Space

Lunar Knights (a working title) is a very different kind of action RPG being developed for the Nintendo DS. In this game, the world has been taken over by vampires who have enshrouded the world in clouds, preventing natural sunlight from bathing the world and allowing the evil to proliferate without fear. In this setting, a pair of heroes, one powered by the moon and one powered by the sun, are placed under the player's control to help save the day. In the whole mix is an RPG filled with puzzle solving, a day/night system, and a weather cycle, all of which seem to influence the dynamics of the game.

In game, I controlled one hero at a time, and it was possible to switch back and forth at any time. While regular attacks in the form of gun-shooting were available normally, it was frequently possible to utilize the touch screen in order to adopt special transforming powers that enhance your characters, allowing the player to use the stylus to cause massive attacks to assault foes. Battling was largely fun, though control felt the tiniest bit stiff at times. Each of the characters has several powerful forms that they can transform into.

A very unique element of the game is the ability to launch into outer space via a "casket rocket" after defeating each boss. A somewhat interesting 3-D shooter-style element rears its head here, and it was fairly involving, if a little disjointed from the rest of the game.

Whirling attack.

One very impressive feature is the use of cinematic scenes to illustrate moments in the storyline. For the DS, these are of absolutely stunning quality, and have been put together by one of the teams that worked on The Animatrix. Wi-Fi support and multiplayer options are possibilities that have not yet fully determined at this time.

Watch for more information in the future about Lunar Knights in the coming months; it should hit store shelves sometime this winter.