Eschalon: Book II - Officially Announced

Gamebanshee posts a press release from Basilisk Games announcing the second iteration of their indie cRPG, Eschalon: Book II:

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – June 10, 2008 – Basilisk Games, an independent computer game developer specializing in role-playing games, today announced that Eschalon: Book II has entered full production and is expected to be released Q2 2009 for Windows, Macintosh and Linux-based computers...

"Basilisk Games is very excited to announce that we will be releasing Book II early next year. Classic, old-school computer role-playing is very much a viable market and we have been happy with the consumer response to Book I." commented Thomas Riegsecker, Lead Developer of the Eschalon series. "Book II will be an exciting step forward for the series."

There's more information here at the official site, including screenshots:

Eschalon: Book II is the sequel to 2007's acclaimed independent RPG Eschalon: Book I. Built on an updated engine and the same design principals as its predecessor, Book II features a huge tile-built game world and a unique approach to turn-based gameplay. Thousands of items, creatures, NPCs, dungeons, traps, and puzzles await your discovery in this old-school role-playing game inspired by such classics as Ultima, Might & Magic and Wizardry.

Book II continues Eschalon's world events where Book I ended, though no previous experience is needed to enjoy the game. Book II features a sprawling story spanning three regions with cause-and-effect outcomes to many quests.

Book II uses an updated game engine running at 1024 x 768 native resolution. Hundreds of new graphic elements, tiles, sound effects and music means Book II is not just a remix of Book I.

New weather effects including snow, rain, and thunderstorms which can affect gameplay stats and skills.

New gender selection (play as a male or female), additional skills and enhanced skill development allows you to advance your character as high as level 30.

Enhanced GUI includes additional save game slots, increased number of Inventory and Quick Slot spaces, new Key Ring and Potion Mixer, "Equipment configuration" presets for convenient swapping of entire armor and weapons sets, and more!

New difficulty modes, challenges and tracked statistics add to replay value.