Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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38 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best action/adventure game ever, March 22, 2004
Before this game was released I was somewhat looking forward to it, but not with a great interest. Well thats until I actually played it. The first thing to blow me away were the graphics. They are absolutely breathtaking. The CG movies, the in game graphics, special effects, just amazing. But the game isn't all graphics and no gameplay. Believe it or not, the gameplay is actually better than the graphics. You can do everything you've seen ninjas do in movies. Swinging, climbing, wall running and of course slashing peoples limbs off. And it all just looks so real. The moves and weapons are also fantastic. Some of the coolest moves I've seen in any game for awhile. They are also easy for beginners, but hardcore gamers can spend alot of time on perfecting them. The stages are very varied and very large, the sound is nice and the enemies and weapons are also very varied. One problem that many people may have is the game's difficulty. It is very hard. The first boss, for example, is exceptionally difficult. If you persist, however, you will be greatly rewarded.
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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Legend Returns, March 19, 2004
To start Tecmo & Team Ninja have really out done themselves with this one as the graphics in this game are simply a wonder to behold.
The game is hard, but not unfairly as it rewards intelligent playing as the better you make use of the combo system the more essence you receive from defeating enemies which helps to unlock more features.
The camera can be a little annoying, but its never much of a problem if you remember to use the right thumbstick especially when coming through new doorways. There are only really two spots when the camera is a bit more of a problem when facing multiple enemies usually more than three it tends to have a difficult time keeping a good focus on the action. It seems to be a bit lessened though if you can keep moving around. The second is when going through narrow passageways, but this can usually be resolved by using the right thumbstick.
The different moves look great and handle extremely well and are fairly simple to learn, but some are bit more difficult to master. The story is good though not to original, but fits the game well. The voice acting is good and fits the respective characters well, but some of the dialogue seems a bit dry probably just something lost in translation. The varied environments are simply stunning and the music fits each level well. The cutscenes are superb and simply the best around. The character designs are amazing as they are the best out there.
In all Ninja Gaiden is one of best games ever as it raises the bar for action/adventure games. If you play videogames and just want to mash buttons this is probably not the game for you, but if you like games that are good challenge which reward intelligent creative gameplay then you should love this. The game is not perfect, but is probably as close as a action/adventure game will come until the next wave of game systems come out.
Graphics 10
Sound 10
Gameplay 10
Fun 10
Overall 10
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely A Great Game, but the Drawbacks Are Massive, March 7, 2004
Ninja Gaiden is a game that I've anticipated for quite some time. I've been ogling this game's pictures and previews since last year, and I must say I'm throughly disappointed with this game. There are definitely good aspects of the game, but spraying a lump of crap with perfume doesn't exactly make a good product.PROS: The game has great graphics. It's safe to say that, if the game had dynamic lighting like Splinter Cell, the graphics would be the best that Xbox could achieve with a steady framerate. The game is extremely fun and satisfying to play..... when you're not dying. The story is a classic ninja story of vengeance, and whatever else it is that ninjas do, and a very enjoyable one at that. The combat system is fun when you're able to use it effectively and the combo system adds quite a bit to the game. The whole weapon-upgrade aspect is also a good way to keep players very interested in the game until completion, as well as certain items that allow you to upgrade the main character's strength and defense. CONS: Here is the biggie part of the game. The first and most mentioned con is the game's excessive and completely unnecessary difficulty. During the first hour of this game, you'll die more times than you can actually count. After that, I'm not even sure there's quite a way to describe the deathcount without the figure sounding like an extreme hyperbole. At first, it will seem as though the reason the game is so difficult is because you have to learn how to utilize the blocking system effectively. Once you utilize that and begin playing the game as a game should be played, the enemies that you thought would be fought throughout the game dissappear. The new enemies are ones that come in large groups and are much quicker than your fingers could ever be. In the group, you have to concentrate on killing one at a time(which takes countless hits) while the other enemies stay at a distance and fire their guns/grenades/rockets/exploding shurikens at you. Add to your amazing and uncountable amount of deaths the fact that the save points are extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely scarce, and you have yourself a game that is one of the most frustrating and repetitive games of all time. The combat system is fun for the first few hours of play, but you then realize that all of the once ... moves you were dishing out are the only moves that you are going to dish out for the rest of the game. Only a handful of the combos actually work, and they all become extremely repetitive. The combos remind of someone that I knew that was a moron. A complete and utter moron. However, this one person knew one good joke, and he used it over and over again on everyone he met to make them think he was funny. At first, his little deception worked.... until he told you the joke again.... and again.... until you realize he's nothing but a vile waste of life. That's the best example I can give of the brilliant combat system. The doors in this game are very ingeniously done as well. Apparently, every door in this game leads to an alternate universe in which you travel back in time to see that the enemies you just killed less than 20 seconds ago are all alive again. If there was one way that I could choose to die, it would be the hands of some ... ninja. That way I could come back to life 10 seconds later to tell everyone how I got killed by an awesome ninja. Amazing stuff there. Another creative aspect of the game is the fact that the same button for attacking is the button that opens doors. So, whenever you're fighting near a door, the door will open and you'll have to come back and start the fight all over again. You see, ninjas sometimes become confused as to what bodily movement is required to kill an opponent versus the movement required to twist a door handle. Hey, it happens. A great trick that Tecmo uses here to really keep its customers happy is to send its player through the entire layour of the level about 30-50 times for each level so the player has to fight the exact same enemies over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. I would've kept on using the "...over and over..." phrase of the last sentence until I felt satisfied, but then I would be no better than Tecmo, and I'm better than that.
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