Namco announces new RPG

The latest issue of Shonen Jump magazine has revealed that Namco is developing a new RPG named Baten Kaitos for the Nintendo GameCube. The title of the game is a reference to one of the stars in the Cetus constellation, and it also means "the stomach of a whale" in Arabic.

Baten Kaitos is a fantasy RPG that takes place in a world where everyone lives on floating continents, and the ground is considered to be a legend. There are five continents in the game, each with a distinct characteristic. For example, one continent has a country known for machinery, while another has a city known for magic. Moving around different continents is done via a floating vessel. The battle sequences in the game will consist of strategic card combat featuring cards that can be combined for a variety of effects.

The storyline of Baten Kaitos has not been completely revealed, but it is known that the main characters must stop a diabolical plan that is about to be set in motion. Three characters are known as of the current time. The main character is Karus, who is on a quest to avenge the death of his family. Karus has the ability to communicate with spirits, and he even keeps some of these spirits inside his body--the player will assume the role of one of the spirits inside Karus. Sierra is the heroine, and she is searching for a way to stop the evil plan. Also, Sierra keeps an elastic creature named Mi-mai inside the hood of her jacket.

Baten Kaitos is scheduled for release in December in Japan.