Lots of Last Story Details

As per request, here is my translation of the recently updated The Last Story official Japanese website.

Characters

Elza
After having lost all living relatives when he was young, Elza became a wandering mercenary, continually fighting wherever he goes. However, he grows tired of constant fighting just to survive, and dreams of one day becoming a knight. During his first assignment after arriving at Ruli Island, he encounters a strange phenomenon.


Kanan
The heroine of this story. (that is literally all it says)

Quark
The leader of the band of mercenaries Elza belongs to, not only has Quark’s skill on the battlefield helped earn his companions’ devoted trust, but also his skillful single-handed negotiations with various employers.
Quark met Elza at a young age, and has been with him ever since as an older brother figure.

Seiren
A female warrior who fights with a double sword style, Seiren is the ‘mood-maker’ of the mercenary band Elza belongs to. Though a hearty heavy-drinker with a foul mouth, she also shows a side of deep caring for her companions.
Seiren is a commander who enjoys battle, and stands firm to take the brunt of it without looking back at the dangers.
NOTE: According to official battle screens, her name is Romanized as ‘Seiren’ rather than the previously interpreted ‘Saylen.’ Too bad, I think ‘Saylen’ is a more feminine Romanization. :(


Yuris
A mage with a perfect command of fire, Yuris may be the youngest member of the mercenary band, but he is highly competent.
A man of few words, and rather unsociable, Yuris put himself into the mercenary business as simply a way to survive.
Yuris is a young man without a single relative; his father disappeared when he was very young, and his mother passed away shortly thereafter.

NOTE: According to official screens, the other two playable characters are named Manamia (the girl with the short dark hair) and Jackal (the larger blonde man).

World of The Last Story

The Setting: Ruli Island
The Last Story takes place on a peninsula known as Ruli Island. Located in the middle of the continent’s only inlet, Ruli Island prospers due to its abundant resources and strong economy, despite the empire proper being undermined by constant turmoil and devastation.

The Bustling Ruli City
Ruli City, located in the heart of Ruli Island, becomes a base of operations for Elza and his friends. In addition to main streets and plazas, the city is characterized by a huge complicated maze of small backstreets.

The Mercenaries who have come to Ruli Island
The mercenaries, among which is Elza, the story’s protagonist, arrive at the thriving Ruli Island, leaving the desolate empire behind them, in search of new work.

The Mercenaries who dream of Knighthood
The mercenary band Elza belongs to accepts various job requests from employers, such as monster suppression. Since mercenaries mainly receive jobs of a violent nature, people tend to keep their distance from them. On the other hand, the knights who serve the Empire have a high rank in society, lead stable lives, and are respected by the people. Elza and his friends, while working as mercenaries, dream of succeeding to knighthood someday.

The Mysterious Power that Dwells within Elza
During the mercenary group’s excursion to some caverns on their first assignment after arriving at Ruli Island, an incident occurs that leaves Elza with a mysterious power.
What could this power truly be? And what fate awaits Elza and his companions?

Control the State of Battle with ‘Gathering’
As a result of the incident in the caverns, Elza gains the ability to use a special power called ‘Gathering.’ Gathering allows Elza to forcefully change his enemies’ focus, creating advantageous situations for his companions.
Upon using Gathering, Elza’s right hand emits a blue light.

Pointer
During battles in The Last Story, special ‘lines’ can be seen between allies and enemies. These lines show who the enemies are targeting, and are known as ‘Pointers.’ Being able to tell who is being targeted from where can allow you to progress battles in advantageous ways.

The Last Story will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

[The Last Story Official Website]

Sega Announces Shining Hearts

While Sega's Shining Force RPG series has really changed quite a bit since its original inception, compared to its whored-to-death cousin Phantasy Star, I feel it has still gotten the better end of the stick. And with Sega, that is really all you can ask for.

Cue their latest announced entry into the series, Shining Hearts.

Tony Taka once again is at the helm of the art direction (which, yes, likely means art book and toy spinoffs for the next decade), but the game itself is actually taking cues from turn-based RPGs, rather than the SRPG or action-RPG treatment that we've been used to.

Famitsu has gone all out on the initial details, which you can find translated for your English-reading convenience below.

The Hero and the Three Daughters

The game's protagonist Rick (or 'Rikku' if you like Japanesey spellings) is a young wandering swordsman who, for reasons currently unknown, arrives on Windaria Island, and begins to work at a magical bakery (wow. that's a new one). There are three daughters who work with him at the bakery, and could be called the female protagonists. At the beginning of the game, you will be asked to choose one of the three. (Note: the article doesn't elaborate on this, so I can only guess at what you 'choose' the girl for.) However, based on your actions and choices throughout the game, the girls' feelings might change...?

The three girls are as follows (in order from left to right):



Neris (Hunter)

Aerie (Nun)

Amil (Wizard)


The Mysterious Girl Kaguya holds the key to this game's story. She washes ashore one morning after a terrible storm the night before, and is found in a state of memory loss and emotion loss. She is taken to the village clinic, and after devoted care, slowly begins to get some emotion back. From this, her heart's 'Soul Stone' produces a 'Heart Key,' which has the power to unlock the door to a new world...

The Pirate Dilan is the enigmatic leader of the pirate knighthood 'Arc Buccaneers.' It is currently unknown if he is friend or foe...

Windaria Island - The Centre of the Adventure

The game's stage is set on the lush Windaria Island. However, since the appearance of Kaguya, inevitable changes have begun, including the island itself changing shape, and the appearance of pirates after Kaguya's Soul Stone. You will embark on a journey to determine the reason for these changes by exploring various places, including a lava dungeon that appears from a field of flowers. It also appears that you will eventually venture beyond Windaria Island as well...

Communication with the Island's Residents

Various people live throughout the island, including elves and beast tribes. Some people may request you to undertake quests for them, so you are encouraged to talk to many people regularly. Additionally, there are various other ways to spend your time on the island, such as fishing.

Affinity with Your Companions is Essential in the New Battle System!?

In the game, various characters will join you in your quest besides the aforementioned Three Daughters, and you will be allowed to create battle parties of 4 characters. An orthodox command-based battle system allows anyone to enjoy the game's combat. Furthermore, you will be able to execute 'Combination Skills' with your companions, and characters' emotions will change depending on who you use Combination Skills with. More information will be coming regarding the battle system in later articles.

Hm. So far it sounds a little pedestrian to me, but I suppose the opportunity to build relationships with other characters could be fun if implemented well.

Shining Hearts will be available in Japan for PSP sometime this Winter.

[Famitsu]

Marvelous Announces Yuusha 30 SECOND

In what must be one of the most clever sequel names of all time, Marvelous has announced Yuusha 30 SECOND (Hero 30 Second).

Following on the heels of the indie-game-gone-mainstream, Yuusha 30 SECOND removes the action and shooting scenarios of the original, and replaces them with 5 RPG scenarios.

Yuusha 30 Overture follows the hero Yusha (har har), a member of the Royal Commando Unit, who is charged by the Queen to suppress the 'Eight Elements.'

Yuusha 30 Judgement follows Yusha as he is hunted by humans and demons who have flooded the world after the Gates of Hell were opened. He also must face off against a rival who has crossed time and space to challenge him.

Yuusha 30 Revolution follows the young Queen Yushia (these Japanese puns just don't let up) as she heads out on a fun adventure with her classmate, despite the fact that her curfew is only 30 seconds away.

Yuusha 30 Ragnarok follows a man named Yuuja in his journey across a destroyed world, and the mysterious robot No. 30. Amidst the melodies of the Singing Princess' song, the gods descend to end it all.

Yuusha 30 Destiny sees Hero Castle (Yuushajou) ascend to the heavens. The thousand year battle between gods, humans, and demons will finally be settled.

In addition to these single player scenarios, there is a multiplayer mode called Shin Yuusha Taisen (True Hero Wars) which pits up to 4 players against each other via adhoc wireless, in new stages with different rules.

Yuusha 30 SECOND will also include an edit mode called Romancing Tsukureru (I think this is a pun on the Japanese name for the mildly famous RPG Maker series), which will allow you to create your own 30 second quests and multiplayer levels.

Finally, there is a mode called Yuusha Mugen (Hero Unlimited) which lets you endlessly face off against the Demon King(s). 30 seconds for each fight, of course.

Yuusha 30 SECOND will be available for PSP on November 4, 2010 in Japan.

[Famitsu]

How Tales of Graces F is Different from the Original

So, Tales of Graces is getting ported to PlayStation 3 this Winter. A little rude of Namco Bandai, but being rude to their fans is their MO, after all.

We already know that the heroine, Sophie, is getting a costume overhaul, and that the graphics will be upgraded to HD, but what else could late adopters expect from ToGF?

According to Famitsu.com, probably F's biggest selling point is an extended scenario called Geneology for the Future (in Japanese: 未来への系譜編). It takes place a half a year after the end of the original game, where the world Efinea managed to avoid destruction thanks to the exploits of Asbel and his friends, but damage from monsters around the world continues to increase. Though the heroes had each set out on their own paths, they unite once again to suppress the new threat. At the same time, new feelings that hold the key to the story begin to grow unnoticed in Sophie's heart.

As for the game system, the "Style Shift" system from the original is carrying over, as is the Eres gauge and Eres Rise.

The Style Shift system allows characters to switch between fighting styles in battle at the press of a button. Sophie, for instance, can switch between the powerful 'Martial Arts' and the supportive 'Rebirth Magic.'

Eres, meanwhile, is not unlike Overlimit from previous installments. A gauge at the left of the screen fills as party members act. When full, the party can enter the Eres Rise condition, which allows allies to act without limit, and execute powerful Mystic Artes.

In addition to the info above, Namdai has released a short teaser trailer for ToGF, which you can check out below.



If you're interested, here is the translation for the trailer:

Sophie: Everyone has left me...
[I am very sad]
[I am very scared]
[Help me]
[I'm so anxious, I can't stand it]
Sophie: 10 years. 20 years. 30 years. They will all go by in the blink of an eye.
[I will forever heal your heart, which longs for salvation]
Sophie: I... I also wanted to be with all of you...

Tales of Graces F will be available for PlayStation 3 sometime this Winter in Japan.

I really want Namco Bandai to stop doing the timed exclusive thing. If they wanted it on Wii and PS3, then start it out on both Wii and PS3. >:[

[Famitsu]

Meet Some Friendly Faces from The Last Story

The latest issue of Jump has revealed three new friendly characters from Mistwalker and Nintendo's upcoming action-RPG, The Last Story. Since I'm very excited to play The Last Story, I have taken the liberty of translating their (very short) character descriptions.

Quark
Leader of the mercenary band, Quark met Elza at a young age, and works with him as an older brother figure.

Saylen
The mood-maker of the mercenary band, Saylen has a foul mouth, but also possesses a kind and considerate side towards her companions.

Yuris
Though the youngest mercenary in the group, Yuris is a solitary young mage possessing outstanding battle abilities.

Besides Yuris, I think the characters designs for The Last Story are quite cool-looking, and the screens continue to be impressive for a Wii title. Definitely looking forward to this one.

The Last Story will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

Atlus Announces Radiant Historia

With Nintendo's 3DS set to eclipse the soon-to-be-outdated DS sometime this year, you might think that developers will be moving their games to the new handheld. Well, apparently nobody told Atlus about this, as they have just announced a new original RPG for the old DS.

Titled Radiant Historia, the game is being headed by many key members of tri-Ace and Square Enix's charming little PS2 RPG, Radiata Stories. (Hence the game's title?)

Radiant Historia takes place on the warring continent of Vancoor, where 5 countries are all vying for dominance over the others, and follows the story of a spy for the country of Alistell, named Stokk. During a mission with companions Rainie and Marco, the party is ambushed by an enemy unit, and Stokk is badly injured. However, upon regaining his senses, Stokk finds himself in a strange place where space and time twist around him called 'Historia.' Here, Stokk is granted the ability to move through time and space by some mysterious children, and is told that the world needs his power.

The game's battle system is played out on 3x3 'grids,' and seems to combine SRPG elements with basic turn-based conventions (which, as I currently understand it, plays out something similar to Enchanted Arms).

So far, the story seems like an interesting idea, but I can't say I'm sold on the graphics or the battle system right now.

...And Atlus really needs to make an RPG on a non-handheld someday before this console gen is over. Seriously.

Radiant Historia will be available for Nintendo DS on November 4, 2010 in Japan.

You can check out the Famitsu.com reveal via the link below to see screens of the game in action.

[Famitsu]
[Radiant Historia Official Site]

The Last Story's Heroes Get Names

While Monolith's Xenoblade has been getting a torrent of media attention, Nintendo's other Wii RPG project (and arguably way more intriguing game), The Last Story, has been only dripping small droplets of information here and there.

Finally, however, thanks to a scan from a recent issue of V Jump, The Last Story's hero and heroine have been named, along with some incredibly brief character descriptions, translated for your convenience below:

Elza
A mercenary that has come to Ruli Island, Elza longs to become a knight of position and influence.

Kanan
The heroine of the story, clad in a white dress, a certain sense of nobility drifts from her.

Yeah, pretty short. But there you go.

The Last Story will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

Take Your First Look at The Last Story's Main Characters

Nintendo and Mistwalker have been keeping info on their upcoming joint Wii RPG, The Last Story, to a small but steady drip. From the island the game takes place on to how the soldiers dress, every week another drop is delivered.

This week we are finally given a decent look at the hero and heroine of Sakaguchi's latest. Though we still have no names or colours with which to identify them, we are told that the two are separated by a wall. Not necessarily a physical wall, but something that keeps the two apart in someway due to their individual roles and positions in society.

We are told that though the game focuses on the hero's Story, each person he comes in contact with necessarily has his or her own Story with which the hero may be able to touch.

I fell in love with RPGs due to their storytelling, and while a good battle system and nice graphics always enhance any experience, this sort of commitment to storytelling is why I love Sakaguchi's work so much. The Last Story definitely has my attention.

Though that hero guy could use a shirt.

[The Last Story Official Site]

Let's Learn About End of Eternity's Battle System

So we've seen the pre-rendered teasers for tri-Ace and Sega's upcoming multiplatform RPG, End of Eternity (pointlessly renamed to Resonance of Fate for North America), and we've heard a little bit about how it plays, but we're still pretty out in the dark on the whole thing.

Famitsu, however, has recently run a feature giving us a little more detail on exactly how the battle system works. I thought this might be revelant to some of your interests, so I took the liberty of translating it.

In the spirit of JRPG developers naming their battle systems with random acronyms, EoE's battle system is reportedly called t.A.B. (short for 'tri-Attack Battle'). At least it's short.

Despite it's real-time elements I detailed for you from the last article, t.A.B. reportedly functions in a very turn-based style, with each of your friendly characters getting a limited amount of time to move around and perform actions (think something along the lines of Eternal Sonata).

During each character's "turn," you are free to move around the battlefield and change up equipment as you please. However, once you attack, your turn is over, regardless of how much extra time you may have.

Once you have told your character to attack, they enter a "charge" mode, where they take a specified amount of time "charging" their attack before actually inflicting any damage. Your charge time for each attack will differ depending on your distance from the enemy/enemies you have targeted. Being closer to your target will allow for shorter charge times, but will leave you more open to receive attacks. These charges can reportedly be "saved" and added on top of each other to facilitate bigger attacks, though exactly how this works has not been made known.

Finally, it is interesting to note that enemies do not have turns of their own. Instead, they are permitted to move and act while your characters are doing so. Thus, charging your attacks will certainly leave you vulnerable to your enemies.

To show the game off in motion, Sega has also released a new trailer for the game showing off some brief battle footage. Though it doesn't do much in the way of explaining much, it gives you an idea of how the game will look in motion. You can check it out below.


End of Eternity will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime this winter in Japan, and sometime next spring in North America as Resonance of Fate.

[Famitsu]

Meet the Magna Carta II Cast (Part 1)

As per request, here is the beginning of some translations from the absolutely-full-to-overflowing Magna Carta II official Japanese site.

Today I'll be starting with the first six characters that were introduced (4 allies, 2 villains), with plans to follow-up with more characters in coming weeks.

Juto
Juto is a young man living on Kazemijima. He was found by Melissa wandering around a battlefield with no memories of his past. Melissa brought him to Kazemijima and the two have lived together as brother and sister since.

Juto treasures a pendant that he received from his adopted sister, which is the same as the pendant that Melissa carries. The name “Juto” was also given to him by Melissa.

Juto is a relaxed, if occasionally lazy young man, and wishes for nothing more than a quiet, peaceful life. He has no confidence or interest in joining the war raging on the mainland. His memory loss occasionally worries him, but since it doesn’t interfere with his daily life, he doesn’t think about it much.

Juto fights with swords.

Zephie
Rzephillda Grena Berlinette, or ‘Zephie’ for short, is the Princess of the Kingdom of Lantzheim, the Commanding Officer of the Royal Southern Armed Forces Anti-Sentinel Corps, and a skilled
Wind Magus.

Zephie, the daughter of Queen Evaline of Lantzheim and a noble father (who she has not met), was raised without want. Though something of a tomboy in her childhood, Zephie has matured into compassionate and honest young princess, very much resembling her beloved mother, though she is still not as strong-willed as her mother was.

After her mother was assassinated by Schauenzeit, her happy and peaceful life was shattered instantaneously. Her carefree and boisterous personality were tempered into a much calmer, more reserved attitude, and she developed a strong sense of justice along with a desire to end the war for the people who are suffering. She still carries a fierce hatred for Schauenzeit.

Zephie fights with rods and fans.

Melissa
Melissa Tiss is the Captain of Kazemijima’s militia and Juto’s adopted older sister. She possesses masterful skill with the sword which she learned from her father, and sword training is one of her favourite pastimes.

Melissa’s mother died giving birth to her, and was raised by her father, an ex-mercenary from the mainland who settled down in Kazemijima after marrying Melissa’s mother. The strongest swordsman in town, Melissa’s father took the position of Militia Captain during the day, and taught swordplay to Melissa in the evenings. One of her most prized possessions is the sword her father bought for her in Abajet on the mainland. Unfortunately, during a voyage to the mainland, her father’s ship was caught in a storm and went missing. This loss caused Melissa great pain, and she was said to have forgotten how to smile for half a year after the incident.

A determined and strong-willed woman, Melissa hates the war, but vows to protect Juto and the island with her life. Though others see her as having no weaknesses, she secretly has many fears and insecurities. Her normally collected and formal attitude changes only around Juto or when she speaks about her father.

Melissa fights with swords.

Argo
A soldier in the Royal Southern Armed Forces Anti-Sentinel Corps, Argo Kindu is a powerful warrior of the Torewa Tribe from the desert village of Blue Moon, which was destroyed by Schauenzeit.

Though Argo’s fierce appearance startles many humans, he is typically calm, cool, and collected, analyzing situations thoroughly and making informed, level-headed decisions. He is usually quiet, careful not to interfere in other’s personal matters. Though he is more knowledgeable than most Torewa due his various travels throughout Lantzheim, he is very humble, and is sure to take the time to listen to the opinions of others.

The Torewa Tribe are a powerful people with immense physical strength and high endurance for extreme heat and intense cold, allowing Argo the ability to travel quickly across deserts and snow fields with little effort. Argo’s father was the chieftain of the Blue Moon village, and a famous warrior among the Torewa, with his mother being a warrior of comparable strength and ability. After the destruction of his village, he joined Princess Rzephillda’s forces, and dreams of one day returning to his village to rebuild once the war is over.

Argo fights with axes and hammers.

Schauenzeit
Originally the Prime Minister of Lantzheim, Schauenzeit Baren murdered Queen Evaline to usurp the throne, plunging the country into civil war.

Schauenzeit is cool-headed, compassionate, and deals with situations with a sense of humor. Though he interacts with people with elegance, he gives off a relaxed aura and occasionally even throws in a joke. Despite this, most people who interact with him are intimidated by his charisma and are typically unable to reflect his relaxed attitude. During his time as the Prime Minister, Schauenzeit was even friendlier than he is currently, and was very popular with the people.

Schauenzeit fights with swords, but is also skilled with magic.

Elga
An assassin and leader in the Northern Army, little is known about Elga’s true identity.
He himself seems to have no personal interests or hobbies, and spends all of his time either on the battlefield or training.

Cold-hearted, cruel, and brutal, he relishes in the fear of others, and talks down to everyone he meets. He has only respect of Schauenzeit, and does everything he is commanded without question in hopes of earning Schauenzeit’s approval.

Elga fights with swords.

That wraps up part 1 (going through all the info on the website was much more work than I anticipated - there's a LOT there!). I hope to have part 2 up very soon.

Magna Carta II will be available for Xbox 360 on August 6, 2009 in Japan, and sometime this Summer in North America.

Almost Everything You Wanted to Know About End of Eternity...

I know this translation has been a long time coming, but I finally got around to getting it done.

As you are likely already aware, End of Eternity is the first joint RPG project between RPG developer tri-Ace and publisher Sega, due out sometime this winter in Japan for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

End of Eternity is set in a giant machine city known as Basel. The game takes place almost completely within Basel’s mechanical compound, from its upper level tower to its lower living areas, the story reportedly never takes you out of the city’s metallic confines.

Background
Basel was created as a desperate attempt to save humanity from the poisoned deterioration of the Earth. It was supposed to protect and govern human life, and people willingly set themselves under its supervision.

Eventually, many people flocked to Basel, took up residence, and built themselves a city. However, the machines slowly began to deteriorate themselves, becoming corrupted like the world outside.

People forgot the truth of the past, and, secluded in their self-made tiny world, began to repeat the past.

Inside Basel and the People that Live There
When Basel was initially constructed, humanity possessed a highly advanced technological society. However, after confining themselves within the structure, this knowledge was eventually lost, and there are currently few who hold any knowledge related to the mechanical metropolis.

That said, there are still ongoing construction projects with Basel, and people live thanks to Basel’s grace. Through its power generation plants, street lights function, television broadcasts are relayed, and other important functions are possible. It seems that the standard of living is not all that bad.

The Scriptures and the Cardinals
The people of Basel believe in a single faith that they have based on a set of ancient writings that they brought with them. This religion’s leading class are known as “Cardinals,” and are distinguishable by their unique robes.
Originally, the religion was centered around a pope, but authority was assumed by a man named Roen after the pope’s death.

Characters: the girl who bids farewell to fate, and the men who shoulder the past

Subject #20 (19)
Soon after her birth, this young woman was raised as a live test subject in a kind of reaserch facility and named Subject #20. Due to a certain experiment she was involved in, she has been set to die exactly 20 years after her birth. Knowing that her remaining life is nearing its end, she escapes from the facility and chooses to end her own life before her 20th birthday in an attempt to defy her fate.

Zephyr (17)
A young man raised in a facility, Zephyr causes an incident several years earlier that brings a man named Vashyron on assignment to suppress it. During that incident, he received what should have been a fatal blow from Vashyron, but somehow escaped without a single scratch. Currently, he lives with Vashyron as a PMF.

Vashyron (26)
A former military officer who currently lives with Zephyr, Vashyron works as a PMF. He met Zephyr as an assignment to suppress a violent young man. Though he is a survivor of the Cardinals’ subordinate armed forces that were annihilated in a large scale battle, he rarely speaks of his past.

PMF
Short for Private Military Firms, PMF originally referred to hired mercenary soldiers, however the word has recently come to refer individuals who take many sorts of job requests, such as intelligence gathering or goods exchanges, regardless of battle.

Currently, only Zephyr and Vashyron have been confirmed as playable characters.

Grid-divided fields and gun-heavy battles
In EoE, movement on the field is very different from movement within dungeons.

The overworld map is divided up in a hexagonal-celled grid with your party appearing as a sort of symbol. As your party moves across the grid, it has a certain probability of encountering enemies on each cell. By contrast, movement in dungeons is very much as you’d expect a modern JRPG to handle, with your characters visible and controllable in a third-person view, with enemies also visible. Engaging enemies in a dungeon transitions you into battle mode seamlessly.

Battles are played out in semi-real time, with the player taking direct control of one member of your team of up to 3 characters. While your character is performing any action, the game’s time proceeds normally, but stops when your character is stopped, allowing for strategic planning on the fly.

It has been made known that there will be some sort of dynamic between the positioning of your characters, as well as some sort of element that will enable certain special attacks, but we don’t have any details on exactly what those might be yet.

Additionally, the current release shows the playable characters engaged against living machines (?) and biotic weapons, but we are not sure what their true identities are yet.

I think you might also be interested to note that the battle screens list a playable character name of something like Leenbelle (Riinberu), but don’t actually picture her or him. Possibly the next revealed playable character?

End of Eternity will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime this winter in Japan.

Blurry Atelier Rorona Scan is Blurry, Mentions 3D and a Release Date

The blurry photo you are seeing above is actually a mini-article on the recently announced Atelier Rorona for PlayStation 3. Rorona is the 11th official entry into Gust's Atelier series, and the first title to officially make the jump to 7th generation hardware.

If you recall last time we talked about this, there was some worry over whether the game will actually take advantage of the PS3's hardware, or if it would just be another Disgaea 3 underachievement fest all over again.

Well, unfortunately, the above scan is too blurry to properly read or see what's going on in the provided screenshots.

However, the one-paragraph article does mention that the fields, at least, will be 3D, and that the game will be "fully-voiced."

Gust has been messing with basic 3D fields since the original Ar Tonelico, so that news is not particularly shocking, and I'm not 100% sure what "fully-voiced" means, as other "fully-voiced" games actually weren't.

One thing we can definitely confirm from this blurry shot, however, is that your characters will interact via hand-drawn talking portraits. So if you were worried that was disappearing, you can now rest easier.

It also confirms the heroine's full name, which is Rororina Friksen. Which is pretty great, I would imagine.

Oh, and the game also will be released on PlayStation 3 in Japan on June 25, 2009. So there's that too.