first person brawler
Red Steel 2
The first third-party Wii game was revealed in the May 2006 issue of
Game Informer. It promised intuitive swordfighting controls and
unmatched precision in gunplay, all in a stylish Yakuza setting. In the
six months between reveal and launch, Red Steel hype built to
unattainable levels. Disappointment was inevitable. But even with
tempered expectations, Red Steel is barely an average game, and the
case for motion controls in action games took a serious blow when it
failed to impress.
That said, the game rode the launch hype into some pretty decent
sales, eventually crossing the million mark. A sequel was rumored
almost as soon as the original appeared on store shelves. It took three
and a half years, but the sequel did eventually arrive in March 2010.
Barring the focus on guns and swords, Red Steel 2 is nothing like the
original: the realistic visuals are switched out for a cel-shaded
style, the Yakuza setting and characters are changed to an
otherworldly-mix of Samurai and Western trappings, and the hopes dashed
by waggle at launch are replaced with renewed fervor for precise motion
controls, which are provided by the Wii Motion Plus controller
attachment that Red Steel 2 requires.
Even if you made the mistake of purchasing Red Steel back in 2006, don't make the mistake of ignoring Red Steel 2 now.