It’s not quite Quantum Theory — and judging by your reactions, that may be a good thing — but yesterday Koei Tecmo showed us the latest build of their upcoming PS3 beat-em-up, Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll, and while we didn’t really have time for a hands-on demo, we were given a fair glimpse of what to expect when it hits our shores later next year. Needless to say, I think some of you may be pleasantly surprised.
Read more after the break.
It struck me as odd that Koei Tecmo waited so long to bring this series overseas. Aesthetically speaking, the game could has some broad western appeal — that is, if you set aside the Japanese character designs, or the fact that it’s a prequel to a game released exclusively in Japan. Though this PS3 exclusive isn’t very breath-taking, or revolutionary in terms of its visuals, the medieval setting — complete with orcs, goblins, and the like — could seem inviting to those of us who are a bit more familiar with western folklore.
That said, in terms of actual gameplay, Trinity requires a bit of strategy, in addition to mindless button-mashing that you might expect from a game developed by Omega Force — the devs responsible for the infamous Dynasty Warriors titles.
The game features hordes of enemies, but the AI seems vastly improved from previous Koei developed beat-em-ups. often requiring you to switch between characters — of which there are three, hence the title of the game — in order to utilize different attacks. Furthermore, you’ll be able to combo the attacks for extra damage.
One of the features that really caught my attention was the ability to use the environment in conjunction with each character’s abilities, such as being able to freeze water, or pick up trees as weapons. In addition, each enemy has a weakness, which provides an incentive to switch characters when appropriate.
Finally, there are leveling systems for each character and their weapons, along with 20-some abilities which you will acquire over the course of the game. With over 40 hours of gameplay — you’ll probably spend a bit of time trying to unlock it all.
While the game is due to release in Japan on November 25th, expect it to hit shores in North America and Europe in March 2011.
