Ubisoft has announced that its upcoming first person sword and gunplay action title, Red Steel 2, will be available across the US on the 23rd of May with Europe following on the 26th of May, confirming an earlier report of a release date spotted on the publisher’s official website.

The publisher also revealed the pre-order edition of the game, although it remains unclear whether this will be available outside of the US (the trailer below indicates that it will be available at GameStop). However, confusion aside, the pre-order pack is looking pretty sweet. It includes a Red Steel 2 art book, Red Steel 2 branded metal bullet as well as four exclusive in-game weapons.

We also get to sneak a peek at the world of Caldera in this new trailer for the game:

Back to more details on the pre-order bonus now. The art book includes 20 pages plus four cover pages containing the influences, sketches and drawings made by the Red Steel 2 team. Descriptions of the in-game weapons follow below:

• The Tataro .357 Magnum: A prime example of the best of modern western orient craftsmanship, carried by Payne, one of the Red Steel 2 bosses.

• Cord Industries Barracuda .357 AMP: The perfect weapon for the modern warrior. This is the firearm chosen by the villain of Red Steel 2.

• Kuro No Ken - The Sora Katana of the Katakara Clan: Each clan of the great west claims ownership of one of these sora katanas. The Katakara clan claims to have this one: kuro no ken, the black blade. Its strength and fury in battle is said to be unmatched, as is the force it generates. This is the blade wielded by the villain of Red Steel 2.

• Nihontō Hana (the Blossom Sword) – the Lost Blade: The most legendary sword forged by Mitsushani Kusagari , the blade is certainly a masterpiece, and no doubt its current owner is blessed with the luck of the gods.

Don’t miss our hands-on preview of Red Steel 2 to find out a little more about why we are looking forward to its release.