Namco and Capcom collaborating on PS2 strat-RPG
Loads of familiar faces from Namco and Capcom titles find their way into Namco x Capcom. Shots and such inside.
Japanese mag Famitsu has revealed details of a new collaborative PS2 project between Namco and Capcom called, strikingly enough, Namco x Capcom. Developed by Monolith Soft (not the F.E.A.R developer, mind, but the chaps behind Xenosaga and Baten Kaitos), it's a near-future strategy-RPG which sees a whole host of characters from both companies' vast back catalogues infused into a new story thanks to some dimension-tearing plot device called "Yurigi".
The gist of it is thus: sometime in the next 100 years, a space-time disturbance dubbed Yurigi puts the world in peril and a lot of major cities are closed off as a result. A special government organisation called Shinra, based in Tokyo's Roppongi district, has been formed to deal with the Yurigi threat, and it's to this organisation that main characters Shaomu and Reiji belong.
At the outset of the game they head into Tokyo's Shibuya district only for a massive disruption to occur dragging Xenosaga's Shion, M.O.M.O., KOS-MOS and Gnosis enemies into their world, and soon they find themselves fighting against the heroines of Xenosaga against the Gnosis. The disruption then opens up a number of paths that take Reiji and Shaomu on a whistle-stop tour of various Capcom and Namco worlds
The gameplay will be turn-based on a 3D overhead battle map, which switches to a side view for battle scenes - where you'll be able to use the D-pad and circle button to make your characters perform various moves, even combining attacks from different characters to make more of an impact.
The story plays out in still-frame dialogue sequences, all of which are voiced, and characters already set to appear include Mitsurugi (Soulcalibur), Bravoman, Jin (Tekken), various Tales RPG series characters and Klonoa on the Namco side, with Dimitri and Morrigan (Dark Stalkers), Strider Hiryu (Strider), Arthur (Ghouls and Ghosts), Regina (Dino Crisis), Bruce McGavin (Gun Survivor 4), and a wide array of Street Fighter characters including Ryu, Ken, Chun Li, M. Bison and Cammy turning out for Capcom.
The characters will perform their trademark moves like Ryu's fireball attack while character artwork is apparently of the 2D, super-deformed nature, with hand-drawn effects to accompany super moves. As you can see for yourself in fact by checking out these screenshots snatched from Impress Game Watch.
Expect to hear more on Namco x Capcom later this year.