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Fans of the role-playing genre are familiar with the name Final Fantasy, but they may not know the man who started the phenomenon. Hironobu Sakaguchi created the famous series, and was involved in every entry through Final Fantasy IX. After leaving Square Enix, Sakaguchi founded a new development studio called Mistwalker, which designed the excellent 360 RPGs Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. When Sakaguchi is involved in a new project, gamers should pay attention.

The latest title from Sakaguchi and Mistwalker is a Wii exclusive entitled The Last Story. The game marks the first time Sakaguchi is directing (as opposed to producing) a game since Final Fantasy V. Set in a traditional fantasy world, the plot of The Last Story follows two main heroes living on Ruri Island. One is a mercenary named Elza, and he eventually meets an aristocratic woman named Kanan, along with a crew of additional party members. Their journey explores themes ranging from political upheaval to human emotion, but Mistwalker and Nintendo are keeping the specifics of the adventure under wraps for the moment.

On the combat front, The Last Story is different from the traditional turn-based structure that made Sakaguchi's early titles successful. The battle system is real-time, but appears to pause to accommodate target selection for spells and abilities. In the game's trailer, the fights run smoothly as multiple enemies circle the heroes, and cool effects and environmental destruction are abundant. A cover system allows players to hide from enemies mid-battle, waiting for the right opportunity to jump out and catch the foe unaware.

Nintendo plans to have The Last Story hit before the end of the year in Japan, but the game hasn't been confirmed for a North American release yet. However, with a renowned developer like Sakaguchi at the helm, it's a safe bet that The Last Story will hit out shores sometime in 2011. >> Joe Juba