Dragon’s Crown, the long-awaited 2-D hack and slash, beat ’em up action game from Vanillaware and ATLUS will have players bludgeoning, cleaving, shooting and looting their way through intricate side-scrolling dungeons this summer. Dragon’s Crown will be available for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems, and feature up to four-person cooperative play for adventurers to band together and conquer monsters, titans, and dragons in search of the ultimate treasure. Available this summer from major retailers and PlayStation Network, more details will be available on the game’s official site at: http://www.atlus.com/dragonscrown/

Vanillaware, the company behind Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade, employs a 2-D visual flair and character design in Dragon’s Crown that has become the studio’s signature style. In Dragon’s Crown, six powerful adventurers and their unique abilities are available for players to explore the fantastical world of Hydeland with:

• The Fighter, who uses his armor and quick-hitting attacks to tank and destroy enemies
• The Dwarf, who specializes in getting up close and personal with grapple attacks
• The Amazon, who moves quickly and wields a giant axe to unleash massive damage
• The Wizard, who blasts fire at single targets or in pillars to incinerate foes
• The Elf, who uses her bow and agility to launch devastating volleys and escape danger
• The Sorceress, who uses ice magic and summoned skeletons to control the battlefield

“Dragon’s Crown is one of the most perfect games I’ve ever played,” said Naoto Hiraoka, president and chief executive officer, Index Digital Media, Inc. “The amazing game design and artwork are among the best in any console generation, and the cooperative gameplay is highly addictive.”

Groups of adventurers will be challenged in the labyrinthine dungeons surrounding the medieval fantasy kingdom of Hydeland. As they explore deeper into the dungeons, non-player characters such as Samuel the Adventurer’s Guild leader and Lucain, the wizard come in to play with quests and tasks, which slowly unravel the story behind the ultimate treasure, the Dragon’s Crown.

Dragon’s Crown gameplay features:

• Safety in numbers – It’s not safe in the world of Hydeland, so it’s best not to go it alone. Up to four players or AI compatriots can delve into dungeons simultaneously by using either the drop-in multiplayer on PlayStation 3 or via adhoc network on PlayStation Vita. Cross-platform play is not supported.
• If it’s not nailed down…– Expert thief NPC Rannie will join players on their adventures to pick locks, open treasure chests, reveal hidden passageways, and collect loot.
• The skills to succeed – Massive skill tree options in Dragon’s Crown allows for plenty of custom-tailoring, whether it’s beefing up health or magic abilities or tweaking the abilities of the individual characters.

Dragon’s Crown will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems for $49.99 and $39.99 respectively and is available for pre-orders now from major retailers. The game is expected to receive a T rating from the ESRB, but is not yet rated. More details about the game will be revealed in the future, with updates on the official Dragon’s Crown website at: http://www.atlus.com/dragonscrown/