Red Steel for Wii Reviews by Gamers

BOTTOM LINE: The game is fun; has some great gameplay elements and even some amusing moments. It's meant to be a send-up of the Japanese action film industry (with comic-book elements thrown in). I am thrilled to still be playing it.

What hasn't been touched on as much is the unique aspects... Using the controller as a phone (the "Killer" 4 player game is really, really cool); reloading with the off-hand feels very natural and even cool when you're using the shotgun; the music is actually pretty good (whereas in most FPS' it's forgettable at best; distracting at worst); and the pacing very well done, considering how difficult some areas are.

...this game is not only a great launch title for the Wii, it's also a decent (if not great) FPS. I make that latter concession because I believe that those who are hardcore shooter junkies who have a PS3 and XBox360 will find the graphics less than the games they are playing. Are they ridiculously bad? No way. They are at times plain, but they are far from ugly. In fact, at times the gameplay has a strangely serene tone to it thanks to beautifully placed, if not rendered, graphics. Moreover, the lighting effects are great.

As for gameplay, I'm 5 hours in and I love the control scheme (yes, it takes getting used to, like ANY scheme that wasn't set up on a controller). But don't let anyone fool you into thinking that for an FPS that this control setup is somehow horrible. It's different. Period. Just like many people complain that FPS' on home consoles are less-than-perfect because it's not the same as playing on a keyboard with your PC, this game will have its detractors merely because it's different.

You can't go wrong renting Red Steel, but I'm happy I actually bought it.