HomeMain MenuNewsZen Studios Unleashing KickBeat for PS3 & PS Vita

Zen Studios Unleashing KickBeat for PS3 & PS Vita

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Zen Studios are best known for their pinball titles, but have been stepping into other genres as of late with their most recent title CastleStorm. There all new game KickBeat, which has been in development for over 3 years for the PS Vita will now be releasing on both the Vita and PS3 on September 3rd. To add to the excitement, the game will be available as part of the cross buy promotion, meaning if you buy it for either console you can play it on both! KickBeat is a merging of the rhythm and fighting game genre and the result of a question asked by Neil Sorens, the Creative Director of Zen Studios:

“What would happen if we took a beat matching game, replaced the abstract cues like bars, arrows, and button icons with kung fu fight scenes, and set it all to incredibly intense music?”

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To tie in with the announcement, a factsheet has been released detailing all the cool features KickBeat has to offer players.

Key Features

  • KickBeat offers players several innovative ways to interact with music!
  • Beat matching mechanics with a Zen Studios original take on an acrobatic style of martial arts, turning every song into a raucous battle.
  • KickBeat features a music analyzer that allows players to create new tracks from their own music libraries.
  • A hard hitting soundtrack featuring licensed tracks from a diverse lineup of artists from well known bands such as Pendulum and Marilyn Manson, to indie pioneers Celldweller and Blue Stahli, to hidden talents like electronic music producer Voicians and Taiwanese rapper Shen Yi.
  • The first music game with fully 3D interactive characters!
  • Beautiful art style with animated cut scenes and an immersive story!
  • Online multiplayer! Battle against other players in toe to toe fighting action. Collect orbs to power up and unleash powerful attacks against your opponent!
  • Compete with friends and post your scores to worldwide leaderboards!

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Story Overview and Main Characters

  • Because we’ve put all this effort into making characters a central focus of the game, we needed to give these characters a human touch. Otherwise, they’re just animated props. Our story revolves around a love struck and unlikely hero drawn into a battle for control of the world’s music. It’s light hearted fare, but we’ve done a bunch of hand drawn and fully voiced sequences that really bring the characters to life.
  • Lee (male) and Mei (female) are the story protagonists.
  • Master Fu is the leader of an ancient, secretive sect of monks called the Order of the Melodic Fist, who have been the guardians of Sphere of Music for centuries.
  • Lee is the unlikeliest of hero’s, but he is chosen to fight to reclaim the music that has been stolen by Radio Earth, led by Mr. Halisi, owner of Entertainment Earth and leader of those who would use music for power and control.

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Zen Studios recently played KickBeat live on their Twitch channel, so head there if your hungry to see more of the game and the embedded trailer below hasn’t quenced your thirst for rhythm kung fu action.

Nathan Farrugia
Nathan Farrugia
Nathan Farrugia - Editor at Capsule Computers.Raised on a Super Nintendo playing Donkey Kong Country, I'm a gamer who loves consoles and handhelds. Also a massive Dragon Ball fan and competitive Pokemon player. Don't be afraid to leave comments on my articles, I love to read them and reply!