by Lynn Little

KOEI announces that [i]Kessen III[/i] is shipping to retailers throughout North America. [i]Kessen III[/i] is a Kou Shibusawa production and is exclusive to the PlayStation(r)2.

“Kessen III’s completely re-invented gameplay capitalizes on the strengths that have formed the foundation of our success. Whether you’re a gamer seeking action or strategy, producer Kou Shibusawa’s martial arts epic is tailored to provide a compelling combination of the two,” said Amos Ip, Vice-President of Sales & Marketing at KOEI Corporation, “With over 120 minutes of cinematic sequences, the game also represents another approach by the company to further blur the line between cinematic storytelling and gaming.”

Unlike any of the previous Kessen games in the series, players will have direct real-time control of troop movements, offensives, and defensive maneuvers. Moreover, allied units can join the player-controlled unit to create combination attacks.