New details on Shining Force

TOKYO--This week's edition of the popular manga weekly Shonen Magazine features the first details of the upcoming Sega title, Shining Force, due for the PlayStation 2.

Slated for release in spring 2005, the game's main character will be Max, the hero of Shining Force, which was released earlier for the Sega Genesis. It is not yet known whether the game will feature a new story or whether it will be a remake of the original 1992 game. At any rate, Max has been given a new look by character designer Yuriko Nishiyama, best known for her Shonen Magazine manga Dragon Voice (a popular manga discontinued about a year ago). Other characters in the game include Max's love interest, Meryl (who was orphaned at a young age), and an as-yet-unnamed mysterious swordfighter.

Shining Force's strategic battles, the central feature of the series, will now use fully 3D graphics and will feature a new gameplay mode where more than 20 characters can clash simultaneously.

It is expected that Sega will reveal more details of the game's story and battle system soon.