Red Steel 2 (Wii, 2010)

This game has truly made me appreciate the fact that I own a Wii. It's just that good.

Ubisoft clearly went a different path with this game after the first game was met with mostly unimpressed reviews.

That being said, you don't have to have played the first game AT ALL in order to understand what's going on in this game. The story line is completely different and unrelated. For some, this is a godsend since most people probably don't want to have to play through the first game based on what they've heard about it.

You play as a nameless "Hero" who's entire clan was assassinated while he was away, banished for some unknown reason. Now, the Hero's come back to town to take his katana back from the killers and maybe make a few heads roll in the process.

This is probably the first game since Wii Sports Resort that has fully utilized the Wii Motion Plus attachment (***Which, by the way, is a REQUIREMENT in order to play this game***). Sword movements are mimicked in a near 1:1 fashion. There's also customization options you can use to adjust how hard you have to swing to perform stronger moves. (Word to the wise: If you don't enjoy have your biceps physically exhausted from swinging, make sure you use a lower setting, because it takes a LOT to swing hard in this game. No wrist-waggling here.)

This is also the first game in which an upgrade system is present, which is a welcome addition. You can upgrade things from your katana and guns, to armor and special moves.

Which brings me to what is possibly the most satisfying part of this game, the finishing moves. This game has taken what was bland sword-fighting and added well over a dozen moves you can use to finish off your enemies. There's just something satisfying from slashing an enemy up into the air, meeting him there, slamming him back down to the ground and landing/stabbing him in the chest with you katana on the way down. It really never gets old.

The graphics have moved on from a realistic look to a more cell-shaded approach. Many people have compared them to "Borderlands". It adds a unique comic book feel to the game which works quite well.

The only drawback I think this game has is the story. It's not terrible by any means, but it's just not great. It's mostly average.

That aside, if you don't have a Wii Motion Plus (or a Wii for that matter), get one right now! This is definitely a Wii-exclusive game worth playing.

I never played (or heard about) the Original "Red Steel" game. Only through their aggressive advertising did I become aware of "Red Steel 2" and it's amazingly new & improved "Control".

Let me say, I'm not one for reviews; yet, this game well deserves one. Fun and addictive, I found myself pick up the concept rather quickly, playing it & advancing through levels as the time flew by. It's built-in Auto-Save feature sure helps if you need to stop in a moment's notice... but I couldn't help but feel compelled to continue playing. The animation is fantastic, the movements (& even dialogues) are some of the Truest to lifelike I've seen in Any game.

It Does require some more "Moderate" coordination hand/eye skill, but isn't in any way too complicated. As an adamant Non-User Manual person, it took me all of two (2) minutes to get a handle of the game. Forget that it Walks You THROUGH the actions, weapons interface and combo tricks; you'll likely figure them out as you let the blade fly. As I said: it's addictive and sucks you right in.

By Comparison: I'd say that Wii RESORT has something relatively Similar (Swordfight)... and the attack & blocking motions are comparable. Of course, Red Steel 2 is By Far more advanced animation-wise, so prepare yourself for a REAL showdown here.

FINAL WORD: If you're an owner of a Wii System, this game is a Must-Have for 1st-Person shooter & Combat players. Be advised that it Does have some graphic natured scenes & sequences (younger children should be monitored, and keep the play area clear), but overall... it's a fun and entertaining game that the Whole Family can enjoy. It'll improve your coordination skill, boost your mental acuity and overall alertness in general (paying closer attention to your surroundings), and test (and strengthen) your sense of anticipation for danger... all real-world experiences Everyone can Use.
5 out of 5 Stars!

for those of you who played the original Red Steel, this game is nothing like it.

graphics: beautiful. i am really pleased with the graphics of this game. cell-shading works very nice for this game. the back says that the game contains blood, but i have yet to see any. while the game is still fairly violent(parents be warned) it never gets too extreme.

gameplay: for starters, this game does an excellent job of making you feel like you are wielding an actual sword. this is done by using the wii motion plus accessory. your movements are tracked almost exactly. the game also tracks the power you put in a swing, which adds a little more realism.
The only problem i had with this game is the lack of guns(4 in total) making this more of a first-person swordsman game, rather than a shooter. also, only some enemies can be shot, others will just block your shots with their swords.

bottom line: i think this is one of those games you will either love, or hate. because of how different of a game it is, i would have to recommend renting it first. assuming you already have a motion plus of course.

action was good, the motion feature makes the movement faster and more realistic. I like action games and this game is very good. the graphics are good and plot of the story works well. I would recommend this game to others who like shooting and fighting games.

It works just like you are holding a sword! I am a martial artist, I should know. It is very realistic in play! Sometimes your vision is not clear and if you get disoriented the controls don't work! The controls are one of the best parts of the game. I've been excited about the Wii and waiting for a game like this ever since it came out! The only thing they need to add to it is a way to make it two player!