Microsoft announced today that the most wanted Xbox action-strategy game of the year, Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes, has gone gold and is now ready for a worldwide release. Praised as the most epic fantasy game on Xbox, Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes is a vastly enhanced sequel to the award-winning hit of 2004, Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders. As the most feared and respected warrior generals in the war-torn land of Bersia, players must hack-n-slash through hordes of enemies using various melee moves and magic spells, while commanding hundreds of soldiers, catapults, and dragons, to achieve the ultimate victory.

Although The Crusaders has already been recognized for its innovative combination of action and real-time strategy, the developers have worked hard to ensure Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes is a bigger, better, yet more approachable sequel in every way. Set five years before The Crusaders, a new cast of seven heroes will take players through 50 massive medieval battlefields in the single player Campaign Mode. Action elements have been boosted with a larger arsenal of power moves, yet the new units and environments make the strategy even deeper. Random Missions and Custom Missions allow players to enjoy unlimited new missions after they complete the campaign. The totally overhauled multiplayer supports up to 6 players on Xbox Live(r) in the strategic Troop Battle Mode, the arcade-style Hero Battle Mode, and the cooperative Invasion Mode. Spectator Mode and Fair-Match condition make sure that even beginners can have fun online without fearing defeat.

Jason's Comments: I never played the original, but I might have to give this one a look. Hack and slash games though walk that fine line...it has to be truly engaging to keep me compelled for the length of the game.