Rising Star's hackandslash destined for June release

Brand new publisher Rising Star, which aims to bring quality Japanese software like Harvest Moon to Europe, has announced further details of one of its lesser-known charges - PS2 action title Swords of Destiny, which is due out over here in June.

Have a look at some screenshots, why doncha?

Described as a "beautiful hackandslash epic" and "a new take on third-person action adventures", it sees apprentice something-or-other Lei Yun take up his master's uncompleted work in trying to vanquish a race of demons called the Gyakki from the land.

Lei Yun inherits three swords from his fallen master, each of which equips him with specific abilities, and is also able to scavenge the corpses of slain enemies for further weapons as he terrorises demons infesting ruined fortresses, misty mountain passes and labyrinthine temples.

The game's battle system will be of the lock-on variety and, as well as being able to dash, jump and roll away from locked-on opponents, Lei Yun will also be able to take advantage of something called Sword Time to unleash devastating slow motion combo moves.

With full localisation from professional voice actors performing lines painstakingly translated from original Japanese, Rising Star reckons that Swords of Destiny will not only tempt us all, but demonstrate its commitment to seeking our rare gems that otherwise wouldn't find an audience in Europe.

You can read more about Rising Star's mission and product line-up here.