj]

Why is the expanded manual not available for download yet. Link is in the manual for those of you who missed it.

[Dead of Knight]

Why is the expanded manual not available for download yet. Link is in the manual for those of you who missed it.

Wow, Sega couldn't even be arsed to print the full manual with the game?

[Paco]

Wow, Sega couldn't even be arsed to print the full manual with the game?


At least Sega printed something that LOOKS like a manual and acts like a manual to some degree. Activision gave me a four page manual with modern warfare 2 and the only thing it does is advertise call of duty games AND tells me how to turn on the console.

[laaj]

Wow, Sega couldn't even be arsed to print the full manual with the game?

Thing is most people don't bother with manuals so printing exhaustive manual for every copy will be waste of paper. And it is telling how huge this game is when not even 20 page manual is not enough to cover everything.

[Dead of Knight]

Thing is most people don't bother with manuals so printing exhaustive manual for every copy will be waste of paper. And it is telling how huge this game is when not even 20 page manual is not enough to cover everything.

My husband informed me that this isn't the first time it's happened with games that require big manuals. So that's ok. But to not even have the site up when the game has been out for several days? :rofl:

[Cheska19]

What does everyone think of the game so far? I've had my eye on the game for a bit, but I haven't bitten on buying it yet.

[whiptcracker]

What does everyone think of the game so far? I've had my eye on the game for a bit, but I haven't bitten on buying it yet.

It's alright. Battles are somewhat simple, and it also isn't the most user-friendly game I've played. There are things you might miss out on if you don't talk to people more than once, and some battle strategy seems like it's just left to the player to figure out instead of being more clear. The translation doesn't seem like it's the best at times as well.

[dimeadz]

I like it. The battle system is pretty simple. The ship modification is great. I find myself always needing more money to buy/upgrade ships.

[Nirron]

Battle mechanics are pretty easy (only 4 options for attack + 2 specials and I'm at Ch. 4), it's pretty fun to build ships and to mess around with assigning your crew.

The only thing that gets pretty harsh is how tough the boss battles can be. Maybe I just suck, but I've replayed some boss fights 5 times or so. This is just discussing mechanics so I don't think it's spoiler-ish (if someone feels so, I'll put it in spoilers) but I can't figure out if there's any surefire way to get the enemy to Barrage when I'm Dodging. I usually wait until the last second (in range + enemy ship is red) but they always seem to just do Normal, and it kills my endurance for the long battles.

The user friendliness is also quite low, but it stems mainly from three things. The first is that the game seems to always assume you will know where to go, when that seems to never be the case. I've been completely confused at to what to do a few times, and just wandered planet to planet until I found it out. Also, I feel that even with the online manual, there should be a little more, as this comes off as the type of game that deserves some heavy explanation. Third, sometimes you're expected to know things that almost require memorization. There are a LOT of positions for your fleet, and there are about 7 stats or so, but you can only see what each one does by looking at the online manual. I didn't know this until I died about 4 or 5 times trying to go through this one planet. Assigning someone to a specific position then helped me win on my very next try.

[Dead of Knight]

Battles are pretty easy
The only thing that gets pretty harsh is how tough the battles can be.

Um.....

[pete5883]

So basically, the game is not very portable unless you print out the online manual?

[whiptcracker]

Um.....

I'm guessing for the second part he meant boss battles. Regular battles are easy, the boss battles ramp up in difficulty, mostly because of multiple mandatory battles in a row.

Some of the user interface stuff is annoying. Who made the design decision to auto-target the furthest enemy?

[Nirron]

I'm guessing for the second part he meant boss battles. Regular battles are easy, the boss battles ramp up in difficulty, mostly because of multiple mandatory battles in a row.

Some of the user interface stuff is annoying. Who made the design decision to auto-target the furthest enemy?

Yeah, I'm a moron. I edited to correct for it (it was late, give me a break :-P) I also should've elaborated that the battle mechanics are easy (hence my explanation of attacks used) while the big ass endurance series of battles can be nigh impossible.

That's what's so crazy to me, is the ENORMOUS jump in difficulty. I can breeze through normal battles, but the boss battles destroy me. Thank you for reminding me of the auto-targeting as well. In the first chapter or two I almost died on at least half a dozen fights because I didn't notice that they were giving me the worst possible target by default.

So basically, the game is not very portable unless you print out the online manual?

I would say that ultimately it is a portable game. You just have to associate a bunch of stats with their traditional counterparts (Combat is more like Strength, etc) much like the elemental spells in a Shin Megami Tensei game. Like I said earlier (though not in the clearest or most elegant manner), most of the game is actually easy to play, with some parts that are tough to win. In the first 4 chapters, I've run across one part where a simple message at the Game Over screen ('In ____ it might help Yuri to assign someone to a _____ position') would've made me win on the next try. Otherwise, it's not that bad (for the first 4 chapters at least).

[whiptcracker]

Yeah, I'm a moron. I edited to correct for it (it was late, give me a break :-P) I also should've elaborated that the battle mechanics are easy (hence my explanation of attacks used) while the big ass endurance series of battles can be nigh impossible.

That's what's so crazy to me, is the ENORMOUS jump in difficulty. I can breeze through normal battles, but the boss battles destroy me. Thank you for reminding me of the auto-targeting as well. In the first chapter or two I almost died on at least half a dozen fights because I didn't notice that they were giving me the worst possible target by default.

Yeah, I died on the first boss a ton because I didn't realize I was targetting the furthest ship. Hell I didn't even see the other ships.

[Nirron]

Considering that the usual 3-ship clusters were something like 1 ENORMOUS ship in the back with 2 toothpicks in the front, can we really be blamed? :-P

[elessar123]

So is that why I keep missing those enormous ships... I thought it was cause my crew sucked =P

[elessar123]

On chapter 5 now, but I think I'm taking longer than most people, cause I think I'm also at 13 hours =P

Three things I noticed that makes the game easier. Don't read if you think it's "exploiting", even though I think it's how the game's designed:

1. For some boss fights, I put my ship right next to the enemy ships and dodge; most of their hits miss and their main weapons are always out of range to fire. Of course, you need to pick weapons with the smallest minimum range for this to be most effective. I beat 2 boss fights like this that I had trouble with using outdated ships.

2. Between multiple battle events (3 battles in a row), you can actually cancel your route after each battle and go to a planet to heal up your ships. Made the spiderweb battle a breeze =P


3. The R button speeds up the text.... wish I realized this in the first 10 hours lol.


Although a lot of this won't matter much after you have overpowered carriers and good pilots. Also, my crew is actually good enough now to heal up between battles, so I don't really think I have to use 2 any more.

[botticus]

On chapter 5 now, but I think I'm taking longer than most people, cause I think I'm also at 13 hours =P

I think that's about where I was, very slow. Now on Act 2, Chapter 2 at 27 hours or so.

[keithp]

http://dl.sega.com/guide/infinite-space/infinite-space-zero-g-manual-us.pdf

[fart_bubble]

On chapter 5 now, but I think I'm taking longer than most people, cause I think I'm also at 13 hours =P

just started chapter 4 and I've put in 14 hours. My three ship fleet is really decked out though (3 Borodinos fully kitted). I wish there was a way to check out what job you have as I'm stuck going through each system trying to figure out which planet I'm supposed to drop something off at.

[elessar123]

just started chapter 4 and I've put in 14 hours. My three ship fleet is really decked out though (3 Borodinos fully kitted). I wish there was a way to check out what job you have as I'm stuck going through each system trying to figure out which planet I'm supposed to drop something off at.

Two advices from having beaten it:

Don't bother too much with the side jobs, the rewards are pretty crappy. I did all the ones I found, and it would have been faster farming that money.

Don't bother too much with act 1 ship upgrades. Enough to get by is... well... plenty. Come act 2, and the ships from act 1 will be very handicapped because of their low hp and you'll need to replace them asap.

[Pajama_Man]

Hey folks, I just got this from Goozex. Anyone know how to reset the cartridge and delete the saves (purging the database also)? I've tried holding the X, Y, A, B, L, R at start-up and that didn't work. Thanks.

[elessar123]

Hey folks, I just got this from Goozex. Anyone know how to reset the cartridge and delete the saves (purging the database also)? I've tried holding the X, Y, A, B, L, R at start-up and that didn't work. Thanks.

Just start a new game and save over the others? I think you only start New Game+ if you load the saved game of the winning game.

[Yanksfan]

Two advices from having beaten it:

Don't bother too much with the side jobs, the rewards are pretty crappy. I did all the ones I found, and it would have been faster farming that money.

Don't bother too much with act 1 ship upgrades. Enough to get by is... well... plenty. Come act 2, and the ships from act 1 will be very handicapped because of their low hp and you'll need to replace them asap.

Cool, good tips. My buddy picked this up for me, so I will be starting it soon myself.

[pete5883]

Odd question: does this game use the L button much, or is it not important? The L button on my DSi has never really worked right, so I might have to play it on my Lite.

[botticus]

From what I recall either shoulder button just fast-forwards stuff. I don't remember using them beyond that.

[pete5883]

Nice, thanks.

[gkrykewy]

Well, shite. I'd always intended to pick this up at some point, and now it's rare/expensive apparently.

[TedwardRoberts]

Well, shite. I'd always intended to pick this up at some point, and now it's rare/expensive apparently.

Check your local Gamestops; several stores around me have copies and I think they're going for like $25.

[dimeadz]

I think Amazon trade in is 29.50. I still have my copy. Tempted to let it go though.