“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/
Its like metroid prime only with a sword rather than a gun. And metroid prime based its combat on zelda.
Give red steel 2 some intricate environmental puzzles and you're there.
That only will transform a day one in a " let's see lots of review first"
I pre-ordered it yesterday on amazon because it was a good deal considering it basically packed in motionplus for free. My curiosity will get the better of me so I know I will get this. I just hope no shocking reviews come out before then.
Are you going to hang around the NEWS pages Mekere for the nintendo summit in about an hour? There's a large comments section where everyone usually hangs out under all the news that's posted.
Yeah you're right, we need to find a live feed. I'm going to jump back into the news page.
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.
Just as Yakuza lop off pinkies, so the knife is taken to Red Steel's digits - the zeroes and ones of the original code. Bar the sword and gun combo, everything you loved about the first game - the corridors, the other corridors, those last few corridors - has been sliced off.
Try this on for size: Red Steel 2 isn't really an FPS. Sure, it's in first person and you shoot, but bullets are just a fraction of a sprawling combat system. Barmy as it sounds, DNA is shared with the third-person action of a Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden.
Just as the brains at Retro Studios squeezed perfect platforming into Metroid Prime's first-person view, so Ubisoft plonk you inside the eyes of a melee master. Where Samus was a jetpack-powered hoverfly, Red Steel 2's protagonist - the nameless Swordsman - picks darting athleticism. Yes, he borrows Samus' sidestep, but only to bolster his repertoire of viper-fast strikes.
A fight is entirely different to a shoot-out - just ask wavy sword guy from Raiders Of The Lost Ark.2 Fighting suggests an exchange, a graceful dance. In Red Steel 2 gunnery is one answer to a multiple-choice question: how the hell do I survive this? Enemies appear. Invisible barriers lock you in (don't worry, arenas are roomy). Up pops a health bar. No regeneration, it exists for one fight only - next fight, you get a shiny new one. Squint and this is almost a beat-'em-up health system.
A fight is entirely different to a shoot-out - just ask wavy sword guy from Raiders Of The Lost Ark.2 Fighting suggests an exchange, a graceful dance. In Red Steel 2 gunnery is one answer to a multiple-choice question: how the hell do I survive this? Enemies appear. Invisible barriers lock you in (don't worry, arenas are roomy). Up pops a health bar. No regeneration, it exists for one fight only - next fight, you get a shiny new one. Squint and this is almost a beat-'em-up health system.
BRINGING A SWORD TO A GUNFIGHT
Sword deflects bullets, shrinking your area of concern to those in arm's length. Crowd control is key, mixing weapons to keep groups at bay and constantly moving to find the best angle of attack.
Here's where MotionPlus earns its keep.3 Moving the remote and seeing the blade tilt and twist is all very lovely, but the magic lies in its swiftness. That you can swing the remote to draw your sword without your view veering horribly out of whack - as it does in almost every other remote-waggling FPS - offers two simultaneous weapon schemes. Swapping between guns and swords is so fast you can stitch together blade and bullets as you see fit. It'll never match the arcade precision of a button, but when did a button let you pretend to gut a man? Precisely.
A 360 spin shunts nearby attackers. BAM. A shotgun punch snags the back-up off his feet. POP. The pistol catches his faraway friend. SHWICK. You're driving the blade into stunned goons still picking themselves up from the spin. Combat is flexible, fast and frenetic, enlivened with flashes of cartoon style and slow-mo for the cool bits. Slow motion enables moves that would be impossible in real-time. Slash a man skywards with an upward swipe and Father Time sits back, stretches his legs and lets you plug the flying meatbag with multiple shots. Realism be damned.
A BEAUTIFUL FINISH
Catch any good action game having a mid-beating breather and it'll tell you that flash is meaningless without functionality. Look past the sparks and screams and Red Steel's outlandish moves bring all kinds of strategies to the table. Take 'the Rush'. Triggered by holding A and stabbing forward, this lurching thrust violently pokes tummy buttons. It not only turns an outy into an inny, it's also an escape strategy, carving a corridor through circling vultures. Likewise, the swirling 360 Storm is a reverse stab into any chump sneaking up behind.
Most sword techniques double as finishing moves if executed in the correct context. Perform the Rush on a stunned opponent and you'll dash in to grind your sword under his ribs. The Guillotine - an aerial chop and (as the American creative director jokes) the one concession to the French devs - lets you kebab grounded foes to the floor. Worked into grand combos they're pace-quickening tactics; apply them to a group of stunned men and the sight of a blade methodically stabbing each one to death seems almost cruel.
Bloodless it may be, but Red Steel 2 still feels ferocious. Claret or not, gouging a stomach is gouging a stomach. Cel-shading blurs the ines, too. Powerful slashes tear colour across the screen - it could almost be a bloody geyser gushing from the target. Weighty hits are emphasised with a gutsy sound mix you wouldn't mess with. Red Steel composer Tom Salta cracks out his bom-bom-bomming Japanese drums; swords shriek and crackle with energy; the lowliest pistol explodes like a nuke.
SWORDSMAN ON A MISSION
Let the blood/ink settle and you go shopping. Hey, even mysterious strangers need retail therapy. Red Steel 2 develops the first game's hint of a hub system with levels branching out from safe houses. Stages echo Metroid Prime's networks of rooms linked with corridors (and long door-opening animations to hide the load). At the heart of each is a shop/ forge (see 'Argh-os Catalogue', right) exchanging nasty poking techniques for your hard-stabbed greenbacks. Yes, the more brutal your takedowns, the more money spills from their pockets.
Safe houses dish out missions and most play out in the sizeable hubs. Bandits need pacifying, beacons reactivating and trucks exploderising. To spice up the linear hub design - step back and they're clearly fight arenas connected by doors - the devs decorate them as they see fit. On one run-through a stage is flooded with hammer-wielding bandits; next time there's a fleet of trucks to detonate. Just as repetition sets in you wave goodbye and make the one-way trip to the next area.
Levels also lead to self-contained offshoots. The team refer to these prongs as dungeons, but only for want of a better word. Don't expect Zelda's epic tests but quirky rucking spaces. Linear in design they see some old clichés surface (hit two switches to activate a door), but they also enable scenarios not possible in freeform hubs. One bathhouse stage slowly floods with steam, for example, hiding wannabe assassins until the moment they strike. Another plonks the Swordsman on an industrial elevator as flying robo-drones attack - a rare bit of straight FPS-ery.
Only one scene jars with the others: a quick-time event. Only it's not a real quick-time event, but a pre-rendered cinematic (complete with cruddy video artefacts) with button cues on top. Come on, Ubisoft, we're not stupid - Dragon's Lair by any other name would smell just as stinky. The moment in question sees the Swordsman get hit by a truck then struggle to cling on and climb in. Red Steel 2 ably nails first-person physicality elsewhere, so why does it resort to cheap video tricks?
And we have a few questions regarding difficulty. Maybe we hoarded gold a little too efficiently and bought enough moves to outpace the difficulty curve, but our three hours were a bit of a pushover. That said, we played on lazy-boy setting with the swing sensitivity set at 'relaxed' (letting us dish out thwacks with minimal flail) - and we've yet to try 'Ninja' difficulty. Can Red Steel 2 dredge up a challenge worthy of the power it puts in your hands?
Next month's review will fill in the gaps, but until then, one thing's for sure: violent without being violent, an FPS that's not an FPS, Red Steel 2 defies expectations
Preview
http://www.cubed3.com/preview/329/
VandenBerghe astutely describes Red Steel 2 as a "physical skill" that requires a lot of practise and a learning style that differs from most button-based games. Getting players proficient enough with the sword mechanics to be able to use them fluently during combat is no easy task; it requires a hefty dose of tutorials and good deal of repetition. Each new skill is accompanied by a training session and a video demonstration (research showed that attractive female + white top + black background = attention grabber) for extra reinforcement.
Thankfully swordplay is feeling more fluid than ever, preventing the necessary evil of tutorials from becoming too chore-like. Ubisoft has really put the Wii MotionPlus to good use, doing away almost entirely with the unfortunate trait of many Wii games to fail to recognise certain gestures, or recognise those that weren’t intended. Other than the occasional exception when dealing with stronger attacks that require very broad swings, the current build of Red Steel 2 is incredibly responsive and not the least bit frustrating.
Despite the 1:1 mapping possible with the Wii MotionPlus (which is shown off in a number of areas — including sword brandishing) the actual strikes you will be using are limited. While the game might recognise the 79 degree angle at which you’re swinging, it’s still going count it as a vertical strike as far as combos are concerned. While this might sound disappointing, it actually makes for far more enjoyable combat — and it doesn’t force you to be a professional swordsman in order to play successfully.
It also allows you to efficiently tie moves together to create stylish combos (which earn you additional funds for upgrades, discussed below). Combos aren’t limited to just the sword either. One particularly satisfying combos involves shooting an opponent in the knee before finishing with a sword blow, while another allows you to finish a weakened foe with a point-blank shot to the head. The game’s teen 16+ rating might rule out blood and gore, but there is more than enough cell-shaded violence to go around.
Levels in Red Steel 2 are divided into two categories: dungeon-style levels and hub levels. The former, as the name suggests, are linear and battle-centric while the latter offer opportunities for exploration and NPC interaction. The hub levels are also a great excuse to admire the game’s gorgeous backdrops — which incorporate Japanese, western, and modern influences — as well hunt down hidden goodies, annihilate a wealth of destructible objects - "I'm a big a fan of the Zelda grass-cutting gameplay," says Jason - and spend some time in safe houses.
The latter allow you to purchase brand new weapons — such as the fabulously deadly Shotgun and Tommy Gun — as well as ammo and timing window improvements, not to mention increasingly swanky armour, and all-new sword attacks. Safe houses also serve as an interface for interacting with the game's key NPCs in order to initiate story missions, or accept optional side quests — kill x number of y, treasure hunts, etc. — to earn yourself extra money. With so much available for purchase, there's an additional incentive to complete tutorials which also earn you money.