10 Groundbreaking Video Games That TOTALLY Missed The Mark

6. Red Steel

mirrors edge
Ubisoft

Launch titles, if you'll forgive the pun, play a dangerous game. As some of the first games available for the new console they are created for, in some respect the sales of that console depend upon the quality of these titles. And some developers buckle under the pressure.

Such is the case with the 2006 Wii game, Red Steel, whose unique selling point was its realistic sword controls courtesy of the Wii remote and Nunchuk. Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for players to find this gameplay lacking, with unresponsive controls, sluggish character movement and subpar graphics.

In the end, the game that could have been the first to make the player truly feel like an expert swordsman only left them frustrated and storming back to the shop for a quick trade-in (which was, indeed, what this unfortunate writer did back in the day).

Thankfully, Red Steel 2, released in 2010, features massively improved swordplay thanks to the Wii Motion Plus add-on.

Contributor

Graduate composer, on-and-off session musician, aspiring novelist, professional nerd. Where procrastination and cynicism intertwine, Lee Clarke can be found.