Shadow Hearts: Covenant Exclusive Trailer

Yuri and Kurando will be able to shape-shift, enhancing their battle abilities. Click "stream" for a larger view.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant is the US incarnation of Shadow Hearts 2, the follow-up to 2001's underrated PlayStation 2 role-playing game. The game will take place six months after the end of the original Shadow Hearts and will feature a cast made up of old and new faces. One of the returning cast members is Yuri, the moody, morphing hero from the first game, who will once again serve as the main character. The adventure will send you on a trek across Europe in 1915 to stop a diabolical cult intent on ruling the world.

As in the original Shadow Hearts, Yuri will be able to morph into a variety of different creatures thanks to the mystical harmonizer abilities passed on to him by his father, Jinpachiro Hyuga. This time out Yuri will eventually be able to morph into a total of 21 fusion monsters. He'll gain the different forms by absorbing the souls of specific defeated enemies.

Although Yuri's morphs are unique, another member of his party will share similar abilities. Kurando, a new character to the series, who, it turns out, is Yuri's cousin, is a young samurai who is also able to shape-shift into fusion monsters. It seems that Kurando's powers are old hat for the residents of his town, Inugami Village. The main difference between Yuri and Kurando is that Kurando and his fellow villagers can only shift into one to two fusion forms, while Yuri has a veritable zoo at his disposal.

This exclusive movie shows off a sampling of the pair's shifting abilities and illustrates the inspired and twisted design work in the game. The changes are more than just for looks, however, as each form will feature unique abilities that will come in handy during combat. Sussing out which form is best in any given situation is one of the many factors to keep track of during the plethora of battles you'll be engaging in over the course of your quest. Shadow Hearts: Covenant is currently slated to ship this fall for the PlayStation 2. While you can expect a full preview in the coming months, enjoy this small sample of the game's shape-shifting duo in action on our media page.