Ninja Gaiden Sigma Review
Ninja Gaiden was first released in 2004 for the original Xbox. It is set in a different universe and has a whole new storyline than that of the original Ninja Gaiden for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 2005, it was re-released as Ninja Gaiden Black, which incorporates all the features of the two Hurricane Packs released for the 2004 Ninja Gaiden and a new Mission-mode. Finally in 2006, the next project in the Ninja Gaiden series would be remaking Ninja Gaiden Black into Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PlayStation 3.
New to the PlayStation 3 version of Ninja Gaiden are three new chapters. In this three new chapters, you’ll get the chance to play as a new character named Rachel. Shes a fiend-hunter with very well endowed assets which are animated to a very ridiculous level (The developers did go overboard with her chest animations). Nevertheless, her chapters help boost the overall length of the storyline and helps keeps the game fresh. Rachel isn’t as nimble as Ryu Hayabusa, the protagonist of the game. She wields a huge hammer which packs a big punch but she falls prey to the games faster enemies.
Of course, being a remake on a next gen console, the developers overhauled the graphics to high definition standard. Few tweaks were also added to the maps like additional save points and Muramasa shrines (which are essentially shops where you could purchase potions and upgrade weapons) in addition to the many new enemies. A new weapons, the Dragon’s Claw and Tiger’s Fang which is dual wielded (Dragon’s Claw is Ryu’s original katana and the Tiger Fang is found very early in the game) is also added to Ryu’s vast collection of arms.
Story
The game starts off with the raid on the Hayabusa village and theft of the Dark Dragon Blade during Ryu’s visit on his uncle, Murai. He was cut down by Doku when he rushed back to his village after receiving the news. The scene ended with Ryu’s spiritual animal, a falcon watching over his body. He then sets off to Vigoor, seeking vengeance and retrieval of the Blade after he recovered.
This story is just ok. Not really in depth nor intriguing, but that’s OK. The story merely serves as a backdrop for all the kick-ass actions you will be experiencing. It does not get in the way of what gamers play this game for.
Gameplay
Which brings us to gameplay. Ninja Gaiden Sigma has a very good mix of platforming and also provides one of the most fluid and dynamic combat systems I’ve ever seen. From the combos from various weapons to running on and along walls, it flows together so perfectly you would feel like you were watching an over-the-top battles from animes. At no point in time would you ever struggle with the controller to pull of these maneuvers as the are very smooth and seamless.
The result? You would manage to pull off and experience very fluid swordplay blending seamlessly with incredible acrobatics and at the same time casting ninpo (magic) with ease. The satisfaction is phenomenal. This is the most gratifying combat system I’ve ever played. The experience is almost as good if not better than the God of War series.
As you progress through the game, you’ll get to upgrade and learn new techniques for your weapon. As mentioned before, you will also be able to collect utilise the many different melee and ranged weapon in addition to ninpo (shaking the controller furiously will increase the damage) to yield deadly result. Each weapon has its pros and cons and utilising them when the situation calls will lower the difficulty slightly. Running into a room of enemies with the wrong choice of weaponry and mashing the square button repeatedly, will see Ryu massacred in seconds and herein lies the challenge.
Which brings us to the difficulty of this game. Unlike most games, this game is infamous for its difficulty. To me, the default normal difficulty was neither too hard nor easy for me. But I’ve heard many people complaining about it. Ninja Gaiden Sigma punishes players for being careless. I for one have been tempted to throw my controller against the screen a couple of times, especially during the last few chapters. But patience and dedication paid off. The experience is par exellence. My next time through the game would be on hard difficulty. That should be entertaining enough. Oh yeah, by the way, once you completed the story, you’ll get to upload your karma (your score throughout the campaign) and compare it with other Ninja Gaiden Sigma players. This should increase the replayability for those who wants bragging rights =)
For those who are frustrated with the difficulty of the game will be delighted to know that there is hidden easier difficulty – Ninja Dog. Sounds condescending? You bet! According to interviews with Itagaki, the Ninja Dog difficulty was added only grudgingly to Ninja Gaiden Black and was subsequently brought forward to Ninja Gaiden Sigma. He said that while it is a mode intended for casual gamers, it is not Easy Mode. Not being able to beat the game on Normal means that you are a failure as a Ninja, but not that you are a failure as a gamer. A Ninja Dog would never be able to get a Master Ninja rank at the end of each chapter (It is impossible for a ninja failure to obtain it). Further bashing on said casual gamer, he said that there are some people who want to beat the game, even if it means being reduced to the level of a dog; people who are not afraid to shame themselves to accomplish their goals. Sometimes in life, that type of style is necessary. Anyone who can think like that can still be a real man. The Ninja Dog difficulty setting is for men like that. So don’t give up too easily!
So the difficulty was implemented as a double-edged sword. Think Itagaki’s taunt is bad enough? Think again. The mode is only accessible three successive times and the player would be asked if he/she, “Do you wish to abandon the way of the ninja?” If accepted, the player will enter the Ninja Dog difficulty and continues on under a condescending atmosphere – pink ribbons for accessories, Ayane taking on an attitude to Ryu, etc. So my advice? Plough through the difficult parts of the default difficulty and you’ll both feel better and gained satisfaction.
Sound
The soundtrack isn’t the best but it is acceptable. Like any other games with english dub, the voice acting is mediocre at best and very bland. It fails to evoke any emotion and makes you squirm in your your chair/beanbag. On the plus side, there is an option to change the voice-over to Japanese. This option rocks! I love how some of the newer games gives you this option. It enhances the experience even more. The music sets the mood, but its average.
Graphics
I played this game on HD 1080p and my does it look good. The graphics were extremely sharp and the games flows at an excellent frame rate, even during large action scenes with full blown explosions and special effects. In the first mission itself you could notice the foliage falling down from the trees and it really sets the atmosphere for the game. While its not the best the PlayStation 3 has to offer, it still looks really good.
Like I said, not the best the PlayStation 3 has to offer but the excellent art styles, high-resolution textures, new visuals and lightnings coupled with the liquid-fluid animations makes this game a beauty to behold.
Replayability
The first time you play through this game would take you between 10-15 hours. Then you could replay it at higher difficulties which would take considerably longer time to complete. If replaying the same story again and again isn’t your cup of tea, theres always the mission mode. Mission modes are stand-alone missions apart from the main storyline. The missions take place in small arenas which are either new scenarios or modified versions of the fights found in the Story Mode. These modes extends the replayability of the games and also provides a quick fix to those who desires some ninja actions.
Within both the Story Mode and the Mission modes, you can earn karma which are essentially the scoring system for Ninja Gaiden Sigma. The scores can be uploaded onto the internet leaderboards to see how you fare against other Ninja Gaiden Sigma fans. This is a nice addition for competitive players and for bragging rights and will extend the replayability of the game for them.
If you’ve already completed all the missions, there is an option to download more missions (albeit at a small price) from the Playstation Network. Survival Mode is available in the form of three separate packages for Ninja Gaiden Sigma as of 30th August 2007. Each package adds a set of themed missions (Weapon Master, Speed Master, Rachel Master). As I’ve not purchased any of these add-ons, I would not comment on them but it should further increases the replayability.
Overall
First, my few gripes with the game. As I understand, the majority of the bonus features from the two previous versions were excluded from this version. Anyways, here are my complains.
1. Unlockable costumes were reduced to only two
2. Old NES and arcade games which can be unlocked previously were eliminated.
3. Removal of the introductory movie chronicling the legend of the Dark Dragon Blade and the Dragon Sword (I would so love to see it as it would help set the backdrop to the story.
4. No way to change weapons on the fly without pressing the start button. This slows down the pace somewhat.
5. No Theatre mode of some kind to replay unlocked cut-scenes. (You have to replay the game to watch them).
Be that as it may, this game is probably one of the most complete single-player action/platformer experiences out there. An in-depth battle system, cool stylistic moves, online leaderboard should keep most players entertained for a long while. This is arguably one of the best action-adventure games out there for the PlayStation 3 now along side with Heavenly Sword (Haven’t played the game but it has good reviews so far).
In closing, this is a must buy for the PlayStation 3.
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