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More than one level in Red Steel after all
We were pleased to learn that Red Steel is actually a full length game (shocking!) and not just the same level we've seen dozens of times, with dozens of guys bouncing around a set and waving the Wiimote. Can't they find a woman for one of these? Where are your Frag Dolls now, Ubisoft? Or please, get the intense guy again. He was our favorite. And while this new video is quite the sizzler, we're insulted by the fact that the actor left perfectly good sushi just sitting there in favor of picking the game back up. Find the pause button, son. It's all about priorities.Keep going to check out the video.
A closer look at Red Steel
So how did a game like Red Steel come about? IGN has the answers, in a new in-depth feature that covers the artistic side of the development process. There's some discussion as well of the power of the console, and the artistic director, Stephane Bachelet, reports that while the graphical capabilities of the Wii were somewhat limiting, it spurred them to create a slick 'game noir' style that is heavy with shadows and framed in bright neon lights. Artistically, Bachelet says, they were shooting for something that would communicate the culture shock of a Western man thrust into a foreign environment, and how that shaped the atmosphere and setting. Look for a lot of traditional Japanese symbols not from a Japanese perspective, but from a Western perspective. Sounds a lot like what we've come to expect from Hollywood -- which is perfect for an action game so obviously inspired by action films.
Joystiq hands-on: Yakuza
A hit in Japan since it was released last winter, many of those who knew about Yakuza were ecstatic once they heard a version for the English-speaking crowd was coming stateside. Today, I was able to get up close and personal with a title that, on the outside, may resemble just another GTA clone, but really has the potential to be more than that. Taking players inside the hidden nightlife district of Tokyo, Yakuza is looking to position itself as one of the final standout games for the PlayStation 2 when it's released in the U.S. on September 5. But will it really pull that off based on hype alone?
Yakuza nabs celebrities, takes their voices
What do Michael Madsen (Mr. Blonde), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor from Smallville), Eliza Dushku, (Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Rachel Leigh Cook (She's All That), and Mark Hamill (uhh, Luke Skywalker) all have in common? Yup, none of them are Japanese and all of them are lending their voices in Sega's American-ization of their Japanese crime-game Ryu ga Gotoku, now Yakuza. Thing is, none of em are playing Kazuma, the title's lead. For some more on the selection process, check out Gamespot's interview with Justin Lambros, the US producer. Hoping to keep the Japanese dialogue track for that authentic Ryu ga Gotoku feel? Tough luck, says Lambros, "We were hoping to include the Japanese dialogue as an alternate track, but unfortunately there just wasn't enough room on a single disc to put both sets of voice files."
Yakuza tale, Ryu Ga Gotoku, headed West
Sega's lauded Japanese Yakuza game Ryu Ga Gotoku ("Like a Dragon") is going to bring its distinct brand of gangster-infused street brawling to the US and Europe. Matt Woodley, Creative Director of SEGA Europe said: "We feel that the street brawling gameplay in particular will impress everyone... Getting this spot on in games has proven hard for some developers in the past, but the Yakuza team have pulled it off with great style. Add to that some of the most evocative locations seen in a game and we have a title SEGA are very excited to be releasing." The title has been described as a badass Shenmue, with similarly memorable city environs and a darker, more violent storyline. The game will be renamed Yakuza for its summer 2006 release on PlayStation 2. See also: Ryu Ga Gotoku prologue heads to DVD, no import plans Ryu Ga Gotoku Website Launched [Thanks, John]