Steel Battalion Heavy Armor got announced at last year's Tokyo Game Show as part of a presentation of five original games in development by Japanese studios for Microsoft's Kinect. Since then little has been mentioned about the game. Gamers have been left to wonder how a game that on the Xbox came with a legendary special controller that simulated tank controls with two sticks and panels of buttons and switches could be played without a controller at all. New info and a trailer from Gamescom do little to address that burning question but do provide some new info on where the game is headed.

A fact sheet accompanying the trailer explains the control system as using both the Xbox controller and the Kinect sensor. Precision tasks such as moving, aiming, and firing the main guns are performed with the traditional controller. The motion sensing capability of the Kinect sensor is then used to activate other systems, such as starting the engines or operating a scope. It also allows players to interact with their crew mates in the vertical tank (VT), the giant walking war machines in the game. From the events in the trailer, this could include virtually slapping your co-pilot to snap him out of his fear.

The trailer also provides a good look at the premise behind the game. In the near future, computer technology has been all but wiped out, explaining the low-tech, mechanical nature of the VT's. In the chaos of the time, America has been invaded. Steel Battalion Heavy Armor follows the fight to fend off the invaders. Check out the video below and expect to learn more next month at this year's Tokyo Game Show.