SAN FRANCISCO--GDC 2009 is over, and one last game we caught in motion at the show was Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent , a free-to-play massively multiplayer game being published by Atlus Online (the online division of the publisher that brought you the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei: Persona single-player games for PlayStation 2). The game is currently in a beta test state, though Atlus Online has already set about building up an English-speaking online forum community on its official site.

　　If you've ever wanted to play as a witch with a gas mask, you'll get that wish and more in Neo Steam.

　　Neo Steam takes place in an alternate-fantasy "steampunk" universe where steam-engine technology exists next to magic and monsters, and as it turns out, the game will have gadget-making as a full-on trade skill that your characters can choose to specialize in. The game will have a handful of different playable races that have different apperances and combat abilities, though at least one race, the Pom (a race of short, furry-bearded critters) is especially adept at creating helpful technological trinkets.

　　As you might expect from a massively multiplayer online game, Neo Steam will have plenty of monsters to battle and items to acquire, but Atlus Online is rebalancing and retuning the game for its US launch. The game originally launched in Asia some time ago, but the English-language version will have its character level curve rebalanced to be a bit gentler and less of a "grind," and in addition, thousands of quests are being added to give players more story-related stuff to do. These quests will involve exploring multilevel dungeons, such as the one we watched in action--the belly of a diseased "land-whale" (a giant, moss-covered critter with an upset stomach). In this quest, we were required to fight our way into the beast's maw and eventually descend to its innards to find that its heart had been infested by a parasite, the dungeon's "boss" monster. Along the way, this and other dungeons will have embedded side-quests (such as freeing villagers who have been trapped in the land-whale's guts) that may or may not require quick trips back to town to complete. Fortunately, the game will have faster land travel in the form of craftable vehicles, such as large, clockwork motorbikes that can go from zero-to-town-merchant in just moments.

　　As you may expect from a free-to-play online game, Neo Steam will have no starter fee, but a "cash-op" online store that can be used to purchase appearance-altering items, such as costumes and other apparel. Atlus representatives suggested that the game may launch with hybrid subscription/free-to-play options to cater to different players.

　　Neo Steam is currently in a testing phase and is planned to launch later this year.