Success has released first details regarding its upcoming PlayStation 2 RPG Metal Saga: Sajin no Kusari. The three dimensional spiritual follow-up to the three Metal Max games will give players a great amount of freedom, as the story will not be linear. Players will decide themselves on how to proceed, as there will be no pre-determined paths on the game's map. Thereby, the developers at Cre-Tech aim to let players play their very own adventure.

Metal Saga will put players in control of a bounty hunter, who receives information about wanted persons at places such as bars. Equipped with that information, he can head out and take on enemies at free will. In addition to the hunter, a mechanic, a soldier and a dog will also make an appearance in the game. The monster designs are as creative as in the Metal Max games, as the protagonist will face enemies such as a monkey wearing sunglasses, an armor and carrying a gun or a walking canister.

The game will feature more than 800 events and the story will progress depending on which event scenes one has seen throughout the game. Depending on the path chosen by the player, he will see one of multiple ending sequences. The creators have dubbed this system "Floating Event System".

A total of 12 mini games such as frog racing will be implemented. It goes without saying that this would not be a true Metal Max follow-up if there were no tanks at your disposal to crush the opposition. There will be many ways to customize your tanks. In addition to the main and rear cannon, one can tweak the tank's special equipment, engine, C-Unit and tile parts. The development team is also including a paint function, allowing players to paint their tank or put marks on it. For those who have trouble using a controller, the paint function will also support a PlayStation 2 USB mouse. Last but not least, tanks can even be named. Model-wise, real tanks such as the Tiger, classic fan favorites like the Merkaba and other vehicles like buses will appear in the game.

In battle, players will have the following commands at their disposal: Attack, defend, item, escape, special technique and enter or exit tank. Until characters get their tanks, they will have to fight without them, however once they have acquired their tanks, they will become key to their survival in battle. Should a tank break down in battle, the respective character will have to continue fighting without it. After the battle is over however, the tank can be retrieved and brought to the garage.

Metal Saga: Saijin no Kusari will be available in Japan sometime in early June for 6,980 yen ($66.32 US).

• IT Media
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