Red Steel 2 (Nintendo Wii)

This is one of my favorite games on the Wii. The Swordplay is awesome and is the main reason you want to get this game. If you have Sports Resort and enjoy the swordplay part of it you will love Red Steel 2. It does have some drawbacks - Many doors as the next stage loads, infinite crates to bust open for cash, & cheesy (though somewhat humorous) voice acting. But the shear joy of working up a sweat as you swing your katana can't be beat and the added hidden strikes and sword powers make are fun, visually awesome and add to the strategic dimensions of the combat.

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I have hesitated to write a review because so many others have covered all the points but I thought that my particular gaming perspective might be helpful to some. I guess I am what many would call a casual gamer. I am 57-years old and I own a Nintendo DS, a Nintendo Wii and a PlayStation 3. I have severe arthritis in my right hand and have difficulty using the game controllers. The only games I play on the PS3 are driving games for which I have a driving wheel. Prior to Red Steel 2 my favorite Wii game was Tiger Woods 10. Swinging the Wii remote as a golf club is something my arthritis doesn't complain about.

I have always been intrigued by first-person shooters but, having tried a couple with the dual-joystick controllers, I knew that between my arthritis and my novice gaming abilities I was no match for the gameplay. Having had success with the Wii remote I held out hope for Red Steel 2. I was not disappointed.

The first time I played Red Steel 2 I became nauseous. I then spent a little time tuning the control system, reducing the camera sensitivity so that the world wasn't spinning around me, and have since had absolutely no problems.

I will not repeat all the positive things that other reviewers have already said. Suffice it to say that they are correct. I will however address a couple common criticisms. I continually hear that the storyline is weak and the gameplay repetitive. I have already confessed to being a casual gamer and I have no doubt that this affects how I view the game. I have not played five or 10 different first-person shooters so I am not growing tired of the genre. In fact, one of the true joys of Red Steel 2 is that I consider it the only first-person shooter currently on the market that I, with my limited abilities, can play. I am greatly appreciative of Ubisoft for allowing me this pleasure.

As to a weak storyline, I view this game much like a spaghetti western. It is an excuse to go around slashing and shooting things and blowing things up. I only need the lightest storyline to find my motivation. I am a member of a clan that has been decimated, from a city that has been overrun by vandals and I stand between good and evil. On top of that there is an attractive woman who needs my help. Heck, I don't need more motivation than that in real life. :-)

As for repetitive gameplay, again I have not played any first-person shooters so it doesn't strike me as repetitive at all. I am quite content to shoot and smash things and take on the countless Jackals that stand in my way. If this were my 10th shooter I might feel differently but it's not.

The only issue I have with the game currently, and this is not the game's fault but rather mine, is that after over 50 hours of gameplay I am still stuck in chapter 6. I have earned gold in a couple chapters under Challenge mode, hoping that more practice will make me a better match for the chaingunners that I have to face, but even playing on the easy difficulty level, when I face the first chaingunner in Rattlesnake Canyon, the outcome is the same time and time again; I die an inglorious death.

In this is perhaps my greatest recommendation of all. It is very possible I will never complete the game and yet I love it! Even if all I can do is replay the previous chapters I am more than content to do so. I am sorry that the game has not sold better for I fear this might prevent a sequel but I will hope for the best and continue to enjoy this game regardless.

Give Red Steel 2 a try. It may not be your kind of game but if it is I believe you will have found a true gem.

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There's a small learning curve to get adjusted to the fighting moves and how the camera locks work for the enemies.

However, once you get through that, the game becomes addicting as all heck. I would suggest that most players should just skip the beginner level - on this level the game is too easy and there isn't enough people to fight. But on the higher levels, a lot more fun.

The entire samurai-cowboy storyline is a little odd, and doesn't really do much for the game.

This isn't a one to one sword fighting game, but what is there works really well. This is the closest you can get at the moment to hacking and slashing your way through combat. Motion controls work well. Overall, I would rate this as one of the top games I have played on the Wii and would highly recommend it - the other games I enjoy are Bully, Okami, Zelda, Monster Hunter Tri, Resdient Evil 4, FIFA 10, and Tiger Woods 10.

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