Red Steel 2

[BreakABone]

[BreakABone]

First off, I just want to say that this game is NOTHING at all like the original. From the visuals to the location to the story, these games really share nothing in common but the name and the whole sword/gun dynamic but even that is vastly different.

With that out of the way, I picked this game because I had to get rid of some game credit, yeah I know great reason, but Amazon has an expiration date.

Now I've only played for maybe 3 hours or so, not really sure. I shall get the negatives out of the way. Some of the missions are extremely short. You sneeze and its over, short. This game is set up in a mission by mission basis, so there isn't really much for exploration or anything.

You continue to return to your dojo/hide-out for training and missions. And boy do you train, there is a LOT of training in this game, I know why its needed, but boy is there a lot of it.

I think that's pretty much it. For the rest, the game looks nice. It won't win any prizes for tech, but the art direction and soft cel-shaded look is awesome. It doesn't look cartoony but isn't ultra-realistic either.

The music has been pretty boss as well.

But most importantly it is fun. Like I said before, it is nothing like the original. You have free reign as to when you use your sword and when you use your gun. Want to shoot someone in the leg and then stab em? Go for it. Want to knock someone into the air and then shoot them while their defenseless? Don't let me stop you.

And that really is the best change from the original is just being able to do whatever you want when you want. Granted, that isn't always true, there are enemies who wear armour so it is next to impossible to shoot them without knocking off their armour on the same hand, some enemies are better at being picked off from a distance, and you use your gun on that.

And then there's upgrades, lots and lots of upgrades, you get new powers for your sword, new moves, new guns, upgradeables for your guns, new armour, etc, etc

I don't know how long the game is, but so far, I would at least recommend a rental. It is a fun experience.

[manasecret]

Just bought it on Amazon with free super saver shipping. But probably won't open it up until after I take my Fundamental of Engineering exam mid-April.

[BreakABone]

I've put in a good 4-5 hours more since my initial impressions, and I got to say the more the game opens up, the more impressed I am with it.

I also want to clarify, this really isn't a first person shooter, its more of a first person adventure game. It carries itself more like a brawler than a real shooter. Some enemies are impossible to beat with a gun (but not undoable)

And you continue to learn new and awesome moves, like I just learned a move which pretty much allows me to create a mini shockwave to knock enemies back.

Speaking of enemies, they continue to evolve, forcing you to try new things. Just met a ninja type enemy that has a gun on one hand and like shredder gauntlet on the other hand, meaning they pretty much deflect all your bullets so need to dodge behind them, but not too close since they can push you back.

Upgrades are pretty sweet, you can upgrade your sword, different moves and powers. Upgrade your guns and upgrade your armour. Its all pretty standard, but gets the job done.

I really don't know what else to say, but this is one of the finest games I've played in a while. I love the setting, and even the voice acting. I think anyone who owns a Wii should give this a rental.

[BreakABone]

Just finished the game, and will put my thoughts together in the morning, but I will say I def recommend checking it out.

[Angrist]

How is the combat? All the movies I saw made it look incredibly slow and boring.

[BreakABone]

Reminds me, never really put my thoughts together for this.

I will start off where most reviews would end, and just tell you I recommend this game. Whether you buy it or rent it, you need to experience this game. There really is nothing else like it on any console.

A bit more detailed now. First and most important is the gameplay. Now this is a sequel in name only really so any thoughts you have on the original go out the window IMO. The most important change in the gameplay is the fact that the sword and gun gameplay no longer exist outside of each other. In the original, there were only certain "boss" battles which allowed you to use your sword. In this game, you can choose to use your sword or your gun as the situation dictates. And the game works well around this dynamic. Some enemies can be taken out with a well-placed shoot while others will need you to soften them up with your blade.

In addition to that, the game offers up an upgrade system for all your guns and your blade. This allows the combat to feel fresh as you continue to learn new techniques as the game progresses. Some you may find more useful than others. Some of my favorite includes two moves you learn later on which allows you to do an awesome forward dash and quick slash to quickly do away with an enemies' armor. There is also an upgrade that allows you to fire back enemy bullets (though it really isn't as cool as you would imagine)

Guns offer a variety of upgrades including faster reload, bigger clips, ricochet on your bullets, no recoil and many more. Again, it will keep the combat fun and different throughout the course of the game.

Of course, none of this would matter if the enemies weren't anything to write home about. And I will say that the enemy AI isn't the best, some of them will just stand around waiting for you to focus on them, and most of their attacks are pretty much telegraphed giving you more than enough time to counter/block/dodge.

That said, they do give you a fair amount of enemy types which forces you to prioritize and eliminate. The game works more like an action/brawler than an FPS. You may find yourself in a small confined area with a dude with a sledgehammer on your back while two gunners support him in the back of the room. You would prioritize to avoid the sledgehammer wielding foe while you take out the gunners so that you can focus your attention on the giant. While I can not put it into words properly, the game is smart with its combat and its encounter. Making some of them feel like mini-boss battles on their own.

I was a tad disappointed in some of the boss battles, as they really just were enemies with more health aside from the final two bosses, but I beat them without effort. So your miles may vary.

Before I wrap, I must say I really enjoyed the look of the game. Going with a soft cel-shaded look really benefited the game. I won't say this game looks good for a Wii game, I think it looks good in general.

So that's my take on it anyhow.