Samurai move into Europe

Koei is adding yet another new take on the art of war in feudal Japan, with the announcement that Samurai Warriors: State of War will be heading to the PSP in Europe on March 24th.

Already the stars of numerous games on both PS2 and Xbox thanks to the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors efforts, the infamous 16th century military leaders and legendary fighters return to battle, making their handheld debut on Sony's PSP.

Best described as a tactical action game, SW: State of War includes the same frenetic battles found in its console counterparts, with new features exclusive to the PSP version. Carve a path through hordes of foot soldiers in sprawling, bloody battles, forming strategic alliances to conquer the enemy and complete each of the six unique story paths.

The new 'Battlefield Area System' breaks up the sprawling battlefields into tight, strategic sections, designed specifically with short-term, portable gameplay sessions in mind. Of course, stabbing swords into soldiers is all well and good when you're playing against the computer AI, but State of War also includes wireless play for up to four players battling it out in real-time civil war.

Koei has promised a number of enhancements, bonus items, unlockable characters and PSP specific events for the new title, and we'll be bringing you more details in the coming weeks.