Genji: Days of the Blade – PS3 – Preview

E3 2006 Hands On Preview

Genji 2 takes place
three years after the first Genji on the Playstation 2. It uses the same
sword-slashing gameplay while expanding the environments, graphics, and
gameplay using the power of the Playstation 3. Genji 2 is presented as a tradition
action game but with more diverse combat elements and double the amount of
gameplay.

The first thing I
noticed about Genji 2 was the graphics. It looked great, and the flame effects
in a burning building section were very realistic. Everything looked crisp and
animated smoothly.

The gameplay itself was
pretty typical of a hack and slash style adventure game. Enemies come at you,
you attack them until they die, and then you move on. The attacks were split
between two buttons, using the light attack/heavy attack layout that most
gamers are used to now. Using heavy attack would kill the combo though, so you
don’t have as many options as far as combo strings. You can also switch
between weapons while running around, each weapon having its pros and cons, so
picking the right weapon for the right situation comes into play.

As I progressed through
the demo I gained more abilities. One was the ability to sort of slow down time
and eliminate multiple enemies one at a time, which was present in the first
game. Another ability that became available was a live character switch, which
let me change my character on the fly. This opened up combat a bit more,
because now I could use a brand new character with new attributes and attack
styles. I was only able to switch between two, but the final game will have
four characters to switch between.

Genji 2 should be a
story-rich and pretty deep action game when it comes out. It’s being
developed exclusively for the Playstation 3, and we’ll have more info
posted as it becomes available.

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All E3 2006 Previews