Picking up after an amazingly solid 2010 that saw a run of great games like Enslaved, Time Crisis: Razing Storm, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Ace Combat: Joint Assault and Dead to Rights: Retribution, Namco Bandai aims to extend its overlooked hot streak with today’s announced deal with FromSoftware to bring the famed Japanese game studio’s next two games to North America and Europe.
Those two games include Dark Souls, a dark, dungeon-crawling action-RPG and spiritual successor to the brilliant Demon’s Souls, and Armored Core V, the latest installment in the long-running mech combat franchise.
Dark Souls is a brand new action RPG (role playing game) set in a rich, dark fantasy universe. Tense dungeon crawling, fearsome enemy encounters and groundbreaking online features combine for a truly unique RPG experience. Dark Souls breaks down barriers with a seamless world design that encourages exploration and fosters an adaptable gameplay experience. As players encounter terrifying enemies and discover new areas, the unerring foundation of challenge and reward permeates to offer an unparalleled sense of achievement.
The ARMORED CORE® series is renowned in the mech action genre for its intense one-on-one battles and customization options. ARMORED CORE V is a new entry that revolutionizes the series with more content than the previous games, a completely new atmosphere, and a robust offline mode. In addition, the online mode has been newly designed to focus on huge team-based battles on a global scale. Featuring mechs or “Armored Cores” that are smaller in scale than in previous games, ARMORED CORE V centers more on tactics and effectively utilizing the geography of a level rather than just relying on attacks.
Dark Souls is scheduled for go time sometime this year, but Armored Core V won’t be out until 2012. Both titles are being developed for multi-platform releases on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Any lingering doubts you may have about Dark Souls being a successor to Demon’s Souls should easily be put to bed after a look at the first trailer and screenshots. And if you’ve played Demon’s Souls, you don’t need me to tell you that this game looks freakin’ AWESOME!
[nggallery id=1580]
Oh, hey. Hi again. Don’t leave just yet. There are still Armored Core V screenshots to get to.
[nggallery id=1581]
Matt Litten is the full-time editor and owner of VGBlogger.com. He is responsible for maintaining the day to day operation of the site, editing all staff content before it is published, and contributing regular news, reviews, previews and other articles.
Matt landed his first gig in the video game review business writing for the now-defunct website BonusStage.com. After the sad and untimely close of BonusStage, the former staff went on to found VGBlogger.com. After a short stint as US Site Manager for AceGamez, Matt assumed full ownership over VGBlogger, and to this day he is dedicated to making it one of the top video game blogs in all the blogosphere.
Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary! 
