Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #729 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: UBI Soft
• Released on: 2006-12-08
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Platform: Nintendo Wii

Amazon.co.uk Review

In a nutshell:
Fight against armed gangs in both the U.S. and Japan in this brand new first person actioner from the publishers of Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell. Master both guns and swords as you play through the bloodiest game yet on the Wii.

The lowdown:
One of the biggest third party games announced exclusively for the Wii, this is also the first proper first person shooter for the new console. You use the nunchuck controller to move around and the Wii remote to aim your weapons with real precision (the game even knows when you’re holding a gun sideways, gangsta style). When using a sword the motion sensors in the nunchuck are used to block and you can slash away with the Wii remote. The graphics aren’t massively more impressive than a good GameCube game but the seedy Japanese back streets and giant explosions look great and the artificial intelligence for enemies is already quite a challenge.

Most exciting moment:
The game features an ability to called freeze tagging which allows you to slow down time and “tag” enemy body parts with the Wii remote. When you switch back to normal time you can take down each enemy you tagged instantly.

Since you ask:
As seen at E3 the sword controls do not respond exactly to the movements you make with the Wii remote, for example moving the remote up actually causes a downward thrust. Following complaints though Ubisoft have promised to change things for the final game.

The bottom line:
The Wii gets violent with the next gen’s only first person sword fighter.
HARRISON DENT

Manufacturer's Description
Red Steel is an exclusive Wii launch title that takes full advantage of the console's innovative controller and puts players directly into the action-packed first-person experience with the weapon in their hand literally.

An engaging storyline unfolds as you learn that your fiancée has been kidnapped and her father a Japanese mafia kingpin murdered by a rival gang. The only way to save your loved one and defend your honor is to journey from Los Angeles to Japan and confront the Tokyo underworld.

By learning the ancient art of Japanese fighting with your katana and the focused precision of modern firearms, you will progress and adapt yourself to this foreign environment, where skills alone may not guarantee you victory.

Customer Reviews

Some good, if flawed fun...
Red Steel...hmmm I didn't know what to make of this - to sum it up quickly it would be a 2.5 star game on any other console, but is somewhat enhanced by the Wii control system. The story- not original, presentation and graphics - not pushing the boundaries. Its fun and worth a cheap punt because its what the Wii does best, adds a new depth to games through the controls. The sword fighting is intresting and fun (if random and swings are un realated to your actual physical movements), the shooting bits get some intresting features (like holding remote closer to sensor to zoom). Its well worked, but could be done alot better...but a very good attempt - a reworked sequel would be very intresting. Buy this for £15-20 and you'll have a good buy and a fair bit of fun on your hands

AMAZINGLY COOL FPS!
This game is not only the best fps on the wii, but also one of the greatist fps EVER.(Yes, even better then Call of Duty 4). Brillint controls and stunning sword move makes this insane game even cooler. For the first part of the game you fight japanish thugs and american chavs(seriously). You get all kinds of guns ranging from uzis to shotguns, sniper rifels to assult rifels. But the best weapon in the game is also the smallist, the gernade! Holding 'down' on the wii 'mote's control pad makes you hold the gernade(only if you have them though!) then you can either 'throw' the nunchuck to lob an gernade or flick the nunchuck up to roll it along the ground!

all in all, a must have if your looking for a great fps, with a mix of sword fighting. BUY THIS NOW

A Bit Of A Mixed Bag...
This is a divisive game, if there ever was one. For every positive aspect of the game, it seems to provide you with another negative one. So, let's get those negative ones out of the way first. There's the average character animation, the insipid dialogue, some frustrating controls, the disappointingly repetitive swordfights, the way it all plays out like a cheap b-movie - you just cant help the feeling it's all a little RUSHED.

But still, throughout all this, it still manages to be a fun and compulsive gaming experience. The levels aren't particularly long, and so you're always left wanting a bit more. You may never get completely used to the controls, but if you can just about crack the aiming, you're fine. The destructible environments are a good laugh, and the multiplayer, whilst a bit empty, still proves itself to be a fairly worthwhile experience.

VERDICT: A fairly average shoot 'em up that could've used a bit more work.