Metareview: Red Steel
by David Hinkle 
{ Nov 20th 2006 at 12:55PM }
Looks like the game did not recover from its less-than-stellar showing at E3. With two of the three largest game reviewing outlets slapping the game silly in their reviews, are we to believe the game is that bad? What do you fine and intelligent readers who picked the game up already say?
- Gamespot - 55%: "Red Steel isn't completely devoid of merit, but it's a half-baked, buggy game that feels rushed and poorly executed. There's a good concept in here somewhere, as a swords-and-guns shooter pitting you against yakuza villains certainly seems like it could be very exciting. However, the experience itself hardly fulfills any of the promises behind it. So if you're looking for an exciting new way to simulate gunning or cutting lots of dudes down using the Wii Remote, you'd best keep looking."
- eToychest - 78%: "However, despite its faults, the long and short of it is that Red Steel is a fun first-person shooter, and hopefully a decent indicator of where developers will be able to take this genre on the Wii. The title controls extremely fluid, and is likely to draw praise from those PC gamers who up until now have been turned off by how the first-person shooter genre has been portrayed on the home console market. This is certainly one of the stronger titles for the Wii's retail debut, and while certainly not for everyone, is still a commendable example of the immersive experiences the Wii is capable of conveying."
- 1UP - 50%: "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. Sure, it might not steal the launch lineup, but at least it proves this type of game is welcome on the Wii."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jonathan Atkins @ Nov 20th 2006 1:03PM
The game is innovative for a console FPS, I generally reserve FPS for the PC, for some reason though, I bought this with my Wii... I think I wanted the Samuarai Sword. It's cool but slightly clumsy to use, way easier with a mouse.
john @ Nov 20th 2006 1:37PM
I've only played the single player a few minutes and the multiplayer for about 30, but I like it so far. The controls were a little difficult at first, but once you get used to them it's neat. Great usage of the Wii's capabilities.
aaron Covington @ Nov 20th 2006 2:39PM
just wondering when you guys are going to tell us about your wii experiences and how much you enjoy the system and if it has lived up to your expectations etc, etc.
aaron Covington @ Nov 20th 2006 5:40PM
just wondering when you guys are going to tell us about your wii experiences and how much you enjoy the system and if it has lived up to your expectations etc, etc.
deerfaced @ Nov 26th 2006 8:21AM
i was genuinly looking forward to this (in the uk)
bit of a shame its had such horrible reviews.
i'll probably still pick it up to make my own mind up... i'd get it more for a laugh with mates than anything.
cakestick @ Nov 20th 2006 3:06PM
This game was so promising, what the hell happened? There is no excuse for this game having as many bugs as I've encountered during my first day of play.
No seriously, hands down. One of the bugs is that the game forgets I threw a grenade in multiplayer, and keeps my hand in front of my field of view while I'm walking around. What the eff, I'm trying to shoot people here!
It _will_ be a fun game though, once I get used to the single player game enough. Graphics are decent enough to play with.
Franky Digital @ Nov 20th 2006 2:05PM
Sadly, I think that Red Steel is going to die a horrible, lonely death that it doesn't deserve. The problem with being one of the first games shown for a new system is that you end up having quite a bit of hype and hope to satisfy when you actually launch: and I think this is a big part of the reason why Red Steel is heavily criticized.
On the whole, though, I think it's been underrated - not overly so, but the game is definately worth playing through at least once. It's not a pretty game, nor does it employ perfected Wii control, but as a premiere title, it demonstrates how traditional gameplay can be mapped and made new again with the Wii's remote: and for that, it deserves praise. Were it not for the Wii controller, the game would have been a complete wash, but the interesting mechanics revoling around the control make it a respectable game to own.
CZ @ Nov 20th 2006 2:32PM
Personally, I like the game. It's what i expected. It is a launch title, i didn't expect it to be the end all be all... you can compare the Wii to other platforms or older games.. maybe graphically, but lotsa times that's the least important part of the game. I'm very happy with everything to do with my Wii.
I think some reviewers are being critical for critical's sake. Or they've lost the ability to have 'fun' while playing and focusing on rigid ideas. Within 5 minutes of Wii boxing i was smiling and giggling my ass off. Cant wait to get home to play more.
joey @ Nov 20th 2006 3:00PM
Red Steel sucks. It even makes me question if a traditonal shooter is possible to execute well with wii controls.
I returned it today for Dragon Ball Z II (which rocks). After about 20 min in the traning area for DBZII i found the controls really easy and fun. Much more fun than button type controls on a typical fighter.
Spaz @ Nov 20th 2006 3:02PM
*Sigh*... sad news, to be honest. I'm getting the game as part of my Gamestop bundle, and I have been very excited to give it a whirl, but these are pretty harsh reviews. Then again, Product No. 3 got a horrible score and I played the crap out of it, so who knows.
Dennis @ Nov 20th 2006 3:47PM
this game is underrated. I admit when i first picked up the controller to play, i felt like i was playing some cheap game with some cheap controls (actually ubisoft makes me feel that way whenever i play their games anyways) but after a while of multiplayer, i finally got a chance to single player and it was fun. Single player was fun for me, but maybe it was cause i finally got used to the controls. I wouldnt be confident as to tell people to buy it, but i'd recommend renting it, and if you like it, then buy it.
ndmaster @ Nov 20th 2006 3:57PM
I picked this up at launch yesterday and just got to it last night... wii sports is way too addictive. I played it for about 30 minutes.. but more than a handful of times my view got stuck in an rotating circle... like i was a dog chasing my tail... all while trying to look around.. it was annoying... the gameplay gave me a headache for the time that i did play and the flow was a little annoying with multiple "checkpoints" through each scene... anyone else have the awkward spinning screen?
WiiBoy2000 @ Nov 20th 2006 4:25PM
This was a no-win for UbiSoft.
For the longest time RedSteel was THE game that would show that FPS were going to rock on Wii since it was built from the ground up with the wiimote in mind. Then, when they announced first person swordplay, everybody expected one-to-one controls.. which are impossible, even gesture based input is very hard to do.
Controls aside, a lot of the reviews talked about other aspects like poor graphics and AI. These can be inmproved with future generations.
Aden Nak @ Nov 20th 2006 4:41PM
A lot of reviewers just couldn't wait to slap this game down. And it's not a 95%. It's not even an 85%. But I wouldn't rate it below a 75%. Ubisoft was making a FPS for a console that had never even been thought of before. The controls are REALLY BAD at first. I won't deny that. Or is it us that's bad? I know that in about two to three hours I started to suck a lot less at the game, and shots became easier to make. I even started making some of them on the move (which, while it's a staple of the FPS, was tricky to do). So its better than 50%. But there are a few control issues that I think could have made the game work a lot better.
Stanley @ Nov 20th 2006 4:53PM
Hmmm, glad I held out on this one. I just came back from playing it at my mates, and it wasn't too outstanding. He only had one Wiimote, so I can't speak for the multiplayer.
Alex @ Nov 20th 2006 4:50PM
Why is this game getting so much negative feedback? It came in the mail for me today, and I've been having a lot of fun with it. The only problem I had was when I played multiplayer with a few friends and the game froze... But other than that, the game is very good.
There is a learning curve though.
delerious @ Nov 20th 2006 8:05PM
I'm loving it. I bought my Wii on launch. It was the first thing in, at 12:26 AM, and the last thing out, it's still in the console. Bahahaha!
The controls seem incredibly fluid, to me, except during sword fights, which annoy me at times, though I haven't lost one yet, but I'm getting a greater grasp of it. The voice overs suck, but the story is great -- it's what's keeping me hooked.
Clarity @ Nov 20th 2006 6:26PM
I own the game, and am a few hours into the singleplayer.
It's not amazing, but it's not that bad. I'd give it a 6 or 7, but only after you've had some time to adjust to the controls.
You SUCK at first, and the swordfighting is pretty limited. But eventually your aim and turning skills improve, and both you and your enemy get new sword skills. It's a by-the-numbers FPS with a Yakuza atmosphere.
I don't recommend the multiplayer, as the split-screen will kill your aim. Boo to Nintendo for not getting the online support at launch. I haven't played 'Killer' yet, though.
Eric @ Nov 20th 2006 9:55PM
I really do not understand why Gamespot bashes this game so hard. It really is an enjoyable title. The sword fighting is ho-hum, but the Shooting parts are out-right fun, and the AI really ads to that. They hide behind things and make their own cover, and rush in at critical moments, which, after being a player of Halo and RE4, is refreshing to an extreme. Haven't gotten to play multiplayer yet due to Nunchuk shortages, and it may be a little iffy knowing the games controls, but it should be solid from what i've heard.
Tom @ Nov 20th 2006 10:10PM
I'm dissapointed with the way Red Steel controls. I don't like the crazy out-of-control spinning. Here is my advice to any developers thinking about making a FPS for the Wii: don't use the Wiimote to rotate the view. I know it's hard to accept, but maybe we need to lose the ability to look up and down. In the control scheme I'm envisioning, you would move the analog left and right -- not to strafe, but rather to pivot -- push up to move forward, and down to move back, so all movement would be done with the analog stick. This kind of control you'd think would be clunky, except for the fact you could point at any enemy on the screen. If there is an enemy on the screen, even if he's at the very edge or in the upper right corner, you can just aim right at him without worrying about spinning the camera away. Obviously the problem is if there is someone shooting at you from above or below your feild of vision. This can be addressed in one of two ways: 1) Design the levels differently. Make it so any time you encounter an enemy, he's not above or below your field of vision when you are looking straight ahead, or 2) Hold the C button to pitch your view up about 45 degrees. Enemies DIRECTLY above you (like floating in the air 20 feet above your head -- this would never happen) would be on the very top of the screen, while enemies standing in front of you would be on the bottom edge of the screen. Release C and the view returns to normal. The Z button would work the same way, pitching the view 45 degrees down. I understand that Ubisoft is trying to make the game more immersive with this type of control, but it just comes off akward. Now, having said all this, I must admit I have not tried playing the game with lower sensitivity. I'll give that a try when I get home and see how it goes.
TaintMisbehaving @ Nov 20th 2006 10:24PM
How can some of you say that this game is actually good? I love Zelda and Wii Sports but I won't let Ubisoft crap in my mouth and tell me its a sundae. Snap out of it fellas.
Alex @ Nov 20th 2006 11:49PM
I don't care about the negative press, I love the game. I've spent about 3 hours with it so far, and when I first started, I was disappointed, the controls were very awkward at first and I kept losing my sight and ending up in a constant spin. But after 30 mins or so I managed to get the hang of it, now its very easy to control and I don't spin. The game isn't perfect (the AI is a bit slow sometimes) but it is a solid title, especially at launch. I haven't gotten to play multiplayer yet (lacking extra wii motes) but the single player is satisfying.
Scupfisher @ Nov 20th 2006 11:20PM
I'd give it a solid 7 so far(1 hour into the story). Not the best FPS but it's a launch title so ya gotta take the good with the bad and hope the next time around everything is improved upon. The good thing is I've never played anything like it which is exactly why I bought a Wii before a PS3.
josh @ Nov 21st 2006 1:55AM
I agree with Tom above that games makers are going to have to think outside the box in terms of controls for shooters on the wii.
The red steel controls are abysmal. You really shouldnt have to play for 2 hours to get used to a game's controls. All that means, is they are poorly designed.
The idea of getting rid of looking up/down is not a bad one. Also the idea of using the C button to look up at a fixed angle is not a bad one at all.
No matter what, the whole maixing of aiming and looking using the wiimote is not gonna fly. The wiimote should just aim, and that is it.
Strafe could be done with a modifier like x.
Another idea is to use the joystick on the nunchuck for strafe and then use left or right tilts of the nunchuck beyond a 20% angle for turning or looking up and down.
There is a solution here, it's just that Red Steel didn't figure it out.
Aiming 100% rules on the wii if the wiimote is left to aiming alone. Just play the raving rabbids plunger shootouts for example of how hard it rocks.
Anticrawl @ Nov 21st 2006 11:14AM
Sadly I agree with the reviews. I bought it as a launch title and within a few minutes of playing it I was pondering which method would be best for getting my full refund. I have not done this for a game since.... well I don't know if there was a time that has happened. The controls for the game are just broken, plane and simple. If I could perhaps make the box for aiming 3 times as large with only a small amount of room for turning at the edge of the screen it might be doable.
What I really can't understand is why they didn't make it where you couldn't turn at all unless you held a button down that would simply lock the cursor in place on the screen and your remote would be used to turn instead of aim, then release the button and vwala, you can aim again and with reasonable results.
....man I really was loving the Ubisoft support, I can't believe they'd rush shit like this, I don't even know if I can buy one of the games I'm most pumped for, FarCry Vengeance.
On another note Rayman was pretty tight as a party game, worth your 53.41 more than Redsteel. Hell, get Excite Truck before Redsteel, at least its fun. I almost cried when I played Redsteel.
So depressing,
Anticrawl
Brandon @ Nov 22nd 2006 3:35AM
It is close to one of the worst games I have ever played. I was so frustrated with the controls after 15 minutes of single player, I condemned it to death. Than after that, I played multiplayer, and it was extremely glitch ridden; players were moving on their own, aiming all over the place. I know this is a red steel problem because everything else seemed to work perfectly fine when I played it (by everything else I mean wii sports, TP, and TC). This game is by far the biggest let down of the year... We need a good shooter for the wii, and please put some frickin blood in there! And try to make it a little less rugged, cell shade it, itll look cool and not like total crap and wont distract u.
hexx2177 @ Dec 5th 2006 10:45PM
seriously, this game is not as bad as all the reviewers say..in japan it recieved high ratings as well in the uk...
yes it does take time to get used to the controls, about 45 minutes...
after that it's smooth sailing. haven't played multiplayer, and the graphics are decent at best, some scenes are cool looking, but it's a solid title, about a 7.5 for me.
i think in the future it will get better, but seriously, i have not experienced the spinning around and i noticed peole who don't have the patience to play this game past a hour will trash it( and seriously it's due to your coordination, because i have had no real big problems playing this game as far as controls, save a bit on the sword play which can be improved a bit. but the sword play isnt too bad either, unless you think your exact gesture will translate to the screen. but over all it's not a bad game. it could have been better but i am having fun with it and it all depends on your ability as a gamer to think if you like it or not. this is one of those games you either hate or love, point blank. me?
i like it alot so far.
i have to give this game a 7.5 out of 10.