By now we know quite a lot about the PS3 exclusive action JRPG The Witch and the Hundred Knights by Nippon Ichi, that will hit the Japanese shelves in just a week, while western gamers will have to wait for a still unspecified release date.
What we don't yet know well is the game's world, and Nippon Ichi just sent in a large batch of information, artwork and screenshots to make up for that.
First of all, we get a large, nice map of the world (that is named Midea), that I went ahead and labeled for your convenience (clock on the pic on the left to see a large version). Keep in mind that the labeled version is something I made to help you follow the article, and it's not official material from Nippon Ichi. You can also find the clean version in the gallery at the bottom of the post. Name transliterations may also differ from the official ones that will come when the game will be released in the west.
Here's a list of the areas on the map:
Nibulhenne
It's the swamp where Metallica's house is located and where the adventure of Hundred Knights begins. The miasma emitted by the swamp has transformed it into a region where wildlife can barely survive.
Forest of Uzu
Area adjacent to Metallica's swamp, it's a thick verdant forest. It has a rich ecosystem that has been ruled for a long time by the witch of the forest. There are rumors about large caterpillars that attack trespassers.
Doen
On the edge of the region of Valentine there's a village, there's a village inhabited by humans, surrounded by rich nature and hills. From the swamp of Nibulhenne it's necessary to pass by Doen in order to reach the core of the Valentine's region.
Flower Town of Chocolata
Home town of the Flower Granduke of Valentine. It includes a flourishing red light district where visitors can receive a mesmerizing "warm welcome" from the locals.
Cinque
A verdant forest valley crossed by a highway. The area is known for an especially beautiful aquatic plant called Cotton Firefly, and many come visit the place to see them. It borders with a mountain range in the north, where cold weather is common and there's often snow.
Yaptoraka Valley
In this ancient valley the legendary witches fought a battle, and the relics are still scattered here. Now only the the winged tribe resides in this valley.
Tettara Desert
A desert area scorched by intense sunlight. In the sand large rapacious animals called Sand Eaters lurk, waiting for prey. Those who try to cross the desert will do so at the risk of their own life.
Battlefield of Shishite
This area was the site of a ferocious battle in ancient times. There are rumors of many ghosts that wander the land here. Due to that the zone is completely deserted.
In addition to the nice gazetteer above we get to learn more about the devour and capture systems present in the game. When an enemy is weakened Hundred Knights can either devour it to replenish his giga calories, or capture it using the "System 26 Capture" pillbox.
Captured enemies will drop rare items, while devoured enemies can also, at times, leave items in Hundred Knight's large stomach.
Finally we see two of the large bosses that Hundred Knights will have to fight: a rather ugly spider lady and a dragon locomotive. Talk about wacky. Below you can check out the full gallery with all the artwork and screenshots released today.