Genji: Days of the Blade 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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