Sounds like it and the screenshots at the link looks like it:

http://www.destructoid.com/square-enix- … .phtml#ext

None of this is a bad thing except for the name, "Infinite Undiscovery".

I've never played a Tri-Ace game before, although I've always had an interest in the first Valkyrie Profile.

Tri-ace's games have lost a lot of their clout in my eyes over the years like many Square-Enix titles/series. Granted, that's only my opinion but the games are usually worth checking out regardless.

Still, if tri-ace wants to do things right they'll allow for the other characters in battle to be controlled by fellow gameplayers. I mean could you imagine how cool it be if you could have played the battles in SO2 and SO3 with friends watching you back instead of the CPU? This is the stuff online gaming would really be great for.

The game was actually announced a year ago, back then by Microsoft which is funding its development. The recent announcement is "only" about Square Enix taking over the game's distribution and promotion. Not a bad decision by MS since SE definitely has the better reputation as publisher, but people shouldn't be led to think that a port of the game to a system other than XBox 360 is a possibility at all (MS retains the copyright).

It's website is at http://www.square-enix.co.jp/undiscovery/ btw, and I'm pretty sure the team of Radiata Stories is behind it.

Is there something wrong with the team or the game Radiata Stories?  Again, I'm rather unfamiliar with their work.

This game's screwed now.

LOL, I can't stop laughing - that made my day.

Using descriptions like "countless threads" and "untold discoveries" translates into gameplay as "pointless wandering" and "no structure".

By the way, when console games have Online features, am I the only one to thinks this is the wonkiest piece of crap message ever?..

"Gameplay experience may change during online play".

What the hell is that even trying to say (quite poorly)?

I think it's referring to the game's rating...So, like, if some kid starts hurling expletives into the mic, you can't sue the game company because it's rated "AO".

Or it's just warning against extensive slowdown and game freezes due to droppers. Either way.

And yeah, considering Star Ocean 4 is in development (4 character parties!) and SO1 is being remade, there's probably at least two teams at work here under the Tri-Ace name.

The PSP ports/remakes aren't being developed by tri-Ace (just like the VP PSP port wasn't). The odd "Original version developed by tri-Ace Inc." shown next to the copyright notice on the SO1 and 2 subpages at http://www.eternalsphere.com/ are a good indication of that (they surely are still burnt by the misleading "Developed by tri-Ace Inc." notice on TOSE's VP PSP port).

The Radiata Stories staff was plenty different from the SO3/VP2 staff which is as good as an indication of two separate teams can get.

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=25-pauib_Wg

Sounds like Motoi is doing the music.

If that helps, Sakuraba is already announced as the composer in the magazine.

More on this game can be found here:  http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/821/821972p1.html

The game's director is Hiroshi Ogawa, Games Credited
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (2003), Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Bomberman World (1998), SCEE
Tales of Destiny (1997), Namco Limited
Keio Flying Squadron (1993), Victor Musical Industries, Inc.
Neugier: Umi to Kaze no Koudou (1993), Telenet Japan Co., Ltd.
Earnest Evans (1992), Renovation Products, Inc.

http://www.mobygames.com/developer/shee … Id,150867/

Producer is Hajime Kojima, Radiata Stories (credits)    ps2    06 Sep 2005        Co-Producer
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (credits)    ps2    31 Aug 2004        Assistant Producer
Valkyrie Profile -Silmeria- (credits)    ps2    26 Sep 2006        Co-Producer
Valkyrie Profile Lenneth (credits)    psp    18 July 2006        Unit6 Staff

http://squarehaven.com/people/Hajime-Kojima/

Mobygames can be quite an unreliable source since it isn't able to tell apart Japanese people with the same romanized names but different kanji, the Ogawas from Keio and Bomberman are definitely totally different people.
Hiroshi Ogawa was a long time Wolfteam/Telenet staff who left after doing the game design for Tales of Destiny. He was also involved in tri-Ace's SO2 and VP, but not RS and VP2 so IU may have been in planning stage since after SO3.

^ Oh, so still think this game is destined to suck?

No, I never thought so...