Does a serious challange make a boring game exciting? No, not really. Sega needs to try again with this series.
User Rating: 4.1 | Shinobi PS2
I hate to say it, but Sega really did a number on this franchise. They’ve given the series a massive facelift, which isn’t a bad thing, and also, they’ve the overall feel of the game “old school,” meaning they’ve taken a minimalist approach to presenting the game for the new generation of consoles. I admire Sega’s intentions, if not their execution. First off, the lead character is yet another uninteresting metro-sexual dude (a lot of them showing up in the video games of this generation…RAIDEN of Metal Gear Solid 2 fame, for one) who has to stop something evil for whatever reason - I really don’t want or need to recall, as the story is much too boring for me to even try to reference. The one interesting aspect of the story involves the “Akujiki” sword the lead character wields throughout the game; the happenings concerning the sword actually affect the gameplay, which is very intriguing, to tell the truth. The overall tale of a ninja’s revenge is old hat and at this point not that exciting without strong, identifiably great characters, which are nowhere to be found in this game, in my humble opinion. The weak characters and bland story don’t help to make the game exciting enough to play through. Next up - and this is where the game truly screws up – the execution of the gameplay mechanics is just plain sloppy. The controls are very precise and intuitive, which is a good thing. The game has many platforming sections and the jumping controls are very good. The problem comes when the game’s platforming elements meld with the decent but flawed combat controls. Reliance on slashing enemies brings reliance on using dash, which brings on dependence on using targeting. Every nuance concerning the controls is so tight and specific, you’d think the game was immaculate—well it ain’t. The trend of releasing decent games half finished continued when this game was released. The camera is the most noticeable flaw, as the action moves much to fast for it to keep up. Graphical glitches, which aren’t a big deal to me, are another sign. Overall, I get what Sega was attempting when they thought this game up. It’s a uniquely challenging game that requires your undivided attention as you play. The problem is, the game is just plain boring (save for some of the bosses), with long and extremely bland looking and feeling levels. I know some folks have the patience to actually play through this game - heck, some will even brag about playing through the game multiple times for skill or to get the secrets. I’ll admit that the inclusion and acknowledgment of ‘Old School” Joe Musashi is great, but you still have to play through the boring game with his character. However, I do not have the patience or time to play through a game just because it’s hard, or because of its supposed pedigree (A Shinobi game can’t be boring, can it?), or because I’ll be able to brag afterward. The game is just plain boring, that’s all there is to it. A weak Shinobi game – who’d have thunk it? 
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