Published by: Ubisoft
Developed by: Ubisoft Paris (France)
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Number of Players: 1-4
Release Date: November 19, 2006

For many, Red Steel was the first Wii game they ever saw. It was also the only one to be shown before E3 2006. Well, a lot has changed and now this game is out. Is it really what we though it would be.

The story isn't to complex. Your Scott you is about to be married to the daughter of a yakuza big shot. Well, in an assassination attempt you get thrown in the middle,m and your girlfriend is captured. The story wont win any merits, but out works.

The main draw is that your playing an FPS with the Wiimote. You move it across the screen to aim and with the B trigger shoot. There some other functionalities. If you see a green hand over objects then you can move the knunchuk to effect these. This action(bringing it down) will also pick up weapons and reload your weapon. It can be annoying at time, trying to reload on top of a weapon, but it works overall. Don't forget you can hold your gun sideways, gangster style.

True Gangsta

The wiimote controls are good, but at the same time suck. With the wiimote its a lot easier to aim and you'll find that getting head shots is a lot easier. This will also make sniping enemies much easier; however, the controls can be bothersome as well. The game will sometimes suffer as the cursor will jerk, and if you move the remote off screen you'll be caught in a spin. You'll find making 180 turns can be hazards. Also, in long play sessions you may end up with hand cramps.

Overall, the game is very basic in the shotting category. For the most part, its run and gun until the end of the level. The game does get broken up later with a focus move that lets you shoot the weapons from your foes hands. This adds a bit more strategy, but overall, its strickly run and gun.

What helps this title is the sword fights, which also break up the repedative gun gameplay. These fights may not be as fast paced as the gun play, but they are handled well. You swing the wiimote to attack, and use the knunchuk to parry. There a large depth in how you wish to fight as there is a lot to do, such as special moves and the ability to break foes swords. When you defeat your foe, you are given the choice to spare him or kill him. I know its been done before, but it doesn't mean its bad.

Sword fights one of of Red Steel's major draws and they work well.

The graphics in the original shots were amazing, but there aren't as much. The core graphics are well stylized and look great, but once you dig deeper, there quite dull. A lot of things have a flat look to them, and faces are a tad off. Although exxplosions are pretty

Ohhhhh, pretty fire graphics.

Sound, on the other hand, is amazing. The music in the game is largely varied and will pick up when the heats on. The true winner is the sound. The sound effects are beautiful, and are leaps and bounds belong other games. The wiimote speaker also helps with reloads and shots being heard from the palm of your hand.

There is also multi player here as well. Like the main game, its basic. Shot you foe, yadda yadda yadda. There is also a lack in game modes as theres only free for all, team and mission. Theres also only four stages to boot. There is a nice feature that allows each player a bonus(double damage, health or ammo) thats can be activated when you let of enough shots on your adversaries. Luckily, it all works well with four screens, and you be able to control fine. This mode is lax, but can be good if you need a quick fix.

Closing Statement
This game is a basic FPS at best. The wiimote controls are fine, but at the same time, cumbersome. Overall, its hit and miss. The sword fighting and other controls help save the title, but the control problems are too much. Theres good potential here, but it feels Red Steel didn't turn out as we had hoped for.
Overall 3/5

Overview
Game play-The wiimote controls work, but are cumbersome at times 3/5
Graphics/presentation-Good graphics at first, but a somewhat lack of detail 3/5
Music/Sound-Great, wide verity of music and unrivaled sound effects 4/5
Longevity-About ten hours long and there not much to it, save a lax multilayer 2.5/5

Pros
+Strong use of wiimote functions
+Aiming is easier
+Large depth in sword fights
+Amazing sound effects

Cons
-Cumbersome controls
-Basic gameplay
-Little detail in graphics
-lax multiplayer

Should I buy this?
If you just want a shooter, then go ahead. As long as you don't care about depth, then Red Steel is for you. It also has some similarities to Goldeneye for the N64 so fans may be comfortable with this.