Its out in a week, here's some impressions from the final version of the game
Gamespot - http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/...w_6089781.html
1up - http://www.1up.com/article2/0,4364,1533684,00.asp
About the difficulty
So, who's got this baby on pre-order? Could end up being the greatest 3D action adventure yet.
Gamespot - http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/...w_6089781.html
It may go without saying if you've seen previous screenshots or movies, but Ninja Gaiden is an absolutely beautiful game--perhaps one of the best-looking on the Xbox. Though the environments we've seen so far--including the canyon, ninja fortress, and a village--have been sparsely detailed, they've got an extremely cohesive design and a lot of subtle texture. The character models are also among the most solidly crafted we've seen in any game, and Ryu's animation is really a sight to behold when he's pulling off his high-flying ninja tricks.
We've just barely scratched the surface of Ninja Gaiden, and already the game has us pretty well floored. There seems to be a lot more to the game than what we've described here, as there are slots in the game's menu screen for new melee and projectile weapons (and already we've gotten a bow and arrow to replace our shurikens), as well as a "ninpo" section that contains new special, mystical attack techniques that you'll acquire. We're excited by what we've seen of this extremely stylish action game so far, and we'll bring you more on it very soon. Ninja Gaiden is scheduled for release on the Xbox in the first week of March.
Some of the other areas we've seen early on include Ryu's hometown, an airship, and a city. Thus far, the amount of variety in both the level designs and the enemies has been superb. It continues to feel fresh in every area we go. Whether you wander around the city or fight it out on top of an zeppelin-style airship in a dramatic boss battle, everything looks gorgeous and little like anything previously seen in the game. If the game can keep up this level of variety, we'll be amazed.
If you're wondering, the scene with the horses is still incredible, with great collision detection. It's an amazing battle sequence that easily trumps the look and feel of a Dynasty Warriors game. There have been about six scenes of that caliber so far, and we can't wait to go experience the rest.
The next boss was even worse. I had so much trouble defeating that I actually went back to a previous save point and ran back and forth in a hallway for an hour, killing bats for money so I could buy a bunch of health and weapon power-ups. Only then did I emerge successful -- just barely, mind you.
It's still difficult to get over just how great the controls are, just how intense the cut scenes can be, and just how well designed the levels look. In these ways, the game not only is at the top of its genre, but surpasses anything out there.
Oh -- and it's safe to say my fear that the game might be too short no longer exists. Partially because of the difficulty, but mostly because of great design, this isn't something you'll be finishing in a day.
For most of the game, the difficulty level is really not annoying at all. It makes you want to be an expert at the controls so you can take out all the enemies perfectly, and it truly feels like it's your fault when you die.
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