Okamoto's Genji for PS2
He's not just working on that Xbox thingum, you know.
Yoshiki Okamoto may have been in the news a lot lately because of his involvement with Xbox 360, but it was Sony who brought him to our attention again this morning with the announcement of Genji for PS2, developed by his Game Republic studio.
A former Capcom man, Okamoto-san has been involved in the likes of Street Fighter II, Resident Evil and Devil May Cry, and it sounds as though Genji will be imbued with the same spirit, but won't be bound together by demons, zombies or green electrical men. Instead it's striving for a more elegant type of violence attuned to the likes of House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger on the silver screen.
It's billed as "a beautifully cinematic, sword-wielding samurai adventure based on the legend of the same name", which sees you take on the role of historic hero Genkuro Yoshitsune or his companion, warrior monk Benkei, and a mission to liberate people from the forces of warlord Kiyomori and restore the Genji dynasty to power.
We're promised "lush Autumnal forests, grand, eastern palaces and blood soaked feudal battlegrounds" that draw inspiration from the abovementioned films, as well as AI enemies whose actions have been developed and choreographed in conjunction with fight director Mitsuhiko Seike.
Beneath the surface, there will be combos, super-moves, parries and plenty more to master, along with special features like "Mind's Eye", which sounds a lot like Bullet Time except, you know, with swords, and plays a key part in finishing moves.
