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Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes

Developer: Phantagram
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: Q3 2005

At E3 2005, Microsoft squarely focused on hyping up its next-generation console, so the current-gen Xbox we know and love wasn't exactly the star of the show. But with games like Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes coming out on the current-gen hardware, we have to wonder how next-gen titles are going to compete. Check your assumptions at the door, and ignore the fact that Microsoft hasn't been hyping this one up for whatever reason--we're telling you this game looks like it could end up being amazing, especially given what we've already played its predecessor and loved every minute of it. If you want intense action, deep and long-lasting gameplay, extensive Xbox Live support, fantastic visuals, and a rocking soundtrack all in one package, it's exactly what you should be looking forward to from Heroes.

The sequel to last year's action/real-time strategy hybrid Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders, Heroes looks like it will follow in the footsteps of its great predecessor, while also making a number of key improvements that will hopefully result in an even better game. Last year's Kingdom Under Fire flew under a lot of people's radars (at least on these shores--in its native Korea, the game outsold Halo 2), so consider Heroes your second chance to not miss out on something remarkable. The game is set in a fantasy world torn apart by war, and you'll get to control a variety of heroes and their unique armies as you watch the story unfold from their different perspectives. As in The Crusaders, Heroes will seamlessly blend real-time strategy and hack-and-slash action into a cohesive whole by letting you order your armies around the battlefield in real time, and then dive right into a skirmish whenever your forces cross swords with the enemies.

Official Trailer

Check out this blistering trailer, featuring a theme by the popular Korean metal band, The Crash.

Watch It »

Heroes seeks to improve on The Crusaders by enhancing the action elements of the game, while also making the RTS elements easier to manage with a number of new command features. The battlefields themselves should be more sophisticated than before, creating more tactical nuance and memorable set pieces. Plus, the game will feature a completely overhauled Xbox Live mode, with support for up to six players at a time. With something like 30 to 50 hours of single-player gameplay leading up to that, we figure this will be one game that's got both quantity and quality in spades.

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