“It’s incredibly satisfying, really exciting. I’ve been working in games for 12 years and this is the first time that I feel we’re going to give the fans something really cool that they’ve never seen before. And I genuinely mean that. It’s not just marketing bullshit, this is something new that you’ve never done before and it’s really fun. It’s a great feeling to be able to say that” - Creative Director, Jason Vandenberghe
ABOUT
Ubisoft announced Red Steel 2, exclusively for the Wii(TM) system from Nintendo. Red Steel remains one of the most successful Wii titles and the only brand created specifically for the launch of the platform. Red Steel 2 is being developed by Ubisoft Paris.
Red Steel 2 returns with an artistic style and flair created just for Wii. Set in a desert-bound, high-tech metropolis, Red Steel 2 is a revolution in the action-fighting genre, taking full advantage of the capabilities of the Wii MotionPlus(TM) accessory. Your movements are faithfully replicated on-screen, putting the emphasis on swinging, shooting and fun! With the ability of the Wii MotionPlus to sense the strength of a swing, you will literally be able to make an impact on your adversaries through power and precision.
“Red Steel was a unique opportunity for Ubisoft to work in tandem with Nintendo to create a title exclusively for the launch of the Wii console,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing US at Ubisoft. “Red Steel 2 is another milestone for the company as it is the first Ubisoft title with full Wii MotionPlus integration.”
Just as Red Steel broke ground as the only third-party brand created for the launch of the Wii, Red Steel 2 will be the must-have game of Spring 2010 for those who wish to stretch their own capacities and fully experience a game that was built from the ground up to take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus.
Release Dates
USA
March 23rd
Europe
March 26th
TRULY BEAUTIFUL 60 FPS VIDEOS AND GAMERSYDE PREVIEW:
http://www.gamersyde.com/news_gamers...2-9004_en.html
REVIEWS
Official Nintendo magazine
"This is probably the best third party wii game we've played in recent memory. A great deal of thought has gone into every aspect of Red Steel 2. The visual design is stellar, but most importantly its evident that ubisoft has put the necessary amount of time into making sure the controls and the balance are (almost) pitch perfect. It's been a long time coming but finally we have it. After watching Shiggy waggle the wii remote on stage at E3 2006 and having our ballooning expectations deflated, we now have the sword game we all wanted. It's taken new technology and the best part of three and a half years to get it, but precious few will argue that it hasn't been worth the wait. Red Steel 2 is finally here and it's awesome."
93%
Kotaku review
http://kotaku.com/5500030/red-steel-2-review-if-only-2006-was-this-good
"In the same month that Red Steel 2 reaches Wii owners, Sony has loudly proclaimed that its Wii-style Move controller is the device that will enable the best motion-controlled gaming experiences that appeal to fans of so-called hardcore games. But you don't need a Move to feel just how impressive and involved an action game can be when controlled by your motions. Red Steel 2, a game any PS3 owner ought to hope comes to the Move, shows that Sony's console wasn't essential to make this happen. Ubisoft is on a streak of sequels-as-atonement that began with Assassin's Creed II. It has now built not just one of the Wii's best games and not just one of the most radically improved sequels in many years but a motion-controlled game with previously unfelt depth of control and excitement of action. To understand how well motion-gaming can feel, Red Steel 2 is a must play. This is a 2006 Wii promise delivered."
Examiner Red Steel 2 review
http://www.examiner.com/x-12218-Video-Game-Examiner
"If Red Steel 2 was what Red Steel was back in 2006, then this series would be the top Wii third-party franchise. You have to disregard the existence of Red Steel and go into this series with untainted eyes because Red Steel 2 is everything Ubisoft promised and plenty more. It's one of the best video game sequels ever made and not playing this groundbreaking Wii game would be an injustice. Ubisoft has finally shown us what kind of games can be made for Wii and has set a new benchmark for Wii FPS titles and any Wii game that may use a sword. Red Steel 2 is the top Wii game of 2010 right now."
Gamesradar review Red Steel 2
"The first let so many down, while part two succeeds in just about everything it set out to do. Maybe it’s the bundled MotionPlus, maybe it’s just better programming, but we left Red Steel 2 thinking it could be the most improved sequel of all time. If you’ve given up on Wii shooters, here’s a reason to rethink your stance."
9/10
MSNBC Red Steel 2 video review
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30501433/vp/35989744#35989744
9/10
Red Steel 2 NWR review "Plain and simple, this is one of the finest games to grace the Wii console."
Red Steel 2 Gameinformer review 8/10
Gaming Nexus reviews Red Steel 2 "Are you a gamer? Do you own a Wii? Then you need Red Steel 2. In fact, this game is a reason to own a Wii all by itself."
EUROGAMER ITALY
http://www.eurogamer.it/articles/red-steel-2-wii-recensione
"After years of vain promises and long before Move, Natal and who knows whatever else, Red Steel 2 finally delivers. Swordfighting has never been so fun and intense: don't skip this amazing Wii exclusive, this is the game we've all been waiting for... Now get ready to fight!"
9/10
Aussie Nintendo review
http://aussie-nintendo.com/reviews/21947/
"Quite possibly the most enjoyable, adrenaline-charged combat system I've ever experienced. Fans of the genre really need to check this one out, it's fantastic."
9/10
ONM Red Steel 2 review
http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=16114
"Red Steel 2 looks superb and after a wobbly first section settles into a very enjoyable first person action romp. It's a gameplay experience unlike any other, and that needs to be applauded."
86%
IGN
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/107/1079106p2.html
"While the gameplay's impressively done, the overall presentation is freakin' top notch. Red Steel 2 is easily one of the best looking and sounding games on Wii to date. The visual style is incredibly sharp with a graphic novel influence, and its look is reinforced with a game engine that runs at a silky smooth 60 frames per second. The awesome background music matches the visuals extremely well – it's been a long time since I've fallen in love with a game's soundtrack, and Red Steel 2's atmospheric melodies are incredibly good. Red Steel 2 is absolutely an "A product." It's clear that the development team wanted to right the wrongs of the original game and produced an all new design with controls that actually work. There are still some issues, both in game balance as well as wishy-washy motion sensing control, but the awesome style and energetic gameplay are enough to make this one of the top titles on Wii."
8.6
Gametrailers
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-red-steel-2/63525
8.6
IGN UK REVIEW
http://wii.ign.com/articles/107/1079264p1.html
"There's no doubt that designing Red Steel 2 around Wii MotionPlus controls was an inspired decision, and Ubisoft deserves enormous credit for demonstrating just how much potential resides in Nintendo's woefully underused tech. As a template for how to combine shooting and swordplay within one intuitive, fluid control system, Red Steel 2 is an incredible achievement. But the bottom line is that the game takes a little too long to get going, and when it does it's all over way too soon." - they say its 8 hrs, others have said 10-12
8.5
IGN AU REVIEW
http://wii.ign.com/articles/107/1078690p1.html
"In the end, Red Steel 2 is well worth playing, especially if you bought Wii Sports Resort and want to give MotionPlus another whirl. Just think of it as a fighting game, as opposed to an action adventure."
8.4
Digital Chumps
http://www.digitalchumps.com/game-reviews/36-wii/4732-red-steel-2.html
"Few other Wii games provide a comparable sense of hard-hitting action fused with the gritty and rugged nature of a true action title. You really do feel like a sword-swinging, gun-toting badass in the heart of the Wild West, and you hold no remorse for your shameful adversaries. You can truly “feel” the impact of your actions on your enemies, and this sensation is only accentuated by the application of the Wii motion controls."
8.6
NGamer Holland
"MotionPlus's first test, and it passes with flying colours"
Score: 8.5/10
Eurogamer review:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/red-steel-2-wii-review
In the end, you'll likely forgive Ubisoft's game its shortcomings on the strength of its energy, obvious good will, and deep sense of craft. There are some thrilling set-pieces in here, along with moments that rank amongst the Wii's most beautiful, including a midnight rooftop race to catch a train which plays out under a huge cream-coloured moon. It's a lovely sequence.
As with any good Western - or any good samurai film - Red Steel 2 is ultimately about character: it's flawed, certainly, but entirely honourable with it.
7/10
G4 review:
http://g4tv.com/games/wii/43463/red-steel-2/review/
"Red Steel 2 is definitely a big step forward when compared to the original. It’s not perfect, and you will find yourself rolling your eyes at the tedious training sessions, groaning while yet another door stands in your way, and wishing the game was just a little bit more responsive to your every move. However, there’s still plenty of fun to be had and the eight to ten hours you'll spend working your way through the campaign will deliver many smiles."
3.5 out of 5.0
LATEST UPDATES:
Red Steel 2 Enemies Trailer
http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/r...nemies-trailer
Super Powers trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xJnA...layer_embedded
Studio Interview VIDEO from IGN
http://uk.media.wii.ign.com/media/86...31/vids_1.html
WEAPONS TRAILER
http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=237706
GAMESPOT TRAIN RIDE VIDEOS
http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/r...gameplay-movie
Red Steel 2: The Last Kusagari footage
http://www.officialnintendomagazine....e.php?id=15382
First 20 minutes
http://www.viddler.com/explore/ContraNetwork/videos/34/
LATEST PREVIEWS
GAMETRAILERS VIDEO PREVIEW
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/pr...-steel-2/62644
VOOKS
http://www.vooks.net/story-18978-Red...pressions.html
"The first time I played Red Steel 2 I came away impressed but not astounded. This time I was blown away. It was genuinely fun to play and I just wanted to keep going and going with it. The swordplay/gunplay mashup is awesome fun and you’ll find different combos and moves that work better."
IGN
http://wii.ign.com/articles/107/1070807p1.html
"I was only allowed to plow through the first few missions, but these at least show the variety of levels and the balance and variety they have. In some you'll just have to take down waves of bad guys from the other clan, while in others you'll have to seek out their trucks and blast them out of commission. Along the way you'll find crates, barrels, bottles and other items that can be opened and smashed for cash, and you'll turn this extra money into additional moves and weapon upgrades. There are even hidden treasures like Sheriff Stars tucked away that'll earn you even more money. "
G4
http://g4tv.com/games/wii/43463/red-...eel-2-Preview/
"Fantastic swordplay would have been enough, but judging from the couple hours I spent putting the game through its paces, Red Steel 2 fixes and awesome-ups everything about the original. It's just pure, drool-inducing video game fun. Red Steel 2 looks amazing; The shooting game is spot-on, the Wii MotionPlus-exclusive controls are as tight as a rich guy’s fist, the action is frenetic and non-stop, and while there's nothing heavy and "important" here, it's all-out, kickass jaw-dropping action fun... and isn't that what's really important?"
Eurogamer
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/re...ds-on_4?page=1
"The main difference between Red Steel 2 and the original, however, may not be the improved controls so much as the fact that you'll genuinely want to put in the time to master them in the first place. With a sugary rush of missions, dungeons, and upgrades riddled with collectable Sheriff's badges and oddball unlocks, 2010 might just be the year that face buckles finally go mainstream"
Kotaku
http://kotaku.com/5476604/hands+on-s...th-red-steel-2
"Its combination of broad and precise motion, its colorful aesthetic, come together to deliver an experience far more fun than the original Red Steel. Being only about half-way through the title, it's too early to tell if there will be enough of those complex fights and blending of motions to make the game the sort of deep experience I want, or whether the end result will be a game that feels too light, too easy to be satisfying."
Joystiq
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/22/red-steel-2-preview/
"Red Steel 2 may have received a cosmetic makeover from its predecessor, but it's still lacking a key element: fun. Perhaps 2010 will change all that, and I'll be able to enjoy an inspired version of Red Steel 2 ... on my space ship, with my robot buddies "Chuck" and "Max." I can't wait for 2010!
Best of luck,
2009 "
NGamer preview
http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=236506
Consider our expectations slashed. Red Steel 2 takes what you thought you knew and carves it up.
Travelling to Paris to stink up Ubisoft's offices with a MotionPlus-enabled sweat, our three-hour playtest reveals a game quite unlike its forebear.
CUBED 3
http://www.cubed3.com/preview/329/
"Red Steel 2 has come along nicely since it was first shown off at E3 last year . The swordplay mechanics have been refined to the point that - with minor exceptions when performing very broad motions - the game responds perfectly to your actions, resulting in a satisfying and immersive experience. The coalescence of Japanese, Western and modern inspirations into a cohesive visual style is also a treat for the eyes, and especially impressive at a consistent 60 FPS. Worth a look from any self-respecting Wii owner."
Red Steel 2 screens and interview From Wii Italia - yet its in English
http://www.wiitalia.it/2010/03/04/re...erghe/lang/en/
(Red Steel 2 Interview With Roman Campos Oriola GS
Red Steel 2 Video Preview IGN
Three more interviews
"Now, Red Steel 2 is a Wii exclusive and we're not going anywhere with it. This is going to stay Wii exclusive."
Red Steel 2 CVG interview)
All here: http://thevgpress.com/forumtopics/re...0#comment58039
Dev diary video: Taking controls to the next level
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=208tA...er_profilepage
This is really worth watching. 
"We actually shifted to the Lyn Engine, which is internal Ubisoft tech. It's being used for a lot of projects and being developed across multiple platforms, but was originally developed specifically for Wii. We were able to start over with an engine that from the beginning gave us a real head start," said Vandenberghe.
Massive Q and A here with the producer.
http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/t...7/m/7461098867
Badass Mega interview here with lead designer and creative lead
http://www.livewii.fr/article/123537...eel-2.html?c=0
Interview with Lead game designer
http://wii.nintendolife.com/news/200..._campos_oriola
Red Steel 2 Caldera trailer
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ca...-steel-2/61235
Bad Day trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyEmaIhG8fw
Payne trailer
http://media.wii.ign.com/media/867/867131/vids_1.html
Exclusive Red Steel 2 video interview
http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/excl...el-2-interview
E3 2009: Red Steel 2 Hands-on - June 1, 2009, Previews
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/988/988473p1.html
We shoot 'em down and cut 'em up in Ubisoft's gorgeously stylized first-person shooter / sword-fighter sequel.
E3 2009: Red Steel 2 Interview - June 1, 2009, Features
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/989/989002p1.html
The game's creative director explains the story, setting, art style, MotionPlus, and why it all took so long.
Cancelled version pics
http://www.unseen64.net/2009/03/05/r...el-2-wii-beta/
Played the game for about an hour last night.
I generally dont play games for more than an hour each time. That said I can see how reviewers who had to sit there and incessantly play a game from start to finish, in a rush to get the review out. I can see how they got the repetitive complaints.
It's a really strange situation, but assuming you aren't forced to play a game through at high speed for a deadline - and can dip in and out when you want, you wont get those repetitive blues.
Really?
What you see going on with me and FFXIII is a rare, rare, rarity!
Yipe. How many copies do you want Mekere to buy?
Hey, there's only 10 of us with wii's over here.
I just closed 26 btw, and yeah, that was a present to myself. Really enjoying it so far, I'm quite past that point so I won't discuss details and spoilers but I really love the variety of the fighting system, it's right up there with the best beat em ups in my opinion. I hope Ubisoft make more like it, and maybe partner with Lucas Arts for a game
Okay, I guess it is time for my Red Steel impressions.
First some little background info. This Thursday we started training with swords at my ninpo dojo. So it seems suitable that I would give some impressions, given that I have some experience with katana sword techniques.
Okay back to impressions, lets start with the presentation. The graphics obviously look pretty. It really looks like a clash between East and West. You have all the cowboy saloons and all these Tokyo like neon signs. Rolling Tumble weed and Japanese like temples and gardens with giant carp statues. The theme remains the same up until now, but there is still great variety within that theme. The menu's also look very slick and the picture you see before fighting an powerful enemy/mini boss is just awesome.
The technical side is also nice. It runs very smoothly at 60 frames per seconds. It has nice draw distance and the loading times are very manageable. The sound is nothing remarkable and the voices sound like a Saturday morning cartoon. Kinda reminds me of Bravestarr, with the futuristic western theme and the snake, bear, etc techniques. The voice acting is not as bad as some review say, it is fine. The story so far is pretty simple, but again not that bad. Just like a Saturday morning cartoon.
But that is not important, how is the fighting system. Well to be short it is awesome. WM+ allows you to have all the different direction of swings. This is best showcased with the wooden dummies. You can decapitate these dummies with a horizontal attack. Cut them from shoulder from hip with a diagonal attack from either upwards and downwards directions. But you can also slice them horizontally from head to groin, or even better, from groin to head.
You can do fast strikes or more powerful wide strikes. You have 3 different sensitivity settings and relaxed is the best, the other 2 ask you to swing like a loon. Fun but tiring for most of you fatasses. You can block strikes by pressing and holding A. This will block all strikes both horizontal and vertical. But it wont block power strikes from the enemies. A horizontal power strikes needs be blocked by keeping the wiimote pointed to the screen and vertical by blocking it overhead by pointing the wiimote at the side.
Then there are the lock on. Which you should put to manual immediately. You point at an enemy and press and hold "Z". It feels like Prime and Zelda in control. You can use the A button to dash around, just like Zelda and Prime.
The combat begins simple, but soon you earn more moves, and it becomes very varied and awesome. Each of these special attack will cause a status change. For instance a running stab will cause your enemy to fall over. Opening him up for a Zelda like downward stab. But each special attack has a finishing animation. When a enemies has a certain status like fallen over, stunned, or on his knees, you can use a certain special attack to finish the enemies in a brutal and awesome manner. My favourite being, grabbing an enemy by the head with one hand and putting the gun under his chin with the other hand and then pulling the trigger.
Fighting technique is half of the battle system, the enemies are the other half. It begins with stupid weak enemies that are easily dispatched. Then the game introduces other enemies. A dual wielding gun enemies, hammer guy, enemies with armour that requires strong slashes to knock off, robots that are similar to the Metroid Prime 3's flying drones. Enemy encounters take place in enclosed areas. It is not like Okami, you still have enough room to manoeuvres, but there is a forcefield that prevents you to simply run away. If you kill all enemies, you can move on and you energy is recharged.
The game really mixes up the enemy encounters. It throws like 2 brutes 2 gunners and a armoured enemy. Do you take down the gunner first? Or do you get rid of metal head? It keeps changing up, I am now up to the point where enemies block your strikes, causing you to use horizontal strikes when they block sideways and horizontal strikes when they block overhead. Sometimes the enemy encounters are really difficult, like when to hammer guys attack you in a small enclosed area.
The battles are really in your face. You dash from enemy to enemy, hit, block, see a stunned enemy. You quickly stab him. Your sword enters his stomach and life leaves his body and he crumples. You dash back, launch an enemy in the air. Jump after him and knock him down, then slash again to jump on him and stab him in the chest killing him. You really do feel like an agile ninja. Shoot a guy, he kneels over, than a horizontal attack kills him instantly. You see a warning sign, that an enemy is about to attack you from behind. You do the spinning attack and kill him instantly with a backwards stab. So awesome.
That brings us to the final part, level and mission design. The level design is kinda a weird mix between Metroid and a linear experience. You see lots of alternative doors, that you cannot open until you have chosen the correct mission. You always see a green arrow that shows you were to go, but there are side missions that require exploration. The missions are chosen in certain missions hubs, the more you complete the more that level opens up. Until you reach the end of that level and move on to the next level. The game warns you that this is the point of no return, so if you want something to do, go do it.
The level design goes like this. You get a mission to save Tits, I mean Timiko. You succeed, and in her hideout you can accept a missions. You do them and you will reach Jud's hideout and accept another missions, sometimes multiple ones at the same time. One of them is the main missions and the others are the side-missions. Slowly and surely the level opens up until you reach the end of the point of no return. Some missions take place in Zelda like dungeon, but with very simple puzzles. So an Okami like dungeons then.
The side-missions are usually destroy 8 cars, get rid of the wanted posters, find stolen money. little boring, but they do give you money that can be spend upgrading you weapons RE4 style. Exploring the levels required to complete these side-missions, but exploring in itself is enjoyable. The environments look lovely, and there are plenty of things to smash. Bottles, trash cans, telephones, fans, lockers all hide money. Money is sucked towards you Okami style, very addictive and weird. Why is there money hidden in strong liqueur?
But honestly the level design and missions are just excused to get to the awesome battles.
So in short, It is like a mix between a brawler, Metroid and Zelda with an added sprinkle of WM+ awesomeness.
Great:
Theme
Graphics
Battles
Good
Level design
Meh
side missions
story
characters
Bad
It is associated with that crap that is Red Steel 1
conclusion: this is what we have been waiting for when we first saw the unveiling of the Wii. this is the sword fighting game we all want. Striking is not 1-1, but close enough to be effective. Hit is horizontally, then diagonally, then upwards is all possible. Blocking kinda works like a simplified version of real sword fighting. And later on an even learn a parry move. You really do feel like an badass sword fighting samurai cowboy while playing this.