Ninja Gaiden Sigma

Nipped, tucked and sliced...

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I believe I'm beginning to sound a bit like a broken record with my PS3 reviews, as in nearly every opening paragraph I mention that the game in question cannot be classed as new, but merely a port from the last-gen consoles or a leap over from the 360. I'm afraid Ninja Gaiden Sigma is no different, indeed it may be worse as it is, at its core, a 2004 release that has been tarted-up more times than Victoria Beckham. But unlike the aforementioned Spice Girl the result is something that excels albeit with minor drawbacks. The first Ninja Gaiden received such praise that this PS3 edition will be joined by a DS version due out in future months, and it wouldn't surprise me if a PSP version follows shortly, too.

The plot of the game involves the theft of the Dark Dragon Blade. Our combatant Ryu descends from a clan of Ninjas that are sworn to protect the item in question, that is passed down through the generations of the clan where presently it falls into the hands of our worthy hero Ryu who is merely looking after it whilst his father is in the wilderness. Not for long, however, as Ryu is ambushed and the Blade taken. Following a short piece of detective work the clan come to the conclusion that Doku, a fiend and part of the Vigoor empire has taken it. And so our intrepid warrior must go in pursuit slicing his way through all that stand before him.

The game consists of 19 missions all bar three being played out as Ryu. The other three are played in the guise of Rachel, a fiend hunter, who, it has to be said, the developers have taken great care and attention in assuring that the most important parts of her character are, how should I say it, bouncy. The introduction of the playable Rachel is an addition to the previous versions where she was purely 'eye candy'. Rachel's character and fighting style contrast to Ryu's, she is slow, not very moveable and packs an almighty punch attack from her warhammer. However, Rachel's levels are mercifully short and she lacks the Ninja abilities and finesse that make playing Ninja Gaiden so much pleasure.

Being in control of Ryu is being in control of a true Ninja. This is the area of the game that has rightfully earned so much praise. The speed and ease with which moves can be performed is magnificent, without weapons Ryu is able to wall run, leap from any height without sustaining damage and gracefully scale narrow passage ways with a back flip and rebound technique (its not easy to explain in words). Then there are the weapons, Ryu starts with the family heirloom the Dragon blade but adds to this in the form of a lunar (shaft), nunchaku, twin blades (again exclusive to this addition) and others that can be upgraded throughout the game. A secondary projectile weapon is also carried in the form of Shuriken (ninja stars), exploding shuriken, smoke bombs, bow, etc. A third weapon/additional attack is in the form of the Ninpo, this can be used once essence has been collected that aids in the attacks through the form of fireballs, ice tornados and lightening bolts. A special mention has to go to the use of the Sixaxis controller, when using the ninpo magic if you shake the controller the attack damage is increased, yet another pointless use of the controller as you don't really want to be shaking the controller vigorously when there is an onset of enemies. Indeed, this writer is still continuing his quest to find a use of the Sixaxis controller that adds to the gameplay experience. As Ryu vanquishes the various enemies, essence orbs will be released in the form of health or in the form of currency for the game. Shops are placed periodically throughout the chapters that enable Ryu to upgrade weapons or purchase health/Ninpo related objects.

Another area in which this Sigma version has been improved is that it now belts out in full 1080p format for those of you that have the TV to match, and even on an SD TV it does look truly great, equalling anything that I have played so far on the PS3. This does lead to an issue making the environments look too 'clean' at times, most of the action takes place in an urban setting and everything looks perfect, not a stone out of place. Another issue with the graphics are that some of the cut-scenes/animations have not been reworked which results in some blurring moments looking decidedly out of place and detracting from the otherwise perfect vision.

This is no title for the casual gamer, some devotion is needed, you will not casually walk through slaying the bad guys as you go, be prepared to die, for you will and often. Depending on personal stance this can be its greatest strength or its biggest flaw, personally this lead me to some infuriating moments. Every time you perish 'Game Over' is displayed with the question of continuation, upon the pressing of 'Yes' a re-spawn is not imminent, a loading screen is displayed with the chapter description, this is not needed and adds another 20 seconds wait, which doesn't sound like a lot but when bosses keep dishing out death the annoyance factor increases sharply. Unfortunately the save points added another gripe, for the most part they are fairly spaced out but when most needed, just before end of chapter bosses, they are sometimes missing which leads to sections having to be replayed many times in order to stick it to the boss. Is it hard to develop a good camera angle from within a game? This simple principle seems to elude us in many games and Ninja Gaiden falls as yet another victim. In the main the camera is okay but in tight situations against multiple foes it's lost, focusing in too close allowing enemies to creep up and slice down your backbone.

It may seem that I'm picking NG apart, there are going to be fans of the genre that are going to lap this up in all of its high-definition quality. In my opinion, PS3 games have to answer another fundamental question: are they next-gen worthy? The answer to Sigma is 'no', it may have given us a glimpse at the lovely technicolour environments that are hopefully going to be standard from here on out but for me it doesn't offer enough diversity. There is only one mode of gameplay, that being the single player campaign. When you start there is the normal mode with higher levels of difficulty only achieved upon completion, which does unlock extra missions, however. There is no co-op play and the only online interaction is in the form of a scoreboard.

The environments are beautifully detailed yet Ryu only has limited connection with it, for example at one point in the game there are APCs parked up around the city that Ryu, for all his acrobatic ability, cannot jump on top of. I suppose what I'm looking for here is coming but should not be expected in a port from another console, later versions of Ninja Gaiden perhaps. Although one point that I couldn't understand is the approach the masterful one takes, I thought the point of being a ninja was the art of deception and stealth yet Ryu always sticks to the main roads happily causing mayhem. This in essence though, is the game; it's about fast paced, bloody slaughter with a hint of style.

For those that have played previous versions and liked it, this will of course appeal. There have been a few tweaks to enemies, weapons, scenarios et al, but if you have played the Black version it will all seem pretty familiar. If you love spending time learning each area until you are a true master and revel in the satisfaction gained from such achievements then this game is also for you. For the more casual gamers that like challenges but nothing that lasts too long, approach at your own risk. This is a good game, unquestionably, but I want more and have come to expect more, it is as simple as that.

76%

By Tom Carpenter