is a role-playing video game developed by Nude Maker and PlatinumGames and published by Sega for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on June 11, 2009 and internationally in 2010. The science fiction storyline, set across the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, follows the life and growth of Yuri as he first confronts the aggressive expansion of the Lugovalian Empire, then a greater alien threat. Gameplay involves Yuri's fleet travelling across the galaxies, fighting in both scripted battles and random encounters, with the battle system featuring real-time commands and both ships and crew being customizable.
The project emerged when producer Atsushi Inaba contacted Nude Maker to produce a title together, as Inaba had enjoyed working with them on Steel Battalion while he was at Capcom. The story, created by director Hifumi Kono, drew inspiration from numerous Western and Japanese science fiction works, particularly the work of authors Arthur C. Clarke and Greg Egan, and anime creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. The characters were designed by Capcom veterans Sawaki Takeyasu and Tatsuro Iwamoto, while spaceship designs were handled by a large team which included Kazutaka Miyatake of Studio Nue.
The game was released under one of a four-game publishing deal between PlatinumGames and Sega, acting as their debut in Japan and their third title in the West after MadWorld and Bayonetta. It was promoted in Japan with an anime short film co-produced by Gonzo and Production I.G, released in several parts in both Japanese and English. It saw generally positive reviews, with praise going to its narrative and gameplay mechanics. Criticism across Japanese and Western critics involved its high difficulty. It was a commercial disappointment, selling approximately 200,000 units worldwide, attributed to cartridge manufacturing costs and the narrative's niche appeal.
Gameplay
Infinite Space is a science fiction role-playing video game where players take on the role of protagonist Yuri, who leads a growing fleet of spaceships across different galaxies. The narrative is presented through non-interactive story cutscenes presented using 2D static images, while other elements including battles and exploration are presented using 3D graphics. The entire game is controlled by the touchscreen. Neither characters nor spacecraft are controlled directly, but instead use a style similar to a point-and-click game. While the main plot is unchanging, many smaller elements feature a non-linear branching narrative dictated by choices from the player. These choices can determine a particular path through the narrative, or allow a new character to join Yuri's fleet. Travelling between planets causes a ship crew's fatigue level to rise, impeding their efficiency. Stopping at a space port or planet removes fatigue and replenishes the fleet's health.
During navigation between planets, Yuri can both enter scripted encounters that advanced the narrative, or random encounters with pirate fleets or other enemy groups. Battles play out in real-time, relying on tactical commands of a fleet of up to five ships facing an equal number of enemy ships. Movement and position play a role in battle, as some weapon types can only activate a certain ranges. After a certain point, melee options are unlocked both for close-range ship combat and ground-based battles either between board parties on ships or on planet surfaces. Attack types are dependant on the command gauge, which fills up over time and is depleted upon selection an action. Similar to the concept of rock paper scissors, each attack type cancels out one attack while being weak to another; dodging nullifies Barrage attacks, while normal attacks are certain hits while dodging. The color outline of ships and ground parties indicates what types of move they can activate.
A key part of building up Yuri's fleet is gathering ship blueprints, buying parts from space ports, and customizing ships. Ship customization is handled by arranging building blocks within a limited grid, which alters a ship's abilities and statistics. Crew members can also be recruited during the main and side scenarios from ship ports, having different statistics which influence performance in battle and granting different boons depending on where they are placed within the crew hierarchy. After battles, the player is awarded with experience points, raising ship and character statistics. Multiplayer spaceship battles are also available for two-players to play competitively over local Wi-Fi, selected from an option on the bridge of Yuri's ship and isolated from the main campaign. After completing the game for the first time, a New Game+ feature is unlocked, allowing statistics and other elements to be carried over into a new playthrough.
Synopsis Setting and characters Infinite Space is set in the far future, where humanity has expanded beyond the Milky Way to colonise neighbouring galaxies including the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC), with travel between distant locations accomplished using Void Gates, constructs of an ancient civilization. A notable space phenomenon are Flux Sectors, areas of space where reality is in an unstable state. A recurring feature of the setting are groups called Zero-G Dogs, who act as mercenaries fighting with different factions and are alternately admired and despised. Key objects of power are Epitaphs, cube-shaped objects from ancient times that are said to open a gateway to a divine realm.
The two major powers in the galaxies are the Galactic Federation, formed from nations across the SMC and LMC; and the Lugovalian Empire, controlling a quarter of the known universe and now expanding towards the Milky Way cluster under the guidance of Emperor Taranis. The protagonist is Yuri from the planet Ropesk, the inhabitants of which have been banned from space travel. He is taken from Ropesk by Nia, a Zero-G Dog he hires to escape the planet. A key character is Kira, his sister who is initially taken hostage after his departure. Other key characters encountered by Yuri are the notorious pirate Valantin; Cico, a Lugovalian who later becomes the Empire's crown prince; and Patriarch Bogd, leader of the Holy Nation of Adis.
Plot Yuri, yearning to leave Ropesk, contacts Nia and pawns an Epitaph he believes to have been his father's to buy a ship. Kira is kidnapped by Ropesk's leader to force Yuri to return, but instead Yuri breaks Kira free, then learns that his Epitaph was stolen from the pawn shop by the pirate Valantin. Yuri and a growing crew of Zero-G Dogs go on the hunt for Valantin, ending up caught in the political struggles surrounding the aggressive expansion of the Lugovalian Empire into the SMC. He also runs into Cico, who allies with him during a difficult battle. Despite multiple battles, the Lugovalian Empire conquers the SMC, destroying the most powerful fleets and prompting other powers to surrender. Yuri allies with the sympathetic nation Regeinland from the LMC, but their attempt to hold off the Lugovalian forces ends in failure forcing the Regeinland fleet to use a weapon to send a nearby sun into supernova, destroying all surrounding ships and the Void Gate connecting the two galaxies which prevents the Lugovalian fleet from quickly traveling to the LMC. Nia, whose family and planet were brutally conquered by the Lugovalian Empire, sacrifices herself in an attempt to kill the Lugovalian commander so Yuri can escape to the LMC.
Ten years later, Yuri is in prison, put there along with all SMC refugees by the Federation as part of a cover-up surrounding the conquest of the SMC. Yuri escapes and slowly rebuilds his crew, ultimately surrendering to Regeinland. The Lugovalian Empire finds a new Void Gate and restarts their invasion of the LMC, causing civil conflict between Federation factions over their response. Yuri spearheads efforts by Regeinland to unite Federation members against rival factions and the Lugovalians. During this period, Yuri discovers an ability to manipulate Flux Sectors and consequently control reality within them. Under Yuri's leadership, the Regeinland-led fleets first establish their military presence by quashing rebellions and civil unrest, then unite the LMC's Federation planets in an assault on the Empire's military which successfully beats them back and forces a peace accord with support from Cico. Ships begin disappearing within Void Gates and planets vanish without explanation, with Adis initially claiming responsibility. Arriving to exact retribution, Yuri encounters Bogd and learns that the disappearances are caused by the Overlords, a god-like species who gifted humanity with their technology and have been repeatedly destroying and recreating the universe.
Yuri is revealed to be an artificial human called an Observer created by the Overlords, explaining his possession of an Epitaph and power over Flux Sectors, with Kira being a Tracker android sent to monitor him. The Void Gates were designed to track and record events for the Overlords to use in a subsequent cycle of creation. The Lugovalian emperor Taranis, an Observer similar to Yuri, started his conquests intending to unite humanity against the Overlords. When Kira attempts to access the Overlords' network and discover their weakness, she is erased and leaves only her android skeleton behind. The Overlords' organic Phage ships begin appearing, destroying large sectors of known space. Yuri learns that the only way to stop the Phages is destroying the one Void Gate that links to the Overlords' realm, located in the original Solar System. Valantin—revealing himself to be a Tracker like Kira—returns to aid Yuri, and ultimately sacrifices himself so Yuri can reach the Solar System. In a final battle, Yuri's fleet holds off the Phage as Taranis sacrifices his ship to destroy the Overlords' Void Gate. A post-credit scene shows Yuri steering his ship into a Flux Sector and using his powers to restore Kira as a human.
Development Infinite Space was co-developed by PlatinumGames, a company founded by ex-Capcom staff including producer Atsushi Inaba; and Nude Maker, a company founded by former employees of Human Entertainment including director and writer Hifumi Kono. The adult Kono had wanted to create a sweeping science fiction epic since his teens, though he had never imagined being able to do so. The project began when Inaba contacted Kono, having wanted to work with him since the pair's experience developing Steel Battalion. Infinite Space was unusual compared to PlatinumGames's other action-based titles, but Inoue pushed for something out of the ordinary to be included in their library. PlatinumGames oversaw and supported production under Inaba. Nude Maker handled the core programming and creation of initial art assets and scenario, with expansion of aspects such as artwork handled by other external studios. The production was notably supported by Studio Nue.
When publisher Sega presented the proposed budget, Kono felt it was restrictive for a console game, but large for a handheld title. Not wanting to cut anything from the game, he chose to make Infinite Space for the DS. The platform choice was also seen as having the smallest commercial risks compared to home consoles due to the game's scale and mechanics. Kono commented that it proved difficult fitting all the game's content on the DS cartridge. As part of its promotion, Sega announced that the developers were aiming to push the technical limitations of the platform. Similar to Steel Battalion, Kono proposed a dedicated control peripheral for Infinite Space, but PlatinumGames rejected the idea in favor of having the broadest market appeal possible. Kono attributed the successful production to both new tools that helped organise production within the small team, and the dedication of staff involved.