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Red Steel 2

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Red Steel 2
File:RedSteel2 Boxart.jpg
Developer(s)Ubisoft Paris
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)Jason Vandenberghe
EngineLyN engine[3]
Platform(s)Wii
Genre(s)First Person Shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Red Steel 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Paris for the Wii video game console. It is the sequel to Red Steel. The game was released on March 23, 2010 in North America and will be released in Europe on March 26, 2010.

Plot

Caldera: a town that wants to be a city, deep in the baking heart of the Nevada desert. Protected for generations by a clan of sword-slingers called the Kusagari, Caldera has a long history of secrets hidden behind its walls.

You are one of this clan, a Kusagari, a young defender returning from a five-year banishment. You have returned to find your home in flames – Jackals, a motorcycle gang of thugs and scavengers, have moved in overnight. But something larger than looting is at stake here.

You must find out – and get your sword back. It was given to you for safekeeping (by your father) when you were banished, and you have not lugged it around for five years just to lose it now.[4]

The story is set in "a desert-bound, high-tech metropolis", with influences from both the Far East and the old Wild West. Ubisoft simply refers to the main character as The Swordsman; the lack of a name will become clear later in the game.[5] This silent protagonist is a member of the "Kusagari-clan", who, prior to this game's events, were almost all killed by a clan called "The Jackals". Now, as one of the last survivors of the Kusagari-clan, The Swordsman sets off on a mission to avenge his fallen clan, and begins hunting down the leader of the Jackals, named Payne. Later on he finds a special sword deep in Caldera's mines and thus a deadly rival comes to town.

Characters

The Good:[6]

  • Hero-The primary protagonist of the story. After most of his clan is killed, Hero embarks on a journey to avenge his clan and destroy the clan of The Jackals.
  • Jian- The swordsmaster of the kusagari clan
  • Tamiko- Part of the Kusagari research division
  • Steve Judd- The elected sherif for 42 years running, He has not been heard from since the Jackals attacked

The Bad:[7]

  • The Jackals- Desert scavengers, the Jackals are a vast gang of thugs, ex-cons, murderers and thieves who inhabit the vast, dusty wasteland of the Red West between Los Angeles and Austin.

Ruled by a charismatic psychopath named Payne, they have wiped out or assimilated every competitor to challenge them in the last thirty years, and have proven as resilient as desert rats to extermination.

  • Payne- A ruthless psychopath who is the leader of the gang of Jackals.
  • Katakara- No clan is as notorious as the Katakara. They recruit samurai and gunslingers alike from anywhere they can find them, drawing heavily on the ronin of the Red Waste and the outlaws migrating west from the States.
  • Okaji- The commander of the Katakara clan warrior caste
  • Ninjas- Are mysterious warriors following orders from an unknown master
  • Shinjiro- Not much is known about him but he is the final enemy the Hero must face

Gameplay

Red Steel 2 is played in a first-person perspective where players can alternate between shooting and sword fighting. Swordplay has been refined with the aid of Wii MotionPlus. Players will be able to fight up to six enemies at a time, and will be able to deflect their opponents' bullets with their sword.[8] Gamers will also have the chance to fully calibrate Wii MotionPlus to their tastes.[9] As the player progresses, new abilities and weapons will be available for the player to either purchase or earn. Gameplay is made special by combos, finishing moves and other kills. [10] However, finishing the game does not unlock anything, and makes playing the Challenges more difficult since the save point is at a locale without access to the safe locations where one can purchase upgrades, and more importantly ammunition.

Development

Red Steel 2 features a vastly different art style than its predecessor

Development of Red Steel 2 began in the summer of 2008. On July 28 of the same year, Red Steel 2 was confirmed to exist by Ubisoft executive director, Alain Corre.[11] It was also confirmed to use Nintendo's new accessory, Wii MotionPlus and will be included in a bundle.[12][13]

Red Steel 2 features stylized, cel-shaded graphics, in contrast to its predecessor's more realistic aesthetic. The visual style is similar to Ubisoft Paris' own XIII, released in 2003. The game will not include gore or excess amount of bloodshed, which resulted with Red Steel 2 getting an age rating of T, for animated blood, mild language, mild suggestive themes, and violence. Enemies disappear in a cloud of dust as they die. Players will have at their disposal both a gun and a katana, which they can switch between at any time.

Commenting on the mix of East and West in the game creative director Jason Vandenberghe explained: "What doesn't work is to take those Western and Eastern elements, and sort of mix them into one thing. What does work is to say: here's Joe's bar and grill and here is Ming Pow's sushi's place. It's not an Western-looking cowboy katana; it's a katana, and a revolver, and they're clearly in their own place."[5]

Multiplayer

In April 2009, Ubisoft announced that Red Steel 2 would not feature a multiplayer mode. Creative director Jason Vandenberghe later explained that they did explore the possibilities of a multiplayer mode, but that it would never fit in the time window, and that they preferred to deliver a great singleplayer experience over a mediocre multiplayer game.[5]

Reception

Previews

GameZone's Dakota Grabowski previewed the game, which produced positive impressions. "Running at 60 FPS (frames per second), the animations were more impressive than they were in the past; especially the powerful combos that were unlocked during our session. One of the more unique kills I was able to accomplish was bouncing bullets off walls to take down enemies who were using cover – it often provided a good laugh since the enemies never saw it coming." He also added "It’s fair to say that Red Steel 2 is a whole different beast than the original. The futuristic Wild West setting with samurais and ninjas is definitely peculiar. Upon completing my session, I walked away with sore shoulders from all the powerful swings and a smile on my face."[14] NG-Gamer's Martijn Müller opinion on the game was simple: "Adrenaline rush! ...in the end it comes down to man's primal forces. Just go all out!"[15], while colleague Simeon van Rhee commented on how easy the game was to pick up and play, and "how it really feels like you're holding a katana".[5] Wonderwallweb.com got a chance to play the game with a positive outcome, "this is no doubt one of the best Wii games I have played in a long time and it's definitely one to look out for if you are a fan of the console."[16]

Reviews

Red Steel 2 currently holds a score of 82% on Metacritic based on 22 reviews, suggesting favourable reviews.[17] IGN awarded Red Steel 2 a score of 8.6/10 along with an editor's choice award, praising the "awesome style and energetic gameplay" calling it "one of the top titles on Wii."[18] Official Nintendo Magazine gave Red Steel 2 an 86% score, praising the MotionPlus controls, visuals and audio, but criticised the mission design, referring to it as being "average."[19] Eurogamer gave the game a score of 7/10, praising the "thrilling set pieces" but calling the game's character "flawed, certainly, but entirely honourable with it". [20] 1up.com were considerably less impressed, gaving Red Steel 2 a C+, stating that while "occasionally exhilarating" the game was "mostly unremarkable". [21] Gametrailers.com gave Red Steel 2 the favourable review of 8.6 out of 10.[22]

In contrast, GamesRader gave the title a score of 9 out of 10, praising the controls and "the engaging, intuitive combat". GamesRader also noted that the game was drastically superior to its predecessor, noting that there was "no comparison between the two."[23]

References

  1. ^ http://www.vgreleases.com/Wii/ReleaseDate-41017.aspx
  2. ^ "Red Steel 2 release date revealed". Official Nintendo Magazine. 2010/01/26. Retrieved 2010-01-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2009-06-01). "E3 2009: Red Steel 2 Hands-On". IGN. Retrieved 2010-01-03. We actually shifted to the Lyn [sic] Engine, which is internal Ubisoft tech.
  4. ^ Red Steel 2 Story line
  5. ^ a b c d Müller, Martijn (2010-27-02). "Interview met creative director Red Steel 2". NG-Gamer. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Red Steel 2 The Good
  7. ^ Red Steel 2 The Bad
  8. ^ http://www.ubi.com/UK/Games/Info.aspx?pId=7780
  9. ^ "Red Steel 2 Updated Impressions From GamesCom". Gaming Union. 2009-08-24. Retrieved 2009-08-24.
  10. ^ Combo and kills video
  11. ^ Wales, Matt (July 28, 2008) Ubisoft Confirms Red Steel 2 Retrieved on 2009-03-07.
  12. ^ Martin, Joe 2008-07-28. Ubisoft: Red Steel 2 will use Wii Motion Plus 2009-03-07
  13. ^ Casamassina, Matt 2009-06-01. [1] Retrieved on 2009-06-02.
  14. ^ Grabowski, Dakota. "Red Steel 2 Preview". GameZone.
  15. ^ Müller, Martijn (2009-09-05). "Hands-On Red Steel 2". NG-Gamer (in Dutch).
  16. ^ http://www.wonderwallweb.com/article/982/hands-on-red-steel-2-/
  17. ^ "Red Steel 2 on Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
  18. ^ Harris, Craig (March 23, 2010). "Red Steel 2 Review". IGN.com. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  19. ^ Red Steel 2 review
  20. ^ Donlan, Christian (March 23, 2010). "Red Steel 2 Review". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  21. ^ Barnholt, Ray (March 23, 2010). "Ubisoft does a "re-do" on Red Steel, but does it surpass its disappointing predecessor?". 1up.com. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  22. ^ [2]
  23. ^ Elston, Brett. "Red Steel 2 review on GamesRader". GamesRader. Retrieved 2010-03-24.

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