A new scan from Square-Enix's Young Gangan publication has revealed new story and gameplay details, as well as a first look at three new characters for its upcoming Action RPG, Fullmetal Alchemist 3: Kami o Tsugu Shoujo ( Roughly translates to The Girl Who Surpassed God).

Story details are still somewhat scarce, but a small piece has surfaced. After recieving an order from Brigadier General Roy Mustang, Edward and Alphonse Elric head north to the city of Valdora to investigate the strange series of events plaguing the region.

It is in Valdora where the Elric Brothers meet three new characters. The first is Sophie Belkman, a mysterious young girl with a strange symbol embedded in her right hand. Is it a Transmutation Circle, or something else? The brothers will also encounter Lt. Col. Romeo Kregan, an officer in the Valdora Military, famous for his excellency as a soldier as well as being a very ambitious weapons inventor. The third new charcter encountered by the Elric Brothers will be Captain Venus Rosmaria, a captain of an independant Valdora Military organization. She's often referred to as the Red Rose for her crimson attire.

As for gameplay, new this time around will be the ability to play as younger brother Al. In the previous two games, he was relegated to mere sidekick status, but this time around you will be able to freely control him whenever you want. Al will also be able to use Alchemy and have his own seperate skill set from elder brother Ed.

Players will also be able to switch between the two brothers on the fly, or play as both simultaneously using two player mode. In this mode, the players can set numerous traps for their pursuers by having both players explore different parts of an area using Split-Screen mode.

Fullmetal Alchemist 3: Kami o Tsugu Shoujo will be released in Japan Summer 2005. A US release has yet to be confirmed, but will more than likely be confirmed with the release of the first two games in the series already underway in the US.

Link >> Young Gangan Scan Translated