Coming later this year, ‘KickBeat’ is a new rhythm game that integrates with the mechanics of a fighter, coming exclusively to the PlayStation Vita. Unlike other rhythm titles where you simply hit a button when it slides toward the screen on a bar, players will engage on-screen enemies and hit specific buttons at specific instances in time with the beat of the music playing in the background. The included licensed tracks, 18 in all, will get you started, but to make sure that you spend many more hours in the game, it also includes support for any of your own music, and even allows the player to adjust how the game reacts to the music.

Check out the trailer:



Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Mel Kirk and Neil Sorens from Zen Studios in podcast Episode 269 being posted later today as well.

Here’s the full list of details sent to us by Zen Studios:

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 world-wide leaderboards.

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.

Quote from Neil Sorens, Zen Studios Creative Director:

“Several years ago, we asked ourselves, ‘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 some incredibly intense music?’” said Neil Sorens, Creative Director for Zen Studios. “We spent three years turning that idea into in Kickbeat, and anyone looking for something fresh and exciting and the music genre is in for a treat.”

Keep your eyes and ears on PS Nation as we’ll have even more information and impressions from E3!

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