When Ninja Gaiden 3 hit the shelves in early 2012, many fans were deeply hesitant. The game marked the first entry in the series not to be directed by Tomonobu Itagaki, a man renowned for his dedication to brutal difficulty. Because of this seismic shift in creative leadership, the consensus was that the game would be a disaster. As it turned out, critics were half right.
Ninja Gaiden 3 was, fundamentally, not a true Ninja Gaiden game. The core experience was heavily simplified: alternate weapons were removed to singularly focus on the Dragon Sword; the expected upgrade and progression systems were completely absent; the core combat mechanics were entirely revamped; and even the collectible items and hidden challenges that veterans cherished were stripped from the stages.
While Ninja Gaiden 3 wasn't a bad action title on its own merits, it was the Ninja Gaiden name that truly damaged its reception. Had it been released as a standalone property, it likely would have fared well. However, when developers release a sequel, the fan base rightfully expects that game to honor the series' legacy.
After witnessing the intensely negative backlash, the team at Team Ninja decided to act decisively. Acknowledging their misstep, they chose to use the Wii U version (now available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox and PC) to correct their course. Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is the newest iteration, and unlike its predecessor, it is a true Ninja Gaiden game. Team Ninja went to great lengths to transform their original title into one worthy of the name, even including several unexpected extras. The crucial question, then, remains: Does all of this effort make Razor's Edge a good game? Will veterans of Ninja Gaiden 2's Master Ninja Mode finally approve? We're here to find out.
It's time to Relive Ryu's Story:
The story in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is, in fact, the same story we saw with the original game, but with a few twists here and there. The game opens up with Ryu being contacted by two people from the Japanese government. Apparently, London is under attack by some unknown terrorists, and it seems that their target is actually none other than Ryu Hayabusa. Although it really isn't clear why these people are after Hayabusa, they are holding hostages, and their only demand was, in fact, "Bring us Ryu Hayabusa."
Unwilling to take chances, Ryu decides to head to London and confront the threat himself. However, his arrival immediately shatters his plan. The hostages are already dead, leaving only a strange man in a red coat standing in the room. This mysterious figure challenges Ryu, then bizarrely allows himself to be stabbed, only to then use Ryu's Dragon Sword to inflict a powerful curse. The accumulated pain and suffering from every life the sword has claimed courses into Ryu's arm, slowly beginning to consume him from the inside out. Moments later, the city is bombed, and Ryu barely escapes with his life.
The very next day, Ryu is relentlessly pursuing the terrorists. Though their identity remains unknown, it is terrifyingly clear that they are powerful forces who will stop at nothing to achieve their mysterious goal. Ultimately, Ryu once again finds himself fighting to save the world—but this time, the fight is equally about saving himself.
Although the story does, in fact, remain mostly unchanged, there are a few minor differences as well. Some scenes, such as Ryu's pointless murder in level 1, have been removed, and we also get to see some behind-the-scenes story points while playing as the new character Ayane. These changes are pretty minor, but they do help flesh out the story and clear up some unexplained plot holes in the original.
Picking up the Dragon Sword for a Second Try:
Just like the rest of the Ninja Gaiden series, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is an action-adventure game, with an extremely deep combat system and very challenging enemies to fight. Although the game has a wide variety of game modes you can play on (with Hero being the easiest and Ultimate Ninja being the hardest), Ninja Gaiden is a flat-out challenging game no matter how you look at it. Unlike most action games nowadays, this isn't a game you can button-mash on and expect to win, and it may take you months of actual training before you can take on Ultimate Ninja. Still, these things are what make Ninja Gaiden games Ninja Gaiden, and why they are loved by so many fans.
The Combat and Weapon Systems -
The heart of the modern Ninja Gaiden experience is its combat system. Much like Team Ninja's fighting series, Dead or Alive, these games feature an incredibly deep system with hundreds of moves and combos to learn. Initially, Ryu only has access to a handful of basic moves, but as the game progresses and you upgrade weapons, his arsenal dramatically expands.
Despite relying on just a few basic buttons (quick attack, strong attack, shuriken, jump, block, and two triggers for the bow), the variety of moves and combos you can execute depends heavily on Ryu's current movement state. For example, while some basic combos require standing still, others are unlocked by moving forward, sliding, jumping, or even running or leaping off walls. Every action has a dedicated, complete move list, challenging you to creatively utilize this immense arsenal.
The strategic depth extends to your foes as well. Every enemy possesses its own distinct fighting style and will fight you to the absolute death. In Ninja Gaiden, even the weakest opponent can kill you instantly, demanding that you fight back with everything you have. Enemies will actively block, dodge, and counter your attacks, forcing you to execute the same defensive and offensive maneuvers. Simply put, the combat is structured like a traditional fighting game, requiring you to fight with the strategy and precision of a competitive fighter. While you can button-mash in easy mode, survival on harder difficulty settings absolutely requires mastering your entire weapon suite.
Unlike the original release, Razor's Edge boasts a welcome return to a wide variety of melee weapons, with each one featuring a distinct fighting style. Much like a traditional fighting game, players will naturally gravitate toward the style that suits them best, then dedicate time to mastering its nuances. For instance, the Dragon Sword offers a well-balanced style defined by fast movements and strong attacks. Contrast this with the Scythe, which provides a wider hitting range and higher raw power, but at the cost of speed. While not every weapon will appeal to every player, that diversity is intentional.
Projectiles are also a major strategic component of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, so much so that some bosses must be defeated using them. Unlike past titles where a bow was a secondary tool that required scavenging for arrows, here the dynamic is different. In Razor's Edge, you benefit from unlimited ammo and an auto-lock feature on the nearest enemy. While this might appear to diminish the challenge, it doesn't. Most enemies block arrows easily, and shots deal minimal damage compared to standard melee weapons. Crucially, the bow retains its utility: much like the shurikens, it can be used to momentarily stagger or slow enemy movements. By fluidly mixing projectiles and melee strikes, players can create extensive combos, maintain crowd control, and significantly boost their score.
The final major combat system to be decisively fixed in Razor's Edge is the Ultimate Technique (UT).
In the first two modern Ninja Gaiden games, players could hold the strong attack button to manually charge a devastating Ultimate Technique, allowing Ryu to slaughter all surrounding enemies. While effective, the technique required a moment to charge. However, the original Ninja Gaiden 3 entirely broke this dynamic: players were instead forced to wait for Ryu's arm to randomly glow red before they could execute the move. This reliance on chance made the mechanic frustratingly random, wresting control from the player.
The great news is that Razor's Edge completely restores the system's integrity.
Like the first two games, you can now manually charge the Ultimate Technique by holding the strong attack button and unleash it on surrounding enemies. However, two significant differences remain from the classic formula. First, in earlier titles, defeating enemies dropped yellow essence spheres that could instantly max out the charge. Razor's Edge removes this entirely. Since enemies no longer drop essence or healing items, you are actively forced to wait and charge the UT yourself. Second, the randomized glowing arm still exists, but its purpose is no longer tied to combat execution. Instead, when the arm glows, you earn a Karma Score bonus, making it function as a score multiplier rather than a necessary combat prompt.
The Moves of a Ninja -
As noted, Hayabusa possesses a wide variety of crucial moves outside of his standard attack repertoire.
The most important of these is the block: by holding the Left Trigger, Ryu can pull off his key defensive maneuver. While blocking, Ryu will deflect most incoming attacks, but not all of them. Just like in traditional fighting games, blocks are vulnerable to grab attempts and heavy-hitting attacks. In those moments, it becomes vital to rely on Ryu's other important defensive actions: the slide, the parry, and the jump.
While defending, Ryu sacrifices normal movement. Instead, he can slide to dash out of danger, jump away, or execute his precision Parry move. By timing an attack button press precisely when an enemy's strike connects with the sword, Ryu performs a counter that deals massive damage. All three of these techniques are integral to mastering defense and will require significant practice. Recklessly dashing or jumping will quickly lead to death, and misjudging your parry timing will have the exact same result.
Like in past games, Ryu can still run up and jump off walls to reach higher areas. While wall-running isn't used as frequently here as in older entries, it remains key to accessing several hidden areas and secret jumps. These segments add a light platforming element to Ninja Gaiden, though they never become the focus.
Alongside the traditional wall run, Hayabusa must occasionally wall-jump between parallel surfaces to ascend cliffs or buildings. He also uses his knives to scale certain walls. Although this knife-climbing feature was broadly disliked in the original game, Team Ninja chose to keep it in, though they drastically reduced its presence.
The Falcon Dive is another feature introduced in the original game, but it’s actually a move Hayabusa has been performing in cutscenes for years. The move sees Ryu jump from a high point, glide through the air, and typically descend with a fatal stab. While it’s one of his signature, long-running cinematic moves, Ninja Gaiden 3 is the first title to let players actually execute it.
In the Story Mode, Falcon Dive opportunities are scripted, but in the online modes, you can use it freely simply by jumping off any high ledge. Though it doesn't drastically change the gameplay, it's a cool feature that finally lets players deploy one of Ryu's most recognizable maneuvers.
Dismemberment and Steel on Bone -
One of the loudest complaints about the original Ninja Gaiden 3 was the removal of dismemberment, which was largely replaced by the Steel on Bone mechanic.
In Ninja Gaiden 2, dealing enough damage allowed you to shear off enemy limbs. This triggered an opportunity to use the strong attack button for an Obliteration Technique, finishing them in a single, brutal hit. Crucially, enemies missing body parts became stronger and often resorted to dangerous suicide attacks, forcing players to prioritize finishing them immediately.
When fans discovered this essential system had been stripped from the original Ninja Gaiden 3, the backlash was fierce. Dismemberment was a core, strategic element of Ninja Gaiden 2's deep combat, and its removal simplified the fighting far too much.
Fortunately, that is no longer an issue. Razor's Edge heralds the triumphant return of the dismemberment system exactly as it functioned in Ninja Gaiden 2! You can once again sever limbs, and enemies will still aggressively try to grab you for a suicidal counterattack. It's a system that fundamentally works well, and frankly, there was never a good reason for Team Ninja to have changed it in the first place.
Although Steel on Bone was originally the replacement for dismemberment in Ninja Gaiden 3, the mechanic still remains in Razor's Edge.
When an enemy is about to execute a powerful, charged attack—similar to Ryu's Ultimate Technique—they will begin to glow red and rush you. This gives you only a split second to react, or risk immediate death! By hitting the strong attack button (X), you can instantly stop their rush, cut through their body, and subsequently one-hit-kill any nearby enemies in the same fluid motion. This maneuver, known as the Steel on Bone Technique, is an important system to master, particularly when striving for a high Karma Score.
Ninpo Magic -
Unlike the original release, Razor's Edge brings back the different Ninpo magic that most fans have come to know and love from Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2. Instead of being limited to a single screen-clearing fire dragon, players now have three types of Ninpo to choose from.
You build up a magic bar below your health by landing combos and defeating enemies. Once the bar is maxed out, you can unleash a devastating Ninpo attack. These moves range from throwing fireballs at surrounding foes and sending slicing shockwaves of wind across the screen, to shooting a charged plasma ball. While each Ninpo has its own offensive uses, their greatest benefit isn't an attack at all: they can be used to heal your character!
Since Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge completely lacks consumable items, the ways to recover health are severely limited: reaching a save point, utilizing a specific healing skill (which will be detailed later), or using your Ninpo magic on enemies. This restriction makes the game significantly more challenging than past Ninja Gaiden titles, where players could simply stock up on healing items. Now, you are forced to strategically deliberate every use of your magic. For example, you might want to use Ninpo to eliminate a powerful threat, but if your health is already full, is that the optimal time? These are the tense, tactical questions you'll constantly be asking yourself, and the answers will often determine your survival.
Karma and the Upgrade Shop:
The Karma Scoring system has returned, but this time, its function is drastically different. Just as before, your Karma Score increases based on your proficiency throughout the level. Unlike past games, however, this score now has a direct, practical use.
The Karma Points earned during gameplay can be spent in an in-game shop, which is conveniently accessible via the Select button. Here, players can purchase a wide variety of powers and upgrades. Some of these are entirely new moves for the series that utilize magic to perform. Examples include the self-healing skill and a tactical maneuver that allows Ryu to instantly warp out of harm's way.
In the original game, Ryu's equipment and abilities remained largely static. This time, however, a critical progression system has been implemented: you must upgrade your equipment to unlock new moves, additional weapons, powerful magic, and even increases to your health bar.
While some upgrades are immediately available to purchase with Karma Points, others must first be unlocked. For example, to increase your maximum health, you must find the hidden Golden Scarabs scattered throughout the game. Each scarab you discover unlocks a new health upgrade to purchase, and finding these artifacts becomes absolutely key to standing a chance on the harder difficulty modes. Other upgrades, including new weapons and extra costumes (a feature also missing from the original), are unlocked in the shop automatically as you advance through the main story.
Extra Challenges:
Like earlier installments, Razor's Edge features extra challenges hidden within each stage. Beyond the collectible Golden Scarabs, players can also find Crystal Skulls. Activating one of these skulls triggers a brutal sequence: challenging waves of enemies culminating in an extra boss fight imported from a past Ninja Gaiden title. These are true challenges that significantly ramp up the game's difficulty. While failure has no penalty, clearing them rewards you with massive Karma bonuses. These points are well worth the effort if you plan to unlock every item in the shop, including the extra costumes.
New Characters and the New Chapter Challenge Mode:
One of the biggest selling points for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 was its Chapter Challenge mode. This feature allowed players to replay any story level with any weapon, all while competing to achieve the highest possible score. It was a fantastic extra, letting fans revisit their favorite stages without restarting the main story. Well, the good news is: it's back, and it's drastically improved!
This time around, Chapter Challenge is huge—almost a game unto itself! Not only can you play as Ryu Hayabusa, but once unlocked early in the game, Ayane from Dead or Alive becomes a playable character in every Chapter Challenge mission, not just her dedicated story stages. But the additions don't stop there! Also joining the roster are Momiji (from Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Sigma 2) and Kasumi from Dead or Alive!
This marks a major milestone: it is the first time players can use Ayane and Momiji outside of their designated story levels, and the very first time Kasumi has been playable outside of the Dead or Alive series! Crucially, each of these three new characters possesses her own distinct fighting style, complete with a unique Karma Shop and set of unlockables.
This infusion of content drastically increases the game's replay value. With five distinct difficulty settings, four playable characters (one of whom has multiple weapons), and a separate Karma Shop progression for each character on every difficulty level, you could easily spend hundreds of hours just trying to fully clear the game and unlock everything.
While the ability to use these extra characters in Chapter Challenge is the biggest draw, it’s not their only function. All four characters—Ryu, Ayane, Momiji, and Kasumi—can also be used in the game's Shadow of the World Ninja Trials.
Shadow of the World:
Shadow of the World returns in Razor's Edge, and it is better than ever. In the original Ninja Gaiden 3, this mode was almost a game unto itself, allowing you to create a custom ninja, level them up, and take them online for deathmatch battles or into the challenging Ninja Trials.
The Custom Ninja is the core of this mode, allowing for deep personalization. When you start, your ninja is completely basic: a simple sword with minimal combos, limited projectiles, low health, and no special skills. As you use your ninja in battles and trials, you earn Karma Points that are spent in an exclusive shop, just like in the main game. Your ninja will level up, unlocking more advanced skills and abilities for purchase, allowing you to truly customize your character's build, weapons, and even costumes from a wide variety of options.
Clan Battles are exactly what they sound like: deathmatch modes where you compete against other players. Given that Ninja Gaiden's combat plays like a technical fighter, a deathmatch mode is a natural fit. Players enter a map and fight, sometimes receiving secondary objectives—such as performing the Izuna Drop to finish an opponent—to earn extra points. It's a fantastic extra that significantly boosts the game's replayability.
The infamous Ninja Trials also make a welcome return, and they are once again extremely challenging. Trials consist of successive waves of enemies that are often far tougher than any encountered during the main campaign. There are numerous trials across many difficulty settings, and they can be tackled using one of the game's four main characters (Ryu, Ayane, Momiji, or Kasumi) or your own Custom Ninja. This feature was the undeniable highlight of the original game, and it remains an amazing component of this improved version.
Should you play it?
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is the game we should have received back in early 2012. It successfully recaptures the essence of the franchise: the gameplay mirrors Ninja Gaiden 2, the challenge is intense, and the Chapter Challenge mode is superb. Nearly every fan-favorite feature is present and accounted for, including the return of dismemberment, the upgrade system, varied Ninpo magic, and a fixed Ultimate Technique. The added bonus of extra characters, a compelling story, a great voice cast, and sharp graphics makes this iteration truly shine. This game delivers almost everything fans hoped for, resulting in a title with remarkably few flaws—but that doesn't mean it's entirely perfect.
The key takeaway is this: Razor's Edge is NOT Ninja Gaiden 2, and some fans may struggle with that distinction. Certain franchise staples, such as the dedicated item system, remain absent, and the combat retains minor but noticeable differences in feel. Veteran Ninja Gaiden 2 players are sure to pick up on these changes, which may be a hurdle for some to accept. (Personally, I adjusted quickly, as the shift is no greater than the difference between Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2.) Two other minor issues detract from the experience: the lack of environmental variety, specifically the complete absence of the unique water levels featured in previous entries.
My final critique, one that newcomers won't notice but long-time fans will certainly complain about, is the limited enemy variety. To be clear, the game is filled with diverse and challenging opponents! However, the roster isn't nearly as extensive as past games. Ninja Gaiden 2 introduced a new set of enemy types in almost every stage, while Razor's Edge paces this introduction more slowly, with new foes appearing roughly every other level. While this isn't a major flaw (and it’s a vast improvement over the original Ninja Gaiden 3), it’s a point of contention for dedicated fans. Additionally, the familiar incendiary shuriken units from the first two games now throw bombs instead—a negligible change, but one worth noting.
In the end, despite its few flaws, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is a great game and a remarkable feat of redemption that will satisfy legions of players. It stands as a worthy sequel to Ninja Gaiden 2, and its expanded Chapter Challenge mode—complete with the new playable characters—ensures immense, long-term replayability. While the game isn't perfect, it is an exceptionally fun and worthwhile venture that honors the series' legacy.
VERDICT: Recommended
Originally Reviewed on Wii U, Revisited on PlayStation 4
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