Murakumo ships in Japan
Important Xbox game in 'made by Japanese developer' shocker!
From Software's eagerly anticipated Xbox title Murakumo has shipped to retailers in Japan according to numerous reports. The game is one of only a few Xbox titles developed by a Japanese team, and naturally the stars of the show are big stompy robots (called Artificial Reflexive Kineticoids, or ARKs, just for the sake of it). While From's credentials are perhaps questionable, with the likes of Evergrace and Eternal Ring amongst their previous titles, they are also responsible for games in the Armored [sic] Core series and a little GameCube title called Rune, known as Lost Kingdoms in the West. Lost Kingdoms (due out in August) is an excellent card-based RPG, which turns character development upside down by enhancing cards instead of the game's heroine, with real-time combat to boot. It's jolly good fun - I can attest to that. All things being equal, the Xbox could have something of a hit on its hands - a vitally important tenet of Microsoft's Japanese campaign and perhaps a turning point. Murakumo is due to be released in the US later this year, and if Activision snatches this one up as well, we may get it shortly afterward in the UK. Worth keeping an eye open for. Because we're good to you, here's a link to From Software's Japanese site in English, so you can find out more about Murakumo.