September 15, 2006 - IGN

The veil has just come off, partially, from one of Microsoft's more mysterious Japanese projects. If you regularly check out the IGN release list, you might have noticed an entry for a tri-Ace RPG of some form. The game now has a name, Infinite Undiscovery.

Speaking with Weekly Famitsu, tri-Ace president Yoshiharu Gota, producer of Infinite Undiscovery, shared first details on the game.

Infinite Undiscovery has been in the works for a long time. "The framework itself has been cooking from far back," explained Gota. "Probably over 10 years ago. I've thought about making it into a game many times in the past, but there were hardware limitations and other hurdles, so this was unable to be realized. This time, we started off with the thought that the Xbox 360 would be able to realize our plans."

So what exactly is this great plan that Gota has been holding back all this time? "It's a framework that began with some doubts I've had in the course of making various RPGs. I've gotten the feeling that for the user, playing RPGs has gradually become like work. So, I considered what is the true nature of an RPG. It's the player acting out the role of a character in the virtual world of a game, enjoying the process of worrying and getting lost. I wanted to make a game that pulls on the excitement of a true RPG."

In case you were wondering, Gota is fully aware that "Undiscovery" is not in the standard English dictionary. He shared with Famitsu a detailed breakdown of how starting with "Cover," he got "Discover" by adding "Dis," and then added the "Un." With the two negatives, he feels the word has a certain vagueness about it.

"Discovery is a major key word for this game," he explained.

You'll be doing your discoveries mostly offline. "The game is really a standalone title. However, seeing as how Xbox 360 has Xbox Live, we're thinking about adding something. Nothing is confirmed yet, but we think it would be good if we could do something."

Gota wouldn't give any details on the game's storyline, aside from a single piece of artwork shared with Famitsu, which showed a mysterious temple. This temple will have a connection with the main character's goal, said Gota.

Gameplay details are also scarce at this point. The game will, like most tri-Ace games, feature real-time battles. According to Gota, we can look forward to something that combines the slow thought of standard RPGs with the quick reflexes required of a battle system with time limits, and the strategy of real time gameplay.

The game will also provide a truly seamless transition to battles. "It's possible that when you think you've finished a battle, there'll already be an enemy approaching you right before your eyes." The one screenshot released to Famitsu shows a party of characters facing off against an enemy, with an additional foe seeming to approach from the side.

Development on Infinite Undiscovery is currently at 30%. The game is without a final release date.