The newest Lufia game will let you control the young treasure hunter Eldin and his friends Torma and Rami, who get caught up in an epic struggle to save their world. Gratze, a military power under the command of an enigmatic foreigner named Ragule, invades its neighboring kingdoms. Ragule is looking for the body and spirit of an evil beast, which was sealed away long time ago. He wants to utilize the creature's power to gain total control over the game's world. The priestess Rubius in the meantime is gathering ancient stones, which are said to reveal the whereabouts of the beasts' spirit and body. After meeting Rubius and being lectured about Ragule's ambitions, Eldin and his two friends set out to defeat him and thereby save their world.

The game will feature a total of eight playable characters, which can switched in and out during battle. There will be 11 different character classes. Furthermore, it is possible to capture monsters, train and even fuse them. Via the GBA link cable, it is possible to exchange monsters and explore the game's vast bonus dungeon, the Ancient Cave, alongside up to three companions.

Lufia: The Ruins of Lore will be released in spring 2003.

• Official Atlus USA Website