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Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge Review


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On 07/11/2013 at 12:00 PM by Julian Titus

If a ninja chops off my arm with his sword, I'm probably just going to run away instead of going all suicide bomber on him.
RECOMMENDATION:

For Ninja Gaiden fans, maybe?

Sometimes, you’ll come across a game series that people adore, but you just don’t get why. Oh, you’ll try, of course. You’ll read the glowing reviews, check out gameplay videos, and listen to people rave about it on podcasts. Yet try as you might, you just don’t click with it, and you feel like you’re missing out. That’s the way I’ve always felt about the modern Ninja Gaiden games. Still, as beloved as this franchise is, after playing Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge I just have to wonder if I’m really missing something here, or do diehard fans see how messed up this game is?

Team Ninja has attempted to put more of an emphasis on the story with this game, and to be honest I don’t understand that line of thinking. Remember that this is the team that is known more for its female cheesecake shots than its narrative, and even created a spinoff franchise about women playing volleyball in their bikinis. Razor’s Edge tries to tell a more personal story about super ninja Ryu Hayabusa, and there’s even a nod to the hacker group Anonymous in there. While it’s probably more interesting than what’s come before, the story is still convoluted in a way that only the creators of Dead or Alive could manage.

No, the real draw for Ninja Gaiden is and always has been the combat, or so I’ve been led to believe. Folks, I just don’t get that from this game. For a series that’s supposedly known for its precise and deep combo-driven fighting system, all I see here is a bloody mess of an action game.

Let’s start with Hayabusa himself, shall we? He’s one of the speediest characters I’ve ever controlled, putting old Sonic the Hedgehog to shame. He moves so quickly, in fact, that I couldn’t keep up with him. I would say that I was getting too old for this “stuff,” but it appears that the game can’t keep up with him, either. Ryu zips back and forth on the screen, slicing and dicing enemies from all angles at such a blistering pace that he can actually get ahead of the horrendous camera. It reminded me of playing four-player arcade action games as a kid, where the on screen hijinks would get so hectic that I would confuse my character with someone else’s. It would take me a few precious seconds to realize that I was actually in the corner getting pounded to death because I was focused on another player.

This happened to me quite a lot in Razor’s Edge, and it doesn’t help that the enemies tend to dog pile onto Ryu. Since he can get so far away from the camera, it was common for me to switch spots with an enemy so quickly that I would completely lose track of my character. Since wounded enemies tend to grab onto Ryu and blow themselves up (frustratingly taking a third of his health with them), losing sight of where he is in relation to enemies is a real problem.

Of course, the other big thing that Ninja Gaiden is known for is its legendary difficulty level. While I certainly found this game to be really rough and died many, many times, it never felt like I was being challenged. No, it felt like I was falling prey to cheap enemy tactics, a rebellious camera, and poor game design. Enemies are relentless, quick to block Ryu’s attacks, and difficult to read (again, thanks to the camera). They delight in popping up just out of frame, oftentimes getting a cheap shot as Ryu rounds a corner. This is especially true of enemies with rocket launchers or guns, who will pelt Ryu mercilessly from off screen. The only way to deal with them is with a well-timed arrow to the face, but good luck pulling that off while fending off five or six suicidal soldiers.

One-armed kamikaze soldiers are easily one of the most absurd things in this game. I seriously doubt that someone who’s lost limbs to a ninja would have the wherewithal to still try and complete their mission, but they’re only a minor annoyance when compared to what may be the worst camera I’ve seen in an action game in fifteen years. It’s straight up broken. It’s rare that it can keep up with Ryu, and when it does, it isn’t framing the important things in the battle, like those aforementioned dudes with rockets. This only gets worse when Ryu goes inside, as the camera gets hung up on every…single…corner. Oh sure, you can reorient the camera behind Ryu’s back and manually control it with the right stick, but that will keep it in check for a only a second or two. The in-game camera is easily the toughest enemy in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge.

In true Team Ninja style, this game looks great. It may not be as eye-popping as their previous titles, but it still stands with other big action games. Characters still have that weird, semi-plastic look that the DOA and Ninja Gaiden games have always had, but by this point I’m going to chalk that up to the studio’s art style. The soundtrack gets the job done, but I noticed an alarming amount of audio dropping. Enemy soldiers also have a mad on for hurling expletives at Ryu, and it becomes exceedingly annoying to hear “S---!” and “F--- you!” on a continuous loop.

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge attempts some semblance of “maturity” that comes off as something that could only be interesting to the seventeen year olds that have just become old enough to buy it without mommy’s permission. The overwrought story, excessive gore, and constant “grown up” language are tired and yawn inducing. I really didn’t like this game, and while I will totally cop to the fact that I might not “get it”, I would challenge fans of the series to play this one and tell me that this is a good example of the series. For my part, I have no need to go back to it, nor do I have any interest in playing the other games in the franchise.

 


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Comments

BrokenH

07/11/2013 at 12:41 PM

I still want this. NG3: Razor's Edge has been getting mixed reviews everywhere but it still seems like my kind of game. I admit those crazed suicide bombers that grab you seem annoying,Julian. lol. You poor ninja bastard!

  I had planned on picking up this game this month until I saw Dragon's Dogma for 29.99. That swayed my decision right there. (Aka, a potentially longer meatier game for less money.)

  As for "the immaturity of the storyline" I understand how others might percieve it that way. Still, I like cheesy action-movie-esque escapism sometimes. It's weird though because I've noticed a shift where we used to appreciate Japanese storytelling in games but now the "immature" card gets pulled a lot.(I'm not just referring to this review. I've noticed it elsewhere too.) I keep wondering if that's because games such as NG3 RE are in fact "immature" or if there's simply a cultural barrier we're no longer able to surpass. Then again, Japan does make games for a younger audience a lot of the time. As I understand it, playing games as an adult is shameful over there.

  Personally, I refuse to be ashamed though. I like sexy & bloody fun-time and whether the silly narrative rolls with its' own ridiculousness or tries to be earnest & serious, I can usually come to appreciate it either way.

  Gameplay wise, you are likely correct. NG3 was considered "inferior" by fans of the series and though most of them liked the improvements in Razor's Edge, they would still probably tell you Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is better. Being most fans of the series are about the brutal difficulty and frames per second, I cannot claim to be as picky as them. I'd simply be happy that Momiji,Ayane,and Kasumi are playable characters & the hidden challenge rooms have some gruesome demonic enemies which look enjoyable to kill.

Julian Titus Senior Editor

07/11/2013 at 01:04 PM

There is definitely a cultural barrier. It's something I've really noticed playing Time and Eternity, a game where two characters are engaged for ages but have yet to even hold hands, leading to the male protagonist perving out at any possible innuendo regarding his fiancee.

The story in this game isn't where the lack of maturity comes in. It's the actual stuff in the game. Again, the enemies that are still completely mobile after losing a freaking arm, and the constant litany of curse words hurled at Ryu comes off as something a 15 year old would come up with for a video game. It's at odds with the more character-focused story that Team Ninja was going for.

BrokenH

07/11/2013 at 01:10 PM

Yeah, seems like whenever someone tries to add too much depth to a game protagonist is backfires in oddly amusing ways! lol.

In this game's defense it was probably made with 15-18 year olds in mind.

Beyond that, they need to install a ninja camera-drone that keeps up with the ninjas. They iz too fast,J!

Chris Yarger Community Manager

07/11/2013 at 01:17 PM

I liked this game, but I was often confused with the story. Since when did Ryu start working for government agencies?

And you're dead on with the cheap moments in the game. I'm slightly ashamed to say that I had to put it on Easy mode just to finish a certain boss, and I nearly gave up during the Day 2 boss fight against the Helicopter. That boss gave me nightmares...

BrokenH

07/11/2013 at 03:41 PM

In the nes Ninja Gaidens Ryu would often help Irene Lu and she was CIA. Of course I don't expect everyone to know that. lol.

The bosses sound brutal,Chris. I bet the janky camera is a pain in the ass during fights like the one with the helicopter. lol Still, I can tolerate a so/so camera if I like a particular game well enough.

Chris Yarger Community Manager

07/11/2013 at 03:57 PM

The camera didn't really bother me as much as the cheap bosses did..

For instance;

There's a certain boss which has extremely powerful close range attacks, devastating long range attacks, and damaging AOE attacks, yet the developers found it necessary to incorpate the ability of also being able to shoot anywhere from 20-25 missiles at ALL times. So not only was dodging a pain, but it was a button-mash dodge in which you had to watch for all 4 attacks. It was just absolutely brutal. Then to top it off, this particular boss had 3 different stages you had to topple. Ughh..

By the way; the boss in which I was just describing is NOT the helicopter boss I had so much trouble with either.. lol

 

And thanks for the info about the previous Gaiden story-lines and how they intertwine with various governments. I thought that was just thrown in there for shits and giggles, I really had no clue about that from the NES games, lol!

BrokenH

07/12/2013 at 06:58 PM

That's a lot of missiles,man! I dunno,might end up playing this loose cannon on easy mode once I finally pick it up. Tongue Out

Coolsetzer

07/11/2013 at 04:26 PM

The original NG reboot is the one you want to play, Julian. The second and third are crap by comparison.

Julian Titus Senior Editor

07/11/2013 at 04:28 PM

I own it, and I put a couple hours into it. I think the camera is just as bad there as in this game. It's quite possible that this just isn't the action series for me.

Jonathan Drake

07/11/2013 at 09:58 PM

I only ever tried the demo, and sure as hell didn't enjoy it. Though NG 1 & 2 have their share of flaws, NG 3 is too hectic to handle. The cheap enemies are infuriating and the goddamn camera is the greatest villain Ryu has faced - Why Team Ninja refuses to fix it since NG 1 is beyond me x( 

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