Is it really better than LO? It's not here yet in UK but I put LO in same bracket as FF7. So to me would it beat that?

There are several threads on ToV, and it is generally well regard as a very good JRPG. I like it a lot and the battle system doesn't bore you to dead.

IU, is decent and several people enjoy it and said the story do pick up after an hour into it but I haven't got that far yet so I can't really comment on it. Though, since I have both, I find ToV to be better of the two but it really come into matter of taste there are people that just can't stand the "anime" looks of ToV.

Anecdote, went to GameStop and chat with manage for awhile regarding software sale. She said they just can't keep ToV in stock, the game has good buzz and it sell out everytime they would get restock. (Same as Viva Pinat:TP). She also said the new price cut really help as they are now selling a lot of 360 and somewhat help slow down the PS3 momentum.

I don't have IU but I do have ToV. ToV is an excellent RPG. It is definitely pushing Lost Odyssey as my favorite RPG on 360. I haven't finished ToV yet but I'm already thinking about a second playthrough.

Are you serious? You put LO and FF7 in the same bracket?  O_O

Mistwalker is the most overrated games company ever imo, I did like LO though but its by far a great jRPG. Vesperia on the other hand is great and indeed the crown jewel jRPG for the 360 at this time.

On a side note, I still think the last generation is kicking this so called "next generation's" ass every single year when it comes to jRPGs. Its a bit sad imo, since there are already so many next-gen jRPGs out there. Anyway 2009 will probably be the year when the amazing jRPGs pop-up. But so far i've been dissappointed by this generation, and as a huge jRPG fan still have my PS2 turned on more often then my 360 and PS3 combined. 

I wouldn't link them, they're in totally different classes.

ToV is an update of a pretty good series and is, not surprisingly, a pretty good game (the mid 8s its getting in reviews is more or less spot on). It is the first 360 JRPG worth playing and the second RPG period worth playing on the 360 (the 1st being Mass Effect). I played it a bit and it really is better then the earlier versions and fun, its like a 2nd tier version of Star Ocean in a lot of ways (they REALLY should have made the "skits" more then just text back and forth though, I mean come on...in 2008?).

IU is a nice idea bad execution game a lot like Too Human (which was good for the first chapter then got really lame and really cheap soon after in the 2nd and beyond). What really killed it for me is that it slowed down a ton early and often. I don't know if its that my Xbox is an early model and the heat makes it slow down more readily or everyones chugs on the game, but its really bad, like 5FPS bad. The gameplay is simplistic and just OK and it really doesn't add anything to the genre in general. It is another Lost Odyssey or Blue Dragon style failed attempt at a compelling 360 JRPG IP.

ToV yes, anything else thats not Mass Effect or an upcoming game no.

As to why I was able to rent both given that I sold my 360, the douche who I sold it to demanded his money back since it was an old version (no HDMI, higher heat, I got it just after release) even though i clearly stated in the ebay ad that it was from early 2006. So I guess I'm a 360 owner again since I can't get rid of the damn thing.

I thought Oblivion released before Mass Effect?

I love Infinite Undiscovery but it depends on how much of a hardcore RPGer you are.. Casual gamers are not gonna enjoy this especially the item creation or fetch quests.. plus there are a lot of hidden quests and items to obtain. If you don't bother with any of these then of course the game will be short.. and it will be very short if you play it on easy (I tried that for a few hours and enemies was doing 1 damage on my characters)

THE BAD

IU lacks a lot of polish and some awful camera, framerate, bad voice acting (its embarrassing to watch with some characters) poor lip syncing (some characters look like they are talking through their teeth) .. and the first couple of hours have to be the worst you will ever experience in any RPG.. quite frustratingly so.. not to mention the game doesn't seem to play how you would think it should play...also it can be pretty vague on where you have to go next which you will spend wondering aimlessly before you eventually figure where or what to do next.. plus the lack of save points will annoy you especially if you spend a good few hours levelling up only to get a game over screen.. the character AI is pretty good but it does go a bit poo about 5% of the time..

Yet despite all this I actually enjoyed IU more than LO, Blue Dragon and ES.. the real fun (sadistic fun) is when you unlock Seraphic gate dungeon and Infinity mode.. but again its really a game for the hardcore rpger especially if you enjoy wasting hours levelling up secondary skills like cooking, smithing, writing, enchanting etc..plus the fighting system.. well after you get use to it, its good.

The game has some light humour and characters just seem pretty generic but it does get dark later on in the game plus the characters have their usual fits of jealousy, emo etc.. plus the story has a few twists and this also affects the gameplay later on..

Tales is not released here in UK yet so I can't comment on it but rest assured I will get this once it hits the shelves

I'll have to tell you to get Tales of Vesperia. I haven't played Infinite Undiscovery yet, but my friend is letting me borrow the first disc so I'll try it out. If I were you I'd get both though.

Well I am going to abstain from getting ToV just because they couldnt be bothered to release it at the same time... and KZ2, SO4, Infamous, ETW and HAWX are coming in the spring and they will keep me very happy.

Anyway, I have only played like 10 hours of IU and I think it is a good game, though it does have some issues

Tales of Vesperia is regarded as the best Tales game to date, and one of the most polished, "perfect" JRPGs available. Period.

The game is near flawless for what it brings to the table. No frame dropping issues, eye-popping visuals, flawless, deep battle system. It's head and shoulders above Eternal Sonata, and if you like Action-based RPGs, it is a MUST buy. Most ToV owners have it in very high regard - the story is OK, but the characters are deep, and actually good. There are no weak links with ToV characters. Even the cheezy guy (Karol) is fleshed out enough to be relevant.

It's easily in the top 2 or top 3 of all X360 JRPGs and RPGs in general.

IU...I can't say much. It's got mostly mixed reactions - praising the combat system that is fun and fresh (and a fresh step in the typical JRPG mix), but bashed for shortness (but there are multiple playthroughs required for everything), and the story can be tedious - as well as graphical slowdowns.

I look forward to playing IU, but ToV is awesome of another level. It may be the best JRPG on the X360, and is at a minimum a MUST play JRPG for any JRPG fan.