How Sharp Is This Blade?
Back in March of 2004, Tecmo did a fantastic job rebooting a series that was heralded on Nintendo’s old bit consoles. The series, of course, was Ninja Gaiden, which evoked fond memories for gamers who remembered the simple yet satisfying ninja side-scrolling of an age long past. The series returned, receiving critical acclaim as well as excellent gamer support. Staying true to the expert challenge level, using fluid and satisfying combat controls, and, of course, splashing a little blood here and there, it was instantly likeable by the hardcore gaming audience, whether or not they were fans of the martial arts.
Now, however, it seems the spotlight has dimmed. The trailers and gameplay footage for the upcoming entry, Ninja Gaiden 3, are still receiving a few cheers, but those cheers are subsiding much more quickly. In fact, it almost seems that the weight of the criticisms and anxiety are burdening the shoulders of developer Team Ninja and publisher Tecmo, no longer under the guidance of legendary designer, Tomonobu Itagaki. Nonetheless, Team Ninja continues to work diligently to overcome all skepticism, bringing some fresh ideas to this longstanding franchise. So how is the project looking so far?
In Ninja Gaiden 3, the action blends with a political story, as London is seized by terrorists and the Prime Minister taken hostage. But the singular purpose of this attack is to lure hero Ryu Hayabusa out of the shadows. After coming face to face with the terrorist leader—known only as the Regent of the Mask—Ryu is struck with a curse on his right arm, which leaves it stricken with pain and soaked in blood. This curse, called the Grip of Murder, is powered by the lives cut short by the sharp blade of Ryu’s katana.
Despite taking the form of a curse, the Grip of Murder actually builds to an ultimate attack after a certain number of enemies are killed, as Ryu’s arm glows red with searing heat. The long-term consequences of this curse remain a mystery, but it’s likely we’ll see some wear on Ryu’s conscience as the story unfolds.
A few changes to the combat strategy will have you retune your controls if you’ve just come off a refresher run through Ninja Gaiden II. The Reverse Wind technique, the go-to dodge maneuver, has been replaced by a slide, which closes the gap quickly between Rya and his enemies, staggering them briefly. It will also be used during exploration to access low-profile areas. Another new and multiuse feature comes in the form of kunai knives, which can take down snipers on rooftops or help Ryu reach those rooftops by acting as a climbing tool.
Although Ninja Gaiden 3 is certainly not skimping on blood, an interesting development choice is the removal of decapitations. It’s true that some players may tire of that sort of thing, depending on who you ask, but considering the typical extent of violence that comes from using an extremely sharp blade, the authenticity of the action may be questionable here. Of course, the new slow-motion cinematic camera shots of your blade piercing the torso of a terrorist thug and slicing through bone will have you checking Mortal Kombat for comparisons, but these new slow-mo visuals may work against the quick combat pacing the series is known for.
The Muramasa store has also been eliminated, and instead of upgrading your weapons using essence, they will simply upgrade over time during gameplay. The Dragon Statues (save points) have been replaced with falcons that swoop down at specific checkpoints. Thankfully, the Ninpo magic is still an alternative in combat, but instead of slots, a green bar is filled as enemies are killed.
Ninja Gaiden 3 will attempt to improve upon the multiplayer seen in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, the only iteration in the modern series to incorporate it. Surprisingly, the highlighted mode is not going to be a free-for-all Deathmatch; there will be a strong focus on co-op instead. Ninja Trials will pair you with other players to tackle objective-based missions, with some fiendishly difficult scenarios, much like the challenge you’ll find in the single-player campaign. Clan Battles will allow you to test your skilled team against others around the world, competing for experience to spend on customization and item unlocks. A dozen player-controlled ninjas slicing through the arena sounds like fun, but from gameplay footage so far, the level design could stand to use some work and the movement speed could benefit from a little more pressure on the gas pedal. Considering multiplayer is a relatively new feature for the Ninja Gaiden series, it will be interesting to see how the finished product holds up against the stiff competition.
Ninja Gaiden has an iconic history, and the series reboot did a fine job enrapturing us once again. However, the newest entry is taking us on a slight detour from what we’ve come to expect, and only the full release will be enough for us to know which way to turn our thumbs. Fortunately, both PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will have the same game to test, and even those awaiting Nintendo’s Wii U will have this one to look forward to once the system is released.
Game Features:
Bloody Ninja
Fans of actions games have never had it better, as E3 2011 displayed titles that catered to every corner of the vast genre. One such title was Ninja Gaiden. Fans of the characteristically frenetic gameplay the series is known for will be thrilled to know that that pacing hasn’t slowed down one bit. In fact, there are a few additions that might speed things up a bit. More on that in a moment.
The demo opens up with the main character, Ryu Hayabusa, perched atop one of Big Ben’s gargoyles. At night. In the rain. Ryu’s looking about as brooding and happy (read “not happy”) as a 21st century ninja should. I’ll have to apologize for lack of details on the story that I should be providing at this point as audio at the show was drowned out by the sound of Jane’s Addiction playing the roof off the arena. From what I could gather from watching the opening cinematic, a town that’s somehow connected to Ryu was attacked by a rebel army of sorts whose objectives run contrary to the outfit Ryu is working with.
At this point it really doesn’t matter because having an army of people to fight against allows a setup that showcases the developers’ focus for this action game: blood and bone on steel. The concept is demonstrated in the takedown moves, which can be performed frequently with a little skill. Ryu has three main types of attacks: a light attack (square), a heavy attack (triangle), and shuriken (circle) or throwing stars. You block by pressing L1 and in conjunction with movement in any direction Ryu will perform a dodge. Combat can be enhanced by pulling off properly timed combos. Combos, in turn, can lead to takedown moves, which take us back to that ‘blood and bone on steel’ concept the developer had been emphasizing.
During the takedown moves, the player is prompted by a mini QTE that isn’t really much more difficult or involved than mashing the light attack button. Ryu then struggles a bit to, and I can’t put this any other way, tear his sword through the nasty bits of bone and organ that happen to comprise the torso of the unfortunate individual who happens to be standing in front of him. The concept of what is actually taking place is enhanced by slight rumbles from the controller as the takedown is happening. The whole package comes together to emphasize the very, very visceral nature of the combat in Ninja Gaiden 3. A note for the uninitiated: if you haven’t figured it out yet, there are copious amounts of blood filling the screen at almost all times there is any combat going on. It’s not unlike most other Ninja Gaiden titles, so fans will be right at home here.
One major change to the gameplay comes from the way the life meter and ‘special’ meter are handled. Orbs have been removed completely. Instead players will be able to trigger certain events that fill either meter in-game. For instance to refill your health bar you have to perform successful combos. This isn’t too difficult with some of the lower level minions who couldn’t block to save their lives, not that it would. But some of the higher-tiered enemies are slightly more stubborn. The ‘special’ meter fills up (signified by Ryu’s arm glowing red) by doing well in combat and once filled allows Ryu to take down up to three enemies instantly at the level the attack was as in the demo. There was no word on whether that can be upgraded in the future.
Under certain circumstances, Ryu can perform instant takedowns. At the beginning of the demo, Ryu leaps off his perch high above the streets of London only to come crashing down on an unsuspecting enemy. Later moments provide opportunity for stealth takedowns by sneaking up behind the enemy and performing a heavy attack. At one point there was a thick fog filling one area of the level, which lent itself to the performance of many such takedowns. It’s only fitting that a ninja should be able to do that sort of thing on the fly.
Those familiar with the franchise will also recognize some of the platforming sections present in the demo, although there are some interesting changes that have been made. Instead of just being able to scale walls effortlessly, the developer has opted to work in a mechanic that’s congruent with their desire to help the player understand the kind of effort necessary to pull some of these moves off. To scale a wall, or at least this one, the player will first have to grab on to the wall with Ryu’s claws using both the L1 and R1 buttons. Climbing is performed by alternating these buttons, pressing L1 then R1 alternatively. The mechanic worked to create a little bit of immersion where there otherwise wouldn’t have been any and, again, was in keeping with the developer’s goal. The demo ended with a battle with a spider-mech that shot missile launchers, which I’m told were quite widespread in ancient Japan.
All things considered, Ninja Gaiden 3 is shaping up to be a sequel that shaves off unnecessary ideas in favor of ones that are less-explored without sacrificing the core ideas that the fans have come to appreciate. Look forward to more coverage as the release date draws closer, and stay tuned to CheatCC for more coverage of the games at E3 2011.
Game Features: