The newest issue of Dengeki PlayStation features an informative article on Square Enix's recently announced PlayStation 2 title Radiata Stories. As previously reported, the second PlayStation 2 title of Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile developer tri-Ace will feature more than 150 playable characters. However, those characters will all be similar to non-playable characters. At least it seems as if the player won't have control over them during the game's real-time battles. Prior to battles, units can be put in the desired position by using the directional buttons on your control pad. Players however will have the chance to exchange or send away units in battle.

On the field map, it will be possible to "kick" everything. If you kick a non-playable character without talking to him or her, this action might result in two or more battles. Since the game will hold countless hidden items, it is useful to try kicking desks or signposts in search of valuable treasures. Every single of the more than 300 residents living in the game's various locations will have his or her own unique, daily routine. These non-playable characters will also differ in terms of their names and character designs. Yoshinori Yamagishi, who has acted as producer for all tri-Ace titles to date, mentioned that one key feature of Radiata Stories will be the fun of collecting characters. Interestingly enough, it seems like in tri-Ace's representative director Yoshiharu Gotanda and planning chief Masaki Noritomo, two key figures, are not participating in the game's development.

Radiata Stories will be available in Japan in early 2005.

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