A true masterpiece of the action game genre. A game that rewards skill and precision over everything else and isn't concerned with handing out cool animations to all players because they hit a button a few times. Every time you look cool playing Ninja Gaiden is earned through practice and execution and that makes everything ten times more rewarding than a lot of other games.
Replaying this in 2022, I could not believe how FRESH it felt. The at first quite stiff movement seems like it isn't fit for purpose but you quickly find out how to use every single part of Ryu Hayabusa's arsenal to deal with the increasingly challenging situations thrown at you. It gives the game a feel like no other action game.
Honestly, I couldn't recommend this enough.
Replaying this in 2022, I could not believe how FRESH it felt. The at first quite stiff movement seems like it isn't fit for purpose but you quickly find out how to use every single part of Ryu Hayabusa's arsenal to deal with the increasingly challenging situations thrown at you. It gives the game a feel like no other action game.
Honestly, I couldn't recommend this enough.
This is one of the greatest character action games of all time, DMC5 can eat my ass, this was so much more fun.
Im genuinely shocked this game originally came out in 2004, its aged like the finest of wines, the visuals are obviously dated but the art design has that PS2 charm that im a sucker for.
But the real reason this game is still so good is because its nearly mechanically perfect. The combat is brilliant, the enemy variety and the level design are excellent. And a lot of the bosses have that sekiro feeling of getting to the point where you have mastered everything they can throw it you and you begin to dodge and punish everything perfectly, its extremely rewarding at times solely due to its mechanical depth.
The parkour elements are genuinely impressive, especially for this era, although they are slightly frustrating. This game is hard, really hard, im not sure where it ranks yet as far as hardest games ive played but its defo up there and i love it all the more for that. It wont be for everyone though, this game punishes the new player quite heavily and can initially be quite hard to get into as there really are a lot of early game walls that you can hit hard. Personally though i adore this type of game and its up there with some of my all time faves.
Im genuinely shocked this game originally came out in 2004, its aged like the finest of wines, the visuals are obviously dated but the art design has that PS2 charm that im a sucker for.
But the real reason this game is still so good is because its nearly mechanically perfect. The combat is brilliant, the enemy variety and the level design are excellent. And a lot of the bosses have that sekiro feeling of getting to the point where you have mastered everything they can throw it you and you begin to dodge and punish everything perfectly, its extremely rewarding at times solely due to its mechanical depth.
The parkour elements are genuinely impressive, especially for this era, although they are slightly frustrating. This game is hard, really hard, im not sure where it ranks yet as far as hardest games ive played but its defo up there and i love it all the more for that. It wont be for everyone though, this game punishes the new player quite heavily and can initially be quite hard to get into as there really are a lot of early game walls that you can hit hard. Personally though i adore this type of game and its up there with some of my all time faves.
Lemme tell you, this game has put me through the wringer harder than any game has before. Whether we are talking Black or Sigma, this is one of the most grueling, yet confidence instilling games I have EVER played. Its a game that isn't afraid to push you to the ground and BTFO you any time you try to get back up. Yet I always found myself pushing forward and getting back up. As for the game itself, its great. I love the speed of the combat, the fluid nature of Ryu's movement makes for engaging experimentation, the essence system makes for some interesting choices in the heat of combat. The levels tie into each other in a satisfying, inter-connected system that no other game in this genre really does. The only issues I have with this game are the camera (which is a given) and there are some really annoying and useless puzzles every now and then. This game, while flawed, is a masterful grand experience. It is the apex of character action if I can say, right next to titles like the later DMC games and Bayonetta.