New details have emerged concerning Eternal Ring, an upcoming Playstation 2 RPG developed by From Software.

The game is set on an isolated island, ruled over by a dragon; one of the eight dragons who once ruled the island before being sealed by the Eternal Ring. The island itself is divided into two main geographical regions, one of ice and snow, and another of volcanoes and lava. The story will lead our hero, Cain Morgan, over the expanse of the island as he strives to fulfill his mission.

What is that mission, you ask? Well, Cain is a soldier from the Kingdom of Heingaria and was ordered by the King to complete two tasks. Number one, supervise a troop of soldiers in the vicinity. And number two, to solve the mystery of the Eternal Ring.

Aside from these somewhat sketchy plot and setting details, minor battle system details were revealed, namely that magic will be cast with the use of rings, and there are a whopping 100 rings in all, which cast a variety of magics, everything from fire to ice to lightning. Multiple rings can also be combined for a combination attack. This seems relatively simple, and as of yet nothing about the gameplay seems more complex, so at this stage it is posssible that Eternal Ring will employ a relatively simple battle system, at least as far as magic goes. Certainly the opposite of the latest trends, such as Junctions and Deathblows (FF8 and Xenogears)

Eternal Ring is scheduled to be released at the launch of the Playstation 2, on March 4, 2000.