Deception 4: Blood Ties Springs Trap On March 25 For PS3, Vita

Ever wanted to set up an elaborate series of deadly traps and cackle with laughter as invading forces stumble into your devious devices? Well, that's exactly what the Deception series is all about and, come March 25, players will once again be able to let the mad genius in them run free with the launch of Deception IV: Blood Ties for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

Back at the turn of the century, I stumbled across a PlayStation game in my local Walmart's bargain bin called Kagero: Deception II. I had never played the first Deception, but the back of the box promised an engaging story and a castle where the player would need to protect themselves with all manner of devious traps. I decided to take a chance on the game and quickly found myself pouring hours into its puzzle-like adventure, setting up traps and pulverizing my enemies.

The premise was simple: Your only abilities are move and set up traps. Bad guys were heading into the castle, usually in groups of 1-3, to try and capture you. They had their own attacks, spells and abilities while the only thing you can do is run for cover. The trick of the game was to figure out which direction your enemies were headed and then, using the structure of the castle's various rooms, set up a series of traps to destroy your enemies.

I would lead an enemy into a room where he would step onto a bear trap, for instance. But the punishment didn't end there. Set up in line with that bear trap was an arrow trap, that would then send a bolt into the chest of the struggling baddy. That would then trigger a bladed pendulum that would dish out more damage and toss the guy across the room, where he would land at the foot of a set of stairs. That, in turn, would trigger a spiked bolder at the top of the stairs, which would then roll down and crush the poor fool. It was magical.

Deception IV: Blood Ties looks to offer all of that same trap-setting goodness and more. Coming from Tecmo Koei on March 25 for the PS3 and Vita, players will take on the role of a young woman known as The Devil's daughter, who will rely on three handy demons to set up traps for her invading enemies.

The better your traps and timing, the more points your demon allies will reward you. The more points you get, the more traps and upgrades you can unlock. It's an intriguing game of strategy and trickery, so get ready to orchestrate some devious contraptions.