Konami Sheds Light on New Lunar Knights Details

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today revealed new gameplay details for their upcoming action role-playing game, Lunar Knights. This is the first Nintendo DS game from Hideo Kojima‘s own Kojima Productions. In Lunar Knights, two heroes – Lucian, a lunar-enhanced warrior of the night, and Aaron, a gun-toting fighter powered by the rays of the sun – must work together using their unique abilities to eradicate the dark threat.

The main feature in this epic vampire-hunting RPG is a unique night and day mechanic that lets players hunt down the armies of the undead around the clock. During the course of the game, the top screen is used for the ‘paraSOL’ system which shows day passing into night. This mechanic introduces an innovative internal time system that cycles between night and day and generates real-time weather effects, granting additional power to each character’s unique abilities while impacting the types of enemies the two heroes encounter on their journey.

Read more about Lunar Knights after the jump.

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today revealed new gameplay details for their upcoming action role-playing game, Lunar Knights. This is the first Nintendo DS game from Hideo Kojima‘s own Kojima Productions. In Lunar Knights, two heroes – Lucian, a lunar-enhanced warrior of the night, and Aaron, a gun-toting fighter powered by the rays of the sun – must work together using their unique abilities to eradicate the dark threat.

The main feature in this epic vampire-hunting RPG is a unique night and day mechanic that lets players hunt down the armies of the undead around the clock. During the course of the game, the top screen is used for the ‘paraSOL’ system which shows day passing into night. This mechanic introduces an innovative internal time system that cycles between night and day and generates real-time weather effects, granting additional power to each character’s unique abilities while impacting the types of enemies the two heroes encounter on their journey.

These changing conditions have a massive impact on the events in the game’s action, which is shown on the bottom screen of the Nintendo DS. Lucian is more powerful at night, while Aaron grows stronger during the day. This system adds another layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay. Players must decide whether Lucian’s sword will be of more use during the day against certain enemies or if Aaron’s projectile weapons will be able to help them bust through even if he is weaker during nighttime.

Lucian and Aaron are accompanied on their adventures by one of six elemental guardians called Terrennials. These guardians are summoned via the DS touch screen and microphone, and players can unleash their unique powers in the form of ‘Burst Attacks’, wherein specific movements will create elemental attacks to lay the smackdown on the armies of the undead.

The gameplay of Lunar Knights is heavily based on the game’s unique elements, namely Sol, Dark, Flame, Ice, Wind and Earth. The enemies that the pair of heroes encounter will also share these attributes, while two of the Terrennials (Nero and Toasty) can also embody these elements and transform Lucian and Aaron into more advanced enhanced forms. This transformation is dependent on the game’s ‘TRC Meter’ which fills up with every monster the pair takes care of. When the TRC Meter is full, a TRC button can be pressed on the touch screen, transforming the chosen hero into their Dark Lucian or Sol Aaron forms.

Even after the defeat of the game’s bosses, the fight still isn’t over, as the pair blast off in their Casket Rocket to dispose of their enemies’ undead remains. Players will then get to control the Casket Rocket using the touch screen as they tear through intense 3D shooting levels, laying devastation on their enemies with an explosive arsenal of weapons and attacks. As the game progresses, these stages get harder and harder, demanding precise split-second reactions from the player. Terrennials can also be used to give the Casket Rocket a power boost, giving the ship new attacks and abilities.

On the multiplayer side, Lunar Knights lets up to four players compete with just game cartridge. Each player will engage in combat with the others in a fast-paced battle royale to see who can emerge victorious with the most combat points.

Lunar Knights will launch for the Nintendo DS this winter.