Infinite Space
8.6
10
19
19
Infinite Space, Finite Paths
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Story
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Infinite Space features a rather lengthy story that includes topics such as loyalty, betrayal, political intrigue, character deaths, and profound mysteries. On the other hand the games story features a few plot holes in my opinion, and I'd be remiss not to mention the fact that the ending itself feels rushed. Though, the game is extremely heartfelt despite these weak spots and the overall focus on character interaction and development is far more interesting in my opinion. Though, the need to visit taverns and talk to your friends repeatedly is a slight downer.
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Gameplay
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Infinite Space is a tactical RPG which feels rather limited in terms of the number of strategies you can deploy. The game only allows you to use nine different commands during combat, and two of them are basically the same command. While the second and third special command can be changed based on your first officer or ship you'll largely avoid ships with special abilities anyway. The various ship specials tend to be a special attack weapon, but after you utilize it your gauge will be stalled out for several seconds so you'd rather use a barrage or lion's roar instead. I'll also admit that the fighters feel a bit over powered in my opinion. You can utilize fighters to pin down an enemy and deal rather massive damage rather quickly. Of course, you can only utilize a command if your command gauge is filled up high enough. Early on in the game it emphasizes how smaller destroyer class ships fill the gauge faster while ships that are capable of dealing more damage charge the gauge up slower. The problem with this is the game doesn't maintain this advantage throughout the game so you'll largely try to upgrade to battleships or carriers at your earliest opportunity.
Another problem I have with the game is the melee combat itself. The melee combat is basically a game of rock, paper, and scissors. The shoot command beats the leadership command, while the leadership command beats the slash command, and the slash command beats shoot, but the shoot command is arguably the best since it prevents an enemy from retreating from melee combat. I also admit that melee combat feels a bit unbalanced since your combat level for melee combat seems to have little effect unless you have an overwhelming advantage. I also find it a bit disappointing that there is no advantage to defeating the enemy in melee combat. The ship is still destroyed like normal unless the plot requires other wise which makes the command feel rather underwhelming and the only reason to focus on it at all is because certain points in the game require you to utilize it.
I also admit I find the ship modification system rather weak. While the game brags about featuring 200+ modules you'll only be able to fit a handful onto your ship and you'll largely have certain modules you'll want to put on every ship anyway. I also admit that this topic brings me into one of my biggest gripes with the game. The rather poorly done menu screens. When you purchase a ship you can't get a look at the module layout until after you purchased it and this is a major problem in my opinion. Since, I don't know if I'll want to keep a particular ship until after I've purchased it. On the other hand the game is a lot nicer to you with the module system allowing you to organize pieces by type and module shape.
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Graphics
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Infinite Space is a rather strange mix in terms of graphics to be honest. The game features several areas that attempt to create a 3D perspective, but most of the cut scenes are rather basic character portraits with text boxes. And, I'd probably argue that the cinematic before the title screen has some of the best animation in the game even if it contradicts events that happen during the main game.
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Sound
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The game features a rather solid sound track, but there is a rather limited number of tracks. So you'll end up hearing the same orchestral pieces multiple times throughout this game so they may begin to bore you a bit. I also admit that during one epic battle the game switches to a Japanese song with lyrics that feels inappropriate. Though, the piece may have fit better if they offered some lyric translations.
The game also lacks any voice acting outside of the Japanese anime style cinematic before the title. So it feels a bit weird that none of the characters have voices during the main game. While the lack of voice acting doesn't bother me the rather limited number of orchestral tracks and sound effects does.
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Lasting Appeal
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Infinite Space does offer some replayability with branching story paths during several chapters of this long game and there is an additional mode that is unlocked after you beat the main game. On the other hand the new game plus option is rather weak since you only keep your character levels, stats, and money. All of your fame, ships, crew, and blueprints are taken away meaning you have to start the game over from scratch for the most part.
Extra Mode is a bit different from the main game since you start out with 20,000 credits and need to defeat 3 or 5 bosses in a sector before moving onto the next. It's basically a boss rushing mode, but while you keep all of your blueprints all of the characters you've unlocked have their stats reset to base.
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Scores
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Story: 8
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Lasting Appeal: 7
Overall: 8.5 (Not an Average)
12/27/12
DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!
In my experience it was the worst game I've ever played! Sound and graphics were terribly horrible. I was quite disappointed with the wonderful reviews this game was given. When I got this game I was so excited that I cried when I heard and saw the beginning. And not in the good way. I even had to make a special trip to buy it!! Wasted. Totally sad. If this game was made by a different company maybe, MAYBE, it would be okay. Overall, disappointing.... Especially because Yuri seemed to be a really cool character.
5/22/12
Battle-Ship lovers, feast your eyes!
Alas, my fingers grow frail and I feel the carpel tunnel settling in. I look at my nintendo dsi charging peacefully and think of the cartridge inside. Infinite space. Where to begin with this...interesting game?
Well. *Knuckles cracking as I set my fingers on my laptop* This game is a rather peculiar one indeed. When christmas 2010 came around, I saw this game and thought, "Why not? I have $34.99. And those graphics look mighty tasty!". Okay, so those have not been my exact words, but I am close. This game hooked me in with its stunning graphics that I thought were near impossible for a DS game. The story I found was very interesting (you are a boy who wishes to journey into the sea of stars to find the secrets of the Epitaph that your father gave you). The time line the game takes place in is very different one from our own. Massive ships parade pirates, the military, and inter-planetary invaders (they are still human, not little green men) around the colonies that the human race has established all across the universe. Also, in this odd new era, little clothing is required as space armor as shown by Nia, the launcher who helps you into space. The game is played as Yuri, a character determined automatically who speaks on his own. The only real input you will have is certain story branching points, battles, and customizing your ship. And spoiler, unless you looked this game up on wikipedia earlier, the game is separated into two parts that are set ten years apart. Both stories are directly connected and the voices of Yuri, the MC, change along with all the young characters profiles.
On your journey, you engage in space combat in your highly customizable ship and you engage in a form of melee battle that is similar to "rock, paper, scissors". The game-play is interesting with the battles similar to battleship. But the main difference is that your ship can be upgraded and customized to your liking or you can choose from another ship out of the hundred you can ultimately choose from. But the game lacks in some areas. My major issue is the battle's sound system. Your ships can fire cannons, lasers and other little fighters. All of which is in full sound effect. This doesn't entirely make sense because I thought that in space, sound doesn't travel, right? I guess by the time Infinite Space takes place, the laws of the universe will change... The game also gets very repetitive and lacks a good system to let you know your level and stats. Not that that even seems to matter unless you are worrying about what level ship modules you can have and what level abilities you can preform. But, I haven't sold it back to gamestop yet.
Overall, I am not a huge fan of Infinite Space. Many people would beg to differ with my opinion, but I think this game could have used a more certain identity. I am still scratching my head at if this is just one big game of Battle Ship I am playing with the CPU or if it is actually a RPG. And what kind of RPG really is it? I suppose you will have to try it out for yourself. But heed my warning: turn your volume down.
12/16/11
A Truly Epic Game!
I have never written a review before, but this game inspired me to write. I am truly amazed that they fit all of this content on a DS cart! The world is huge. The gameplay is well into the 70-90 hour range. The characters are so endearing. The music is epic! The story is far above anything I've played in the JRPG world. It is considered a JRPG game, but the gameplay mechanics are a nice twist on the sometimes stale JRPG formula. There are ship battles, melee battles aboard ship (okay, not as thrilling as it sounds but still something different.....kind of like rock-paper-scissors), and some land missions too. The graphics are amazing, and the exploration and micro-managing is addictive! I have been gaming for over 30 years, and I can say that this is my all-time favorite game (the previous favorite was "Skies of Arcadia" from the Dreamcast/Gamecube which is another Sega game). If you ever find this game, don't even hesitate to buy it! It had a very low print run, and never seemed to catch on in popularity, which is hard to believe. If you come across a copy consider it to be like finding a needle in a haystack....it's that rare. Infinite Space is the best game on the DS, and the best video game I have ever played. I honestly can't speak highly enough about this game! The only 10 score I have ever given for a game, period. It's that good!
10/19/11
Wii version now
This game is awesome totaly worth the money spent with other rpgs grinding can suck as its straight foward in RPG games in Infinite Space it feels more to chance despite knowing whats to come. I love the wide variety of ship designs weapons modules typical of an rpg. My only real complaints are a more interactive element when it comes to the fighters and the lack of an option to customize the apperance of your ships. If spectrobes go 2 ds games and one for the wii I say Infinite Space deserves the same.
6/23/11
Awsome
This game is epic when i saw this on a Game Stop used shelf i looked at it and was questioning weather it be good so i bought it and it turned out to be a really good game.
4/10/11
Best RPG of the year
this is the best RPG in my mind because its disigned for all those teenage geeks (like me) who want to assemble a team of soldiers to save the galaxy its really fun though its hard to put down and it is a game that you replay it is basically a hand held variation of mass effect but without all the "suggestive themes"..but over all this game is fun even though it has a few rough edges
12/28/10
Terrible Game
Overall I gave this game a average review for two reasons. First the sound effects were terrible. I had to turn the volume all the way up to hear what the voices in the game were saying. Then I had to turn it down again so I didn't have to listen to the terrible and overwhelming sound effects. Now for two. The Game play was boring and confusing. Now on to the good things about it. It had great graphics for a DS game, and that is about the only great thing about this game. I would not recommend that anyone buy this game.
9/11/10
Harder than it looks, in a good way
I am admitedly a sci-fi fanatic, but hear me out. This game is worth every hour put into it! The pros: The story starts off slow with your typical advernturous youth wanting what he can't have. Namely, the freedom to travel the stars. Mundane as far as a beginning goes, but the story gets much better as time goes on. Roughly 10 hours in, you get your first glimpse of the true story, which I won't go into for fear of spoiling its complex twists and turns. I still haven't beat the game, but I can safely wager it is very long. Currently, I am 32 hours in and still going strong. The game's claim of 70 hours of gameplay is probably modest. So, if you are looking for a lengthy game, this is probably for you. Customizability gets a 10 for all the different types of ships and moduals. There are lots of differet play styles that come to light as you play different ships and customize them to the hilt with all the latest gadgets and rooms. Do note: what you put into your ship matters just as much as what it looks like. A ship with no medic suffers far more casulties than one with a competent doctor aboard. Graphics are awesome for the DS game. Very well executed and full of color when you actually look up from the interface. Speaking of the interface, be ready to use your stylus as this game has little use for bottons other than speeding past the dialogue or cutscenes. Some reviews I have read say the cutscenes and planets you visit get bland. I highly disagree as I have yet to see two planets look exactly alike . . . from space anyway. Lol. Challenge on this is outstanding. There is no point at which one can let their guard down. The simplist mistake can be catastrouphic in a space battle, as it should be. So, don't blink. If you do, you might miss the oppourtunity to blast that wiry zero-g dog to grus! The Cons: Sound is bad on the speakers, but excellent on the headphones. So, if you want to enjoy the jaunty tunes or the sound of blasters to their fullest, be ready to don your headphones. There is very little voice acting in this, but whiat little there is is very well done. Melee Combat is very rock-paper-scissors. It does make sense after a while, but the learning curve will get you blasted the first few times. Be sure to read all the in-game help as the manual provided in-box is of little use in these situations.
6/14/10
EPIC GAME.....
Hi, there. I don't normally post reviews. I really don't have the luxury of time between work, my girlfriend, friends, and gaming. I'm sure some of you can relate. But I have to speak about this game. In a word, it's AWESOME. I'm usually skeptical about RPG games. In essence, that's how I would describe Infinite Space. An RPG that takes place in space. No, a galaxy. Wait, a whole universe. How they fit all this content into one little cartridge is beyond me. But I'm so happy they did. The music is awesome. The graphics are incredible. Especially when playing on the Nintendo DSi XL. The fights are intense. The way you can upgrade and detail your ship with "modules" is very cool and key to winning some battles or just staying alive as you fly to and from planets. The same goes for your crew. Certain crew members are better suited for certain jobs. Yes, you have a big ship. And you have jobs (positions) on your ship that need filling. I love this game. I'm almost tempted to go out and buy a second one and keeping it unopened. I have a feeling this title will become a collectors item. But that's just me. The game is not short either. I've clocked in over 60 gaming hours. And that was just the first time through. You really get your dollar's worth with this game. And the story is just amazing. It left me with my jaw open at times. You really get a feel for the main character and the members of his ship. His fleet actually. Not to give too much away, but you start the game off commanding a ship. As you progress and get towards the end you can command up to 5 ships. From Destroyers to Carriers to Cruisers. And each one you can modify and upgrade with "modules." The possibilities are just endless. I tell everyone I know who owns a Nintendo DS and likes playing RPG games that THIS is the game to get. To anyone who reads this and is thinking about getting Infinite Space, I say GET IT. You won't be disappointed.
4/15/10