History VideoGame / RedSteel

* InformedFlaw: A weird meta example. As noted in the intro, the controls were blasted as being awful, and that may well be the only thing that most people know about the game. However, being the first shooter and a launch title, it is likely that most of this sentiment was due to incorrect expectations and unfamiliarity with the motion controls; later games such as the VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 port had similar schemes and responsiveness but suffered from no such criticism.

%%* FiveManBand: The Sanro Kai!
%%** TheHero: Akira Matsubara
%%** TheLancer: Inoue Makoto
%%** TheSmartGuy: Kenzo Chiba
%%** TheBigGuy: Tetsuo Misumi
%%** TheChick: Mama San Reiko

* MercyRewarded: Katana duels and swarms of shooters alike (disarm them instead of killing them); sparing lives gives you Honor.

If you're looking for the InNameOnly sequel, see ''VideoGame/RedSteel2'''s page. For the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' setting [[SimilarlyNamedWorks of the same name]], see ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}''.

* BigBad: Tokai is a rookie mob boss who successfully kills Sato, kidnaps Miyu, and goes after the rest of his inner circle to [[spoiler: avenge his father]].
* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: Picking up body armor will give the player a second life bar. This life bar does not regenerate.

* BreakableWeapons: All katanas may be broken. With the exception of [[spoiler:a couple enemies who use the Katana Giri against you when it gets stolen.]]

* {{Engrish}}: A lot of the Japanese characters speak with incredibly stereotypical accents.

* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:The last enemy of the game is Otori, who plans to kill Tokai to avenge the poisoning of his daughter even though only Tokai has the antidote. The endings change based on whether you step in to stop Otori or let him kill Tokai]].

* StandardFPSGuns: As standard as you get. Two pistol variants, a much stronger {{revolver|sAreJustBetter}}, two nearly-identical submachine guns, your choice of a pump-action or semi-automatic {{shotgun|sAreJustBetter}}, full-auto or burst-firing assault rifles, and a sniper rifle. The only real standout is that your QuickMelee option takes the form of a broken katana you normally use as a tanto during sword duels, rather than a bog-standard knife.

* FeaturelessProtagonist: We don't learn anything about Scott Monroe because he [[HeroicMime never speaks]] and [[TheFaceless we never see his face]] because [[UnbrokenFirstPersonPerspective the game never leaves his POV]] and there are no mirrors to see his model in. The only thing we know for sure is that he's [[WhiteMaleLead white]], as shown by his hands.

* MightyWhitey: Scott Monroe plays this trope almost painfully straight, being an American who becomes the successor to the head of a Japanese Yakuza family.

* TooDumbToLive: Those guys with the shining white masks at the entirely dark corridor deserve a special mention, even when all shooting enemies are this at some level.

* FinalBoss: [[spoiler: The last enemy of the game is Otori, who plans to kill Tokai to avenge the poisoning of his daughter even though only Tokai has the antidote. The endings change based on whether Otori loses or wins]].

* RegeneratingHealth: An interesting variant. RegeneratingShieldStaticHealth is inverted with health regenerating, while [[BodyArmorAsHitPoints armor protects from all damage]] but needs a new vest to replenish it. During sword duels, however, your health ''doesn't'' regenerate until they're over, due to the slower pace meaning that you'd be able to endure anything that anybody could hit you with during them.

%%* ZettaiRyouiki: Mariko and Mama San Satori.