Sega Europe to distribute Seven Samurai 20XX

Sega Europe has announced plans to distribute Sammy's PS2 slasher Seven Samurai 20XX across PAL territories, which won't come as much of a surprise to those with a good handle on the state of the two companies' relationship.

Due out in Q2 2004 by the publisher's current estimates, Seven Samurai 20XX is a third-person melee-style samurai combat game which transplants Akira Kurosawa's classic The Seven Samurai to a futuristic setting. Key to the combat in the publisher's view is a system of single and double-katana attacks and an arsenal of moves that grows throughout.

It sounds interesting - particularly when you consider that the game is supported by Kurosawa Productions and the late director's son Hisao Kurosawa - but don't get your hopes up too high. The game is already out in the US where it received some mildly above average reviews, which generally bemoaned the ease with which button-mashing can take you from one end of the game to the other, dodgy frame rates and, in some cases, the way the story was handled.

Still, we'll try anything, us. We'll let you know what we think a bit closer to release. In the meantime: screenshots.