Ninja Gaiden (SPARTAN002 Review)
Ninja Gaiden is on the cutting-edge of action. Take on the role of powerful ninja Ryu Hayabusa, who seeks revenge
after his clan is massacred by the Vigor Empire. Taking full advantage of three-dimensional space, advance through the story
with only your wits, your ninja skills, and your deadly swordcutting down opponents in the Vigor Empire as you attempt to
beat the Holy Emperor and reclaim the magic sword Dark Dragon Blade.
Graphics:
To say that the graphics are beautiful would be a complete and total understatement. Every aspect of the game,
the backgrounds, the lighting effects, the animation, and the character designs every single part of the game is a visual
feast for the eyes. Its easily the most excellent looking game to charm the Xbox and for that issue one of the finest looking
games Ive ever seen. No part of the graphics had to be compromised to bring gamers the phenomenal gameplay that Ninja Gaiden
offers and it shows as the game itself is simply a work of art in more ways than one. The game also has a number of simply
unbelievable particle effects and lighting designs which only add to the overall visual style. Seriously, some of the things
youll see has to be seen to be believed. Level designs are always varied, filled to the brim with many amounts of color and
detail, the enemy you face is always new and presents a totally new set of challenges, and youll never ever feel recurring
when describing the look and feel of the areas you played through. It is a everlasting proof to just how good this game looks.
The cut scenes, however, are even more fantastic than the actual in-game graphics. This is usually the case with most games,
as the intermissions generally look much more cinematic in their scope than that actual gameplay. Given the utter magnificence
found within the game itself, however, I had expected the cinema sequences to be as good or a little better. However, Tecmo
does a one up on me and creates cut scenes that are so superb, so stunning in their appearance that the rest of the game seems
to pale in comparison. Every part of the action, every piece of clothing, every strand of grass is brought to life with a
intensity and beauty that truly makes it one of a kind. The game is stunning, of that there is no doubt in my mind. Believe
the hype.
Audio:
Youll find many pieces that are simply orchestral in nature, while other pieces involve a heavier slightly more
its own style of music to accompany it. Not only does the music compliment the backdrop, but it easily complements the overall
intensity of the game. With such a wide range of themes and musical styles, Ninja Gaiden is easily on the best musical scores
on the market and never once fails to present a piece that feels out of place. The quality of the compositions is unbelievable
and successfully manages to capture the essence of the game. Voice acting is great as well and you do have the ability to
choose between English and Japanese performances.
Gameplay: A button used to jump, B button to throw your shurikens,
X button to attack and the Y button to unleash your strong attacks. While doing this you can move with the joystick, block
with the Left Trigger and centre the camera with the right trigger this can be a pain at times. Melee combat is the central
system of attack you will be using through Ninja Gaiden, but dont worry there is a great variety of weapons which you can
upgrade and an even better range of combos unique to each weapon. You start off with the Dragon Sword, which when fully upgraded
at the later stages in the game is a destructive weapon. Long Range combat is a good way of preserving your health in
those moments where you may not make it. You can keep your distance and with unlimited shurikens whos complaining. There is
also the option to use your bow and arrow or the lethal incendiary shurikens for an even greater effect. However, ranged attacks
really shouldnt be your primary choice of attack. Ninpo is the other form of combat in Ninja Gaiden and it can have
overwhelming effects on nearby enemies, or you can concentrate it on one enemy for an even deadlier blow. Ninpo is available
in 3 types, which are Inferno (fire), Ice Storm and Inazuma (lightning). You will not start with any of them and must be collected
through acquiring technique scrolls. A drawback to ninpo is that you can only equip one type at a time, so before you go into
battle you must choose which one will help you the most. You should also keep an eye on you Ninpo gauge, every time you use
your Ninpo powers you will use up one slot on your Ninpo gauge, which can be replenished through special items or experience
orbs. However, the AI in Ninja Gaiden isnt that bad and the enemies can dish out a reasonable bit of damage too, so you will
find yourself lessening back on the block button just bit as well. But from the blocking position you are able to perform
counter attacks which can then take you to the offensive side of the battle, instead of leaving you blocking in a corner.
You also are figuring out a few puzzles and even a rock chase so not all of the game is Hack and Slash. There are a
few flaws in the gameplay believe it or not the major one is the camera. You have no control over it at all, it goes where
it wants which sometimes is where you need it, but at critical times you will find yourself wishing you could move it. Cause
even if it is slightly off in one of those hectic encounters you may find yourself using one of those valuable Talisman of
Rebirth items. You can auto centre the Point of View behind you, but you don't want to keep pressing that button and sometimes
behind Ryu isnt where you want the camera to be. The difficulty of Ninja Gaiden is some of the hardest you will find in a
console game and will make some gamers throw there controllers (I know I did), mash buttons while the game is reloading after
you died, or turn the game off in irritation only to turn it back on minutes later so you can experience it all again. It
isnt the kind of difficulty where the enemies overpower you, it is the kind of difficulty where your enemies are smart and
the AI that is used for some of them will annoy you for hours. But in my opinion it is a good difficulty that will make u
yourself a better gamer we havent seen a game with this much difficulty for a long time. Sure there was the legendary difficulty
setting in Halo, but even that got easy after time. Ninja Gaiden will get easier the more you play it just like any other
game. But unlike others Tecmo and Team Ninja keep us updated with new and even more difficult missions obtainable through
Xbox Live. So with the addition of Downloadable Content (like the "Hurricane Packs" where you can use new weapons and encounter
new enemies) over Xbox Live and the Master Ninja online Tournaments, Tecmo has given you another reason to go through this
game again. Together with that there is the abilityto unlock many things during gameplay, from costumes, weapons, techniques,
combos and even the original 1989 version of Ninja Gaiden.
Overall:
So there u have it this game is one of the best games I have ever played and Im a proud owner of this game and
which I can say This is a worthy title and should be in everyones Xbox collection. With Xbox live Downloadable Content
u can get all the Hurricane Packs which I can say are a whole new game which is about $50 for Ninja Gaiden but the packs are
FREE and it leaves u with hours of replay value and as well as unlocking the original Ninja Gaiden games. This game
is hard to put down before you finish it. Some of the boss fights get very hard and frustrating while others are just a breeze.
The cut scenes look great and keep you wanting more. This game is worth the $50 you will cherish it every step of the way.
9.6/10
-Korben Carreno (SPARTAN002)
|