Grand Knights History, being released for the PSP, is the latest game from Vanillaware, developers of Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade. This fantasy RPG is set in the continent of Risutia, which is divided into three kingdoms. These three kingdoms, Union, Roguresu, Avalon, have gone to war with each other. Roguresu, known as the Ancient Kingdom recently had a revolution and a new king, Fausel, which is the spark for the war. Union, the Kingdom of Knights is a deeply religious nation ruled by King Leon and Empress Sefia. They have a legend of a female warrior who brought peace to the continent many years ago. Avalon, the Kingdom of Magic is lead by Queen Muse. The people of Avalon are said to be descended from the sorceress Terezia and are close to nature.

Players begin the game by selecting one of the three kingdoms and becoming the leader of a band of knights. Support troops are created, with the option of choosing their genders, appearances, and even voice types. The support character Risha guides players through this process. Combat details are scarce, but it has been revealed that it will be Vanillaware’s first turn-based game, though characters will be able to move like in an action RPG.

Another interesting aspect lightly touched upon is the game’s apparent network support. This game will fuse offline and online play in a way never seen before. Rather than just playing on their own or with friends, players will be connected to many others as they battle. While exact details are limited, Yoshifumi Hashimoto, director of Grand Knights History has stated in Famitsu magazine that the game pushes the PSP’s networking capabilities to the limit.

Grand Knights History is being published by Marvelous Entertainment and will be released in Japan sometime this summer. More screenshots can be viewed here, and artwork here. There is an official site up, though it is little more than a teaser at the moment.