I recently started playing Red Steel again, and the one thing that struck me is that the game doesn't deserve the bad rep it has.

Firstly, I would like to recognise one flaw the game has - the sword fighting is rubbish. I was hoping for it to be integrated in with the other weapons, so that you could take on gunmen with swords if you were daring enough. I was also hoping for something a little closer to 1:1 controls.

That said, the rest of it is pretty good

Graphics: Sure, it's not photorealistic by any stretch, but it has a theme and sticks to it - some of the level designs are really good. To say that it was a lunch title, I think it does well.

Audio: Music is good, and compliments the whole Japanese feel the level and character design sets up. Voice acting is weak in places, but if we disliked FPS based on that then there would be very few games to play.

Controls: Ignoring the swordfighting, the controls are commendable. Aiming, zooming in, moving. Grenades were done reasonably well.

Single Player: The plot is interesting enough, and each mission has enough differences in it to make it enjoyable. The AI of the enemies is good. They take cover, ambush you, and try to surround you if there's a group of them.

Multiplayer: Well it has local multiplayer for starters, that puts it above many FPS games for the PSWii60. The multiplayer stages are well set out. There are 3 modes - Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Killer Rules. The first two speak for themselves, the 3rd is where you each receive an objective at the start of each round, and the first player to satisfy their objective wins the round. This is one of the best additions to the FPS genre in a long time, and is certainly the most innovative use for the Wiimote speaker. Whilst it woud be good to have more maps, modes, and control over which guns appear where (ie Timesplitters 2) The multiplayer is good nevertheless.

So in conclusion, Red Steel is a pretty sweet game, and I am going to start hyping up the sequel, which should hopefully reinvent the swordfighting aspect, whilst providing incremental imporvements everywhere else.

PS: I'd like to know people's reasons for disliking the game

PPS: I forgot, you can hold your gun sideways by holding the Wiiremote sideways - this is infact the most significant thing to happen to FPS's ever. Pimpin'!!

I love red steel, and I thought the story and levels were great, and really unique.

I also have a hellofa lotta fun playing multiplayer with my friends, we still play that game at least once a week.

I really liked the freedom of going to the bar or the Dojo, and just choosing your mission (kind of). I was probably one of the only people who liked it! Being a first-generation Wii shooter, it gets things done. The multiplayer was fun, though my brother kicked my ass all the time (and he never stopped to shot!!!)...! x_x

Red Steel was quite good. Sadly, the game had to show people that FPS on Wii can work, and the fact that the controls weren't done right the first time kind of destroyed this image. It affected other games like Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, reviewers saying that FPS controls on Wii weren't revolutionary anymore.

Oh well, I can't wait for Red Steel 2 myself.

i liked it, and im waiting for the second one to come out

I only recently got to play the game and thoroughly enjoyed it. There were many negatives but I personally love the IR aiming of wiimote for FPS'.

And the best part about the game was the bunny level!!!

Did the game got a really bad rep? I guess so, but that also depends upon the fact that prior to its release people really hyped it and that led to its downfall (something am hoping wont happen to Conduit).

I would recommend this game to anyone who wants to enjoy a decent FPS using wii controls (after MOH:H2 and COD:WaW ofcourse).

I played it and loved it. I don't really have a problem with the sword fighting controls. I wish I had the choice of using the sword all the time.

I was warned by folks about the game and bought it for $15. It was one of the best $15 I've ever spent.

I thought it was terrible. Infact it was my first Wii experience and it was a huge letdown. One of the worst games i ever bought when buying a new console...

Graphics really bland, sword fighting made me cry for not having a controller to play and AI is really bad and repetitive. I didn't really want to follow the story as it was straight out of an 80s crappy movie.

Ofcourse, i've been playing xbox and PC shotters for many years and compare that to a complete package of a game like FEAR that came out at the same time on Xbox360 and you will realize Red steel runs out of fun when you get bored of zooming in with the Wii mote by pushing it forward.

I think the game got better reviews than it should have as it was one of the first Wii games so people were still saying "oooo...im moving my hand and shit is happening on the screen...cool!"

But with all that said...I wouldn't mind a sequel that actually knows what its doing. I want a sword fighting game on the wii that actually works. Star Wars FU was crap... No more heroes is the only game I can think of that does this semi-well.

Well I really enjoyed it, despite its flaws, and as you pointed out, it does have some good concepts and features. Killer mode in particular is great if you actually have three other people, and it's a lot of fun trying to listen in on your friends’ missions as well. My personal favorite is when one player is designated the target, and the other three are told to kill him. Lot of fun trying to bluff everyone when they all ask whose the guy. Was also nice it’s a shooter not set in either a war, a fantasy/sci-fi world, a war in a fantasty/sci-fi world.

That said, Red Steel has some very rough edges that should have been ironed out. The whole jumping cursor thing related to rumble and speaker is really annoying, and still the only Wii game I've ever seen it happen to. The sword fighting was also a big let down. Forgetting possible expectations at the time; the sword segments were generally slow and stiff. I’d be interested in the sequel if they iron out the problems with the first one.

I agree with the OP, game isn't great but it doesn't suck (except the sword-play). It was fun. The story was fun. The gameplay was fun.

P.S. Pimping out the pistol with rotation? Revolutionary element of immersion.

I guess your playing the game as the first Wii experience was the key in your not liking it. I'm pretty sure I myself be saying something similar had I picked it up earlier. Expectations can affect the experience tremendously.