All good things come to those who wait — the mantra of many an RPG fan who’s owned both Xbox and Xbox 360. And thankfully, the past holiday season treated us kindly with the arrival of both Mass Effect and Lost Odyssey. Mistwalker’s labor of Unreal Engine 3–powered love was a special boon for those of us raised on the age-old console-RPG philosophy of pretty-boy polygons, healing herbs, and turn-based battling.

But just as we’re shaking off the hazy dreams of Kaim and Co.’s journey through immortality, Square Enix, the granddaddy of console roleplaying, goes ahead and unveils the nuts and bolts of its new, tri-Ace–developed magnum opus on Xbox 360. Say hello to Infinite Undiscovery and our exclusive reveal!

Identity Cleft
The world within Infinite Undiscovery has an obsession with the moon. But currently it’s unrequited. Some mean men have gone and formed the Order of Chains under the command of the king bad, who calls himself Dreadknight. What did the Order of Chains do? They done chained up the moon, turning the entire planet’s landscape into nothing but a bleak wasteland. And along the way, they’ve captured you — or more correctly, some young guy named Capel, whom the Order has nicknamed “The Liberator” for reasons currently unknown.

But if you stayed imprisoned forever, there’d be no game — thus arrives the lovely, bow-and-arrow­–equipped Aya to spring you from your shackles and whisk you off to safety under the protection of rebel warriors. But the real catch? The warrior leader — a noble knight named Sigmund — looks exactly like you. He’s the real “Liberator.” So who are you? Are you just a doppelganger, or does something truly heroic lie within you, too? That’s the real thematic crux of tri-Ace’s brave new journey onto Xbox 360 — a mad mix of fantasy storytelling, clever new gameplay mash-ups, and…smells? Huh?

Random Acts
A beloved innovator, tri-Ace (see sidebar, page 3) is known for refusing to settle for turn-based battles. With Infinite Undiscovery, the developer seeks to push the JRPG combat system even more out of its comfort zone by incorporating the studio’s take on real-time fights. You can encounter enemies at any time in the field — even when you think you’re safely checking your inventory in the menu.

And when you do, the scene doesn’t shift to a separate, enclosed environment (à la Lost Odyssey or the Final Fantasy series) — instead, the whole thing happens seamlessly. You’ll instantly begin the fight with up to three other characters, where you can chain together different attacks, both light and heavy, or opt to execute moves that launch foes into the air so you can slam them down to the ground. Your attacks can be paired with those of your fellow party members, too. But the main thing to note is that you’re able to control only one party member at a time during a struggle, and tri-Ace isn’t ready to ante up details on exactly how or if you’ll be able to hot-swap between allies in the heat of battle.

Night Moves
Though fighting is a major part of Infinite’s gameplay, it’s really only one pie slice of your adventure. One feature that has our interest incredibly piqued is the concept of detection while you’re exploring the world. Think of it as tri-Ace placing a dose of light stealth chocolate in your traditional RPG peanut butter, and you’ll have an idea of what detection is all about.

Environments throughout the game possess different conditions. If you’re tiptoeing through a particularly bright mid-day sunkissed landscape, sneaking isn’t very practical. You can see enemies a mile away and vice versa. The real tactics come into play during nighttime scenarios.

With darkness as a blanket, nemeses will have a harder time seeing you, and an overhead mini-map in the upper corner of the screen indicates just how far their vision stretches.

But creeping through the night has its drawbacks. For one, your vision ain’t that great either; you must use caution when traveling, and you won’t be able to lock onto targets from a distance with long-range weapon-wielding characters like Aya. Also, sight isn’t the only means by which your enemies can detect you. You’ll have to worry about sound and that aforementioned sense of smell as well.

The Smells of Silence
So, how does the game use sound and smell? tri-Ace 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. Doesn’t that sound exciting?” Erm, sounds kinda stressful, really — but it also sounds supremely cool.

Ogawa tells us that when you’re in a dark area, the overhead mini-map ceases showing the radar to indicate vision and instead relies on this sense of sound. So when you drop an apple to tempt those canine noses, you can also check to see how far the sound of falling fruit reaches on your radar. You’ll also be able to use this sound meter to more reliably sneak up on enemies from behind — your footsteps can be heard, so tread lightly, Capel!

"Infinite is not a serious stealth game like Metal Gear Solid, but [you] still need to tactfully sneak-attack and make an escape,” advises Ogawa.

Circumstantial Evidence
And just when you think you know everything about the game’s combat, tri-Ace strikes back with something they’ve dubbed “situational battles.” Think of these select gameplay segments as quasi–free-roaming adventure-style scenarios.

The team gave us a few different examples, including one that was briefly shown at last year’s Tokyo Game Show, showcasing your party’s flight from an enemy-infested encampment of sorts. As you try to flee, you’ll have to fend off enemy soldiers and break down barricades — but tri-Ace points out that this can be too time-consuming. One option you’ll have is to target and detonate explosive barrels with Aya’s bow to hasten your escape. But guess what? Now you’ve got a giant ogre on your trail. You can choose to stay and fight him, but that’s a losing option. Your best bet? As you’re running down a nearby staircase, push him off with a well-timed strike, allowing you to escape and score a “Situation Bonus” reward for surviving.

In another scenario, a dragon will attack a village while you’re there seeking a cure for an ill Aya. So, not only is a giant dragon hanging around, but your hands are full carrying your comrade. What can you do? Duck and cover! Use stone structures to save your bacon — but with environmental destruction afoot, you can’t cower behind a disintegrating pillar for long. To juke the reaper, you’ve gotta play it smart and direct the dragon’s fiery projectiles toward pursuing enemies and other obstacles blocking your escape.

When we asked whether the situational battles have more than one way out, Ogawa replied, “Some, though not all, have multiple options for resolution.” Intriguing to say the least, and we’re told that your actions will directly affect certain aspects of your overall adventure.

Discovery Imminent
So many features, yet so many months between us and the U.S. release of Infinite Undiscovery. With every new piece of information and screenshot that trickles out, we find ourselves more and more entranced by the possibilities. Yet beyond Infinite’s imminent arrival, tri-Ace’s project signals an important sea change in Japan’s attitude toward Xbox 360 development that we hope continues. But honorable intentions aside — really, we just want to play the game. Is it here yet? 

For the interview transcript with game (and tri-Ace) director, Hiroshi Ogawa, check out our web-only OXM coverage right here!