Legend of Heroes III set for January PSP debut

Namco Bandai announced today The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean for the PlayStation Portable, due out in January 2007. The game is being developed by Nihon Falcom and is the third iteration of the RPG series The Legend of Heroes. Game notes from a corporate press release describe the title as follows:

"A standalone story set in the rich universe of The Legend of Heroes series, The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean has players take on the role of Forte, a young musician living in the dark Numeros Empire who sets off on an adventure that could determine the fate of the world. With over 50 hours of gameplay, players take Forte and his group of wandering musicians on a journey to discover a long-forgotten song of mysterious power left behind by a legendary composer. The 100 unique illustrated characters bring the adventure to life and the familiar RPG gameplay lets anyone with a PSP system become a hero. With a unique pet system and the ability to save anywhere, The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean stands to deliver a classic RPG experience in January 2007."

We present a few screenshots below, courtesy of Games Press: