The follow-up to Ubisoft’s slash and shoot launch title, Red Steel, is now out in stores but bears little resemblance to the original. This of course is not necessarily a bad thing as the original Red Steel received mixed reviews among press and gamers alike. Players enjoyed the ability to slash with the newly released Wii Remote/nunchuk combination, but the overall experience wasn’t very compelling. Fast forward to 2010, and Ubisoft has released a title that’s gritty, controls well, and is oh so fun to play!

Red Steel 2 has so many differences on the original that you could argue removing the Red Steel name altogether. The only similarities are the name and prevalence of sword fighting. Even the original’s story and setting has been ditched in favor of a new time and place. While Red Steel took place in the present day, Red Steel 2 takes place in the futuristic western town called Caldera. Your main character is a cowboy/samurai who carries a mean sword and a bevy of different guns. He is the last of a clan called the Kusagari and you must fight to survive. Being that you’re the last of your kind, you are a wanted man and are hunted by many rival gangs. The game’s opening sequence has you squaring off against one of these clans, called The Jackals. As you fight your way through the Jackal ranks, you’ll learn of an even bigger plot and a new enemy will come into view.

The story itself will keep your attention and will give you motivation to see what will happen next. There are also cutscenes throughout the game that will show off more impressive visuals and fight choreography. As you progress, you’ll earn cash wherever you go: from fighting enemies to opening safes and even shooting phone booths. This cash can be used to upgrade your sword, guns, and armor. There are many many customizations in the game such as higher caliber rounds, armor piercing rounds, and much more. I played through the game in about 10 hours and almost got all the upgrades, so probably 11-12 hours will give you 100% in the game. It’s not the longest game in the world but it’s just so fun to play, you’ll definitely come back for more.

The gameplay for Red Steel 2 is all based around the Wii Motion Plus. One of the big complaints with the original Red Steel was that the motion controls were not as accurate or as engaging as players wanted. Since Red Steel 2 has the benefit of Wii Motion Plus, both sword and gun combat is much deeper and a blast to play. Each swing of the Wii remote now will execute either soft slashes or hard ones. The harder the slash, the more damage will be inflicted. In some cases, harder slashes are required for certain enemies and breaking armor. Players can also swing in any direction and at any angle they wish and it will be reproduced on screen. It is a very satisfying experience and one that really delivers on the promise of the first game. Even aiming/shooting has been improved with the help of Motion Plus by allowing for tracking of the pointer when it’s off the screen. This makes the ‘jump’ non-existent if you’re swinging takes your pointer away from the screen. The swordplay with Motion Plus feels incredible and is worth the purchase of this game alone.

Not only does the gameplay deliver, Ubisoft has given us a unique visual style to go along with the game. Since it’s exclusive to the Wii, Ubisoft has really pushed the limits of the system graphically. The graphics are cel-shaded, but that’s a great thing because the detail is still very much there. All the textures, items, dust, smoke, and other effects are beautifully rendered in full 60 frames per second. The game is fast and it looks better than almost every other Wii game (possibly the best from a 3rd party developer). Screenshots don’t nearly convey the amazingness that is Red Steel 2. You have to see this in motion to really appreciate everything. I’m also happy to report that the game looks great on HD TVs. Some Wii games suffer the bigger screen you have, but Red Steel 2 shows that’s not true for every game. The cel-shaded graphics help to eliminate some of the ‘jaggies’ that appear in lower-resolution games. These jaggies are magnified even more when put on a big screen, so it’s nice to see a game where that’s not the case.

Conclusion

Red Steel 2 is superior than the first Red Steel in almost every way. The gameplay is incredibly deep with Wii Motion Plus, and it’s a ton of fun to play. Not only is the game the best Wii Motion Plus game out there (sorry Wii Sports Resort), it’s one of the best Wii games period. Red Steel 2 is a must own for anyone with a Wii (even if you don’t own a Wii, buy one and get this game)!

Red Steel 2 gets a 9.5/10