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Red Steel

EMAIL PRINT wii

7.0 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 54 critic reviews
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Based on 89 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Paris

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter, Action

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 14, 2006

Summary

Red Steel is set in modern-day Japan. Players master both the ancient art of the katana and the sophisticated technology of modern firearms taking advantage of the emotion and immersive gameplay possible only with the Wii's unique controller. As the story unfolds, your fiancee has been kidnapped and her father - a Japanese mafia kingpin - murdered by a rival gang. The only way to save your loved one is to journey from Los Angeles to Japan and confront the Tokyo underworld. You'll replicate sword-fighting movements and eliminate enemies quickly by directly targeting with the Wii controller and shooting them. Execute deadly combo moves using multiple swords or choose from a variety of firearms for longer-range attacks. Learn to harness your mental power to unleash powerful attacks in dire situations, and use the "focus system" to freeze time and effectively target several enemies at once. Learn the art of Japanese fighting, and then use these skills to take out your enemies or gain their respect and loyalty by sparing them. Challenge friends with various split-screen multiplayer modes to see who the real master is. [Ubisoft]

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What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Clearly designed with the hardcore gamer in mind. It's slick, addictive and as close to "cool" as a game can get. [Christmas 2006, p.68]

NGamer UK

It's liquid movement... A massive improvement on previous console FPS control... Not only making excellent use of the Wii's controllers, this is huge fun in its own right. For a launch title to get so much right is an indicator of great things to come. [Dec 2006, p.70]

Play Magazine

What makes Red Steel shine is a mixture of slick graphic novel-style cut-scenes, deft use of the hardware(reflection maps abound)and its wonderfully orchestrated gun and sword play. [Jan. 2007, p.48]

Computer and Video Games

It's a superb shooter with a great plot, innovative gameplay and some really brilliant moments that will surprise even the most seasoned of gamer. It's a decent length too, with a good 15 hours of play in the main mode. But some control issues and patchy inconsistencies (mainly in the physics and level design) pull it short of earning that juicy [90] score.

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Nintendo Power

Not only is there a lot of game to enjoy in Red Steel; it's a great jumping-off point for Wii development. [Jan. 2007, p.106]

PALGN

Red Steel is an achievement both in its own extremely playable right, but also as a benchmark that other developers must meet - and hopefully exceed.

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GameZone

Those who do not wish to hold up their controllers and have the patience to learn a new control style will not be enthused. Give the game the time it deserves, however, and you’ll find that, in spite of its repetition, this is one very cool and exciting shooter.

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Console Gameworld

It is a fun and skilled gamer experience that requires some learning and patience. You will enjoy Red Steel the first time around, but I don’t see any space for replayability value.

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Games Master UK

Some clever ideas and enjoyable moments, inside an average (but solid enough) shooter. [Christmas 2006, p.78]

GameTrailers

It’s a game like no other, but it takes a great deal of patience before you’re able to truly enjoy it.

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eToychest

There are still some minor control issues, and the game is still incredibly inconsistent in terms of visual acuity, but in spite of this Red Steel is still an unquestionably fun game to play.

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Cheat Code Central

You won't confuse a Red Steel with "Gears of War" or "Resistance: Fall of Man," but it’s clear that the Wii has some power in its corner.

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Game Informer

Most of Red Steel’s faults lie with the game’s presentation. Enemies shout annoying obscenities in your direction during every firefight, the cheesy score is bad enough to incite chuckles, and the jaggy graphics look worse than many Xbox and PlayStation 2 games.

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VGPub

Red Steel simply screams that it's a rushed launch game, which is a shame. The game has a stylish presentation and a unique premise that, with another months of development time and polish, could of worked well.

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N-Insanity

I'm rather disgusted with all those other media establishments and their unfair razing of what's a truly decent game. Again, it's not perfect, and will likely frustrate the hell out of you at some points. But try to work through that and give Red Steel a chance, you may find a hidden layer of entertainment that those guys apparently didn't.

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Pelit (Finland)

The level design is a little boring and the sword fighting should have been much more intuitive. The game seems to have been rushed for the Wii launch. [Jan 2007]

GamerNode

Red Steel is a good first try for Ubisoft in the arena of Wii shooting games, and the new, unique experience of actually being physically involved with the in-game action may be all that is needed to overcome some of the weaker aspects of the title for some gamers.

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Gamestyle

Once the final credits roll and only the memories of your experiences remain, underneath the oddly coloured skin of different environments, controls, and concepts, Red Steel is very much a first person shooter like all those other 'normal' first person shooters.

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Thunderbolt

It's not the best use of the motion controls, as it's really just an extension of the previously standard dual-analog controller. It's among the prettiest games on the Wii, and has a fun, if tacked on, multiplayer component.

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Worth Playing

If you demand your A.I. to be spot-on and choose cover that isn't made up of boxes of grenades, or if you get annoyed easily by not quite having the timing right to trigger pre-recorded sword combos, then maybe you should sit out this rather imperfect – but fun – FPS for the Wii after all.

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GameBrink

The final big problem for Red Steel is its learning curve. You have to use the Wiimote + Nunchuk together in motion and in button pressing. This can lead most seasoned gamers to be thrown off for a good hour before picking things up. And with a short length of only 9ish hours, it’s a learning curve I’m not sure many will be willing to go for.

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The New York Times

Playing with the controller is so much fun that it takes a while to realize that the game is pretty unexceptional. You basically run into a room, shoot a bunch of guys and do that again and again. There are some nice ideas, like a shootout in a car wash, but for the most part this is a conventional, predictable shooter.

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My Gamer

Yeah, the game feels unfinished, but it gives a good impression of what the future of First Person Shooters is capable of on the Wii.

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Da Gameboyz

The main selling feature of this game, the control, has some really great ideas, however this time around they were not fully realized and the promises of great wii-mote control just never fully panned out.

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AtomicGamer

This one simply has almost no replay value and its action isn't as refined as I expected it to be.

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Extreme Gamer

Red Steel is one of the most interesting and ambitious launch titles for the Wii, and even though it doesn't provide a flawless experience, it's still fun.

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GamePro

It's buggy and unevenly presented, which spoils what fun there is to be had. However, it did give me a taste of how FPS games can and will change on the Wii, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the genre will play out in the future.

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Gaming Nexus

It blazes a lot of new trails but doesn’t make much headway, and the traditional shooter elements aren’t done very well. The multiplayer really needs more depth, but hopefully the inevitable sequel will do it better, because I can’t imagine playing deathmatch very long with the controls as they are.

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Nintendic

What Red Steel has achieved in its mildly clumsy and visually under-whelming way, is to have laid down the promising foundations that not only prove that the FPS genre can and will work on Nintendo’s console, but also that the Wii can be much more than a glorified ‘mini-game machine’.

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AceGamez

Sadly, positives such as the great audio are counterbalanced and often outweighed by missed opportunities and poorly executed gameplay mechanics. This leaves a game with a great concept and a few innovative ideas that sadly leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

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Eurogamer

It has inspired moments and a substantial single-player venture, but the whole thing is undermined by the terrible presentation and the all-permeating impression that Red Steel isn't quite finished, from the story-board-sketch cut-scenes to the jerky animation and weird, basic, placeholder textures.

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NintendoWorldReport

The overall gameplay in Red Steel would have been much better if it had just focused on the shooting part and dumped the swordplay. Most of the game's controls are not very intuitive. There's nothing special about the game's story or its gameplay, either.

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G4 TV

The enemies almost seem to know you’re at a disadvantage, control-wise. They’re far from the brightest opponents, often standing around seemingly bored when they have clear shots at you. This does keep things from becoming frustrating, but in this era of challenging AI in games like "FarCry" and "Gears of War," Red Steel can sometimes feel like a throwback.

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Games Radar (in-house)

An average run-and-gunner that wouldn’t deserve a second look if it weren’t for its use of Wii’s unique controls. Pacing is horrible, with levels constantly being interrupted by overblown dialogue.

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Digital Entertainment News

It's a decent FPS, with great (for the system) graphics and audio, and makes for a decently enjoyable run, although it's only worth making the run once. Rent it first.

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Boomtown

The visual swagger of Red Steel is that of a been there, done that affair.

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IGN

It nails everything except gameplay control, which is absolutely and indisputably the most important factor. It's especially unfortunate because the game's aiming sensitivity is fine.

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Nintendojo

Red Steel's FPS control style is superior to a standard console controller, but that's a credit to the Wii, not the game; Red Steel does its best to ruin what the system provides.

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GameSpot

Red Steel introduces a promising control scheme both for shooting thugs and for slashing them with samurai swords, but wraps it in a buggy, thoroughly unimpressive game.

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Kombo

Unfortunately, Red Steel was built on the premise that the controls would bring a new level of immersive gameplay and fun never before seen in the genre. This was never truly delivered and in turn has done more harm to the game then aid.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

Once you strip away the nifty new controls, you're left with a flawed shooter that does nothing I haven't seen a million times. [Jan. 2007, p.62]

WHAM! Gaming

Thanks to clunky gameplay and having been recently spoilt by unbelievably detailed environments on competing platforms, with more than passable gameplay to boot, Red Steel, despite its novel approaches feels anything but next generation.

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Gaming Age

A pretty average game. If Ubisoft would have delayed the game and worked a little more on the controls and making sure stuff doesn’t explode because of a sword slash, the game would have been a lot better.

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GameShark

What can’t be overlooked though is the poor dialogue and voice acting, which ranges from stereotypical to absurd.

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games(TM)

For every moment of satisfaction, there's an equal moment of frustration to match it. It's probably just as well for Ubisoft that the novelty of Nintendo's Wii Remote will carry Red Steel as a launch title. [Christmas 2006, p.110]

Edge Magazine

It's easy to over-rate launch titles thanks to the shock of the new, doubly so when the control scheme is as interesting as this one, but at its heart Red Steel is just another lever-pulling trawl through big rooms and S-shaped corridors. [Christmas 2006, p.77]

Deeko

Horrible graphics - even by Gamecube standards - and a lousy presentation make this game something you'll be ashamed to show your friends.

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1UP

Don't be fooled into thinking Red Steel reinvents the FPS. It's nothing more than a ho-hum shooter with a creative but flawed gimmick stapled on.

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GameCritics

Although it acts as a wonderful selling point for anyone considering developing an FPS for the Wii, Red Steel is too much of an unsatisfying tease to succeed as much else.

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Armchair Empire

A huge disappointment. The general concept is decent, but the game never evolves past that. The controls are frustrating, and the aesthetic / story of the game is such a yawn fest that only those with tremendous patience will be able to persevere for more than ten minutes at a time.

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Yahoo! Games

The swordfights, which seem to promise the ability to jump around and swing your Wiimote like a living room ninja, are a profound disappointment.

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GameSpy

It's a broken, buggy game, and if the statement about learning curves were true, it would still take far too long to gain wings before the average gamer would grow disenfranchised. The game feels completely rushed to retail in time for the launch.

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VideoGamer

Sadly, Red Steel is nothing more than a rushed launch title that will inevitably end up in bargain bins across the globe, and that's unfortunate. Why? Because Red Steel has a ton of potential.

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Game Revolution

A time machine that only goes backwards to the age when a glut of no-name shooters clogged the shelves.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 89 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

T K gave it an8:
I just rented this game and have been playing it for about an hour. In that short time playing i thought it was great. It's like a modern Driv3r for PS2 with ninjas. The only problem is that the ememies can't shut up! You'll be in a gunfight with a bunch of guys and the whole time you are being showered with "I'll get you!' "You're a dead man!" "What the hell?" "You'll regret that!" "Murderer!". It gets annoying very fast, and all of the excesive swearing will turn away parents of younger gamers.

Jason H. gave it a6:
This game is not very fun. I thought that the cut scenes were just really tacky, and the story didn't motivate me at all. There's a MAJOR flaw in the aiming ability, which I'm surprised was over looked. Aiming with out close up (zooming in and out was terrible) was fine: just point and shoot. However, if you're a distance away, and you want to aim up close, the stupid game auto targets, making it difficult to shoot the enemies you want to shoot. Aside from that, the graphics when not in a cut scene are great (weird huh?), and people can be shot through the tiniest of crack. Also, the AI are pretty smart.

Andrew M. gave it an8:
Similar in structure to 'Medal of Honour' style shooters, where you wander from scene to scene blasting away at anything that moves. If you get hit, hide for a while and you'll be back to full fitness. The addition of sword fighting makes good use of the Wii controls and the Yakusa storyline gives it a nice twist on the genre - you will do better in the game if you spare your opponents' lives! It's available cheap, particularly pre-owned, and I'd say well worth the money.

Frank O. gave it a7:
one word: solid It's not the best game I've played in my life, but by far not the worst. It has its problems: some bugs which should've been fixed and strange swordfight. But: It was a launch title and therefore you should find it on your bargain desk. The solo-campaign took me about 10 hours alone that should be worth the money. At then there is a really fun split-screen-multiplayer-mode. My friends picked up the controls easily in 15 minutes and then the real fun began! Give it a try, I wasn't dissapointed

Vaise C. gave it a10:
Ok, First of all...To all you who say "Ohh The Aim is to Sensitive!" Theres something called the OPTIONS MENU! YOu can adjust the sensitivity..The game is Awesome...It was the First FPS game for the wii .. I think...So if it does bad..Dont hate...If you say it "SUCKS" Well thats pretty much your opinion...People who dont like the game..Are not hardcore gamers like myself..I play any game..i can beat...And believe me..I baught the game Teletubbies for PS1 And beat it. If your not a hardcore gamer.....Get Games maybe like..Half life 2...or...I dont know....But RedSteel...Is a very Amazing Game...The story line is Old School "Kidnappes GirlFriend rescue" BUt theres lots of twists to the story also..What makes the game even more amazing is the fact that when i was thinking i finished the game..The game suprised me with Missions you can do optionally...The funnest and wackiest one being the fun house mission...If your going to say its hard to control...Then your not an aivid Wii Gamer..I suggest you go be a lazy Person and pick up a 360 controller...Because I have played them all...Because im a VERY hardcore gamer..And if you wanna hate the graphics..in my opinion..they are VERY good for a Virtual Shooting Game...Shizamn.

Scott S. gave it a7:
What can I say...I have mixed feelings for this game. The best things about this game are the graphics (which at times can look really nice), sound effects and music (top notch) and the general gameplay of the gunfights is very fun and feels like you're in an action movie with all the destructible environments. Despite all this there are a tonne of bad things about the game which brings it down. The story is extremely bland & boring and is too much effort to try and keep up with it. The Japanese theme doesn't work and is just corny. I would have preferred some gang story in the USA instead (even if a little less original). The voice acting is atrocious simply because this game was made by non Japanese (ie the french) and so most of the dialogue involves ppl trying to imitate Japanese accent which at times sounds Chinese (I'm Japanese I can tell). Every time they spoke about something I wanted to skip it cause it was just too much of a chore to listen to it but it wouldn't let me. One of the other major annoyances is the swordfights which is absolute rubbish. It's repetitive, frustrating and unresponsive and is so tacked onto the game that I would like to skip it completely if I could...it's that bad. The actual aiming and moving around problem everyone mentions isn't THAT bad. It's not the best cause you have to move to far to the edge to turn. It takes a long time to get used to but once you're pretty used to it, you'll be able to play pretty well. I really like the gunfights cause the destructible environments and great sound effects and music create an exciting atmosphere, however the controls can hinder you when you're frantically trying to move quickly. If you buy this game, give it a go. I turned it off after an hour of first playing thinking 'omg this is so bad..I'm selling it' but I came back to it the next day and managed to find it's strengths despite its many weaknesses and after 10 hours managed to finish the game. The story, voices/voice acting and swordfights are so bad that it will test your patience. Just hope that the sequel will be set in the west, won't revolve around Japanese (since non Japanese are making it and don't know how to make it), improve the swordfights and controls and actually include blood and gore (which was lacking)..........only then might the game be a great game overall. Atm it's an average game with some great gunfights brought down by a load of mess. I give it a 7 and that's being generous.

Brian M. gave it a9:
This game might have occasionally frustrating swordplay and sometimes repetitive gameplay, but by no means does that mean it's not fun to play. It's shocking to see some of the very low scores this game is getting. It deserves a 7 at the very least. Anything lower than that is madness.

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