Wii-exclusive motion-driven FPS-katana action with mandatory MotionPlus. Nordic cowboy with dreadlocks wields pistols and katana, sword attack angles precisely follow the Wiimote. Cel-shaded fantasy western aesthetic, pulp revenge scenario. Innovative ranged/melee hybrid combat, varied action levels. Ambitious Ubisoft Paris production, underrated at release. A true MotionPlus experience, no equivalent elsewhere.
Your verdict
Category
First-Person Shooter1 player16+
Description
Action game by Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft, Europe March 2010. Bounty hunter Hayate battles samurai clans and tech corporations in a dystopian Japanese Far West. MotionPlus controls for precise fluid sword combat, long-range gunplay and parkour, unique cyberpunk-western atmosphere and memorable bosses. The most technically advanced Wii action game using Wii MotionPlus.
Red Steel 2 review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
An improbable marriage of samurai and western, the game adopts a nervy cel-shading of ochre flats and bold outlines, like a comic in motion. The stylised desert and the wooden arenas compose an instantly recognisable world. This sharp graphic identity still holds up remarkably well.
Japanese version of Red Steel 2, printed in limited quantities on a market where the Western action title found little audience despite its Japanese-flavoured setting. The NTSC-J copy stands apart through its local packaging and stays markedly less common than the Western editions. Desirability rests on this pronounced regional scarcity of a game nonetheless inspired by the Japanese sword imagination, sought by importers and completists of the series.
Is Red Steel 2 still worth playing in 2026?
A rethought sequel to Ubisoft's launch game, Red Steel 2 makes full use of MotionPlus for sword combat of unprecedented precision, blending katana and revolver in a world contrasting western and stylised Japan in cel-shading. The fluidity of the clashes, the bold art direction and the gestural pleasure of slashing make it a showcase for motion control. The repetition of the arenas and slightly thin content weigh on it. A striking title for fans of sword action and gestural combat on Wii.
