Project Sylpheed draws near

Game Arts' shoot-em-up Silpheed first appeared in 1986. It was later ported to a variety of systems, including a remake for the Sega CD in 1993. The game received another makeover on the PlayStation 2 in 2000 but hasn't been seen since.

That will change soon, as earlier this week, the official Project Sylpheed Web site went live, providing visitors with details on the upcoming Xbox 360 version of the game.

It's not just the spelling of the series' name that has been tweaked; the game's visuals have been again overhauled. And while details of the game mechanics have yet to be posted, the images shown on the site suggest the action will be fully 3D.

A brief synopsis of the game also confirmed that the weapon customization feature that distinguished the previous Silpheed games will be retained, this time offering the player more than 50 different weapons to choose from.

The game's genre is listed as "cinematic shooting," and the Web site states that in addition to loads of action, the game will contain "drama worthy of a Square Enix game."

While an exact launch date has yet to be announced, Project Sylpheed will be released before the end of the year, according to the site.