‘Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor’ shows off its wares! Screens, Trailer and Details

When the first Steel Battalion was released, I really couldn’t help myself. After a trip down to town on the bus and £130 lighter, I returned with one of the most unique games and peripherals to ever be released for the original Xbox, if not video games in general.

The original game was packaged with a giant controller featuring near 40 buttons and 2 control sticks, not to mention the 3 foot pedals, radio controls, gear shift and even an eject button under a plastic flap. The game really pushed the Xbox hardware and provided an experience unlike any other, albeit with a giant learning curve.

From Software is hoping to take up the reigns with their new title in the series ‘Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor’ releasing exlucively for Xbox 360 and Kinect next year, this time without the need for a giant controller!

Just recently at GamesCom, Capcom released some screenshots, trailer and a fact sheet really giving us some good juicy details to dig through.

Game Description –

Making full advantage of Kinect for Xbox 360, Steel Battalion Heavy ArmorTM is an Xbox 360 exclusive first person action game set to deliver a uniquely immersive experience and an evolution in warfare gaming.

Set in 2082, Steel Battalion Heavy Armor depicts a world devoid of semiconductors, where war is waged with rudimentary weapons as new superpowers struggle for dominance. In a twist of fate, the U.S. army has been forced to begin major landing operations on what was once its own soil. In this low- tech era, there is one weapon class that will determine the course of the war – the Vertical Tank (VT). Playing as pilot Lt. Powers players control one such VT as he embarks on a mission that will see the action shift from North America to battlefields and war-torn streets across the globe.

Steel Battalion Heavy Armor delivers an unprecedented level of control and interaction. VT movement,aiming and firing of the main guns are undertaken using the Xbox 360 controller A wide variety of other combat-crucial actions are done through Kinect for Xbox 360 with upper body gestures – from starting the engine to operating the scope or manning the turret-mounted machine gun. Kinect for Xbox 360 also provides a means of interacting with your fellow crew members, from ensuring a panicked crew member stays focused, to a high five for successfully completing a mission.

Steel Battalion Heavy Armor is scheduled to release exclusively on Kinect for Xbox 360 in 2012

• WARFARE EVOLVED – Steel Battalion Heavy Armor provides a combination of first person shooter (FPS) controller gameplay with immersive gameplay elements that only Kinect can provide.

• TAKE TO THE BATTLEFIELD – Instil fear in the enemy as the pilot of a Vertical Tank (VT), but feel fear of death as you and your crew become the focus of the enemy’s attacks
• BROTHERS IN ARMS – Utilise Kinect to engage with fellow VT crew members as you Kinect for Xbox 360® share the emotional highs and lows of the battlefield
• UNIQUE UNIVERSE – Steel Battalion Heavy Armor is set in a world where the balance of power has been dramatically changed following a technology meltdown and once mighty nations are now reliant on human skill and courage to regain justice and freedom.

• INNOVATION – As with the original Steel Battalion, Steel Battalion Heavy Armor, once more demonstrates Capcom’s commitment to take advantage of current technologies and push development boundaries to deliver unique and compelling gaming experiences.