Koei delivers double dose of history

Koei has announced two upcoming games for the PlayStation 2: Romance of the Three Kingdoms X and Colosseum: Road to Freedom. Both are expected to be released in North America this June.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms franchise enters its second decade of historical simulation with its 10th title. Developed internally by Koei, Romance of the Three Kingdoms X covers almost a century and a half of Chinese history, beginning with the fall of the Han Dynasty near the end of the second century AD.

The series has long been a stark contrast to its action-oriented counterpart, the frenetic Dynasty Warriors franchise, which takes place in the same time period as Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Koei has not yet released details on the gameplay of the upcoming edition.

Colosseum: Road to Freedom is currently in development by Japanese studio Goshow, and it chronicles the troubled life of a gladiator in the Roman Empire. In a story reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Gladiator, a slave is forced to fight in gladiator-style games for his freedom and life. His success eventually takes him to the Madison Square Garden of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum.

The action role-playing game will support up to two players and will feature gladiatorial combat against other combatants and animals, such as bulls and elephants. The combat system will be direction-specific, and both blocks and attacks can be designated for certain locations. A variety of fighting styles, including large shield, small shield, dual swords, and the melee striker, are all available to the player.

Both games are waiting pricing and rating information. GameSpot will have more on the two games as information becomes available.