What comes after Infinity? Why, Infinity 2, of course!

Infinity 2 is the sequel to the first Infinity game. Building on your previous experience, Infinity 2 gives you a bigger world to explore, and more things to see and do. And as a stranger in town, it's entirely up to you how you play the game. Do you want to be a hero? Or does the dark side sound more appealing? Maybe a bit of both? Or if you like life on the edge, you can even go monster-hunting. The choice is yours. I should point out that Infinity 2 is not suitable for those under 15, or those with a sensitive nature, due to graphic violence and adult themes.

But before you begin (with RPG_RT), you have to pick a character. As before, there are a whopping 36 (18 male, 18 female) characters to choose from. They're all so appealing, it's hard to decide which character to use. There are also 20 'Unlockable' characters, which you can't choose at the start, but you can find them scattered throughout the game. Once you find an Unlockable character, simply walk into that character to transform into them. Unlockable characters can be anything from a simple farmer, to Darth Vader, to Davy Jones. But my favourite is definitely Legolas (I admit it, I'm a big Lord Of The Rings fan, hehe)!

When you've chosen your character, a policeman welcomes you to town. Now you're all ready to go exploring. Well since you're new to the town, the Town Hall (first building at end of the bridge) is a good place to start. You can get directions to various places, as well as where to buy stuff etc. As you progress through your adventure, your actions and decisions raise your reputation, and you gain points for Notoriety or Kindness.

The city is a bright, cheerful place. Everyone is so friendly. You can talk to people out in the streets, as well as in the shop or the pub. The shop is a good place to buy things - potions to boost your health (if you've been fighting monsters), weapons, armour, and more. Drinks in the pub is another way to increase your health. Anyway, as you talk to people, you may find that some of them have lost something, or are looking for something. That's where YOU come in! You can choose to help these people if you want, and find whatever it is they have lost. These optional missions are a fun part of the game, and you are rewarded for your kindness.

On the other hand, maybe you want to go down an entirely different route? If the cheerful, friendly town isn't for you, maybe the city to the south is more your scene? The city is where all the criminals hang out, and from there, you can join the Assassins Guild. Once a member of the Guild, you are given missions to commit crimes and assassinate targets. When you have completed a mission, return to the Guild for payment.

Alternatively, if fighting monsters is your 'thing', finding the famous Battle Arena up in the mountains would be a good start. But if you want more of a challenge, then the vast, underground tunnels are a great way to practice your fighting skills, and gain more experience. You'll need to have a word with the man in the Arena first, before you gain access to the tunnels. The tunnels run on for miles, and it will take you a long time to work your way through them. But if you grow tired of the tunnels, don't panic. You can return above ground at any time, simply by pressing the Space Bar. Fighting monsters, both in the tunnels, and in the arena, are also a good way to earn money, which you'll need to buy better weapons are armour, so you can fight more monsters.

Actions are controlled via the keyboard. On character selection screen, move the sword around with the cursor keys, and select your character by pressing 'Enter'. Similarly, move your character around town by using the cursor keys, and skip through dialogue with the 'Enter' key. The boat and balloon can both be entered or exited by pressing 'Enter'... provided you can find them, of course. You can use items (potions to replenish your health) by pressing 'Esc' key. Equipping yourself with weapons, armour, shields etc is also achieved by pressing 'Esc'. You can also save your progress, or quit the game, at any time by pressing 'Esc'.

View your Stats (statistics) by pressing the Shift key. Stats are how many monsters you've killed in the Arena, how many secret chests you've found, how long you've been playing the game for, and your Notoriety and Kindness points. If you have acquired the Weather Changer (changes the weather from snow, rain, or sandstorm), that is also accessed through the Shift key, choose the 'More' option.

The graphics in Infinity 2 are fun and cartoony. Even choosing a character at the beginning, the characters are so cute and appealing, it's hard to choose one. As you are welcomed into town, the strong, bright colours make the game seem nice and cheerful. But the main town is only one part of the game... there are other sections to explore, and I like how each section has a different look and feel to it. As I said, the main town is bright and cheerful, with trees and flowers and animals. But in contrast, the city to the south is very dark and depressing. Well... it *is* the bad side of town, after all. Streetlights glow on & off, buildings are run-down and have graffiti on them, a rusty old car lies abandoned in the corner, and crime is rampant. A scary place to be! Mountains to the west are covered in snow and ice, giving it a 'cold' appearance. In fact, further up the mountain, you'll even find snow falling! I love the rivers and waterfalls in this section.

Going back to the main town, there are a lot of nice touches in the game. At the bridge, on your way into town, are 2 statues - one colour, and one black & white. Touching those statues makes the game colour, or black & white respectively. As you walk around town, it's like you are looking down from above, looking through the clouds. And as seasons change, and so does the town. In spring, the trees are in blossom. In winter, everything is covered in snow, with snow falling all around, trees are bare, and crops are gone. In the winter, you can also venture out onto the frozen ponds - just don't linger for too long, or spring will arrive, and you'll have to wait until next winter before you can escape, lol! And if you manage to buy the Weather Changer, you can change the weather from rain, to snow, to fog, to sandstorm.

Infinity 2 features some beautiful music, composed by a talented musician known as Halindar. Each section has it's own music that seems to just fit right in. Music in main town music is peaceful and calm, while the mountain music is exciting and adventurey. But the music I love most is in the city to the south. It's so eerie and suspenseful! It should be noted however, that not all music in the game is by Halindar - music in the church came with the RPG engine.

To sum it all up, Infinity 2 is a fun little RPG game, where YOU decide how you want to play. After choosing your character, it's up to you to decide what to do next. Move your character around with the Arrow keys, and progress through dialogue with the Enter key. You can have a lot of fun exploring... there are several different areas to find... but do you want to be the kind hero that helps people, or do you want to be the master criminal? Maybe somewhere in the middle? Your Notoriety and Kindness levels depend on the choices you make. Or if you're more of an adventurer, you can fight monsters, and gain experience. Graphic-wise, I love how each area has it's own look and feel. Main town is bright and cheerful, city in the south is dark and depressing, etc. There's loads of characters to choose from, as well as plenty of unlockable characters to find in the game. The treasure chests are a nice touch, and some of them present a challenge as to how to reach them. Seasons give a feeling of time passing. There is some beautiful music featured in Infinity 2, which is a pleasure to listen to. All in all, Infinity 2 is a fun game that builds on it's predecessor to give an even more enjoyable experience.