Infinite Space Compared to Star Control II
Infinite Space is a Science Fiction Role Playing Game exclusively for the Nintendo DS. It is already available in Japan and the release dates for Europe and North America have been scheduled for Spring of 2010. I have been interested in this game for a long time. There are some anime short videos that have been released online; most of them are in Japanese and a few are in English. From my first impressions, I can tell that it will be a very epic sci-fi RPG that will revolve more around space ships.
The player will have control of a spaceship and be able to customize the ship’s design and its crew. Two players will be able to fight each other over local wi-fi.
I have always thought of similarities with Star Control when I see this game. There are sci-fi games out there and there are very few where the player can customize the ship, traverse space and engage in ship combat. Kat Bailey wrote an article on 1UP’s RPG Blog titled “The Monthly Grind: Infinite Space, Dragon Quest and Star Control II”. The Monthly Grind refers to articles that are dedicated to a specific RPG for a month, so for September, the 1UP RPG blog will have multiple articles about Infinite Space.
Here are a few quotes from Kim comparing Infinite Space to Star Control II:
Infinite Space and Star Control II actually have quite a bit in common. Both games feature a "flagship" for the protagonist, encourage players to build their own fleets and emphasize interaction with non-player characters and various planets. But that's where the similarities end, and the differences between western and Japanese design philosphies (sic) begin.
Basically, I'm wondering if there shouldn't be more to the experience than jumping from planet to find whoever it is I need to advance the story, followed by some starship customization and a few battles with random pirates. If anything, the team over at Platinum had the perfect template in Star Control. And trust me, there's nothing wrong with another Star Control.
It is obvious that Infinite Space is nothing like Star Control itself. They do have some elements in common and I am glad that there is at least starship adventure game emerging in mainstream games. I certainly hope that it’s not the last. If Infinite Space proves to be a successful game, it should serve as solid evidence that a new Star Control game can be just as successful. It’s definitely on my wishlist and I would be very surprised if reviewers drew their own comparisons to Star Control.
Links
The Monthly Grind: Infinite Space, Dragon Quest and Star Control II
