Red Steel 2

Review from Cav - Tuesday, 11 May 2010 @ 1:58pm

Since the release of the Wii Sports Resort there have only been five other titles released in Australia (according to Wikipedia) which require the Wii Motion Plus attachment. Now you would think there would be a tonne more games attempting to utilise the accessory, but maybe they are still trying to perfect it. This was also the case with Red Steel 2.... it just needed a little perfecting.

Who farted?

These guys sure know how to get you interested in the game straight off the bat. The opening cinematic sees our nameless hero in some dire straits. This just enforces the need to kick these guys’ collective arses. The storyline holds its own, but isn’t anything really mind blowing. Our hero is known as a member of the Kusagari, a legendary group of skilled swordsmen. Although he may not be that skilled as he has had his sword nicked. He must regain his weapon and hunt down the leader of a gang called the Jackals who have been terrorising the town of Caldera. But he’s not on his own. No hero ever really is. On his side is a master swordsman, a tech chick and an aging sheriff with a bung leg and a fetish for Hawaiian shirts. There is also an underworld figure that organises fights for profit, but sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly whose side he is on. When visiting their safe-houses you can be given ‘missions’ to undertake. These can vary in difficulty, from destroying Wanted posters of yourself, to taking out scores of enemies. On completion of these missions you will be paid.

On the subject of being paid, were you aware that back in the day it was always handy to be able to call the Farrier ON A PAY PHONE to get your horse shod. It’s also just as cool to be able to GRAB AN ICY COLD SODA after a rigorous Tai Chi lesson in Ancient China. Why the hell were these things so conveniently out of place, I hear you ask? So you could bust them up and score the coin that was inside, of course! Absolutely EVERYTHING that was breakable in this game contains coins. I am guessing the banks in the old west were getting robbed way too often, so keeping your cash in random boxes, bottles, mailboxes, barrels and even chairs and tables (however the hell you managed that) was the done thing. I mean NO ONE would ever think of looking in there, would they? The newfound wealth you acquire by breaking everything in sight can be used to enhance your armour and weapons or finely tune your skills when visiting one of your four offsiders.

If I had a Hamer, I'd Hammer in the morning...

It’s the setting that this takes place in that is of real interest. It’s difficult to pinpoint what age this is set in, but the images are beautifully rendered as the setting swaps from the Wild West of North America, to Chinatown type areas and onto modern day without batting an eyelid, which is quite funny. This is a strong point for Red Steel 2. The scenery is great, with the cell shading offering something a little different. I really would have liked to see stuff like tumbleweeds blowing through the streets and dust clouds curling up like mini cyclones... but no... other than your enemies nothing else seemed to move, unless you interact with it... it’s rather stale.

For those of us who played WiiSports Resort, you would know how the WiiMote reacts when the ‘little white plug’ is attached. Is it 100% accurate? No, but it’s not far off. This is obvious when you are instructed by Jian (the master swordsman) on new moves that you acquire. Instead of swinging wildly like we did on the Lego Star Wars, precise actions and angles are required to block successfully. As with most fighters, having the ability to juggle an opponent and repeatedly beating the snot out of him several times before he hits the ground gives a player an awesome sense of dominance. Although Jian teaches you many moves, I found myself able to use just one or two to get myself through the entire game. The Matador (a dodge/sidestep manoeuvre) was my staple starter, best to circle around enemies and mess them up from behind. One part where I felt the WiiMotion plus lacked a little was when trying to crack safes found around the place. No matter how steadily I held the WiiMote (I even rested it on my knee), it was really difficult to get the dial on the safe to turn smoothly. Red Steel 2 is not just about swordplay, but pistols and rifles as well. There are four weapons to collect during the game, but the pistol seems the most reliable. To add a slight sense of realism to the art of firearm wielding, there is the chance of running out of ammunition, but alas, just like finding coins in the leg of a wooden table, ammo can be found everywhere.

Pew! Pew!

For those not content with just the 'campaign' or storyline, there is the added bonus of the Challenge Mode. I have never really been a fan of these things, but took a look at it for the sake of this review. What do you know? Very little effort has been placed into it and you are just repeating sections of the game. I really have a real problem with this. This is no bonus feature, this is pure laziness on the part of the deveolper.

Pros

Looks the goods - WiiMotion Plus accuracy is not far off the mark - Juggling opponents ALWAYS equals win!

Cons

Your arms WILL get tired - Challenge area is just a rehash of the main game - End boss is a little too easy - some characters are annoying