Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone announced

Atari and Stormfront Studios today announced the development of Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone for the PlayStation 2. The action adventure game, which is being developed under license from Hasbro, will see players embroiled in a battle between two demonic armies set to overrun the Dungeons & Dragons world of Faerun.

"Stormfront Studios has proven itself to be one of the preeminent console developers with its work on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In our search for a development partner that could bring an intense, action-oriented and cinematic D&D experience to the PlayStation 2, there was no equal," said John Hight, executive producer at Atari's Los Angeles studio. "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will raise the bar several notches, with new engine technologies allowing for greatly enhanced gameplay. The next-gen engine will also allow gamers to play multiple characters, with varying abilities throughout each encounter, as well as [provide] the ability to switch characters on the fly--a first for an action game of this nature."

Players will control a party of three characters in the game, including a fighter, a sorcerer, and a rogue. Each of the playable characters will have very different abilities, and as players switch between them on the fly, the game's AI will assume control of the other two. The game's combat system will cater to players of all abilities, and advanced players will be able to customize their characters' special attacks, combinations, and even group superattacks as they progress through the game.

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone is currently scheduled for release in the fall. Check back later today for exclusive screenshots and movies, a developer interview, and an exclusive first look at the game.