That's right I'm going there, you haters. A game by its very definition is an amusement, an entertainment, something that is fun. By these standards Red Steel is a success. No, it's not perfect, but I think you will enjoy it, so let me tell you why. I will break this down NWR style 'cept I'll ramble on way too long, then we can sum it all up at the end. Let's go!
Graphics 7.5 To really understand Red Steel's strengths and weaknesses, let's break it down into two things to measure: The technical achievement and the artistic expression.
From a technical standpoint, Red Steel meets all the criteria. It's 480p, 16:9 and has fantastic effects and lighting. The flames, the rain, the beams of light pouring through various cracks all look fantastic, and are beyond anything I have ever seen the gamecube put out. I wish I could lavish the same praise on the character and environment modeling. The rendering of the various people objects ranges from good to bad. Sometimes the enemy you are fighting looks very realistic and other times the polygons are sticking out of him like an anorexic's skeleton. The objects in the environment are also spotty. Somebody gave jr. his first 3D modeling job when he made the cars and couches in this game. The framerate is pretty smooth, but I did notice slowdown a couple of times. Nothing to write home about, but I know there are a lot of FPS whores out there.
Now the artistic aspect of the graphics, I think this is where the graphics haters of the game really fail to appreciate this title. Red Steel has a very different visual style than most 3D games out there. It's not cel shaded, it's not trying to be CGI, and it's not hyper realistic. It's flat and muted in tone, and I believe this is done on purpose. The colors and the textures really make me look at the game like a colored pencil or pastel drawing, and the outlines around the characters reinforces the "paper doll" feel to them. Personally, I really dig this look. People complained about muddiness in the textures but that's simply the color palette of the game. "Hey it's night and I can barely see that ninja to shoot him!" No duh, you hater! THAT'S WHAT NINJAS DO. Let me put it this way; I feel the graphical style of this game is closer to a title like Hotel Dusk than it is to Halo.
Sound 7.0 Sound effects, Voice work, and Music. Well, the sound effects are good, a little over the top sometimes sure, but the whole game is in the over the top action genre, so it fits. The voices, on the other hand, are probably the weakest part of the game. I don't think I've heard Asian accents this bad since the first Hitman game. The saving grace is the music though, which is very fun and cheesy (in a good way). When you get ready to square off in a sword duel and you here the "Ahh AH AHHHHH" song start to play it gets your blood pumping.
Control 7.5 This seems to be a love it or hate it sorta deal, and personally I liked it. I think the key here is that you have to be willing to cast aside any expectations of how you think it should control and just learn to play the game. Once you get the hang of it, kakking the perps with a pistol is extremely satisfying. I wonder though, is this due to Red Steel's merits, or due to the intrinsic fun the Nintendo grand-ninja-masters have imbued into this little Wiimote? Would even something like Daikatana be enjoyable played on the Wii? We will never know.
Now the sword fighting is also very fun, but not nearly as rewarding as the shooting parts of the game. Don't struggle against what the game wants you to do and you will make it through okay. Sadly, by doing this Red Steel reminds you that you are playing a game, not swinging a real sword.
Gameplay 8.0 Alright haters, let's concentrate on what Red Steel is, instead of what it is not. It is a straightforward and linear action game. The levels are designed in such a way that they give the illusion of freedom until you venture off the designated path, where you are met with doors that don't open. The approach of the gameplay is very reminiscent of Max Payne. Same linear level design in, same straightforward arsenal, and minimum of puzzles to figure out. Now, the upside for such a "narrow scope" to the gameplay is that is has excellent pacing, and conveys a real sense of urgency to your missions. The strengths and weakness of the various guns are used to full effect and the whole experience is a blast if you let it take you on its ride.
Lastability 6.5 I played the game for around 15 hours, and I usually take longer on games than most people. The levels are repayable and the game is fun enough to tempt you to go back and see if you can improve your ranking on some of the missions. There is also multiplayer, which I tried out, but honestly is more of a sidebar than the main focus. It's fun to run around shooting each other in split-screen, but It's only worth an hour tops when your buddies come over to play.
In Summary, let me just say that Red Steel is worth full price if you are a FPS fan, which I am. I played Catacomb 3D back in the day (google it noobs!) so I gotz me some FPS street cred, yo! Even if you don't thinks it's your bag, give it a rental or pick it up in a bargain bin a year from now. Don't listen to the haters, play Red Steel!
Overall Score 7.5Now feel free to rip my review to shreds, correct my atrocious grammar, and belittle me as a man.
Topic: Red Steel, The Non-Hater Review. (Read 5666 times)
