Infinite Space & SMT: Strange Journey

[Flying Arrow]

Lately I've been getting re-interested in JRPGs and I've actually been waiting for these two games for a while.

Anyway, after completing FF13 (chapter 4 at the moment), I plan to dive into something a bit more meaty and IS and SJ both look like they could easily give me my fill. My question is for those who are fortunate enough to have played both or either of the imported copies:

What are the pros and cons to both? I more or less know what I'm getting into with SJ, but IS is something new to me. Is it as overwhelmingly large and filled with content (for a DS game) as reviewers say it is? Is the battleship construction/battling well done and deep?

I'm going to be beginning my MA come fall, so I want to get all the RPGing out of my system before then. I'll probably end up playing both games at some point, so I'm really only trying to figure out which game to get on release and which to get in the summer. I still haven't played Demon's Souls yet, either, so I should probably get on that as well. Oh, and Etrian Odyssey 2 is still sitting on my shelf unfinished, too. Maybe I should just go get a life instead.

[JKTrix]

I actually came here today to talk about Infinite Space, and I'd probably be talking about Strange Journey next week. So good to see someone preempted me :p

Is there any reason (better than 'I only buy one game at a time') you can't get both? Infinite Space is out this coming week, SMT Strange Journey is out next week.

I haven't played either of them, but I'd believe what people are saying about Infinite Space. I've only played one other game from the 'team' that made this, and that was pretty hardcore without being an RPG at all. These are both games that I've really been looking forward to.

It sucks that Infinite Space comes out the same week as Pokemon though. SEGA chose a bad month to release its games--Yakuza came out the same day as FF13 (and my freakin' preorder still hasn't arrived), Resonance of Fate comes out the same day as God of War 3 (though I don't really care about that game...), and here we are with Infinite Space up against Pokemon. What bad luck.

[Flying Arrow]

I can only get one at the moment due to general busyness. I wouldn't be able to play let alone enjoy them both simultaneously. I'm thinking of taking on the less time consuming one (heh) for now, and in the summer I'll play the other in my free time.

By the time I finish FFXIII they'll both already be out. At that point it'll probably just be a one-or-the-other gut buy. SMT is reliable... but damn if Infinite Space isn't the most interesting RPG concept I've come across in a while.

[JKTrix]

I'm really the wrong guy to be giving you purchasing advice. If I can afford it, I don't really wait to buy stuff even if they come out close to each other. I don't see a reason to choose between them. Even if you play one at a time, you can still just get both now.

There will be more games when Summer comes around, so I don't think you should miss either of these games when they come out if you were interested in them.

[Flying Arrow]

For those interested, here are some English reviews for Infinite Space (out tomorrow in NA):

Saluting the fleet commanders - Infinite Space - Nintendo DS - GameInformer.com (http://gameinformer.com/games/infinite_space/b/nintendo_ds/archive/2010/03/15/review.aspx)

RPGFan Reviews - Infinite Space (http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/infinitespace/index.html) (Import review)

The idea of a rock/paper/scissors-schemed combat system worries me a tad. I'm always disappointed when the customization possibilities in an RPG are undermined by its lack of balance/simplicity in other areas.

EDIT: For what it's worth (very little), here's an IGN writer's opinion on the game:

Infinite Space Review - Nintendo DS Review at IGN (http://ds.ign.com/articles/107/1078001p1.html)