Kessen II Unveiled

Tokyo-Koei held a press event today unveiling the PlayStation 2 strategy game Kessen II, the sequel to the original Kessen for the PlayStation 2, both of which have yet to ship in the US. The show kicked off with the crashing of cymbals and beating of drums as actors in traditional Chinese dress performed on the stage. Keiko Erikawa, the president of Koei; Shigeo Maruyama, vice chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment; and Kou Shibusawa, the producer of Kessen, took turns presenting. A Kessen II movie clip also rolled during the performance.

Shibusawa explained the Kessen II concept as "more dynamic and more dramatic." What he meant by "dynamic" is that the number of soldiers displayed onscreen during battle has increased from 100 to 500. Also, in Kessen II, players can use magic spells as well as conventional warfare tactics. The 30 stages in this sequel will feature castles, rivers, and night battles.

As for "dramatic," Shibusawa mentioned that Kessen II is a "historical fantasy drama based on the Romance of Three Kingdoms." Popular Japanese actors and actresses will supply voice talent for the game's characters. A staff of about 50 is working on the game, seven of which appeared on stage in costume, commenting on Kessen II.

Koei expects to ship 750,000 copies of the game in Japan and 750,000 more overseas, for a total of 1.5 million worldwide. Although the game will not be network compatible, the company did mention it would like to release Nobunaga's Ambition on the PlayStation 2 with network compatibility. Kessen II is slated for release this winter in Japan.