Square Enix has opened the official website of its cell-phone-based network action RPG Final Fantasy VII prequel Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII. So far eight characters have been confirmed to appear in the game: Five familiar faces (President Shinra, his son Rufus, Tseng, Reno and Rude) are joined by the mysterious Veld, who is overseeing the Turks as well as a male and female playable character, both members of the Turks. As previously reported, Before Crisis' story takes place six years prior the events of Final Fantasy VII. Avalanche, the underground resistance group fighting Shinra Electrical Company has already been founded and now it is up to the Turks to deal with the resistence fighters. The mission-based title is being co-produced by Toshimasa Itou and the director of Final Fantasy VII, Yoshinori Kitase. Hajime Tahata is serving as the game's director, whereas Final Fantasy VII character designer and Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura is in charge of concept and character designs. Despite leaving Square Enix to found his own company Stellavista, Kazushige Nojima is working as scenario director.

The beta version of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII will be available to Japanese users of NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 900i series cellphones on August 31st.

• Official Before Crisis Final Fantasy VII Website