Infinity Blade III shown off for iPhone 5s, coming next week

Just as Infinity Blade II debuted with the iPad 2, the conclusion to the trilogy will be released just in time for the launch of the iPhone 5s — bringing a female playable character.

When Infinity Blade arrived on iOS in 2010, it redefined the standard of mobile games. The first game on the platform built on Unreal Engine 3, it was a sumptuous feast of spectacular visuals and controls rewritten for the touchscreen age.

In the time since then, the game — which has released a sequel, four free expansions, an arcade game and a novella penned by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson — hasn't flagged in quality, consistently delivering a compelling and beautiful experience.

As we gear up for the release of two new iPhones on 20 September, Infinity Blade III: Reborn is due to hit iOS for AU$7.49 on 18 September. And we're willing to bet that with the weight of the iPhone 5s' beefed-up, 64-bit A7 processor, it's going to be a Goliath of a game.

It will see the continuation and conclusion of the adventures of Siris, the hero from the previous games. We suspect that it will have a similar gameplay style: the protagonist continuing the cycle of fighting, death and rebirth to breach the final obstacle and slay the last boss, this time someone called the Worker of Secrets, voiced by Lord of the Rings' John Noble. This time, though, there's a difference: Siris' companion, Isa, now takes up arms as a playable character, with more stealthy, rogue-style abilities than the tankish Siris.

Also to be added is something called the Hideout, a sort of base of operations for Siris and Isa. From here, players will be able to select which strongholds to attack, rather than the on-rails progression of the earlier games, and provide a shelter for their allies.

Whether this means the player will have to take turns playing the two characters or can choose one for the duration is yet to be seen. And although the game will undoubtedly run best on the A7 chip, it will also be compatible with the iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad 4, iPad 3, iPad 2, iPad Mini, iPod Touch 5 and iPod Touch 4.

At any rate, it seems the game has some pretty interesting revelations to uncover about the world and story of Infinity Blade; there are a few sci-fi elements that seem much more prominent this time around, which raises quite a few questions about what happened in the history of the game's universe. Check out the trailer below, and keep your eyes open for it on iTunes later next week.