If you’ve seen the movie this summer you probably already have a good idea of what the latest effort from Krome Studios is about. The video game follows the movie very closely both in terms of story and setting. Environments and backgrounds have been meticulously recreated from the movie, and film clips are used extensively to move the plot along. Even scans of the actors’ faces are on display in all their digital glory in order to further enhance the cinematic feel of the game. Clearly, the developer intends to give the player the opportunity to relive the action scenes found in the movie production.

At its core, King Arthur is an action game. Its hack-and-slash style will undoubtedly be compared to EA’s three Lord of The Rings games. Thus, much of the gameplay is confined to hectic melee battles, in which you feverishly try to string together basic combo attacks, while occasionally performing block manoeuvres and super powerful special attacks (which require a special meter to be full). Locking on to an enemy and firing arrows at him is also an option. If you manage to remain unharmed for a long enough period of time, your character will start to flash, indicating his increased strength. Krome promises distinct mission objectives for every level, but the emphasis will likely be put on lots of battle action with plenty of button-mashing.

During the single-player adventure, you get to control six different characters, including Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. Each one has his or her strengths and weaknesses as well as a series of unique skills. King Arthur, for example, can wield three arrows at once. It’s important to use these special moves at the right time since you’re awarded with performance points depending on how well you fight. These points will boost your character’s attributes at the end of the level.

Interestingly, you get to ride horses as well. Whilst riding, you can swing your sword, shoot arrows, or even use the horse’s hind legs to kick opponents that have crept up from behind. The front legs can pound the ground, which sends a shockwave through the surrounding area thereby stunning nearby foes. The increased number of battle actions that these riding sections offer should provide even more variation to the fighting formula.

All in all, if you’re into the hack-and-slash genre you should probably keep a close eye on this one. With a two-player co-operative mode and a Battle Arena vs. mode also included, the game could excel as a multiplayer title as well; just don’t expect your brain to get much exercise.