Steeling Third

I have posted concerning two of my game purchases at Wii launch, but what of the third? What of Ubisoft's controversial FPS, Red Steel?

Truth be told, I wavered a bit during the months leading up to Wii Day where this one is concerned. Early images, videos and reports made me thirsty for this title, because of the sheer level of style and also many control innovations brought to the game.

Then, the Game Developers Conference and E3 hit last Spring, and the press pretty much panned (sorry for the aliteration) the game, citing poor controls and somewhat sketchy graphics. I removed Red Steel from my pre-order list, but some lingering hope remained, as Ubisoft promised that they were still tweaking the controls.

As launch day drew near, reports of a near-final build came out, and the press renewed my hope that Red Steel would be a worthwhile purchase. Ubisoft had indeed re-worked the control scheme, to better represent sword movement and to offer three levels of aim sensetivity. I promptly put the $5 deposit back down to own the game at launch.

Now that I own the game and am playing through it, I am happy to report that I feel my hope was justified. I know that some members of the media have continued to decry this game as 'broken' and 'unfinished', but I just cannot agree. Even some of my friends, who tried the game out without a purchase, told me they were disappointed, but I have truly found it enjoyable, engaging and well-designed, for the most part.

Here is the breakdown:

1. Style - Red Steel is oozing style. The visual presentation of the game, from the menus to the in-game graphics, speak Japanese Action Movie. Ubisoft stated early on that they would set out to make this game from the viewpoint of the "Gaijin", the outsider, as they view Japanese culture, and I think they have succeeded. The whole concept of the Yakuza is foreign to us Westerners, and this is well illustrated by the story. Although there isn't tremendous depth in the plot or the characters, this is an action game, not an RPG, so I have no complaints. The greatest use of style, I think, is in the environments. While not the most interactive or destructible, many of the areas you encounter are beautifully designed and make excellent use of lighting, texture and color.


2. Play - Though there have been gripes about the control scheme in Red Steel, I have to give Ubisoft props; they took a huge risk and developed an original game for Wii launch, using a control scheme that is new and untested by the masses. That is no small feat, and the benefits are already evident, as they are releasing their second Wii FPS this week, Far Cry: Vengeance. Early reports are that Vengeance improves dramatically on Red Steel's controls, so as an excersize in development, Red Steel is already a success. Most players will need a few minutes playtime to get adjusted to Red Steel's controls. Sometimes the aim will go a bit buggy, and your character will spin in place if you accidentally aim off screen. This is an oversight, but not so vast that it detracts from the game experience. Aside from this, I find the FPS control to be very responsive and sensetive. The sword control, however, needs a bit more work. When fighting a Yakuza, I have no trouble at all parrying attacks with my short sword (unlike many members of the press, apparently), but I did have trouble early on with the long sword. I did check out an option to change the sword control from long strokes to short ones, and I have done much better since.


3. Versus - On Thanksgiving I had the chance to try 4 player versus out, as my brother had brought two more Wiimote/Nunchuck combos with him. The verdict was a bit divided, as the other guys playing had never laid hands on Red Steel before. Some were aiming wildly all over the place, others were struggling with strafing and turning. We played several matches, and when everyone was finally getting used to the control, it started to get fun. I read one comment in a review that the multiplayer is reminiscent of Goldeneye 64, and I have to agree, except without the bad framerate, and no bots. There are fun character choices, decent level design and just overall mayhem. The thing that stands out the most to me is "Killer" mode. This is the unique mode in Red Steel where your remote rings like a phone and you receive a unique objective. I didn't know that everyone's remote would ring, and that it would continue several times throughout the match! This makes for a pretty cool new way to play, although I think it does need some work.

So, there you have it; Red Steel isn't my favorite game on Wii, but I still recommend it to anyone who wants a decent FPS with a fun multiplayer mode. Controls are somewhat on the rough side, but I can forgive that in a first-gen launch title. I think FPS will only get better from here on out...