Konami unveils trailer for “Vandal Hearts: Flame of Judgment”

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today unveiled a new trailer and details on the antagonists that players will battle in newly released tactical role-playing game, Vandal Hearts: Flame of Judgment for Xbox LIVE® Arcade and the PlayStation®Network. Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment serves as the prequel to the original Vandal Hearts, providing players with all new villains to battle with a swift RPG pace and improved user mechanics.

Taking place on the continent of Sostegaria, two rival kingdoms are at the brink of war with a small border town caught in the middle of the violence. Players assume the role of Tobias Martin, a war orphan who leads his band of brothers as they fight for peace to protect their sacred church orphanage, which provides refuge and peace to all those who seek it. Standing in their way is Kelbrun Hale, an unstoppable warrior and wielder of the Flames of Judgment who leads a band of deserters called “Fist of Enkido.” Below are the villains that seek out to destroy all that is good in Sostegaria, and dismantle Tobias and his comrades.

Kelbrun Hale: Like most men of his age, Kelbrun fought in the War of Avery Fields. With his great strength and fierce charisma, he swiftly rose through the ranks – until he brutally sacked a town full of defenseless refugees. Stripped of rank, he drifted for a time, then joined up with a band of deserters and soon became their leader. Today, his band is known as the “Fist of Enkidu,” and his strength and wealth rival that of the army – thanks, some say, to backing from the enemy kingdom.

Fist of Enkidu Bandit: Post-war, the military’s ranks have dwindled, and much of what remains is concentrated near the capital city of Shumeria. As such, Kelbrun’s forces face little opposition, and they plunder the countryside with impunity. His men come from all over the kingdom of Balastrade, some joining out of desperation, others out of greed or bloodlust. Whatever their reasons, their hearts blacken under his banner; new recruits are forbidden to leave their first raid without slaughtering at least one civilian.

Shance Aya: Over the last three years, Shance and her outfit, the Hellhounds, have built a reputation as infallible bounty hunters. Beyond that, little is known about her, even to Shance herself; her memories are a jumble of violence, rage, blood, and laughter. Despite her unpredictability, she always gets the job done, and rakes in mountains of gold from extremely high places doing very dirty work.

Menicks Rence: Outside of the capital, most common folk rely on themselves and each other for defense against brigands and wild beasts. At the town of Tolby’s Church of Restoration, Menicks is a student and teacher of war, and uses his authority as a drill instructor to bully younger students relentlessly. He longs for a chance to see combat firsthand, to fight under a leader strong enough for him to respect – and, secretly, to experience his first kill.

Sand Worm: The Kaskathan High Desert once thrived thanks to its many oases and rich minerals. But that was long ago, before construction of an underground highway called the Path of Unity disturbed a colony of Sand Worms. Larger than a tower, with fangs to rend stone and gullets to swallow houses whole, the enormous vermin drove out all but the desert’s hardiest inhabitants, and their spawn menace the countryside, spreading out ever further, to this day.

Undead Soldier: The War of Avery Fields raged on for twenty years, and countless brave souls died in anger. Those unable to let go of their pain and their hatred remain bound to this world, cursed to haunt the fields on which they fell. Their jealousy for the living knows no bounds, and burns more deeply with each hellish hour.

Flame Avatar: Sixteen years ago, the War of Avery Fields came to an abrupt and brutal end, as fire rained from Heaven and swept away both sides – a phenomenon later known as the Flames of Judgment. No one knows exactly why Heaven sent the Flames, but a few, a very few, have discovered what those Flames truly are – and the consequences of that discovery could tear the world apart.

Daldren Gray: Since he first had the strength to lift a sword, Daldren has fought and bled for his kingdom, surviving twenty years of war as the men around him fell by his side. But nothing could have prepared him for the Flames of Judgment, which burned his comrades alive by the thousands. Now, sixteen years into the war’s aftermath, his kingdom continues to decay; crops die or go unplanted, the war’s children wander fatherless, and the people look to him – the nation’s only living hero – to do something.