Infinite Undiscovery

Infobox VG| title = Infinite Undiscovery


developer = tri-Ace
publisher = Square Enix [cite web|url=http://www.square-enix.com/na/company/press/2007/0912/|title=Infinite Undiscovery Coming Soon to the Xbox 360!|publisher=Square Enix|date=2007-09-12|accessdate=2008-08-22]
designer = Hiroshi Ogawa (Director)
engine =
version =
released = vgrelease|NA=September 2 2008 [ [http://www.infiniteundiscovery.com/ Available 08.29.08] ] |EU=September 5 2008 [ [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=142169 Xbox 360's Infinite Undiscovery dated] ] vgrelease|JP=September 11 2008 [cite web|url=http://www.square-enix.com/na/company/press/2008/0610/|title=Square-Enix announces RPG Line-up for Xbox 360|publisher=Square Enix|date=2008-06-10|accessdate=2008-08-22]
genre = Action RPG
modes = Single-player
ratings = vgratings|CERO=B|ESRB=T|OFLCA=PG|PEGI=16+
platforms = Xbox 360
media = 2 DVD-DL
requirements =
input =
tagline =
preceded_by = nihongo|"Infinite Undiscovery"|インフィニット アンディスカバリー|Infinitto Andisukabarī is an action role-playing game developed by tri-Ace and published by Square-Enix exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game was released during September 2008 in Europe, Japan, and North America.

According to tri-Ace co-founder and R&D programmer Yoshiharu Gotanda, this game is set to contain 10 years worth of ideas that can finally be realized by the power of the Xbox 360 and that with it, "RPGs will undergo a true evolution." [cite web | author=Nolan, Richard | date=June 21, 2008 | title=tri-Ace's ambitious J-RPG nears release... | url=http://play.tm/story/18847 | work=play.tm] tri-Ace wishes to achieve this by putting the player through "situational battles" that will lead to "unknown discoveries" and cause permanent changes to the world.

Gameplay

Infinite Undiscovery is meant to envelop the player in a real-time world where individual decisions can unveil numerous discoveries and affect other encounters, without the need to transition to another screen and can occur at anytime, even while the player is going through inventory in the menu. The action based battle system allows up to 4 characters to be on the field at once. The player controls the main character Capell from a third-person perspective while the other 3 characters are controlled by AI, however using connect actions Capell can use another character's skill. Faced with a variety of episodic situational battles, the player is meant to try various methods to defeat the enemy, where the most obvious solution is rarely the right move. Certain battles require the player to divide the whole of the cast (said to be up to eighteen characters) into teams due to the sheer size of the situation.

The game transitions between day and night about every 10 minutes and the player must use this to their advantage. For instance, at night the player might have a better chance of infiltrating an enemy base stealthily as opposed to barging in during the day (This system was later found to be removed from the final product). Light stealth elements like this are hidden throughout the game, director Hiroshi Ogawa explains: “As an example, when you’re running away from a hunting dog, you can distract him by dropping apples from the trees. However, the guards may catch you when they hear the thud of the apples. ” [cite web | author=Reyes, Francesca | date=April 28, 2008 | title=Infinite Possibilities | url=http://www.oxmonline.com/article/features/infinite-possibilities?page=0%2C1 | work=OXM]

Characters

Primary Characters

nihongo|Capell|カペル|Kaperu Age 17 - The reluctant protagonist, Capell is rescued from prison by Aya due to looking like Sigmund the Liberator. Capell is an Unblessed, a person who lacks a lunaglyph like most humans have on their bodies. This is due to him being born during the night of a lunar eclipse and is considered cursed because of it. He was abandoned as an infant, but raised by a troupe of minstrels. However, Capell has had to endure hardship and persecution because of his lack of a glyph. Early on, it is revealed that he can cut the chains that bind the moon like Sigmund. After Sigmund's death Capell masquerades as Sigmund so the world does not lose hope. Near the end of the game, Capell finds out that he is in fact the exiled prince of the kingdom of Casandra. He wields swords and some of his more powerful techniques are copies of Sigmund's.

nihongo|Aya|アーヤ|Āya Age 16 - After Capell is tossed in prison, she rescues him, thinking that he is Sigmund the Liberator. However, after a short while she realizes Capell isn't Sigmund, but rather a minstrel who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. She has fought alongside Sigmund and fully places her trust in him. After getting to know Capell, she begins to become attracted to his quiet strength and kind heart. She is the princess of the emirate of Fayel, though she dislikes how her father does not help the Liberation Force. She wields a bow that she augments with her fire glyph, resulting in explosive arrows. She becomes the queen of Fayel and reunites with Capell two years after the moon has been unchained.

nihongo|Sigmund|シグムント|Shigumundo Age 17 - The Liberator for whom Capell is mistaken. Aside from Capell, he is the only one capable of destroying the chains that bind the moon, though he loses this ability after receiving a Lunaglyph from the king of Burguss. He dies protecting Capell from Leonid. Touma reveals that Sigmund was an Unblessed like Capell. Sigmund and Capell's likeness is not coincidence as Sigmund was an Aristo and the king of Casandra which makes him Capell's father. Capell was meant to receive a Lunaglyph upon the full moon, but an eclipse made him an Unblessed. Sigmund reluctantly followed tradition and made one of his retainers exile Capell, though his wife (the queen) died of grief. Sigmund was unable to bear the agony and abandoned his post and had his glyph removed, reverting him to a child. Svala, the Empress of Halgita, raised him. He wields swords and bears a shield.

nihongo|Edward| エドアルド|Edoarudo Age 17 - A cool headed man who wields a large sword; his Japanese name is Eduardo. A year before the storyline, Edward's village was saved by Sigmund and he vowed to follow him. He is the same age as Capell and Sigmund and is a loyal follower of the latter. He is at first jealous and angry towards Capell and it only increases upon Sigmund's death. After nearly becoming a Vermiform upon his Lunaglyph becoming wild, he regards Capell as Sigmund's successor and Capell even thinks of Edward as his best friend. He becomes the king of Burguss at the end of the game to which Vic is one of his retainers and appears to have Kiriya as a sort of administrator.

nihongo|Rico|ルカ|Ruka Age 10 - One of the young spell-casting twins, one male and one female. He is a beast tamer. His father was a Claridian priest, though he was killed by the Order of Chains. His Japanese name is Luka. He is shown to be with Balbagan in Casandra, helping defend it from bandits. He wields batons.

nihongo|Rucha|ロカ|Roka Age 10 - She is the female child of the young spell-casting twins. She is a summoner. Her Japanese name is Roka. She is with her brother at the end of the game. She uses drums.

nihongo|Michelle|ミシェル|Misheru- A seductive looking woman who uses books to cast spells and is a healer. She usually moves at her own pace and comes across as a bit of a bimbo. She is a big fan of tea and always has a kettle and cup ready. She is rather smitten with Sigmund. Upon learning of Capell's tragic past, she decides to become his big sister. She is last seen in Casandra. Her Japanese name is Mirche.

Komachi - A beautiful female ninja who wields twin kodachi and is Genma's daughter. She is also shown to use giant versions of shurikens, similar to Yuffie Kisaragi of the Final Fantasy series, developed by Squaresoft. She has an unusual hairstyle, in that instead of her hair being tied with a bow, she uses her hair in place of a bow. She is a loyal retainer of Touma and it is implied she loves him. She lives in Halgita with her father at the end of the game.

nihongo|Eugene|ユージン|Yūjin Age 26 - A knowledgeable looking man, he uses a staff in battle. He is a friend of Sigmund and the heir to a wealthy merchant family. Though a kind man, he does have a dark side. It is unknown what is in the huge backpack he carries. He becomes the prime minister of Halgita at the end of the game, flustered over the number of marriage proposals he has been receiving.

nihongo|Balbagan|バルバガン|Barubagan Age 35 - A large man who wields a battle axe, he accompanies the liberation army to have a rematch with Sigmund, whom to he once lost in a duel. He is a rather simple-minded man, often leaving the thinking to others and spends his time drinking alcohol in the bar or eating. Balbagan leaves near the beginning of the second disc due to Sigmund's death, though he returns because of his shame. He is shown to be protecting Casandra, swearing he won't let anyone harm Capell and Sigmund's home.

Touma- A white-haired youth who wears a Japanese mask and wields a katana. He is a young Aristo (a human who has gained power through a special rite) whose family has served the empress of Halgita for years. His family also controls an elite group of warrior spies called the Nightwhisper Guild. He is an old friend of Sigmund's and is one of the few people who knows his past. Though his actions are dignified and just, he is a tad naive. Like all Aristo, he falls asleep due to the power of Veros the Crimson being extinguished.

Gustav - A giant red bear with a single horn growing from his forehead. He is actually Aya's pet who she has kept for years. He believes Aya to be his mother and protects her fervently, which prevents him from getting along with other members of the army (especially Capell). Capell can ride on Gustav's back through Connect Action. He fights using his claws.

Vic - A young information seller living on the streets of Kolton. Although Vic's mannerisms and attitude are very masculine, Vic is actually a girl, though the only one who shows knowledge of it is Dominica. She had a brother who died due to the same disease that Edward contracted. It is implied she gained a crush on Capell. She later becomes a retainer of Edward's. She uses knives. Her Japanese name is Vika

econdary Members

Secondary members are party members who cannot be allocated to the main party. They are only used in multi-party situation, though they have their own traits and item creation skills as well as equipment.

Savio - A green-haired man who wields magic. He is known as the Starseer due to his ability to see the future and sees a vision of Aristo dying around Capell. He goes to sleep like other Aristo upon the death of Veros. His Japanese name is Sorenstam.

Dominica - A female mercenary in orange armor. She has brown hair in a ponytail, and uses a spear though she equips great swords like Edward. She has known Aya for quite some time and is acquainted with the staff of the castle of Fayel.

Kiriya - A wizard with extremely long, blond hair wearing Japanese style clothes. Kiriya is a hermit living in the Timberlands and was an apprentice to Savio. He has a rather sharp tongue and only treats Savio with respect. Kiriya was in fact a researcher even during his youth and was the one asked by Sigmund to find a way to remove Lunaglyphs. He appears to use a kusarigama, though he equips knives like Vic.

Seraphina - A beautiful, elegant woman, who wears white armor with a blue and white dress. She doesn't appear to wield any sort of weapon during battle, though she can equip books like Michelle. She is somewhat robotic in her mannerisms, though this doesn't stop Kristopher from often trying to woo her. She falls asleep at the end of the game, though Kristofor lovingly watches over her. Her Japanese name is spelled Serafima.

Kristopher - A brunette haired man with a rough appearance, and a design similar to an aviator, a rather modern design compared to the others. He is skilled with machines and was in fact a weapons designer, though he became disgusted upon seeing their deadliness. Seraphina apparently helped Kristopher redeem himself. He wields a crossbow in battle, though he equips regular bows like Aya. His Japanese name is spelled Kristofor.

upporting Cast

Svala - The Empress of Halgita and the only female ruler amongst the world's leaders. She is a friend of Sigmund. Her Japanese name is Subaru.

Genma - A member of the Liberation Force and a Nightwhisper from Halgita. He is Komachi's father and a skilled fighter.

Faina - A teenage girl who knows Capell. Like Capell, she is an Unblessed and lives in Sapran, a town of Unblesseds.

Leif - Faina's younger brother.

Villains

nihongo|Leonid|レオニード|Reonīdo- The man who has enslaved the moon with chains, he is seen as an antagonist. He is known as the Dreadknight and created the Order of Chains.

Saranda - A seductive, red-haired woman who wears a elaborate dress the same color as her hair. She is Leonid's closest confidant and will do anything for him. She is rather sadistic and enjoys taunting her foes.

Veros - Veros the Crimson who is the god of the moon and blesses the world with Lunaglyphs. He was, in fact, the instigator of the chains and sought to destroy all of mankind, the world, and the moon so he could create a utopia. He mentions that everything was forced upon him by an unknown "Her".

Audio

Voice cast

The English Dub was the first title released from New Generation Pictures Shanghai Studios, as such it features voice-over actors from Texas and Los Angeles as well as a large helping of New Talent.

Development

Infinite Undiscovery was announced in September 2006 via Famitsu. [cite web | author=Gantayat, Anoop | date=September 15, 2006 | title=Infinite Undiscovery Discovered | url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/733/733002p1.html | work=IGN.com] Initially it was believed that Microsoft would publish the game [cite web | date=September 20, 2006 | title=Microsoft Showcases Library of Xbox 360 Games at the Tokyo Game Show | url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/sep06/09-20MSTokyoGameShowPR.mspx] , however at TGS 2007 Hajime Kojima and Hiroshi Ogawa stated that Square-Enix took over publishing duties because they have more "know-how" with RPGs. [cite web | date=September 21, 2007 | title=TGS '07: Infinite Undiscovery Q&A Session | url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/infiniteundiscovery/news.html?sid=6179702 | work=gamespot.com] However, since Microsoft was the original publisher, they still hold the intellectual property rights to Infinite Undiscovery. [cite web | date=As of December 31, 2007 | title=Microsoft Trademarks | url=http://www.microsoft.com/library/toolbar/3.0/trademarks/en-us.mspx]

Key Staff

Director: Hiroshi Ogawa
Producer: Hajime Kojima
Lead R&D Programmer: Yoshiharu Gotanda
Scenario: ORG Ltd., Ryo Mizuno, and Shoji Gatoh
Composition/Music Director: Motoi Sakuraba
Character Designer: Yukihiro Kajimoto

Reception

Infinite Undiscovery has received mixed reviews from the critics, with an average of 71 on Metacritic and 70 on Gamerankings. IGN gave it a 7.1 saying "This isn't a game marred with horrendous bugs or unplayable combat. And it's not boring. It's just misguided. The story is intriguing enough that RPG fanatics should at least give this a rental." 1UP gave it a B saying "Undiscovery is absolutely worth playing through at least once, with the regrettable caveat that it really could've been so much more." Gamepro gave it a 3 out of 5 saying "In the end, Undiscovery isn't a bad game but it is seriously flawed. I'd recommend renting it before you invest your hard earned cash on a purchase, especially if you're new to the RPG genre." GameSpot awarded the score of 6.5 ('Fair') but felt it was too flawed to reach its potential. GamesRader gave it a 7 out of 10 saying "When it’s acting like a run-of-the-mill JRPG, it feels clichéd, but reasonably enjoyable. When it tries to be innovative, however, its unsatisfying combat, superfluous subsystems and wasted ensemble cast make the whole experience feel half-hearted." X-Play gave the game a 4 out of 5, praising its addictive and fast paced action and multi-party battles, while criticizing its "ridiculous" name, its annoying protagonist, and slow story line. X-Play explained that while the story is slow at the start of the game once you push through for a few hours the game and story is actually very entertaining. In Japan, Famitsu gave the game a total score of 32/40 from four reviewers (9, 8, 8, 7). Early sales numbers suggest that the game sold 86,708 copies in its first week on the Japanese market.

References

External links

* [http://www.square-enix.co.jp/undiscovery/ Official Website] ja
* [http://www.infiniteundiscovery.com/ Official Website] en
* [http://www.infiniteundiscoverygame.co.uk/home/ Official Website UK] en
* [http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/i/infiniteundiscoveryxbox360/ Infinite Undiscovery @ Xbox.com] en
* [http://www.orggames.co.jp/index.html Org Ltd.] ja