ESRB: M for Mature
Genre: Action
Number of Players: One
Developer: FromSoftware Inc.
Release Date: Out now, Released April 7, 2009

PASS/RENT

When I first loaded this game up, I half expected yet another ninja-themed hack-and-slash game with maybe the occasional hint of plot. I was both surprised and disappointed with what I found as I played. The game brought together the classic ninja moves, like running on walls and epic leaps and combo attacks, and real-time sequences a la God of War.

The big issue with the real-time sequences is their number. Almost every 10 minutes or so of gameplay, you’re guaranteed to get at least one sequence if not more during boss fights. Some of the big finishing moves require you to press a certain button as it pops up. If you mess up during the cutscenes, you have to restart the whole thing. This process can get tiring if you don’t have quick reflexes or good timing, though for those with great reflexes will breeze through them. You get maybe a second to try for a perfect or a couple seconds to get the button at all.

For those like me that love getting achievements, this game has some in all ranges of the spectrum. You get them from finding costumes and other specific items for the first time and for completing the sets. There are some for completing missions withing a specific amount of time or completing a goal. It’s pretty easy for some, so it’s a good 200-500 point bonus on just one playthrough. For collectors, there are a lot of different things to collect like the costumes, Shinobi Moji, and emblems.

The scenery is very nice, though. The buildings look so realistic down to the way things would fall down or crack. The maps are based on actual skyscrapers and building tops in Tokyo. The monsters have unique looks, some of them even look like mutated zombies. The variety of bosses is impressive, each one provides a different challenge.

As far as combat goes, I have to give the developers credit. The combat style is both standard for ninja games and creative. Players get the standard wall running, awesome sword action, jumping and grabbing onto insanely small poles to jump over big gaps, as well as a wide range of weaponry. Your character has a shuriken that has multiple elements which transform it to a Cyclone or Flame shuriken, among other things.

The Todome Attack is a nice little treat. It combines the real-time events because you have to hit the right buttons at the right time, but they provide super-powerful finishing attacks. The Finish Attacks, which don’t pop up and announce themselves like the cut scene ones, also involve punching in a combination of buttons. These are really fun to pull off because they not only provide a quick finish to an enemy, they just look awesome.

Ninja Vision is a feature that is unique to this game. It allows you, the player, to see the weak spots on some enemies, places on walls that you can run on, secret passages, and other information you can’t normally see. While using Ninja Vision, though, you become susceptible to more damage than usual.

Saving is a big problem in this game. Yes, there are checkpoints, but with my experience, every time I went to load up a mission, I would have to start the entire mission over. That ate up a lot of time when I would have to take a break to study or do something else just to come back to having to start the mission I just spent an hour on. I’m not sure if there isn’t a way to save mid-mission, but it’s not easy enough for just anyone to figure out.

If you have a lot of time to play, like during a vacation or something, this game is good for a rent if you really like the ninja game genre. This game consumes a lot of time to get all the achievements and to get through the missions, especially if you want to try and go for completion. If you don’t have much time, then it’s a pass. This is definitely not a game for casual players.

Review product was provided by FromSoftware Inc., and does not affect the outcome of this review.