Namco Bandai to deal Culdcept Saga this summer

A North American release for Namco Bandai Games' strategy game Culdcept Saga for the Xbox 360 has been confirmed for some time, but before today, a release window for the game had not been nailed down.

Namco Bandai Games America today announced that it will publish Culdcept Saga domestically this summer. The Xbox 360 edition of the game will include four-player multiplayer action offline or over Xbox Live.

By combining elements of the board game Monopoly with the customizable card game Magic: The Gathering, Culdcept borrows principals of both games. Players are dealt cards that can be used to accomplish tasks like casting spells or summon monsters. They claim territory by dropping monsters onto the board, which will then collect "rent" from any rivals unfortunate enough to land on that territory (provided that rival doesn't have a nastier monster in his own hand). Win or lose, players earn more cards that they can then use to customize their decks for future battles.

Culdcept Saga marks the second installment of the Japanese series to reach US shores; it first appeared here when NEC Interchannel published Culdcept for the PlayStation 2 in 2003. For more on that game, check out GameSpot's review.