Infinite Undiscovery

"Finite Appeal"

I was looking forward to this game, the lack of any recent 360 JRPGs since Lost Odyssey leaving me desperate for this, Tri- Ace's first outing on the next generation of consoles. What I got was a mixed bag; a game that seems too safe, too close to the traditional blueprint for such games.

The story is one with a few twists, but none that seem to come completely out of nowhere. Capell, a cowardly flute player, has been thrown into prison for baring an uncanny resemblance to the leader of a local resistance force, Sigmund. Apparently, the moon has been enchained to the world, and Sigmund alone possesses the ability to sever these chains. Several hours in, and several annoying characters later, the player will have learnt the basics of the plot. It's a slow- burning story to be certain, and one that's far from as compelling as the long, drawn out introduction seems to imply. Needless to say, Capell soon finds himself burdened with the fate of the planet, and must (un) discover the hero inside to save his new friends.

Capell is a surprisingly interesting hero, as he is deeply uncomfortable assuming this role, and unlike so many others from games past, he never quite shakes off this reluctance. This creates a character who is likely to create a fracture amongst the game's fans; he will be remembered either as overly whiny or as a enduring underdog.

Either way, the game's other characters tend to disappoint, due largely to the overabundance of them. Whilst previous Tri-Ace games compensated for the large cast with optional story sequences fleshing them out, Infinite Undiscovery drip feeds us information. Aside from key players such as Capell, Aya, Sigmund and the like, the characters barely develop beyond their initial meetings with the player.

The soundtrack, while certainly epic, feels generic at points; it says something about the game that I cannot remember any of the score after mere hours of playing. Voice acting however, is a far less appealing proposition. While generally the performances are acceptable, there are a few remarkably cheesy deliveries, including Leonid, who seems at points to almost harbour contempt for the lines he is forced to work with.

The games graphics are also sadly standard, the textures are dull and lack detail, but then this is likely because of the admittedly huge maps, all of which are bizarrely closed off in a fashion that half makes me long for some invisible walls.

Infinite Undiscovery is a game that seems content being just above average. It doesn't push the envelope with a unique visual style or an excellent soundtrack, a memorable story or very much about it that is memorable at all for that matter. In the end, the game is a passable attempt to wrestle interest away from the bigger projects on the horizon. Given Tri-Ace's previous work this may come as a disappointment, but I am left with enthusiasm that this was them testing the water, and that the experience they have accumulated creating this will help contribute to bettering their future works on the console.

6.5/10 – Worthy of a rent for fans of JRPGs, all else should leave this Undiscovered.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/03/08

Game Release: Infinite Undiscovery (EU, 09/05/08)