As the third release from Platinum Games, Infinite Space has taken a decidedly lower-key route to retail than either MadWorld or Bayonetta, but a similar spirit of technological experimentation permeates this DS JRPG from the get-go. The breadth and longevity of the campaign is a bullet point the developer can be justifiably proud of, but repetition and questionable mechanical depth ultimately sell the experience a little short of its full potential.
Disappointingly, Platinum has cast aside its love of the outlandish to deliver a formulaic story that strictly adheres to genre stereotype. Longing to escape the clutches of an oppressive regime and explore the ‘star ocean’, teenage protagonist Yuri is whisked skyward to discover the hidden meaning behind his deceased father’s ‘epitaph’ – a strange artefact with mysterious powers. Aided and abetted by a colourful cast of pseudo-anime allies, the cookie-cutter plotline does much to obscure a well-realised localisation and consistently entertaining dialogue.
And as our hero escapes the atmosphere, so the audience settles into traditional RPG territory. The structure of Infinite Space will be familiar to anybody with a passing interest in the genre, as NPC dialogue (delivered in static comic-book style) points your band of travellers to various planets scattered across individual systems, the linear paths between each scattered with ships providing ample opportunity to grind and loot.
In between chatting to colonists in a bid to advance (or remember) the plot, those random and scripted space-lane battles serve to pad out 50+ hours of play. Ship-to-ship combat relies on a rock-paper-scissors balance, with two customisable special attacks dependant on your crew loadout. Weapons systems have a pre-determined effective range, so a typical encounter involves a continual back-and-forth as each fleet manoeuvres into position, fires, then looks for a tell-tale colour-coded sign of retaliation or defence. Melee encounters occur at various moments in the plot and as ships are boarded during battle, but these are somewhat lacking in finesse. Whilst they adhere to a similar trifecta of attack, concentrated attack and dodge, both animation and flow of combat is less refined and the lack of tactical control can be frustrating.
But for the most part, these elements simply work as commanded. Battles are swift and only require sharp concentration on the tougher encounters, and customisation allows you to balance a fleet of offensive goliaths, defensive titans, or a mixture of the two. Every ship contains a blueprint onto which Tetris-style pieces representing weapons systems, crew facilities, tech items and upgrades can be placed, removed or re-arranged to provide the role you choose. These aspects are easily the most addictive portion of the game, and battles quickly become a means to an end to upgrade that laser cannon or recruit another member of staff to your sick bay. Crew members act as the buffs and augmentations for the spacecraft, casting the technology – rather than the humanity – in the starring role.
And whilst it never reaches the freeform beauty of an Elite or the structured precision of a Zelda, Infinite Space absolutely nails the wide-eyed wonder of staring at a galactic map and choosing where next to explore. For a handheld title that’s no small achievement, and the reason many of you would want to play it in the first place.
Professional enthusiast, videogame "journalist" and all-round spectacular sofa dweller. "
