Koei's Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War has just reached its gold status, according to official word from Koei. More than that, the renowned developer has also confirmed that a free demo for its action game is already up for grabs for the Xbox 360 system via Xbox Live Marketplace and for the PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network. The full game ships to North American retailers on the 6th of November, for both Microsoft's next-gen system and Sony's.

Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War: In the 14th century a quarrel over English succession to the French throne escalated into what history would call the Hundred Years' War. This ongoing war had exhausted the standing armies of both sides and there was a growing dependence on mercenary soldiers.

In BLADESTORM: The Hundred Years' War, the setting is a war-torn 14th century France. The currently available demo will offer a mere taste of the "incredible battles" the game has players facing. Basically, you'll be taking direct command of entire military units as a mercenary soldier, but also contract your services to the English or the French, having to achieve "glorious fame and fortune," as an ultimate goal.

Of course, fame will certainly not be easy to achieve, and as far as fortune goes, it'll probably be even harder, as players will be faced with defeating entire armies of foes, using cleverly thought out plans of command and attack. In BLADESTORM: The Hundred Years' War, building a reputation as a formidable warrior and leader of men is the only way you'll be able to succeed in achieving your goals, building your war chest and "luring hardened warriors to your employ."

Koei is also responsible for titles such as Samurai Warriors and the Dynasty Warriors series. The company is now delivering a game running at amazing 720p HDTV visuals with "in game Dolby Digital audio," going by the name of BLADESTORM: The Hundred Years' War.

Remember that Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network are currently listing the game's demo as a free download, so don't waste any more time and go try it out. The game is rated T for Teen by the ESRB, being developed by KOEI's internal studio, Omega Force. Here's the official website for more information.