Namco Bandai signs Knights Contract for PS3, 360

Between God of War III and Dante's Inferno, gory third-person action games have been all the rage lately. That rage will continue simmering for the foreseeable future, as Namco Bandai today announced another new entry into the genre.

Set for release in 2011, Knights Contract sees players following the unlikely duo of the witch Gretchen and the immortal executioner Heinrich. Though Gretchen actually died at Heinrich's hands, she has been resurrected and now controls the scythe-wielding warrior. Together the pair struggles to save the world from a "black spell of death" and a supernatural army called the Harmonculous.

The duo fight in what Namco is calling "stylized and over-the-top action," with players controlling Heinrich and stringing together appendage-dismembering combos while the computer-controlled Gretchen uses her magic in a supporting role. Players will be able to coordinate the pair's attacks by issuing mid-melee commands to Gretchen, as well as executing finishing moves. While Heinrich is invincible, players will need to protect the vulnerable Gretchen if they want to make it far. The game won't be all blood and guts, as Namco Bandai is also including puzzle and platforming elements to change up the pace.

The market for bloody action has been well served lately. Electronic Arts released Dante's Inferno in February, and there are indications that a sequel is on the way. The following month, Sony sent the Ghost of Sparta on another deicidal rampage in God of War III and is planning a second PSP installment in the series for later this year. Namco Bandai was already committed to the genre before the announcement of Knights Contract, as Splatterhouse is expected to launch later this year.

Namco Bandai has promised more will be shown of Knights Contract at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo. For more information about the game, check out GameSpot's first look at the title.