Few game franchises can be considered worthy of being mentioned in the same hushed breath as that of Ninja Gaiden. Renowned as much for the strides that each game made in the area of cinematic game design as it was for the near-legendary level of difficulty inherent to each title, the franchise remains one of the most rightfully beloved in all of gaming. As such, it is easy to imagine that Tomonobu Itagaki and the rest of Team Ninja were both honored and nervous to have the responsibility for the latest iteration in a line of games that can so easily be referred to as ‘classic’ put in their hands. Of course, if Mr. Itagaki was indeed nervous about the responsibility he was burdened with, one would never have known it by talking to him. One of the true masters at creating interest in his games, Itagaki boldly promised that Ninja Gaiden would be one of the greatest action games ever made. Upon finally being able to play the game, Mr. Itagaki and the rest of Team Ninja can rest easy and pat themselves on the back for a job well done – they have not only done the great legacy of Ninja Gaiden proud, they have managed to live up to the bold guarantees issued by their team leader; Ninja Gaiden is one of the best games ever made.

The latest incarnation of the Ninja Gaiden name follows the story of an entirely new Ryu Hayabusa character, one that begins the game as a humble student of his father, and a proud member of the Dragon Ninja Clan. The player takes control of Ryu part way through a journey from his own village to the nearby Ninja Fortress under the control of a martial artist by the name of Murai – the reason for the journey is explained at the end of the level. Unfortunately, shortly after the second level the story spirals downhill into one of the least coherent narratives I have ever experienced, in any medium. Had Tecmo chosen to be more broad, or general, with the storyline - maintaining a simple tale of revenge - it would have likely been far less confusing and far more enjoyable. Indeed, it is the infusion of smaller details that aren’t fully explained and events that feel completely random at times that make what should be a fairly straightforward story about revenge into a tangled mess that the often leaves the player scratching his or her head in response to, even at the conclusion. I doubt anyone was expecting a plot a long the lines of Metal Gear Solid or a Final Fantasy in terms of scope and sophistication, but something that can actually play out without several instances of the player uttering the words ‘what the hell’ would have been nice, even for a straight-up action game. Realistically, the story is only there to explain why Ryu is in the middle of an area filled with people trying to kill him, and in that way it suffices, if only just barely.

GAMEPLAY

Who said stealth is a ninja’s best weapon?

The true star of this game is the gameplay: It is some of the finest you will experience this generation, or any other generation. It is also, however, some of the most brutally, vindictively difficult gameplay any Xbox owner is likely to encounter – the game makes you earn every inch that you progress. Enemies are keenly aware of their abilities and the best times to use each one; the cliché of having enemies politely take turns attacking you as you destroy their comrades does not exist in this game – if you let your guard down for a second, you will find yourself with a substantial portion of your lifebar missing, if not witnessing Ryu’s wonderfully painful death animation. The beauty of the game is that while the challenges are seemingly insurmountable at the onset, they never truly are. Every enemy is beatable, every situation survivable – becoming a hand-eye coordination guru and honing your ability to make tactical decisions on the fly will serve you well throughout this game, and when each challenge is finally overcome, the sense of satisfaction is so profound that you will not be able to contain the giddy excitement welling up inside as you await the site of the next challenge Itagaki and company have created – and with nearly 20 hours of gameplay, there will be plenty of challenges to face.

What elevates Ninja Gaiden above the basic formula of a standard hack-n-slash action game is the subtle depth that can be found in the combat system, due in part to the game’s “essence” system. Simple in concept but flawless in execution, the essence system allows the player to make strategic choices in the heat of battle that can have both short and long-term effects. When Ryu vanquishes an enemy, they release essence – balls of energy which Ryu can absorb to strengthen his next attacks. Essence appears in three varieties: blue, which restores health; red, which restores one unit of magic (called Nimpo in the game); and yellow, the essence used as currency throughout the game. All forms of essence can be absorbed through Ryu’s weapons in order to strengthen his next attack. The beauty of the system is the fact that it forces the player to make strategic choices in battle. For example, both blue and red essence orbs give Ryu a second level power attack – a devastating combo that is more often than not a guaranteed kill of non-boss enemies. However, does the player choose to refill a portion of his life bar with the blue orb, or absorb it to unleash a combo that will likely result in a vanquished enemy, one which will yield a greater number of yellow essence as a reward for dispatching it using a powered move? The choice is up to the player, and at times the survival of a battle will depend on the player making the right choice. Mastery of the essence system is not necessary for enjoying or completing the game, but adds greatly to the depth of an already great combat system.