Greetings humans, Monki here with the debut of a new AICN Games column, the CAGE MATCH!!!
Our first cage match bout is between Player One and Scrivener as they go head-to-head back and forth over the upcoming PS3 release of Ninja Gaiden Sigma! Oooohhhh yeaaaahhh...
Sit back and enjoy the bloodbath!!
Scrivener: So at the moment, I'm absolutely positive they lowered the difficulty level. I'm not dying nearly as much as I had anticipated before I started. Maybe it's my experience with past games... but even using the first-level Wooden Practice Sword I'm totally kicking ass. It actually hurts my enjoyment of the game considerably. I'm just a sucker for punishment I guess, but in games like this (or the very first PC-only Hitman) I actually enjoy the excruciatingly high difficulty. What sucks more is that the higher difficulty levels all have to be unlocked... again. You'd think they could have at least offered the two or three lowest levels to choose from - for those who have beat the original and Black more times than they remember. Ah well... at least there's some new levels and content.
I'm also not terribly keen on Rachael's missions. She's slow and pretty much stuck with that clunky hammer-scythe-thing of hers... just doesn't suit my play style.
All in all, I certainly don't regret the purchase one bit. Ninja Gaiden is still the best goddamn action game ever created... and I don't feel cheated having bought essentially the same game three times... and that's a wonder in itself.
Player One: I can see your point that it may seem easier, but previous experiences with the game may have simply made you better at the game. Every location of scarab and every 'life of the gods' and 'life of thousand gods' location is known. I personally know that my previous play throughs have helped (Alma). But the game is still a bitch for newcomers. I had a friend play and he was simply devoured by the game. The difficulty serves as a manner to force the player to get better and learn. Ninja Gaiden has the fortunate history of being made after DOA 2. So, the game feels and should be treated as a fighting game. One in which 'frames' count. Having a duel with a Black Ninja is as intense as a PvP match of Virtua Fighter.
I'm glad I am not the only one who isnt too hot for the Rachel levels. What i dont like is the fact that you are forced into encounters with her and her weapon. I dont use the axe as Ryu, and being forced to use her weapon (the only one at that) seemed to betray the open style of Ryu's game. Also, pacing. Inserting Rachel into the progression of Ryu's single player game makes the pacing stutter. I would have much liked to have seen a separate set of missions that intertwine, much like Claire and Leon in Resident Evil 2.
My biggest qualm... it shows it is a port. The textures and animations are redone and some art assets are remade (the Black Ninjas), the game still feels way too much of a port. Water is ugly, blood on walls arent on the wall (they stick about 2 feet from the actual wall, there is plenty of screen tearing, Rachel breasts are OVER THE TOP AND RIDICULOUS in their movement, and.... the cut scenes look terrible. I have an HDTV, and the cut scenes look like they were ripped from the 480i xbox game. I would have rather seen them done the cut scenes in real time.
The combat is air tight. Playing through it, I simply wish they could have done more with the game other than 'paint the house'; so to speak. I would have loved a remake the way Capcom did with Resident Evil on the Gamecube. Same game, new visuals and cutscenes. But NG is still the best action game out there, and it served its purpose on next gen: make one want Ninja Gaiden 2 more!
OH! and I hate how there is no rumble! there were plenty of times in which i was getting hit and didnt know it (explosive shurikens). That shit needs to change.
Scrivener: Oh man, the cut-scenes! The first time I saw that zeplin video (the first pre-rendered cut-scene in the game) I felt genuinely embarrassed for Team Ninja. They went through all the trouble of redoing many of the cut-scenes in-game... and for the most part those look great, especially at 1080P. Then you have these horrible looking pre-rendered cut-scenes pulled right out of Ninja Gaiden Black. I always just assumed they'd make those real-time or, at the very least, re-render them in HD (720P, even). The sudden transition from glorious 1080P to hideous 480i is jarring, to say the least.
For the most part, I haven't really missed rumble on my PS3 - but in the case of NG, it's one form of feedback that proved very useful. Not having it there is crippling at first since you don't always realize how badly you're being hurt. I swear I felt like Zatoichi must have when he first lost his sight. Looking forward, PSM France is reporting that we'll soon get a controller upgrade in the form of Touchsense. Unlike classic rumble, Touchsense is apparently very similar to classic PC force feedback, with the analogue sticks moving, jerking, and offering resistance of their own accord. It sounds weird - and it's not going to make any of the games we currently own force-feedback or touchsense-capable, but it's good to know that someone over at Sony is still trying to make the customers happy.
In an attempt to get a new players perspective on Sigma, I asked a friend to sit down and play through the first couple stages of the game. This is a guy who, for some reason or another, managed to beat God of War II on every difficulty level but Titan. With Ninja Gaiden, he actually did pretty well until that very first battle with Murai (the first boss). Eventually, I took over to move it along - but seeing his frustration with just the first boss (who I always thought was a total pushover) definitely speaks volumes about how the average gamer will approach this. That said, he openly admitted that it was just far more complex a game than he thought it would be - and might consider picking it up if he had a PS3 (hey, they're $100 cheaper now). It definitely takes some getting used to - it's got the scope and presentation of a game like God of War, but the depth and complexity of a game like DoA or Tekken.
While I'm on the subject of difficulty, I also noticed that Team Ninja has added a few new save points to the game. That was an excellent decision by anyone's account... as there were a few sections in the original where you could easily go 15-20 minutes without a save. As fun as the combat is, frequent 20 minute setbacks can be enough to crush anyone's spirit. Fortunately, that's no longer nearly as much of an issue as it used to be - and I'm sure it will make the difference between love and hate for more than a few Ninja Gaiden newcomers out there.
We seem to pretty much agree on every point. Ninja Gaiden Sigma doesn't really add much, and what it does add sometimes hurts the game more than it helps (The Rachael levels in particular). It's the same great game that fans are familiar with, but with a High Definition gameplay upgrade. If you are an existing fan of the franchise, and you still get play out of Black on your Xbox or 360, and you don't have an HD set, then there's no reason to sink another $60 into the game. For others, it may be worth the upgrade just to see the game in all it's stunning 1080P glory. You'll have to make that decision for yourself.
On the other hand, new-comers beware. Ninja Gaiden is really, really hard. It's very much a fighting game in the tradition of Tekken, Virtua Fighter, or Dead or Alive - but with the presentation of Prince of Persia or God of War. The controls are very elegant and very responsive - Ryu does what you tell him to when you tell him to. Unlike other comparable action games, the difficulty here is purely a matter of skill. If you aren't willing to adapt, improve, and learn as you progress in the game, it will eat you alive.
In the end, Ninja Gaiden remains one of the greatest action games the world has ever seen... but it is most definitely not for everybody.
Player One: Ninja Gaiden Sigma is proof positive that rock solid gameplay, controls and graphics can coexist in a game space. While Sigma represents a golden standard for action games, it still remains relatively unchanged despite the obvious graphical upgrade. The additional content in Sigma, while refreshing, isn't as polished or compelling as the original core game. Yet despite this upgrade, the game doesn't warrant a purchase from those who have already experienced what it is to be a 'Head Ninja' or 'Ninja Dog'. For those who haven't already played Ninja Gaiden before, Sigma is a must; even though it is a redux of a redux.
