Wreaking havoc in tight leather: Ninja Gaiden Sigma demo impressions

 

Sitting in front of the PS3 and experiencing the first few seconds of the Ninja Gaiden Sigmademo, I couldn’t help but think: “Autumn leaves falling, rocky cliff walls, and me controlling a ninja. Please don’t let this be another Genji!” And by god, I can’t even believe how different the whole experience was (the camera angles were fit to a T!).

Well aside from the stunning graphics, what concerns us a lot right now is the gameplay (It’s probably already a given nowadays that the Cell Processor will always throw out stunning graphics – so any more discussion on that would be redundant). Controls; check. Learning curve; check. Blood, gore, and decapitation; check. Weapons and combos; check. Camera angles; definitely check. Judging from this demo, the full version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma is very much what the original Xbox game only dreamed of becoming.

Fine, I died while trying to defeat the first boss during my first run. I just wanted to get my bearings and have a feel for the game. During my second run though, I was flying through the level (ninja-style, no less) with my tongue lashing out expletives and curses along the way every time I’d connect a cool looking combo (which would often result to a lovely beheading). Took me ten minutes to finish the whole level during my second run.

So what’s the deal with Rachel, dual swords, boosting your Ninpo, and sexy leather suits? My personal take on the demo, right behind the Full Article link below!

 

Sitting in front of the PS3 and experiencing the first few seconds of the Ninja Gaiden Sigmademo, I couldn’t help but think: “Autumn leaves falling, rocky cliff walls, and me controlling a ninja. Please don’t let this be another Genji!” And by god, I can’t even believe how different the whole experience was (the camera angles were fit to a T!).

Well aside from the stunning graphics, what concerns us a lot right now is the gameplay (It’s probably already a given nowadays that the Cell Processor will always throw out stunning graphics – so any more discussion on that would be redundant). Controls; check. Learning curve; check. Blood, gore, and decapitation; check. Weapons and combos; check. Camera angles; definitely check. Judging from this demo, the full version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma is very much what the original Xbox game only dreamed of becoming.

 

Fine, I died while trying to defeat the first boss during my first run. I just wanted to get my bearings and have a feel for the game. During my second run though, I was flying through the level (ninja-style, no less) with my tongue lashing out expletives and curses along the way every time I’d connect a cool looking combo (which would often result to a lovely beheading). Took me ten minutes to finish the whole level during my second run. Here’s my take on the demo:

Dual swords are the way to go: Don’t even bother with the two-handed heavy sword. You’re a ninja, after all, not some yellow-bellied hippo trying to swing a club in a vat of jello. Unless your gameplay style goes along the lines of “heavy-hitting but slow-moving,” I’d suggest you go for the dual swords.

The nunchuks are okay, but they’re only for flair and stringing some long combos that don’t damage (and decapitate) much. Not good on the long-range aspect though, but these babies are perfect for close-quarter ambushes. The Lunar spear (if I recall the name correctly) is quite the opposite. Fast, also, but better if you’re going against a group of baddies in a somewhat open space.

Replayability – Next stop, Rachel: Finishing the level will unlock the HARD and MISSION modes. While I haven’t tried the hard mode yet (much less know what it would unlock upon completion), the mission mode allows you to play as Rachel. Yep, that hot-in-leather ninja chick.

The bad side that I found here is that she uses a war hammer. Not my cup of tea since I find it too slow and unwieldy, but for some who think that Rachel is a goddess (in skimpy leather) *cough*, it still makes for a fun killing-spree. On top of that, there are leaderboards, so you might get a kick out of showing off your mad ninja skillz over teh netw0rx.

Save your Ninpo!: Whatever you do, save your Ninpo. That’s the super attack, accessible by hitting Circle and Triangle at the same time. Tempting as it might be, your ordinary weapons – if used strategically and effectively – can wipe the board clean and spill some considerable blood. Use the move at the direst of occasions… like annoying bosses. Imagine my delight upon getting to use the SIXAXIS sensors to boost the attack and reduce the boss’ health bar around half. It made the battle a heck of a lot easier.

In the end, the demo has done nothing but make me even more excited for the game. June 26 release for Ninja Gaiden Sigma, huh? Well, I’m sure this demo is more than enough to tide over the wait. Meanwhile, let me go back to the game. My rank on the leaderboard is still somewhere way above the 5,000 mark. And so for now, I shall be heading back to stealth mode and get back to playing the demo while singing to myself that “Ask A Ninja” theme song.