Showing Off Some Sword Skills

During their press conference, Ubisoft unveiled some gameplay footage as well as a new trailer for Red Steel 2. One of the main themes that was repeated over and over again was how much they learned from the first Red Steel, and it really shows. Boasting an entirely new look, environment, and play style, without the name, you'd be shocked to find out it is a sequel to Red Steel.

The footage opens on an unknown point in the game, with you, the hero, waking up, and finding yourself strapped to the back of a motorcycle. As you are dragged around, protecting yourself with your arms, you can't help but notice the vibrant colors of the desert. You also have to avoid being killed by the various hazards such as trucks and large fires. After some time, however, a well placed shot destroys the biker, along with the bike. From this point on you have to fight your way through piles of enemies called Jackals using your combination of revolver and katana.

Ubisoft got more specific and talked more concrete details on just exactly what we can expect when fighting these Jackals. The most noticeable changes from its predecessor is the new environment, set in the wild west, as well as the sharp new look. Colors are more vibrant, and there is a lot of contrast, making the player feel as if they are in the middle of the desert on a hot and sunny day. Ubisoft says they are taking realism and “blending the graphic novel approach.”

The other notable changes are the changes in sword fighting. Thanks to the wonders of Wii MotionPlus, the sword fighting is now 1:1, meaning whenever you move the Wii remote, the sword will move exactly as you do. The game is also able to detect how hard a person swings, which comes into play when you have to fight armored opponents. Traditional chops will not damage the heavily-armored opponents, and you will instead have to use stronger chops by swinging your arm faster.

This all factors in to Ubisoft's new approach with Red Steel 2, an attempt to focus on the more physical combat. Ubisoft describes this game as "a first person brawler." Red Steel 2 will also offer customizable controls to allow you to attack as naturally as possible.

And to top it all off, Red Steel 2 will come bundled with Wii MotionPlus, when it releases this fall.