New media: Herdy Gerdy

In Herdy Gerdy, the player assumes the role of a young boy named Gerdy. It's Gerdy's job to avenge the island's evil dictator, who has been repeatedly winning the herding tournament, held every four years. The tournament winner is traditionally entrusted with the Acorn of Power, an item that has magical properties and is required to maintain the island's natural balance. The dictator has been misusing the Acorn to ensure that he perpetually wins the tournament and therefore maintains control of the island. Now, the tournament is being held again, and the island's hopes are on Gerdy's father. However, on the day of the tournament, Gerdy finds out that someone cast a sleeping spell on his father. The player, as Gerdy, then has to embark on a quest to find out what's going on.

One of the title's defining characteristics is the personality that is applied to the creatures that roam its landscapes. Each set of animals has its own characteristics, which are applied not only on an individual basis but also to a group rationale. An understanding of these behavior patterns must be gained to successfully control the animals, guide them through the landscapes, and maintain general balance.

Characters are both predator and prey of varying levels of intelligence. As such, interaction between animal groups must be carefully managed. A single distressed animal has the potential to create an unpredictable ripple of chaos that can result in disaster and in the worst case, fatality.

Core Design's Herdy Gerdy looks like it will be one of the more innovative titles in development for the PS2. The game is currently set for release around October and will be published by Eidos Interactive.