Steel Battalion's Kinect & controller combo controls explained

So how does Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor work in the absence of a 300 button controller? It uses both Kinect and the Xbox 360 controller in tandem to recreate the experience of being in a mech war--just like in real life!

A new trailer released by Capcom shows which functions are delegated to which control mechanisms. Kinect is used for in-cockpit actions, such as starting up the mech, operating the scope, or manning the turret-mounted machine gun.

You'll also be able to use voice controls, such as "ensuring a panicked crew member stays focused." Crucially, you'll be able to "high five for successfully completing a mission."

While Kinect does enable a lot of new experiences, the core movement and battle will be handled by the standard Xbox 360 controller. It may sound like a cop-out, especially given the series' legacy, but we have a feeling that grabbing the controller and laying it down, switching between Kinect and controller modes, will offer the same kind of confused "what do I do?" sensation we've come to expect from the franchise.

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor will be available on Kinect in 2012.