Ninja
Gaiden 3 is the long awaited sequel to the 2008 game, Ninja Gaiden 2,
and is the first Ninja Gaiden game to not be directed by Tomonobu
Itagaki, but to be directed by Yosuke Hayashi instead. So just how is
Ninja Gaiden 3? Does it live up to the Ninja Gaiden name? Well...
Ryu's Story begins once again:
Ninja
Gaiden 3 takes place not too long after the end of Ninja Gaiden 2, and
before the events of the original Ninja Gaiden on the NES. The game
starts with Ryu Hayabusa learning about a group of terrorists that are
attacking London. Although normally ninjas stay out of the affairs of
other countries, Ryu decides to head to London after he learns that they
are targeting him as well. After fighting off mobs of enemies, Ryu
finally makes his way into a building where hostages were said to be
held; however Ryu soon finds that he's too late.
Once inside the
building Ryu, discovers that all of the hostages have been killed by a
strange man with a white mask and red robe. The strange man goes on to
tell Ryu that they are both very much alike and that they are both
nothing but killers. After a quick fight, the strange man destroys Ryu's
Dragon Sword and fuses it with Ryu's body, cursing him to feel the pain
and suffering of everyone he has ever "murdered."
Ninja
Gaiden 3, unlike the past two Ninja Gaiden games, have a very strong
focus on the story, and it also deals with the human side of Ryu. As the
game progresses Ryu slowly becomes close to the JSDF Agent Mizuki, as
well as her daughter Canna. For the first time players really get to see
what makes Ryu, Ryu, and not just an assassin. Although Ryu is in fact a
super ninja who has defeated many enemies in the past, he is also a
person; he has friends, he has family, and he cares about protecting
innocent people. Throughout Ninja Gaiden 3 this aspect of Ryu's
personality really begins to show, and it really helps make Ryu seem
alive.
Although Ninja Gaiden 3 does have a major focus on the
story and on Ryu's human side, it isn't perfect. The story can be a bit
rushed at times, the terrorists plans really aren't that clear until the
end of the game, and Ryu's morals can seem a bit strange at times. One
minute he's finishing off a soldier who's begging for his life, and the
next he's feeling sorry for them and avenging their deaths after someone
else kills them. It can be a little bit strange at times, but overall
the story does a pretty good job of getting Ryu from point A to point B,
and it's also really nice to actually see Ryu as a human and not just a
silent assassin.
Picking up the sword for a 3rd time:
As
one might expect from any game in the Ninja Gaiden series, Ninja Gaiden
3 is an action game with a very strong focus on the combat; however
things are quite a bit different this time around. While Ninja Gaiden 1
and 2 featured many different weapon types, a shop system, as well as
many different areas to explore outside of the main path, Ninja Gaiden 3
does away with all of it and stream lines the gameplay.
The basic
formula in Ninja Gaiden 3 stays the same throughout the entire game.
Unlike in the past games, all of the levels in NG3 are completely linear
and will force you to stay on a set path. Although this might be a
little bit upsetting for any treasure hunters out there, it also allows
the game play to really take on the action route. Ryu will be doing his
signature glide off of of buildings, escaping buildings as they explode,
running from huge monsters, and climbing up walls with his brand new
climb move. All of these new elements really help give the game more of a
cinematic, and help with the overall gameplay. Although quick time
events might not be your thing, you have to admit that watching Ryu jump
off a building and cut a helicopter in half is pretty cool.
Outside
of the quick time style events, the standard Ninja Gaiden gameplay can
be found. As you move throughout the stage mobs and mobs of enemies will
attack you, and it's up to you to decide how to fight them. Just like
in the past games Ryu has hundreds of moves and combos which he can
preform, but there is one major flaw with this in Ninja Gaiden 3.
Although you have a lot of room to use whatever moves you want, it's
really kind of pointless. While in past games each enemy had their own
weakness that the player had to figure out, enemies in NG3 are pretty
basic. You can basically use the same simple combos over and over again
and still kill just about everything. Sure you COULD use Ryu's famous
Izuna Drop (which is done by using a fast attack, strong attack, fast
attack, fast attack, fast attack, strong attack, in that order), or you
could simply spam your fast attack until you've weakened the enemy
enough to pull off an auto finisher (which is what replaced the
"delimbing" gameplay mechanic from Ninja Gaiden 2), which you can then
chain into all of the enemies around you resulting in twenty plus one
hit kills.
The game DOES feature easier and harder modes which
actually balances out the combat a bit more, but it still doesn't change
the fact that the combat is a lot easier than it was in the past games.
Either though it no longer requires you to learn hundreds of moves, the
moves are still in fact there, and they are still a lot of fun to use.
Besides
the addition of the "bone on steel" moves, which are used to finish off
an enemy, a brand new slide attack as well as a new magic dragon attack
has been added. The slide acts like the original dodge and dash moves
from 1 and 2, but it can also be used to pull off different moves and
combos. For example you can slash the enemy until they get knocked off
balance, and then you could slide under them causing them to trip and
land on your sword. It's actually a really nice addition, and adds a bit
more to the combat overall; however I sadly can't say the same for the
dragon attack.
In past games Ryu was able to use quite a few
different types of magic. Each had its own advantages, and none of it
was really over powered. Sure it could be used to one hit kill enemies,
but the strict limit on uses really forced you to think about using it.
Well, sadly this system has been completely replaced. In Ninja Gaiden 3
Ryu is only able to use a single magic attack which is a screen clearing
dragon which also heals him to max health. Yep that's right! Not only
does it kill just about every enemy on screen, except for the few rare
occasions where it misses, it also heals Ryu and makes the game easier.
Since the magic bar now fills up based on many enemies you attack/kill,
and since the bar will reset to zero after the fight is over which keeps
you from using it in the next right right away, there is basically no
reason to save it. It's a boring attack that gets old fast, it destroys
everything, and it heals you. It's the ultimate safety net.
Ultimate Techniques have also been completely revamped in NG3. In 1 and 2
Ultimate
Techniques were used by charging your strong attacks which allowed you
to release a very strong attack which would basically destroy everything
around you. The technique could be a life saver, but it could also be a
challenge to pull off as well. Once again, all of that has completely
changed! Now
Ultimate Techniques are
completely random and can be pulled off by simply tapping your strong
attack button. As you fight Ryu's arm will begin to glow red, and that's
all there really is to it. Sometimes it'll glow red right away, and
other times it won't start glowing until you've killed 50 plus enemies.
It's random, but at the same time it can be an over powered life saver.
The
other changes to the combat comes in the form of the ranged weapons.
Just like always Ryu can throw and endless supply of shurikens, but
that's not the only thing that's endless. The bow has always been a key
weapon in the Ninja Gaiden games, and it was always something you got
early on; however there was always an arrow limit which stopped you from
abusing it... But let's just say that's not a "problem" anymore.
Like
in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, the bow has unlimited, although it is now
explosive ammo, and can be used as many times as you want; however it
really isn't as over powered as it might seem. Although the bow does
have some uses when it comes to fighting ground enemies, it's mainly
there to fight off the ones that are out of reach. Since the bow auto
locks onto the nearest target, it freezes time when aiming in the air,
and you can also move while aiming, it is very easy to use and it's
something almost everyone will be able to pick up on right away.
Although
originally Ninja Gaiden 3's core gameplay focused solely on Ryu's
sword, updates have been released to add in more weapons. In other
words, if you're a fan of Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2, and you miss using your
favorite weapons; worry not because game changing updates are possible,
and you never know what might be added in the future!
Shadows of The World:
Shadows
of The World is another one of the main modes featured in Ninja Gaiden
3, and it's also the mode that plays the most like a Ninja Gaiden game.
While the main story mode focuses on Ryu and features the new style of
gameplay, Shadows of The World allows you to create your own custom
ninja and take on trial missions, which are a mix of both old and new,
as well as battle with other fellow ninjas in an online death match.
When
you first start Shadows of The World you'll start with basically
nothing. You'll have a few basic clothing colors, a few basic helmets,
few basic gloves, and a few basic boots to pick from. You'll also start
with level 1 magic, a level 1 sword, a very limited supply of arrows,
and a very limited supply of shurikens. As you battle online and play
through the trials, you'll slowly begin to level up your ninja and
unlock new features just like in the original games. As you level up
your character you'll learn new abilities and unlock new parts to
customize your ninja, and as you level up your weapons you unlock more
moves in the move list.
While the trial mode features enemies from
the original two games, which are a bit more challenging, where Shadows
of The World really shines is the multiplayer death match mode where
teams of four get to battle it out! Due to the level up system, you will
be at a disadvantage when you first start, but as time goes on and you
unlock more abilities, it becomes a really fun mode to test your skills
against other players. With the addition of the stealth system, which
makes you invisible while walking, and the stealth kill system, the
multiplayer mode has quite a lot of depth and is a really nice extra
mode.
So in the end, Ninja Gaiden 3 really worth it?
Ninja
Gaiden 3 is a pretty hard game to rate simply because it's a Ninja
Gaiden game. Most fans who go into this game expect the Ninja Gaiden
standards, while new players come in expecting an action game. This is
one of them rare times where a game is completely a love or hate title.
If
you're a Ninja Gaiden fan you're sure to be disappointed in a lot of
the changes that were made. Even with the updates, the weapon list is
still very limited which basically forces you to play the game in a
certain way. If you were one of them people who spent the past few years
mastering your favorite weapon, you're really going to be upset once
you learn that the weapon wasn't originally included in the game and may
never be included in the updates. Also if you were one of the fans who
didn't like the route Ninja Gaiden 2 took with the linear level set up,
you'll most likely hate it even more now that ALL exploration has been
completely removed. No alternate paths, no side roads to take to find
hidden items, no shop to buy items at, and well, no items! Exploration
has been completely removed and replaced with action scenes.
Ninja
Gaiden 3 also doesn't quite offer the challenge you would expect from a
Ninja Gaiden game. Ninja Gaiden is known to be so hard that a lot of
players can't even make it past the first room on the easiest setting.
That will NEVER happen in NG3, especially since the "Hero" easy mode
actually has a setting that takes control of Ryu and auto dodges and
blocks for you. You can basically sit the controller down in a room
filled with enemies, and come back an hour later to find Ryu is still
alive. This mode makes the game so easy, even a two year old can play
it. Even so, there are harder modes that will give you a challenge, but
it still won't challenge you the same way as NG1 or 2. Besides the fact
that enemies will spam grab moves non stop, most of which are one hit
killers, the limits made with some of the other features in the game
cause it to be more challenging than it should be. Yes it's hard, but
it's annoying "cheap hard," and not a true challenge. I also
STRONGLY RECOMMEND
turning off the in game tutorial as soon as possible. With the tutorial
turned on, combat will be slowed down with quick time events after each
and every kill. If you truly want to play this like a Ninja Gaiden
game, you'll want to turn them off as soon as possible and play like you
have been for the past few years.
Now with that being said, just
how will a non Ninja Gaiden fan feel about this game? Well... Ninja
Gaiden 3 is a pretty solid action game! Compared to most other action
games coming out today, Ninja Gaiden 3 is easily one of the better ones
and a lot of fun can be had with it. The story is pretty good, the sword
play and large move sets are VERY nice, the main story can take around
10 or so hours to beat, there are a lot of challenges to play through on
your own or with co-op, and there's a nice multiplayer death match
mode. The game, in short, is a great action game. There are a few
glitches every once in awhile, and there are times the game will slow
you down for story scenes, but none of them are really that big of a
problem.
Ninja Gaiden 3 is actually a pretty good game, and it
only gets better with each update. The only problem is that this game
doesn't follow the standards set by the past few games. Sure you may end
up liking the game even if you are a long time fan, but there's also a
pretty good chance you'll be disappointed. Still if you're an action
game fan and this is your first game in the series, then fear not
because you'll most likely love it!
In the end, despite the fact that it's not like the other games in the series, Ninja Gaiden 3 is a
7/10
in my book. Nice graphics, a pretty good story, fun trials, and a
pretty fun online mode. It's a game that's sure to last you quite
awhile!
Still, this is NOT a game for you Ninja Gaiden fans. (As a fan myself, if I were to rate this compared to other NG games; it's about a 5/10. It isn't the Ninja Gaiden we fans have been waiting for, but that doesn't make it a bad action game on its own. The good news is, Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge is there.)
