Red Steel 2 (Wii) Review

The first Red Steel as a launch title on the Wii was underwhelming to say the least, struggling to take advantage of new motion controls on a relatively unknown system back in 2006. Since then, few have attempted the same sort of mature first-person gameplay with other contenders such as The Conduit falling short of satisfying the large number of Wii gamers out there looking for a good hardcore experience. Well Ubisoft are answering the prayers of Wii gamers around the world with the release of Red Steel 2, a mature Wii game that offers a compelling gameplay experience while taking full advantage of the underused Wii MotionPlus peripheral.

It’s a surprise that Ubisoft chose to name this game Red Steel 2 as the story, setting and gameplay are all completely different from the original and rightfully so. Set in the rustic Wild West, the story follows a suave unnamed hero in his quest to protect his home town and the Kusagari clan he was once banished from while restoring faith in his past clan mates. The story really isn’t the focus in Red Steel 2 and doesn’t offer much despite the frequent cut-scenes mostly discordant with terrible dialogue and voice acting intentionally parodying B-grade Western films.

Cel-shaded graphics ensure Red Steel 2 will look pretty good even on bigger HD TVs but there are still a lot of jaggies to be seen. The colour scheme evokes a Borderlands style of visuals with a bright colour palette juxtaposed against a rustic Wild West setting and the character designs are even more outlandish with the main character looking particularly cool in his long flowing leather. The game looks pretty damn good while managing to keep a solid frame rate and that’s what’s important, especially in a game that relies on speed and precision like Red Steel 2.

The game is mostly set in an open-world environment as the voiceless player travels around taking missions from allies as he works up the ladder of the Jackal gang that threatens his home village. The open-world aspect is quite defunct as a green arrow on the mini-map highlights the next location and any straying off the path or exploring is pointless. This boils Red Steel 2 down to a very linear experience that focuses purely on fast paced combat and surely delivers.

Red Steel 2 is all about the gameplay offering a streamlined first-person action experience unlike any other. As in the first game the player has access to a variety of guns as well as a sword, but no longer are sword fights separated from the rest of the game. There’s a much bigger focus on the swordplay this time around and now you can switch between gun and sword on the fly to pull off smashing Devil May Cry-style combos in first person. The sword is used simply by swinging the Wii Remote around and feels incredibly accurate thanks to the Wii MotionPlus accessory. You can slash and block in any direction and switch out to a firearm at any time. Coupled with the vast variety of special abilities the player learns throughout the game, it creates a versatile action experience unlike any other. This motion-control accuracy also means that you have to put some force into it for the fierce attacks so it’s not the best to play when tired or wanting to relax.

There’s a heap of abilities designed for any situation like taking down a group of enemies with area attacks and aerial combos, and each of the abilities can also be used as a deadly finishing move when an enemy is low on health. You can also side-step to parry or lunge back and forth for quickly zapping between enemies. It really is a great feeling with the Wii MotionPlus to take on a group of enemies switching between weapons and pulling off combos based on the situation. Certain enemies will have extra armour or defensive moves requiring a specific attack to defeat, and after successfully dispatching an assortment of enemies with a fluid string of attacks it makes you feel really badass. There’s a lot of satisfaction in quickly and accurately taking down a group of enemies, zapping from one to the other with dashing knockdown attacks and lethal finishers.

Outside of combat and around town there are lots of barrels, bins and assorted items to smash open for cash and ammo. Apart from that, there’s not much to do other than fighting waves of enemies in isolated encounters. There isn’t even health to pick up as our hero’s life bar fully regenerates at the end of each battle, and a total number of enemies are also displayed in each fight making every encounter feel like its own isolated showdown.

One down side to the variety of battle situations is it requires a bit of training and learning before you’ll be efficiently fighting from foe to foe. It can be hard switching from sword to gun sometimes as flailing the sword around can make you lose track of the aiming reticule. Fortunately, most of the action is kept pretty straight-forward for the opening as the frequent and repetitive training sessions slowly teach you the basics between quick and easy missions.

Red Steel 2 has a big focus on satisfying gameplay and is a blast to play. The sword fighting feels great and mixed with gun combos it creates rewarding, versatile battles that rely on reflexes and co-ordination. There isn’t much else on offer here as the story struggles to maintain interest with its shallow precipice and tacky voice-acting, but honestly it isn’t really necessary to compliment this gaming experience. Anyone looking for a compelling mature game will definitely have a lot fun with Red Steel 2 with some of the best gameplay on the Wii, just don’t expect much mental stimulation.

Graphics 9.0

Red Steel 2 looks great in its colourful cel-shaded universe.

Gameplay 9.9

Swordplay is fun enough on its own, the gun combos and juggles set it off just right.

Sound 8.0

Lots of great mood-setting music, but some of the voice-acting rips you right back out of it.

Tilt 8.0

Challenges are a brief distraction after completing the main story.

Value 9.9

Red Steel 2 is what mature Wii gamers have been waiting for. Its also nice to see the Wii MotionPlus in full effect.