Atlus has announced StellaDeus, an original strategy RPG for PlayStation 2. The game takes place in an apocalyptic world dominated by an ancient religious group known as Ekve. While the people were able to temporarily stop their world's decline, those who believed in the group's teachings have long lost their will to live. In these desperate times, King Dignis gathered all those willing to live and freed the people from the rule of Ekve. In order to rid the world from the pessimistic thought, the King also ordered a purge which also reached the hometown of the game's protagonist Sphida. During the game's strategy battles, players will consume action points. By learning new skills, characters will get more powerful during the course of the game. Apart from executing deathblows and casting magic, players will also be able to link their attacks, thereby increasing their attack power.

The game's development team contains many familiar faces, among them Final Fantasy Tactics composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata. Below you will find the complete list:

Scenario Director: Ryou Mizuno (Record of Lodoss War)
Character designer and art director: Naruki Fukushima (Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, Persona 2)
Composers: Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter), Masaharu Iwata (Final Fantasy Tactics)
Sound Director: Takahiro Ogata (Shin Megami Tensei NINE)
Movie Production: Kamikaze Douga (Rockman X7, Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter)
Art Setting: Kusanagi (Final Fantasy VII-X, Shadow Hearts II, Front Mission 2, 3)

StellaDeus will be released in Japan sometime this year.

• SB Games