To get it out of the way at the beginning, Red Steel was a huge disappointment; not just for me but for a lot of people. It was a first wave title that was supposed to show off how unique the Wii was and how its new-fangled controls were going to be the future. We were all salivating while waiting for the Wii to drop and all the images that were leaking out from Ubisoft made us eagerly wait in anticipation for Red Steel. Sadly, it didn’t deliver. With loose controls, buggy gameplay, annoying glitches and painful sword fighting sequences, Red Steel went on to receive mixed reviews, many negative, but still managed to shift plenty of copies.
In fact, it did well enough to warrant a sequel, a sequel I’m once again salivating over.
Okay, so fool me once, sure sure, but I am excited to play Red Steel 2. Looking at the various images released over the course of its development, I’m interested in the direction Ubisoft are taking with the sequel. Giving it a Wild West feel and some purdy cel-shaded graphics, all Ubisoft has to do to hook me in is make sure the controls are improved and that the game isn’t rushed. They’ve also implemented the MotionPlus controller (about time someone did) and are giving users the option of fully configuring it to their tastes.
The main downside for many might be the lack of multi-player in the game. Ubisoft instead announced they would be focusing on delivering a stronger single player experience. It isn’t something that puts me off personally but I know it might do for some. The fact they’ve decided to concentrate on one specific gameplay area, instead of trying to cram everything at once, is surely a positive sign.
Official Nintendo Magazine UK has posted a gameplay video on their website; have a gander at it below and give us a comment on whether or not you’re as excited as I am for the sequel. Watch and enjoy:
Red Steel 2 is set for release this upcoming March for both US and European gamers.
Source: Official Nintendo Magazine UK
