Software:Red Steel

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Red Steel
European cover art
Developer(s)Ubisoft Paris
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)Nicolas Eypert
Producer(s)Marie-Sol Beaudry
Designer(s)Roman Campos-Oriola
Programmer(s)François Mahieu
Writer(s)Jérôme Collette
Laurent Courtiaud
Julien Carbon
Composer(s)Tom Salta
EngineUnreal Engine 2.5
Platform(s)Wii
Release
  • NA: November 19, 2006
  • JP: December 2, 2006
  • AU: December 7, 2006
  • EU: December 8, 2006
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Red Steel is a first-person shooter video game published by Ubisoft for Nintendo's Wii console. It was developed by the Ubisoft Paris studio. Red Steel was released in November 2006 in North America, with releases in other regions arriving the following month, and was a Wii launch title in all regions.[1]

Red Steel received generally mixed reviews from critics who praised the game's graphics and soundtrack, while the controls and sword-fighting sections were criticised. Nevertheless, it was a commercial success, selling over one million copies worldwide. A stand-alone sequel, Red Steel 2, was released in 2010.

Gameplay

The game takes advantage of the Wii's motion-sensitive controller, along with the Nunchuk attachment, to control a katana and a firearm. The on-screen gun hand points the gun in the same direction the Wii Remote is pointing. Players can push objects to use them as cover by pushing the controller forward. Shaking the Nunchuk attachment or pressing "right" on the D-Pad reloads the gun. The player can also throw grenades underhand or overhand by moving the Nunchuk as though it were the actual grenade.

The AI characters can "care for themselves" according to project leader Roman Campos Oriola; enemies are aggressive, moving around objects and the environment to attack the player (like jumping on a table instead of running around).

The AI allows enemies to surrender, rather than fight to the death. The player can shoot the weapon out of an enemy's hands, causing him to raise his hands in surrender. Alternatively, disarming the leader of a mob of enemies will cause the entire mob to surrender. Once an enemy has surrendered, the player has the option to either shoot the opponent or direct him to kneel with hands behind his head by waving the gun at him. In the sword fighting aspect, a similar option exists. After winning a sword fight, the enemy gets on their knees and the player has the choice of whether to deliver a coup de grace or to show mercy. In both sword and gun fights, sparing a defeated enemy essentially removes them from the gameplay, and they can no longer attack the player nor be hit by gunfire. In addition, the player is awarded respect points. Slaying an enemy who has surrendered has no gameplay benefits.

Recklessness is discouraged by limited ammunition supplies and a system that adds "freeze points" for accuracy/efficiency while using one's weaponry. When a certain number of points is accumulated, the player is able to momentarily freeze time, thus allowing for more accurate attacks.

In story mode and multiplayer "Killer" matches, the remote acts as a telephone using its internal speaker. It rings for the player to place it against their ear. The mission objectives are then given without the other players being able to hear what they are.

Multiplayer

Up to four players can play together on four different maps: Dojo, Restaurant, Games, and Docks. The multiplayer mode is split-screen with traditional deathmatches.[2] According to the project leader, "perhaps most impressive is the fact that although split-screen reduces the amount of on-screen space you are playing in, you don't have to make smaller movements —you can gesture as wildly as you want, and it won't interfere with the other player's on-screen quadrants".

Red Steel features three multiplayer modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Killer:

  • In Deathmatch, each player fights independently and must score as many kills as possible to win.
  • In Team Deathmatch, the players are in two teams. The team with the most kills wins.
  • In Killer, each player fights independently. This mode consists of rounds. At the beginning of each round, each player receives a secret objective through the speaker of the Wii Remote. A timer is set that defines the duration of the round. The first player to complete the objective wins the round. Depending on the difficulty of the round, players will be rewarded different quantities of points. Killer mode is only playable with four players.

Another feature of multiplayer is the notion of "bonuses". Before beginning play, each player chooses one of three bonuses: More Damage, More Life, or Unlimited Ammunition. During play, the bonus meter increases for each enemy killed. Once the gauge begins to fill up, players can press the "1" button on the control to activate their selected bonus for a period of time proportional to how full the meter is.

There is no multiplayer mode for sword fighting.

Plot

Scott Monroe, an American bodyguard and the protagonist of the game, is engaged to Miyu Sato, daughter of Isao Sato. At a hotel in Los Angeles , California , Scott is to meet Isao for the first time. A gang manages to disguise themselves as the hotel staff and open fire on Sato's room. Scott tries to help, but is knocked unconscious. He awakens and grabs a pistol off a dead bodyguard, fights through the gang, and meets up with Sato, who is injured, on the roof.

Scott learns the ways of the katana from Sato after being attacked by a waiter with a sword. Sato and Scott retreat to Sato's personal suite, where Scott covers Miyu, Sato, and Ryuichi, one of Sato's guards, as they head to their car in the parking lot. Scott eventually meets up with them, but Ryuichi turns on them and kidnaps both Sato and Miyu. Scott pursues the car and saves Isao after shooting the car and besting the driver in sword combat, while Ryuichi manages to escape with Miyu.

In Little Tokyo, they meet up with Tony Tanaka, Sato's friend in Los Angeles. Sato is revealed to be the Oyabun of one of the largest yakuza families. To track down Ryuichi, Scott raids the Angel's Heaven, a spa which Ryuichi's mistress Angel owns, and Extreme Wheels, Ryuichi's car workshop, secretly used as a front to ship weapons. Ryuichi confronts Scott at an airport and bests him in combat, but spares him, as he escapes to Japan with Miyu. The yakuza will only hand Miyu over if the Katana Giri, a katana once used to execute dishonorable godfathers, is given as ransom. Sato gives Scott the Giri, before dying of his injuries.

At Tokyo, Scott makes contact with Otori, a former samurai, and Harry Tanner, an American nightclub owner who assists him in tracking down Ryuichi. Harry leads Scott to a waste processing plant off the coast of Tokyo, where Ryuichi delivers Miyu to Tokai, the true antagonist of the game. Ryuichi duels Scott again, but is defeated. Scott spares him, but Ryuichi is murdered by a sniper while giving information to Scott.

Tokai is revealed to have taken over the major franchises of Tokyo - financing, gaming, Geisha houses, and docks - bringing down the Sanro Kai, the leaders of these districts. Scott goes to the four separate districts, either managing to restore faith in the Sato Gumi to old members of the Sanro Kai or overthrowing a new leader appointed by Tokai.

Eventually, Scott delivers the Giri to Otori for safekeeping. Back at Harry's bar, Tokai is waiting for Scott in the conference room. Harry turns on Scott, knocking him unconscious. Scott is brought down into the cellar to be tortured by Dozan, one of Tokai's henchmen. Scott manages to grab a sword and bring down Dozan, and escapes the cellar to interrogate Harry. Harry grabs a katana and battles Scott, giving him information after he is defeated and begging for his life. Whether Harry lives or dies, like most duels, is up to the player.

Harry reveals that Tokai has raided Otori's dojo, having hired the Komori, a new wave of elite ninjas. During the attack, Otori's daughter Mariko is poisoned by the Komori leader, who wields a poisonous katana, as she tries to protect the Katana Giri in Otori's shrine. The attack is thwarted, and Scott travels to one of Tokai's bases, where he is going to execute the members of the Sanro Kai. Scott duels Tokai, learning he wanted the Giri to kill the Kai; they executed Tokai's father with the sword, and he wanted to avenge his father with it. Scott bests him and saves most of the Sanro Kai, but Tokai flees, thanks to a distraction by a Komori. After catching up to him, Scott is forced to duel with the Komori leader, allowing Tokai to escape; Scott emerges victorious, but it is unknown whether life or death of the leader is canonical.

Otori and Scott travel to Tokai's private residence for the final battle. Otori is bent on avenging his daughter, and goes on his own to create a diversion for Scott. During the raid, Otori is cut and poisoned by a Komori blade. Scott confronts Tokai one last time, and defeats him. Tokai pleads with Scott to let him live, telling him that only he has the antidote for what has poisoned Otori and Mariko. Here, the player is presented with a choice: they may either protect Tokai from an approaching Otori, or stand by and let Otori kill Tokai.

If Scott moves to defend Tokai, he fights Otori and breaks the Katana Giri in the process. Otori respects Scott's action and honors him. Otori and his daughter are cured with the antidote. At the end of the game, all the characters are at Isao's funeral. The Sanro Kai explains that they understand Tokai's motivation for his actions, but he must be punished.

If Scott lets Otori kill Tokai or is unable to defeat Otori, then Tokai is killed; Otori and Mariko both die from the poison. Scott and Miyu leave Tokai's estate alone, ending the game on a more negative note.

Development

The associate producer of Red Steel, Jean-Baptiste Duval, said in an interview with Australian video game magazine Hyper that the game runs on a modified Unreal Engine 2.5. He said that much of the Ubisoft staff had worked on the engine and knew its strengths and weaknesses. The graphics of the game have been designed to achieve a defining artistic style rather than photorealism.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic63/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge5/10[4]
EGM5.17/10[5]
Eurogamer6/10[6]
Famitsu34/40[7]
Game Informer7.5/10[8]
GamePro3.25/5[9]
GameRevolutionD[10]
GameSpot5.5/10[11]
GameSpyStarStar[12]
GameTrailers7.8/10[13]
GameZone7.9/10[14]
IGN6/10[15]
Nintendo Power8/10[16]
The New York Times (average)[17]

Red Steel received wildly mixed reviews. While IGN referred to it as "the only Wii launch game whose controls seem to occasionally glitch out for no obvious reason" and commented that "the process of turning is disappointingly slow and clunky",[15] reviewers for both GameSpot and IGN found no problem whatsoever with the controls outside of the occasional sword-fighting sections,[11][15] and GameTrailers noted that the controls are ambitiously complex and take time to master, but otherwise work well.[13] Likewise, while IGN lauded the graphics as technically impressive,[15] GameSpot and 1UP.com both contended that the graphics are in fact inexcusably below par compared to other recent releases,[11][18] and GameTrailers claimed that the graphics bizarrely vary between the two extremes.[13] Finally, while GameSpot and 1UP.com described the sword-fighting sections as clunky and crude, with GameSpot remarking that they "feel more like two cavemen hitting each other with clubs than like two highly trained samurai going at it",[11][18] both IGN and GameTrailers described them as flawed but overall decent, with GameTrailers praising the strategy created by having life bars for both man and weapon.[13][15] Official Nintendo Magazine agreed, saying that the game was "clearly designed with the hardcore gamer in mind. It's slick, addictive and as close to "cool" as a game can get".[19]

The one point of agreement among reviewers was the soundtrack, which was considered exceptional by most.[13][15][18]

Despite generating mixed reviews, Red Steel has sold over one million copies worldwide.[20] It received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[21] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Red Steel for Wii". Nintendo. http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/X3HtXZoa_smw_ZYzBu6H0s581lwK0uQ8. 
  2. ↑ Orry, James (October 27, 2006). "Red Steel multiplayer video". VideoGamer.com. http://www.videogamer.com/wii/red_steel/news/red_steel_multiplayer_video.html. 
  3. ↑ "Red Steel for Wii Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/red-steel/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. 
  4. ↑ Edge staff (December 25, 2006). "Red Steel". Edge (170): 77. 
  5. ↑ EGM staff (January 2007). "Red Steel". Electronic Gaming Monthly (211): 62. 
  6. ↑ MacDonald, Keza (December 12, 2006). "Red Steel". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_redsteel_wii. 
  7. ↑ Dickens, Anthony (November 27, 2006). "Famitsu Wii Scores". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2006/11/famitsu_wii_scores. 
  8. ↑ Bertz, Matt (January 2007). "Red Steel". Game Informer (165). http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/40DCCDF0-B9BD-4681-9B24-81631438F3C2.htm. Retrieved December 19, 2014. 
  9. ↑ T3hPanda (December 11, 2006). "Review: Red Steel". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/wii/games/reviews/89070.shtml. Retrieved December 19, 2014. 
  10. ↑ Fischer, Russ (December 19, 2006). "Red Steel Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/red-steel. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Kasavin, Greg (November 17, 2006). "Red Steel Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/red-steel-review/1900-6162018/. 
  12. ↑ McGarvey, Sterling (November 30, 2006). "GameSpy: Red Steel". GameSpy. http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/red-steel/748292p1.html. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 "Red Steel Review". GameTrailers. November 18, 2006. http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/u8qred/red-steel-review. 
  14. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (November 26, 2006). "Red Steel - WII - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/red_steel_wii_review. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Casamassina, Matt (November 20, 2006). "Red Steel Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/11/21/red-steel-review. 
  16. ↑ "Red Steel". Nintendo Power 211: 106. January 2007. 
  17. ↑ Herold, Charles (December 14, 2006). "A Lone Warrior Takes Partners to Save the World (Page 2)". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/technology/14game.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5070&en=57575ec6abfc0299&ex=1166763600&emc=eta1&_r=0. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Donahoe, Michael (November 18, 2006). "Red Steel". http://www.1up.com/reviews/red-steel. 
  19. ↑ East, Tom (December 25, 2006). "Red Steel Review". Official Nintendo Magazine: 68. http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/2597/reviews/red-steel-review/. Retrieved December 19, 2014. 
  20. ↑ IGN staff (April 26, 2007). "Ubi's Big Wii Hits". http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/26/ubis-big-wii-hits. 
  21. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Gold". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3943. 
  22. ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php. 
  • Official Red Steel site
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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