Broadening the scope of gaming doesn't just involve putting out puzzle games and brain teasers; moreover, it requires offering games in traditional genres like real-time strategy and role-playing that are approachable. D3 Publisher is hoping to do just this in the action genre with Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire. Likely to be an alternative to the complexities of Devil May Cry 4 and Heavenly Sword, Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire takes a more casual approach with its action gameplay that ought to appeal to a wider audience.

Dragon Blade stars an unnamed warrior on the path to collecting pieces of the titular sword. Containing the soul of a dragon, the legendary blade has the power to fight against the very dragons that have scorched the planet. Across 20-plus different environments in six levels, you are charged with uncovering each piece of the Dragon Blade and wielding the unique powers that come with them.

Aiming more for casual, arcade play versus a complex button-mashing affair, Dragon Blade features straight up third-person action gameplay and through the course of the game's two dozen stages you'll wield the Dragon Blade and its various powers against waves of enemies and bosses. There's little in the way of platforming or puzzle-solving, all of which is intentional in keeping Dragon Blade an easy to jump into.

With each piece of the Dragon Blade that you find, a new power is unlocked. These powers—designated as forms in-game—are tied to gestures of the Wii Remote and nunchuk. For instance, the first form is a fiery dragon claw that lashes out at enemies via slashes of the remote. Later on, a second dragon claw is added and linked with the nunchuk; as such, slashes of both the Wii Remote and nunchuk result in powerful attacks. Other forms found later in the game include a fire-breathing dragon's head, tail, and wings.

You'll be able to combine different forms for combination attacks with quick gestures. As we witnessed in a boss battle against a massive water dragon, stringing together forms can yield far more damage than regular attacks with the sword's basic form. Especially during boss battles, you'll need to master each of the available forms and corresponding gestures to quickly take them out.

Visually, Dragon Blade isn't terribly impressive; however, much of the emphasis is being placed on gameplay. The clever way in which the game's dragon forms tie to movements of the Wii Remote and nunchuk should make for an enjoyable experience. We only saw one stage and a rather difficult boss battle that involved three transformations before the creature went down; therefore, it appears that the game will offer a hearty challenge despite a seeming lack of depth. Either way, we'll know when Dragon Blade ships in September of this year.