After playing this game in full, I really have to come to the conclusion that this game is nothing more than a competent FPS at best. At a total length of 5-6 hours, the game has nothing in the name of replay value other than a scoring mode that puts you through various chapters of the game again. I felt a bit ripped off to say the least.
In terms of game play, the title wasn't much of a challenge. I managed to plow my way through 80% of the enemies simply by head-shotting them into oblivion. The other 20% were so overpowered that my upgraded armor and health would be instantly destroyed, leaving only my normal health which seemed to nullify the reason I bought those upgrades to begin with.
The gun controls were great, but performing the correct button combinations and gestures for more advanced moves always proved a massive frustration that didn't accomplish what I had intended about half the time. Even after pulling off most of the advanced moves, the enemies were usually immune to their effects!
In a vacuum, Red Steel is certainly an engaging game that mixes up level layouts and enemies just enough to keep it from being tedious. But when you place it against all the other FPS titles on the market, most with multi-player and engaging challenge modes, you simply have much better choices to spend your money on (and for less than 50 dollars!). It all ends far too soon and with little else to spend your time on after it's done. My verdict: it's a rental.
