Should Ninja Gaiden Sigma remain in the shadows, or be exposed to the light? Find out in my review....
Ninja Gaiden Sigma is a hack and slash type game. You see an enemy, you whip out your weapon of choice, and you murder the freakin' thing; simple, easy, yet satisfying. Satisfaction comes at a high price though. The enemies within the game are ruthless and will do everything within their tiny little AI brains to obliterate you. If you are not careful, and don't react quickly enough, you might become really good friends with the Game Over screen. Needless to say, the combat in the game is exceptionally fun, but can be very difficult at times. There are a couple of platforming sections, but the camera does not do it justice. The in-game camera loves to awkwardly shift in the game especially in really tight spaces. I think I threw up a little bit on my controller (don't worry I didn't). Ryu's swift jumping can also be a problem if you want to accurately land on the next platform, sometimes you over jump it, and sometimes you under jump it. Both are incredibly bad if there is a never ending abyss below you. The swimming sections in the game are downright ridiculous. Now I'm not saying that the swimming mechanics in the game are terrible, but I am saying that Ninja Gaiden Sigma would have been better off without the swimming sections; the swimming sections seemed to slow down the gaming experience. Honestly I don't think swimming and videogames go well together, but that's just me. The thing that bothered me the most was the…..BACK TRACKING!!! I have never played a game with so much back tracking before. Some missions require you to run through multiple levels that you have already visited in order to reach the objective. Not only is that annoying, but it can also be frustrating. Some may spend up to 45 min. just to figure out where to go in the game. Trust me, Ninja Gaiden + Back tracking = one frustrated gamer. Ninja Gaiden offers great gameplay, but a few minor blemishes hold it back from its true potential.
The character, monster, and boss designs were nicely done for the most part. As for the level design….....well….. it was pretty dull. The backgrounds seemed to be re-used in many parts of the game, and sometimes caused me to get lost at certain points. The level layout is plain and simple which is a good thing because there is a sheer amount of back tracking within the game. The in-game cut scenes looked nicely done, but felt faded and washed out. The cut scenes didn't seem to match the actual in-game graphics; it felt out of place some how.
The sound quality in the game was superb. The in-game music matched the atmosphere for each individual level perfectly. The voice-acting was pretty good also, but some of the in-game dialogue was a bit awkward. The sound effects of each weapon colliding with a monster's body were excellent. Hearing your blade slice through an enemy is very satisfying, and will want you to crave for more. Not like Count Dracula though, that guy is just downright crazy with bloodlust.
Overall: When you get down to it, Ninja Gaiden Sigma provides a fun yet challenging experience that will either make you or break you. If you can supply the time, patience, and avoid throwing your controller on the ground with anger, then you will find yourself enjoying this remarkable game.