Steel Battalion: Line of Contact E3 2003 Preshow Report

Capcom has released some details on the upcoming follow-up to the 2003 mech combat simulator Steel Battalion. The game, titled Steel Battalion: Line of Contact, will feature a handful of additions, but its main draw is the inclusion of online play via Xbox Live.

Like its predecessor, Line of Contact is played using a gargantuan 40-button controller that features joysticks, foot pedals, switches, and even a flip-up cover on the emergency eject button. While the first game was focused on giving you a sim-style cockpit view, Line of Contact adds a third-person, behind-the-back camera view as an optional way to view the excitement.

The game will feature 10 vertical tanks to choose from. The game's Xbox Live support seems to be mainly focused on team-based gameplay, putting two teams of up to five VTs into combat. It sounds like the combat will involve more than just blowing your opponents out of the picture--you'll have to control territory and respond to other evolving battlefield conditions as well.

It's assumed that the game will contain some sort of single-player component, but no details on that have been revealed. Steel Battalion: Line of Contact is scheduled for release near the end of 2003.