How White Knight Chronicles: Origins fits into the series

Matrix Corps has revealed how its portable spin-off of to the Level-5 PlayStation 3 series fits in with the franchise's wider mythos.

"10,000 years before the original PS3 game takes place, there was a period of strife known as the Dogma Wars. This struggle is between the Yshrenian Empire who are harnessing the power of the Knights in a bid to conquer the world, and the Athwani Mage Kingdom who are trying to stop them," Studio lead Hiroaki Iwahara told the EU PS Blog.

"These events would shape history to come in the White Knight Chronicles saga, and White Knight Chronicles: Origins tells the story of the unsung heroes who lived through this period of unrest".

Some characters from the core entries make appearances, too.

"Right at the start of the game your character will meet a young Eldore during the downfall of Xarmgand," Iwahara revealed.

"The Black Knight Demian is another recurring character who plays a big role in the PS3 games. You’ll also meet the troll Thaumus who’s using guerrilla tactics to try and halt the Yshrenian onslaught. And, of course, the White Knight, the Dragon Knight and the Moon Maiden all make an appearance."

Iwahara said the game's combat is "essentially the same as the PS3 version", but with PSP-optimised controls and carefully tuned pacing.

White Knight Chronicles: Origins is due before the end of the month on PSP in Europe, with US release still in the balance.