One of the first RPGs announced for the GameCube, Rune hails from developer From Software. Mainly known for their Armored Core series (a mecha battler) From's RPG offerings have been... well... less than spectacular. However, hope springs eternal and Rune looks like it will at least offer a unique experience to gamers.

The story that is known so far is that long ago there was a deadly fog that swept through the land, killing everything in its path. A legendary Magical Card was said to have stopped the evil.

Players take the role of Princess Katia Gerber, who is collecting magical cards that summon powerful monster allies. As these beasts fight for the Princess, she gains Experience, which of course strengthens her card's attack. Depending on the creature Katia calls, it does a different attack. Larger monsters might go into a FF-esque Summon animation while others will follow her around for awhile. Some are even controllable by the player. When you come in contact with an enemy, the game shifts to a smaller area, so the player can't run too far. The card deck shuffles out four card which are then assigned to the face buttons.

Rune boasts excellent art direction, while the game itself has average graphics. The main character and her card battlers are all modeled nicely with some great animation, though the textures are nothing to write home about.

Hopefully the Japanese company can do better than Evergrace for their first GC release. No word yet on whether Rune will see an English release. However, that said, companies have picked up their PS2 titles before, so it's possible it will be translated.