Ninja Blade (360)

[Spatial]

This game is certainly bonkers.

At the point in the first level where you end up running down the side of the building it was clear it was put together by a bunch of mentalists. Then I got to the end of the second level where it strode the fine line between ridiculous and downright genius.

QTE's ahoy but they don't seem to be the annoying kind (the fact that the restarts don't take forever to load is good play on the part of the developers) and it's thoroughly enjoyable nonsense so far.

I can understand the repetitive comments, but it feels like Ninja Gaiden-lite and that's what I need right now.

[fuse]

I've got this on rental currently and as much as I'm trying to enjoy it, I am struggling. Even though I've not given it as much time as it deserves, from first impressions of both it seems painfully obvious that this simply is not as good as Ninja Gaiden II. Control doesn't seem as tight as I would like for a game in this genre, and as much as I love silly, even by the end of the first stage I was getting bored of the cut scenes getting dafter and dafter whilst they continued to throw QTEs at me. It's like a Japanese Arnie film crossed with Dragon's Lair.

[Spatial]

Conversely I actually preferred this to Ninja Gaiden II, a game that just rubbed me up the wrong way.

Not that I think Ninja Blade is superior at all, but it was just the fact that it wasn't so po-faced and totally up it's own arse like Itagaki's last attempt which just felt like it was permanently trying to rub **** into my hair (virtually speaking of course).

[EvilBoris]

Haha this is amazing.

THe action scene QTE's are so ridiculous and overblown that only the japanese could pull it off without looking like they are trying to hard.

Which they are, but it somehow works.
I was in fits of laughter during the wrecking ball one (what was it doing ON TOP of a sky scraper anyway?)

The first 2 missions seem to be almost identical though, I'm hoping for some more variation in scenary at some point.

[Jebus]

So the consensus is that this is quite good then? I hated Ninja Gaiden 2 for it's outright unfriendliness...if this is more of the same (genre/style) but friendly to the user and doesn't cheat and rape you at every turn I might be tempted!

Devil May Cry 4, I got half way and couldn't stop falling asleep, it was so boring with so much backtracking.

[Dazzyman]

Theirs a demo up m8 so give that a try. Its not as gnashing as Gaiden. You get it cheap as chips as well now.

[Cranky]

Theirs a demo up m8 so give that a try. Its not as gnashing as Gaiden. You get it cheap as chips as well now.

After playing the demo, I'd buy the chips.

[fuse]

I wasn't that impressed with the demo, or the first few levels (as my last post stated), but after playing it to the end I must admit I had become a lot more tolerant of its flaws and actually started to enjoy it. It's not a great game, and I still know that I should be manning-up and playing NG2 instead, but for what it is I can't really grumble. Definitely glad I waited on it though, a week-long rental was just the amount of playtime I wanted from this - if I ever get bored and it's going for a tenner then I might grab it and go through hard mode, but until then I don't think I'll be longing for it in any major way.

[Dazzyman]

Im up to 3rd level on it today. Loving it. Enjoying the QTEs and that and the music has a matrix feel for me. Definetly for me the most underated game of this year

[ezee ryder]

I wasn't that impressed with the demo, or the first few levels (as my last post stated), but after playing it to the end I must admit I had become a lot more tolerant of its flaws and actually started to enjoy it. It's not a great game, and I still know that I should be manning-up and playing NG2 instead, but for what it is I can't really grumble. Definitely glad I waited on it though, a week-long rental was just the amount of playtime I wanted from this - if I ever get bored and it's going for a tenner then I might grab it and go through hard mode, but until then I don't think I'll be longing for it in any major way.

Pretty much sums up my feelings on the game too. I picked it up after seeing it in Gamestation for ?24.99 and I returned it last week as I got slightly bored of it.

The QTE's are just pure overkill and it got to a point where they were ruining the game for me. The combat is pretty decent though and I wish there was more of that rather than the immense amount of QTE's.

When it is goes down to a fiver, I might pick it up again.

[eastyy]

thing is with qtes....was chatting with a mate who really loves ninja blade and the qte

Way i see it....just feels like they said "lets give them something to do in the cutscenes "

when it comes to what i class as normal gameplay ...there is alot of variation...like you can get better become more skilful

With this and qte...its just fail or succed....you fail go back a few seconds and repeat

[Dazzyman]

Im a whore for QTE anyway but for me it gets rid of the feeling of watching a cutscene that im taken out of the game to watch with. When its a QTE im part of it still so enjoy it more (same as on RE5). Havent had any problems with the QTEs up to level 3, only missed a few and it rewinds straight back to have another go. It even has checkpoints for the larger QTEs so its only 2-3 moves back.

[EvilBoris]

Annnnndyy!

[Dazzyman]

Just spotted theirs some free DLC for this on MP.

Was thinking after just playing abit more only probs Ive got with it is the SFX seem way too high by default so had to lower it abit and shove speech to full as when it gets abit hectic you cant hear some bits. Like the way even the speech is in both ENG and JPN as well (he speaks both not both selectable that is!).

[EvilBoris]

They both are selectable too, I've changed to it English only and he doesn't say anything in japanese.