Game Card
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3)
- Publisher:
- Tecmo
- Developer:
- Team Ninja
- US Release:
- 03.07.2007
- EU Release:
- n/a
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Action Adventure
- Reality Factor:
- Fantasy
- Perspective:
- Third-Person
- Blood Level:
- Medium Blood
- Age:
- Ancient Times
Review
We play Ninja Gaiden Sigma...
The original Xbox release of Ninja Gaiden was nothing short of a revelation when it was first unsheathed way back in 2004. Redefining the standards for a whole subsection of gaming is no easy thing to achieve, but Team Ninja's classic stood tall as one of the most difficult, brutally satisfying and visually arresting titles ever to grace a home platform. Unfortunately, overall sales figures belied the critical response, and the game sank relatively quickly until it's re-release as Ninja Gaiden Black the following year (complete with now legendary levels of masochistic difficulty). Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3 marks the third iteration of essentially the same game, but fortunately for Playstation fans, Itagaki's classic can still make a firm case for one of the best action games of all time.
Sigma takes the original plot and difficulty level of Ninja Gaiden, remixes it with a few game mode additions from Black, and re-imagines some of the play areas into essentially a directors cut version of the game. The most comprehensive new addition is the ability to don the leather-bound and highly sexualised form of Rachel, whom you may remember as the hunter that managed to get suggestively covered in demon goo in one famous cutscene. After all, It wouldn't be Team Ninja without some form of female objectification, and Rachel's character fits perfectly into that particularly tight mould.
Of course the core gameplay remains exactly the same and is still, even after the preceding years, some of the finest that the genre can offer. Ryu has a suite of quick and lethal attacks, and glides around the screen with acrobatic ease, all the easier to appreciate in the newly crafted 1080p visuals. The deeper into the game, the more attacks, weapons (including new dual katana's), and special magical moves (Ninpo), open up, creating a furiously fast-paced and technical game. Lets be clear, button-mashing will get you absolutely nowhere in NGS, and careful usage of the block mechanic, along with pinpoint timing is the only way to defeat even the most basic of enemies.
In that respect, NGS is still a relatively unique entity in game design. Each and every foot soldier is capable of taking Ryu down with a few swipes of the sword, and concentration levels have to be at a maximum right from the get-go. There is a certain zen to be found after a few hours and once a true unity with the control scheme and pacing is achieved, and managing to string together a combination of attacks to clear a group of enemies without taking damage is uniquely satisfying. Persevere, and Ninja Gaidens' rewards far outweigh the brutal challenge. There is a lower difficulty setting that can be accessed after a few failures in any given area, but the game will make you feel so bad for succumbing it'll make you feel terrible to even contemplate choosing it. This is a game that has no time whatsoever for the weak, and wants you to know at every opportunity.
Team Ninja games, however dubious in tone (DOA beach volleyball anyone?), are usually held aloft as pure technical showpieces on any given format, and NGS does nothing to break that trend. High-resolution 1080p output, combined with re-texturing and a layer of new particle and atmospheric effects mean that Sigma can hold its own against the very best on the PS3, and ranks as one of the most beautifully designed games on any platform, period. Although your mind may trick you at first into believing that it doesn't look all that different from its predecessor, think again. It serves as a compliment to just how far the Xbox classic was above and beyond its peers at the time.
With all that said, action games have moved on in the meantime, and Sigma's lack of truly epic encounters, and the general reliance on super-tough foot soldiers is a debatable asset in today's climate. God of War has blazed a trail that cannot be ignored at this point, managing to find an optimum balance between button-mashing, technical manoeuvres and grand set-pieces, and NGS simply feels rooted in the past by comparison. Whether or not that's a bonus is down to your outlook on gaming, but is undoubtedly the reason that that game hasn't managed to find an audience outside of the hardcore.
Also, the new gameplay additions to Sigma are really of little consequence, and come across as a missed opportunity. The new dual Katana's are interesting enough, but still nowhere near as well thought out as the standard arsenal of weaponry available in the original design. Likewise, whilst the addition of Rachel's sections are welcome, they play out in a different manner to that of Ryu, relying on slower and more button-heavy attack combinations, which seems at odds with the lithe and nimble main protagonist. Neither of the above are bad things, but they serve to slightly unbalance what was a nigh-on perfect blend of technical action.
The decision as to whether to purchase NGS will come down to two factors. Firstly, if you don't like punishing games, replaying sections and occasionally needing to throw a controller at the wall, then for the love of god stay away. Likewise, if you own the original or Ninja Gaiden Black, there really isn't enough new content here to make it worthwhile. However, for those that have never experienced Ninja Gaiden, there really is no excuse not to give it a try. A healthily sized demo is available on the Playstation network as we speak, and who knows, if it manages to match your gaming sensibilities, you just might gain access to one of the purest, most rewarding experiences of this generation.
Top Game Moment: Defeating the games first, and hardest, boss.
 |
 |
|
| Ryu looks as excellent as ever | This will be the face of defeat for many a player |
Sigma takes the original plot and difficulty level of Ninja Gaiden, remixes it with a few game mode additions from Black, and re-imagines some of the play areas into essentially a directors cut version of the game. The most comprehensive new addition is the ability to don the leather-bound and highly sexualised form of Rachel, whom you may remember as the hunter that managed to get suggestively covered in demon goo in one famous cutscene. After all, It wouldn't be Team Ninja without some form of female objectification, and Rachel's character fits perfectly into that particularly tight mould.
Of course the core gameplay remains exactly the same and is still, even after the preceding years, some of the finest that the genre can offer. Ryu has a suite of quick and lethal attacks, and glides around the screen with acrobatic ease, all the easier to appreciate in the newly crafted 1080p visuals. The deeper into the game, the more attacks, weapons (including new dual katana's), and special magical moves (Ninpo), open up, creating a furiously fast-paced and technical game. Lets be clear, button-mashing will get you absolutely nowhere in NGS, and careful usage of the block mechanic, along with pinpoint timing is the only way to defeat even the most basic of enemies.
 |
 |
|
| Some of the new atmospheric effects are superbly implemented | Rachel plays markedly different to Ryu |
In that respect, NGS is still a relatively unique entity in game design. Each and every foot soldier is capable of taking Ryu down with a few swipes of the sword, and concentration levels have to be at a maximum right from the get-go. There is a certain zen to be found after a few hours and once a true unity with the control scheme and pacing is achieved, and managing to string together a combination of attacks to clear a group of enemies without taking damage is uniquely satisfying. Persevere, and Ninja Gaidens' rewards far outweigh the brutal challenge. There is a lower difficulty setting that can be accessed after a few failures in any given area, but the game will make you feel so bad for succumbing it'll make you feel terrible to even contemplate choosing it. This is a game that has no time whatsoever for the weak, and wants you to know at every opportunity.
Team Ninja games, however dubious in tone (DOA beach volleyball anyone?), are usually held aloft as pure technical showpieces on any given format, and NGS does nothing to break that trend. High-resolution 1080p output, combined with re-texturing and a layer of new particle and atmospheric effects mean that Sigma can hold its own against the very best on the PS3, and ranks as one of the most beautifully designed games on any platform, period. Although your mind may trick you at first into believing that it doesn't look all that different from its predecessor, think again. It serves as a compliment to just how far the Xbox classic was above and beyond its peers at the time.
With all that said, action games have moved on in the meantime, and Sigma's lack of truly epic encounters, and the general reliance on super-tough foot soldiers is a debatable asset in today's climate. God of War has blazed a trail that cannot be ignored at this point, managing to find an optimum balance between button-mashing, technical manoeuvres and grand set-pieces, and NGS simply feels rooted in the past by comparison. Whether or not that's a bonus is down to your outlook on gaming, but is undoubtedly the reason that that game hasn't managed to find an audience outside of the hardcore.
Also, the new gameplay additions to Sigma are really of little consequence, and come across as a missed opportunity. The new dual Katana's are interesting enough, but still nowhere near as well thought out as the standard arsenal of weaponry available in the original design. Likewise, whilst the addition of Rachel's sections are welcome, they play out in a different manner to that of Ryu, relying on slower and more button-heavy attack combinations, which seems at odds with the lithe and nimble main protagonist. Neither of the above are bad things, but they serve to slightly unbalance what was a nigh-on perfect blend of technical action.
 |
 |
|
| A typical Team Ninja design | The smooth, crisp visuals are a delight to play with |
The decision as to whether to purchase NGS will come down to two factors. Firstly, if you don't like punishing games, replaying sections and occasionally needing to throw a controller at the wall, then for the love of god stay away. Likewise, if you own the original or Ninja Gaiden Black, there really isn't enough new content here to make it worthwhile. However, for those that have never experienced Ninja Gaiden, there really is no excuse not to give it a try. A healthily sized demo is available on the Playstation network as we speak, and who knows, if it manages to match your gaming sensibilities, you just might gain access to one of the purest, most rewarding experiences of this generation.
Top Game Moment: Defeating the games first, and hardest, boss.
