TGS 2011: Dynasty Warriors Xtreme Legends/Dynasty Warriors Next Trailers/Gameplay Videos

Koei Tecmo is set to hit the PS3 and Vita with a VERY cool 1-2 punch with these two entries in the long-running franchise. Critics may hate these games, but the core fan base (and folks like me who just like the non-stop chaos and combat the series provides) just eats up each new installment. The PS3 exclusive Xtreme Legends will feature new characters, secret weapons, a new Legend Mode, a Challenge Mode and Japanese voice-overs (nice). No news on a NA release date, but that's what updates are for, right?

Update: Warriors: Legend of Troy "Blood" and "Conquest" Screens

Two folders called "Blood" and "Conquest" were in the latest file I got from Koei Tecmo's press site and yes, that's exactly what you're getting in these latest Warriors screens. I was wondering if there was going to be a playable female character in Koei Canada's upcoming hack & slasher and *bam!*, wish granted - here you go. Penthesilea is her name, smashing fools in the jewels is her game (and she does look good doing what she does best).

Achilles gets more screen shot time in this post with a set of brutal images including what looks like a pretty mean boss battle. Ladies first, below the jump.

Dynasty Warriors 7 English Trailer

Here you go - complete with an all-new graphics engine, stereoscopic 3D support and that always controversial English dub. Not to mention the dozens of hours of hack & slash gameplay, too many playable characters to keep track of and plenty of real estate to romp around in. An acquired taste for sure - but hell, sometimes that sort of consistency can be a good thing.

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Epic Trailer

Here's a peek at the final English-language trailer for Koei Tecmo's single player fantasy Action/RPG, set to hit US stores on February 8, 2011 (and UK outlets on February 11) exclusively for the PS3. Omega Force's super-stylized visuals are pretty neat overall. If the story is decent, this might be a bit of a sleeper in a VERY busy month full of games (in an even crazier year stuffed with more!). 2011 is turning into the turduckhen of game years, it seems...

Sony Unveils New NGP Portable System In Japan (Or: Welcome...The Artist Formerly Known as PSP2)

In possibly the WORST kept secret in an industry known for more leaks than the Titanic crossed with an incontinent elephant, Sony's next-generation successor to the PSP has finally been given it's official public unveiling at a press event in Tokyo. Codenamed NGP (Next Generation Portable), the new unit is sleeker than the current model and comes packed to the digital gills with a bunch of expected and unexpected features and functionality. The new handheld will feature dual analog controls (along with the standard D-pad and PlayStation keys), front and rear touch pads, Sixaxis motion control, a three-axis compass along with 3G network and Wi-Fi support.

In addition, while there's no UMD slot, there's a physical media slot that uses a dedicated card storage format, front and rear cameras and amazingly, a 5 inch OLED display that's four times the resolution of the PSP (go, Sony!). According to Sony, the new system is due for release during this Christmas holiday season - start saving those pennies, folks!

More info (and yes, SPECS) below the jump.

Gallery Update: Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll

New screens (as well as a few I missed from last month) from Koei Tecmo's upcoming Action/RPG. Ever-busy developer Omega Force is going for an "artistic" look to the game with a filter that gives the visuals a rather interesting painterly quality. Personally, I like this stylistic touch a lot - we'll see how it all plays next month when the game hits retail on February 8, 2011

Warriors: Legends of Troy Cover Art

Nicely dynamic cover art for Koei Canada's upcoming M-rated hack & slash action game, set for a March 22, 2011 launch on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Check out the small gallery I ran a few days ago for screens art and a game trailer. I'll see about getting more online screens from Koei Tecmo and post whatever shows up.

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Cover Art

Well alright - here's the cover art for Koei Tecmo and Omega Force's upcoming action/RPG set for a February 8, 2011 launch as a PS3 exclusive. I'm pretty excited about this one based on the screenshots that show off some quirky fantasy art and unique color palette the developer has used throughout. While I'm hoping the gameplay leans more toward the Crimson Sea sort of action, as a longtime fan of hack & slash games, I won't be disappointed at all if it doesn't. I have the feeling that this might be one of those games where you'll get more than you'd expect, but if you go in with no expectations, you'll be even more pleasantly surprised.

Gallery Update: Dynasty Warriors 7

As the lovely Sun Shang Xiang's come-hither (so she can kick your ass) stare shows, in terms of graphics, Omega Force is clearly doing its best work to date on this latest game in the long-running Warriors franchise. As you'll soon see in the gallery below the jump, the rest of the in game characters share that same level of polish. Fans of the series can expect a few tweaks to the familiar formula to go along with the upgraded visuals when the game hits retail on March 22, 2011 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Memo to Omega Force - nice new engine you've got there. Three words: Crimson. Sea. Sequel. Two more words: Destrega 2. Make it happen, people!

Gallery: Warriors: Legends of Troy

Koei Canada has been "quietly" working away on a very interesting twist to the long-running Sengoku Mousou franchise, Warriors: Legends of Troy, set to storm onto the PS3 and Xbox 360 across North America on March 8, 2011 (3/25/11 in the UK). On first glance, the game has the makings of the more familiar Dynasty Warriors series, a good thing for fans of the series who want more. However, the combination of Greek and Roman "historical" and mythological elements plus copious amounts of blood (and the Mature rating that comes with it) should give this one enough potential to draw in fans of everything from Spartan: Total Warrior, God of War, 300 and Showtime's awesomely gory Spartacus series. The grittier visual style here is in direct contrast to Omega Force's work (as you'll see in the latest Dynasty Warriors 7 screens), but this more realistic route fits the brutal hack & slash gameplay all the more.

New Dynasty Warriors 7 Screens (You KNOW You Want To Look...)

It's OK... admit it, you're a secret (or not so secret) Dynasty Warriors fan who's learned to ignore the harshly jaded critics out there and keeps buying and playing every game in the franchise (and its spin-offs) from start to finish because it's become the digital equivalent of mom's mac & cheese for you. Those long 60-plus hour campaigns with all those unlockable characters plowing through packs of enemies as kill counts are racked up in the thousands? Yeah, that's you, all bleary-eyed and smiling into your coffee on a Monday morning not bragging about hunkering down indoors for three days straight while your work buddies are babbling all about that Friday night hottie that gave them a kick to the groin after yet another bad pickup line. They fail and revel in it like the foolish lemmings they are, while you continue to win, win and win (and how!).

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Gameplay Footage x6

Here's what to expect from Koei Temco's upcoming PS3 exclusive Action/RPG. Each of these six videos shows off developer Omega Force's skills quite well, I'd say. Love the color palette, dynamic spells and what's looking like an easy to pick up and play combat system against the swarms of enemies on screen. Of course, the KT haters will be out in full force against this game's strengths, but we'll wait and see what the actual product plays like sometime next year. Will familiarity breed contempt... or just more sore thumbs and a blissed-out grin after too many hours of whittling down goblins and big-ass wolves? Again, We. Shall. See.

More footage below the jump, as usual.

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Screenshot Gallery

As promised, here's a look at some screens from Koei Tecmo's upcoming fantasy Action/RPG, set to hit the PS3 on February 8, 2011. There's a decidedly rustic look to these images that I like - not over-polished at all, but still intriguing enough to get me interested in playing the final product. Check them out for yourself below the jump.

Koei Tecmo Announces Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Coming to PS3 in 2011

Koei Tecmo has announced that its PS3 exclusive fantasy Action/RPG Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll will be hitting retail on February 8, 2011. Teaser trailer above, a second trailer below and screens to come shortly (as soon as I have time to sit down and grab 'em all). So far, I'm liking the nice Crimson Sea meets Dynasty Warriors vibe in the trailers and screens and it looks as if developer Omega Force is going all out in terms of the presentation and decent amount of enemies onscreen. We'll be keeping an eye peeled for updates as they wing this way, that's for sure...

Review: Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360)

Developer: Omega Force

Publisher: Koei Tecmo

# of Players: 1 - 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: B

If there's ever been a game franchise more targeted to a very specific fan base, I'd say Koei Tecmo's long-running Sengoku Mousou (Dynasty Warriors) series is somewhere at the top of that list. The Dynasty Warriors... well, dynasty has spawned a legion of sequels and spin-offs across multiple platforms as well as a few very cool Gundam games fans of that anime snap up like hotcakes. In addition, the series has given many other developers and publishers inspiration for their own takes on the Mousou mold. KT's latest manga/anime/game mash-up, Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is a deliberately paced, brutally beefy beat 'em up that packs in an incredible amount of content, solid 3D visuals and a great recreation of the series based around that familiar Mousou gameplay.