Paradox Interactive today announced its E3 2011 game lineup, and it includes more castles and swords than you can shake a stick at. All told, Paradox Interactive’s E3 lineup will be include King Arthur II, Crusader Kings II, Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter and Defenders of Ardania. All but Defenders of Ardania will be exclusive to Windows PC. Defenders of Ardania, meanwhile, will include both a console and iPad version.
The developers of Magicka will also be present at E3 to discuss future plans for the franchise and showcase the upcoming PVP feature.
Descriptions for each of the games in Paradox’s E3 booth are as follows:
King Arthur II — This fantasy/role-playing RTS returns in a sequel long after young Arthur pulled the enchanted sword out of the stone, gathered the Knights of the Round Table and secured peace in Camelot aided with the might of the Holy Grail. Where legends normally end, King Arthur II begins on its own gruesome tale. King Arthur II is scheduled for released in Q3 2011.
Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter — Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter is the next full game in the hit 4X-styled Sword of the Stars franchise. The continuing storyline will reveal dark secrets of the ancient force responsible for tampering with the races in the original Sword of the Stars. Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter is scheduled for released in Q3 2011.
Crusader Kings II — Europe is in turmoil. The lands are fragmented into fiefs, the emperor struggles with the Pope, and the Holy Father declares that all those who go to liberate the Holy Land will be freed of their sins. Now is the time for greatness. Increase your lands and fill your coffers. Appoint vassals, battle traitors and introduce laws while interacting with hundreds of nobles to create the most powerful realm in medieval Europe. Crusader Kings II will be available Q1 2012.
Defenders of Ardania — Defenders of Ardania is a next-generation tower defense game with a twist: Besides the addictive core mechanics of placing towers to stop advancing enemy units, Defenders of Ardania also allows players to take on the role of the attackers seeking to conquer the enemy base. Defenders of Ardania is scheduled for release Q3 2011 for PC, console (which one hasn’t yet been unveiled) and iPad.
Magicka — Magicka is a satirical action-adventure set in a fantasy world based on Norse mythology. The player assumes the role of a wizard from a sacred order tasked with stopping an evil sorcerer who has thrown the world into turmoil. In Magicka, up to four players take on a grand adventure to save their world from certain doom using a fully dynamic spell system.
So there you have it: the first booth-specific details to be shared by an E3-attending publisher. Things are heating up with regard to E3, so look to DailyGame for much more E3 information in the days and weeks ahead.