KONAMI and Gaijin Entertainment’s WWII epic flies by Cologne
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has revealed that it will be showing new elements of its stunning Birds of Steel title for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® at this year’s gamescom.
Birds of Steel is a hugely ambitious WWII aerial combat title that has been developed by Gaijin Entertainment. It uses some of the most pivotal air battles of World War II for its basis, and allows players to select how they get involved in such campaigns as the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal, Coral Sea, and Pearl Harbour. Players can select how detailed they want each campaign to be, and are offered a wealth of single and multi-player campaigns.
Birds of Steel offers 20 historical and a wealth of fictitious missions, spanning eight world-famous campaigns, and users are given access to over 100 famous planes from the entire axis and allied forces rosters. A number of planes ideal for each campaign can be selected, and have been faithfully recreated in terms of handling, capabilities and weaponry. The classic Spitfire, P-51D Mustangs, and Messerschmidt 109 are all lined up for combat, as players opt to player opt to fight for the Allies, Japanese or Axis forces.
The game has already won acclaim for its amazing level of detail, with the weather effects of each war zone brilliantly brought to life, while each plane handles differently and damage will have an adverse affect on how they control. Multiple camera views allow users to witness their skills from a series of external views, or within the varied cockpits of the 100 planes and each mission is detailed via specific briefings beforehand. KONAMI will also use gamescom to reveal that Birds of Steel will also use real-life satellite imagery to recreate the game’s many locations, further emphasizing the detail the game enjoys.
As players enter key battles, their individual contribution is shown directly influencing the historic campaigns, with new planes available on the completion of specific goals. Birds of Steel also offers the user a number of control systems, ranging from simplistic arcade-style movements, to entirely faithful control systems that offer total control over every aspect of flight. Birds of Steel also enjoys a huge online element, including co-op missions, or multi-player online dogfights, team death matches, co-op strike missions, airfield raids, and tournament play all set to throw open the skies for the most intense aerial combat ever to grace the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems.
Birds of Steel Producer Tak Fuji will be detailing KONAMI’s plans for the title further during the five-day European showcase, including news of Jeremy Soule – the BAFTA-winning musician – contributing to the game’s soundtrack.
Birds of Steel will be available for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360 early 2012.
