Infinite Undiscovery

It's all a big case of mistaken identity, you'll be saying. Or better yet, you'll think he really is the legendary hero. Now you're probably confused, so I should fill you in. You play as Capell, who is imprisoned by the Order of Chains, who have ensnared the moon to harvest its power, which poisons the world itself and spawns deadly creatures which roam the land. The quest for power is a tale as old as time itself, but why has Capell been taken prisoner? This isn't so clear until you discover that Capell bears an uncanny resemblance to Sigmund the Liberator, the hero of this game's world.

Unfortunately, Capell doesn't share any other qualities with the hero, but his appearance is enough to get him busted out of his imprisonment by a character named Aya, who, like his captors, takes notice of the "hero's" rather unheroic qualities. And so the story goes, with us left to discover for ourselves how a mere minstrel becomes a hero in his own right.

Well the game has been in development for ten years now, and, if we're to believe the hype, it shows. The world changes in real time, with players' choices leading to "unknown discoveries". Now if that doesn't sound promising, I don't know what does.

The game utilizes a real time battle system that is apparently similar to that of the Star Ocean series. If you're unfamiliar, the battles system of the Star Ocean series allows you to control a single character in your party (or group) while the rest of your fellow fighters are controlled by AI and guided by loose parameters, such as "Cast No Spells", or "Healing Magic Only". Traditionally, you could switch between your characters at will, though it remains to be seen exactly how combat will play out in Infinite Undiscovery.

It is known, however, that unlike in Star Ocean, in Infinite Undiscovery you will command a party of four instead of three, and additionally, IU will feature seamless exploration and combat, meaning that you will encounter enemies on the regular playing field instead of being subjected to random battles or transported elsewhere upon encountering an enemy. (This excites me!)

Fans of more traditional turn-based games, do not fret! The system, while delivering fast-paced, eye-dazzling battles, has always been maintained by comfortable controls and an exceptionally capable AI.

Personally, I can't wait.

Don't forget, the game comes out September 2nd of this year (9.2.2008). I advise all rpg fans and newcomers to pick up this game. Better yet, reserve it!

Infinite Discovery

The game is finally up for pre-order from Amazon! I've already ordered mine, and I advise you to do the same!