New Lost Odyssey details

More details of Lost Odyssey, the forthcoming Xbox 360 RPG from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, have been revealed in Dengeki Xbox 360 magazine.

Apparently there are currently 100 members of staff working on the game and that number includes Daisuke Fukugawa, who worked with Sakaguchi on the FF games at Square.

Takamasa Ohsawa, who worked on the Shadow Hearts games, has taken on the role of art director, and is working on Lost Odyssey's overall look and style as well as character designs.

Fukugawa told Dengeki Xbox 360 that the game is coming along nicely, with battles and fields all now connected, and apparently Sakaguchi is keep a constant eye on how the game runs on Xbox 360 hardware.

Ohsawa added that they're working hard to make the most of the technology and of the game's engine, Unreal Engine 3, which gives designers all manner of new ways to express their ideas. The focus is on ensuring that the game environment provides a suitable backdrop for the characters, which have been designed by comic artist Takehiro Inoue.

Sakaguchi said that the game's main character, Kaim, has spent the last 1000 years developing both his mind and body. He's accompanied on his adventures by a blue-haired girl called Sess, and spends a lot of time dreaming about the past. Japanese novelist Kiyoshi Shigematsu has been tasked with writing the scenarios for the dreams, which Sakaguchi said will reveal the secret of Kaim's longevity.

Lost Odyssey is due out next year.