Rune Preview
RPG fans who are planning to get a GameCube should already be impressed by the list of title for the system, and the most exciting one of them is Rune.
Not to be confused with the awful PS2 game of the same name, Rune is one of those titles that screams quality. If you can play the demo of this game in Japanese - have no idea what is going on - and still be impressed, you know you’re onto a winner.
You play as Princess Katia Gerber, who must save the land from a mysterious black fog that is destroying everything in it’s path. The only way to stop the evil is to find a legendary card, which one saved the world from destruction in a time long forgotten. Thus Katia embarks on a adventure for the 100 magical cards, in hope that she will be able to destroy the fog and banish it back to the hell it came from.
The Rune world is totally three dimensional, so you will be able to fully interact with your environment. The creatures you summon in battle look fantastic, and eirther attack your enemy automatically, or wait to be controlled by you. Battles are also in real time , so there is no standing waiting for your enemy to attack, like in traditional RPGs.
In battle these cards are used to control the action. By selecting your choosen card (and throwing it into the air dramatically) you can summon a killer monster to kill your enemies, or cast a spell. The amount of cards available for you to use depends on how many you have found, so as you explore the world and discover more cards, you will have more battle options. The cards also gain experience points and become stronger as the game progresses. Each card contains a different creature or spell, and all the sumoned creatures behave differently and use different methods of attacking your enemies.
Going back to the old days when RPG games were played on paper and with cards, Rune is a nice blend of new and old, with simple card based battles mixed with awesome graphics and special effects. A great idea that looks like it will succeed as a great game.