Banpresto and Gust have revealed new details regarding their upcoming sequel to last year's popular RPG title Ar tonelico. As previously announced, Ar tonelico 2: Sekai ni Hibiku Shoujotachi no Metafalica's battle system will be an enhanced version of the first game's system. Therefore, the protagonist will again act as a first line of defense, protecting the heroines from incoming damage and allowing them to cast powerful magic spells. Depending on the affinity between protagonist and heroines, the charge of the latter's song magic will increase or decrease. The level of affinity can be increased by effectively shielding your female companions from enemy attacks. This is done by repeatedly pressing the X button at the right moment. On the battle screen's lower right hand corner, a so-called Emotion Indicator is displaying the heroines' "desire." If one's actions fulfill these desires, the player will get access to powerful deathblows. This system can also be exploited to fill up one's Burst Gauge. When certain conditions are met, the heroines will master new, powerful song magic spells. Furthermore, Ar tonelico 2 allows for two heroines to team up and unleash powerful combination magic spells.

Ar tonelico 2: Sekai ni Hibiku Shoujotachi no Metafalica for PlayStation 2 will be available in Japan sometime later this year.

• Famitsu