The original Red Steel was... regrettable. For a launch title it wasn't that bad, but it had a lot of problems - most stemming from its swordplay. At the time, we really expected 1:1 controls with the Wii, even if it wasn't able to deliver. Instead, the sword duels were few and far between, and felt more like two cavemen trying to smack each other with clubs than the ancient art of combat. This problem wasn't entirely the game's fault, and was more likely based on our preconceived notions about the game. With the Wii MotionPlus, Ubisoft doesn't have any more excuses.

On the show floor I bolted over to the booth to get my hands on the title. Standing behind someone who didn't know what they were doing was painful to watch, but it gave me a chance to admire the game's visuals. They're cel-shaded and very stylized, meaning that even if MadWorld didn't sell too well, it still had a large influence on the industry. The main different between the two titles is a noticeable lack of blood, as Red Steel 2 is trying for a Teen rating. You are stabbing people in the chest, after all. It's a bit odd when they just collapse.


And stabbing in the chest you are! No more is the sword reserved for the occasional duel, it's a part of the player's arsenal now. Once the person in front of me was finished I grabbed the controller and worked through the tutorial. Gunplay is still important, with aiming and firing still mapped to traditional pointing. Shooting doesn't feel any different with the inclusion of the MotionPlus, but the peripheral still greatly improves the experience because of the sword. Using the sword is both the most simple and difficult aspect of the demo.

There aren't any buttons involved, you simply swing to swing, which, for some reason, is sort of counter intuitive to how we've been playing Wii games up to this point. The reason it's difficult to get used to is because it isn't swinging like it is in Twilight Princess, where a gentle waggle is all that's necessary. You need to swing like you're swinging a sword or else you'll just kind of shake a little bit. It's... different. Harder swings mean more powerful attacks, which give a more immersive, albeit arm-aching experience.



It's not true 1:1 (or at least it doesn't feel like it), but it's likely close enough to live up to the promises of accurate swordplay on the Wii. It's definitely a game that requires more time to realize how the mechanics work and see how they play out, but I think it's safe to say that there's little chance that it isn't going to at least worth be trying out when it's released later this year.