Idea Factory has opened the official website for Rebirth Moon. This PlayStation 2 strategy RPG will be the first title to be published under the company's new Type Zero brand. In a city located in the eastern part of a certain continent, the harmony and peace of Rebirth Moon's world used to be regulated. However 23 years ago, an event changing history occured there. Out of the ancient ruins located near the city a mysterious object generally known as Cube appeared and began to radiate a special power. Man quickly realized the efficiency of that power and began to develop the most powerful weapon ever made, the Mind Tool. As the game begins, the travelling merchant and mercenary Ires is entrusted with a Black Cube from a man on the verge of death. The mysterious object hides a certain secret.

In the world of Rebirth Moon, the research and administration of the Cubes is monopolized by an organization known as The Guild. This organization also produces, licenses and sells the powerful Mind Tool weapons. An organization known as Tempest uses those Mind Tools to enforce law and order. The Barder company is a mafia-style corporation that opposes The Guild. It is comparable to a mafia organization with a moral code. The group of mercenaries, which the protagonist belongs to, is a gang of jack of all trades. The Yugu Church is a religious organization whose followers still believe in the old way of living alongside nature. The Noise Net is an information communication network originally used by the Yugu Church. Currently however, it is under the control of The Guild.

The 17-year old protagonist Ires does not ask others for help often, as he solves his problems on his own. The 16-year old blonde Laika is the leader of Ires' group of mercenaries and never shows a sign of weakness. 17-year old Juan is the vice commander of Tempest. The serious man has a very strong sense of justice and a very tough stance against criminals. Reel is a female member of the Barder company. Her dad cares excessively for her, but the 16-year old is open-minded and very pro-active when it comes to love. If she is messed around with, she tends to become reckless.

System-wise, Rebirth Moon will feature turn-based strategy battles. Since a character's health slowly but surely recovers over the course of the battle, it is difficult to deal any damage to your opponents by using standard attacks. The key to victory will be the efficient use of commands such as group system, Mind Tool, flash combo or skill shift. When using skill shift, the respective skill will transform into a new one. However, this transformation can be positive or negative, by making the skill either weaker or more powerful. If players don't want to use skill shift, they can also lock on skill, preventing it to evolve. Each character can hold up to ten different skills. Flash combos are combination attacks. Upon using a flash combo, players can also make use of their Mind Tools, in order to enlarge the size of their weapon or enhance a certain stat. The group system allows players to have their party attack multiple enemies at the same time. Therefore a consecutive attack sequence by various party members however is necessary.

Character growth will depend heavily on your actions in battle. If a certain character moves around a lot on the battle field, his or her speed will increase. By focusing on attacks, a character's attack power will increase and by taking damage his or her defense stat will rise. Weapons and skills can also be levelled up and Mind Tools synthesized in order to create more powerful ones.

Those who pre-order the game will be treated to a special DVD, containing information on a new title and special digital data.

Rebirth Moon will be available in Japan sometime this fall. The standard version will go on sale for 6,800 yen ($60.65 US), while the limited edition will retail for 8,800 yen ($78.49 US). While the former will ship with one out of 18 trading cards, the latter will come with nine trading cards, an artbook and a soundtrack CD.

• Official Rebirth Moon Website