Devil's Third Review Roundup

Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive developer Tomonobu Itagaki's action game Devil's Third continues its worldwide rollout this week when the Wii U game launches in Europe on Friday, August 28. It was released earlier this month in Japan and comes to North America in December.

Devil's Third, which combines shooting and hack-and-slash elements, was originally going to be published by the now-defunct publisher THQ. At the time, it was an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC game, but later shifted to become a Nintendo-exclusive on console. A free-to-play PC version is due out later this year.

Read on to see what the critics make of the game. For more on the game's critical reception, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Devil's Third
• Developer: Valhalla Games Studio
• Platform: Wii U (PC version coming later this year)
• Release Date: August 4 (Japan); August 28 (Europe); December 11 (North America)
• Price: $60

GameSpot -- 3/10

"Despite the occasional laughs and wonderfully weird multiplayer modes, Devil's Third is near-impossible to recommend. The numerous issues with the controls as well as crucial elements of the game's combat systems soon mount up to provide an experience that frustrates far more often than it entertains, resulting in a missed opportunity for what could've been a cult hit." - Sean Bell [Full review]

The Sixth Axis -- 5/10

"Devil's Third's single-player campaign is dumb, misogynistic, shoddy, and borderline broken at times, but its multiplayer may well be its saving grace. While it remains lo-fi and decidedly rough around the edges, there's some fun to be had and an experience that could see it gain something of a cult following on Wii U." - Dominic Leighton [Full review]

Digital Spy -- 1/5

"Devil's Third is an offensively bad--sometimes actually offensive--action game, with sub-standard melee combat and fiddly gunplay. Riddled with technical issues, it's almost completely devoid of any redeeming qualities. It also has killer bats." - Kirk Mckeand [Full review]

Metro -- 2/10

"Staggeringly inept on almost every level, with crimes against game design, and good taste, that cannot be forgiven solely by the low budget." - David Jenkins [Full review]

GamesRadar -- 2.5/5

"Devil's Third is not a hateful slog in the way that Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is, but even after--or more likely because of--half a decade and four game engines, it's shoddy and ill thought out. It captures the strange magnetism that accompanies all still-smoldering disaster sites, but that's about the best I can say." - Matt Clapham [Full review]