We've known for awhile now that Perfect World Entertainment will be unveiling Rusty Hearts at E3 next month, but the company has decided to give players a sneak peek at the hack 'n' slash MMO. Today they released some new screenshots and a Q&A with Executive Producer Jonathan Belliss, which you can read after the jump.

According to Belliss, Rusty Hearts is inspired by all sorts of games and anime/manga: Castle Crashers, Scott Pilgrim, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Street Fighter IV, Devil May Cry, Naruto, Dragon Ball, Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist. As you can probably tell from this list, Rusty Hearts focuses on "beat-em-up style combat."

The closed beta for this free-to-play MMO is scheduled to launch in July. You can sign up for the beta on the Rusty Hearts site.

Q&A with Executive Producer Jonathan Belliss

Can you describe Rusty Hearts’ core gameplay and key features?

Rusty Hearts is a fast-paced multiplayer online action game with fast-paced and highly-stylized beat-em-up style combat combined with solo or team-based dungeon exploration experience. Become a unique hero and engage in epic monster battles, collect valuable loot, and explore a beautifully visualized, anime-inspired world.

What are the key video game concepts that inspired the developers of Rusty Hearts?

Action, action, and more action! We’ve been influenced by some of the best brawlers and arcade style fighters out there. Rusty Hearts has a similar feel to games such as Castle Crashers or Scott Pilgrim. The fighting game vibe in Rusty Hearts also resembles games such as Marvel vs. Capcom 3 or Street Fighter IV, which gets players to string together the best combo moves possible. Hitting the right combos is the key to success in battle.

As big fans of the Devil May Cry series, the mix of stylish heroes and intense fights in a dark gothic environment definitely inspired us during the making of Rusty Hearts.

Did the game developer studio have a specific anime/manga series in mind when creating Rusty Hearts?

Indeed. Bits and pieces of various anime/manga series such as the fast and furious battles in Naruto and Dragon Ball, the background and storyline in Bleach, and the elements in Full Metal Alchemist inspired us to create the stylistic anime-like world in Rusty Hearts.

What are the minimum and ideal PC specifications to play Rusty Hearts?

At a minimum, the game will run with the following specs: a processor such as the Pentium 4 1.4 GHz, 1GB of RAM and a video card with 128 MB of RAM, but to get the best experience possible, we recommend that you use an Intel Core2 Duo 2.5 GHz, 2GB of RAM and a video card with 256MB of RAM.

I can’t wait to try the game. When will the closed beta take place?

With only just a few months away, closed beta is currently scheduled for July 2011. Check the Rusty Hearts website often as we continue to post more details about closed beta – http://rustyhearts.perfectworld.com

How much do I need to pay to play?

Zero, nothing! Rusty Hearts, like all Perfect World Entertainment games, is free-to-play so there’s very little to lose and a whole lot to gain if you get into the game. With no monthly subscription fees, you can invite as many of your friends to whip up nasty combo attacks and fight together!

Can you share additional details about the game’s unique heroes and their background?

Along with other interesting heroes in Rusty Hearts, Angela and Tude are a dynamic duo of fighters. Angela is a witch with magical skills who has made it her destiny to fight Lord Vlad, the leader of the vampire armies.