• 1 Player.
• Digital Control.
• Analog Control.
• Vibration Function.
• New "Agent Technology" allows for 500 soldiers on screen at once..

.com ---- Become a Chinese general and conquer the world in Kessen II from Koei. Players plan out strategies, then watch as armies carry out their orders in real time. The tale of two warring Chinese generals, Liu Bei and Cao Cao, sets the stage for war in a scenario similar to the background of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga. Magic will play a part in the action: lightning, tornados, and earthquakes can all be summoned to wreak havoc among enemy troops. Review ------ Kessen II, the bigger brother of PlayStation2 launch title Kessen, is a title that requires great patience and bags of time to play, but rewards the player who sticks with it. In typical Japanese style, the story revolves around the feudal period of the country's history, with the themes of honor and betrayal on a grand scale. Think of it as a console war game involving ordering huge units of troops around a battlefield and you won't be far wrong. As a gaming experience, Kessen II can be rewarding and at the same time oddly frustrating, given the relatively poor quality of graphics during planning phases and the ponderous and overly intrusive cutscenes. The fighting sequences are all very impressive, though, with up to 500 troops on the screen at any one time, and magic users who can throw hellfire, damnation, and some very large boulders. For a game of such complexity, the learning curve is nicely balanced, and it never feels as if it's going to get too difficult too quickly. But what may really hold the game back is its core subject--a tactics game set in feudal Japan will appeal to a very limited market. That said, if you fancy a break from Metal Gear's tiptoeing and Grand Theft Auto III's blatant "shoot first and never mind the questions" attitude, there's a lot to be said for Kessen II. --Chris Russell -- .co.uk