Koei, known for its line of popular strategy and tactical titles, has announced that Kessen III will be crossing sees and hitting U.S. stores in Q1 2005. Produced by Kou Shibusawa, who has such credits under his belt as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series and Crimson Sea, this third installment in the Kessen series is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history. As chaos runs ramped across Japan, players, as the young Nobunaga Oda, must stand tall against the warriors invading his land to return life in Japan back to a peaceful state.



"The Kessen series' rise to prominence coincided with the launch of the PlayStation 2, and with its sequel the games quickly established themselves into a franchise that would have a place of distinction in video game history," commented Amos Ip, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at KOEI Corporation. "A long-awaited sequel, Kessen III signals the rebirth of the series and will feature evolutionary changes in gameplay. In many respects, Kessen III represents a culmination of the company's core philosophies and expertise in crafting the finest battlefield simulation games."



It's been four years since the series' latest appearance, and now Kessen III plans to introduce into the franchise daring new changes. The Crowd Engine has been rebuilt from top to bottom, and players will now have real-time control of their troops' movements, and even be able to pull of combination moves with allied units. Other additions to the series include non-linear stage selection, an officer and troop development system, 120 minutes of movie sequences, and over 450 weapons, helmets and samurai armor that officers can be equipped with.



Kessen III is expected to reach U.S. store shelves in the First Quarter of 2005. We'll keep you updated with developing details, but feel free to browse through the new screens for now.



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