Sometimes, you’ll come across a game series that people adore, but you just don’t get why. Oh, you’ll try, of course. You’ll read the glowing reviews, check out gameplay videos, and listen to people rave about it on podcasts. Yet try as you might, you just don’t click with it, and you feel like you’re missing out. That’s the way I’ve always felt about the modern Ninja Gaiden games. Still, as beloved as this franchise is, after playing Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge I just have to wonder if I’m really missing something here, or do diehard fans see how messed up this game is?
Team Ninja has attempted to put more of an emphasis on the story with this game, and to be honest I don’t understand that line of thinking. Remember that this is the team that is known more for its female cheesecake shots than its narrative, and even created a spinoff franchise about women playing volleyball in their bikinis. Razor’s Edge tries to tell a more personal story about super ninja Ryu Hayabusa, and there’s even a nod to the hacker group Anonymous in there. While it’s probably more interesting than what’s come before, the story is still convoluted in a way that only the creators of Dead or Alive could manage.
No, the real draw for Ninja Gaiden is and always has been the combat, or so I’ve been led to believe. Folks, I just don’t get that from this game. For a series that’s supposedly known for its precise and deep combo-driven fighting system, all I see here is a bloody mess of an action game.
Let’s start with Hayabusa himself, shall we? He’s one of the speediest characters I’ve ever controlled, putting old Sonic the Hedgehog to shame. He moves so quickly, in fact, that I couldn’t keep up with him. I would say that I was getting too old for this “stuff,” but it appears that the game can’t keep up with him, either. Ryu zips back and forth on the screen, slicing and dicing enemies from all angles at such a blistering pace that he can actually get ahead of the horrendous camera. It reminded me of playing four-player arcade action games as a kid, where the on screen hijinks would get so hectic that I would confuse my character with someone else’s. It would take me a few precious seconds to realize that I was actually in the corner getting pounded to death because I was focused on another player.
This happened to me quite a lot in Razor’s Edge, and it doesn’t help that the enemies tend to dog pile onto Ryu. Since he can get so far away from the camera, it was common for me to switch spots with an enemy so quickly that I would completely lose track of my character. Since wounded enemies tend to grab onto Ryu and blow themselves up (frustratingly taking a third of his health with them), losing sight of where he is in relation to enemies is a real problem.
Of course, the other big thing that Ninja Gaiden is known for is its legendary difficulty level. While I certainly found this game to be really rough and died many, many times, it never felt like I was being challenged. No, it felt like I was falling prey to cheap enemy tactics, a rebellious camera, and poor game design. Enemies are relentless, quick to block Ryu’s attacks, and difficult to read (again, thanks to the camera). They delight in popping up just out of frame, oftentimes getting a cheap shot as Ryu rounds a corner. This is especially true of enemies with rocket launchers or guns, who will pelt Ryu mercilessly from off screen. The only way to deal with them is with a well-timed arrow to the face, but good luck pulling that off while fending off five or six suicidal soldiers.
One-armed kamikaze soldiers are easily one of the most absurd things in this game. I seriously doubt that someone who’s lost limbs to a ninja would have the wherewithal to still try and complete their mission, but they’re only a minor annoyance when compared to what may be the worst camera I’ve seen in an action game in fifteen years. It’s straight up broken. It’s rare that it can keep up with Ryu, and when it does, it isn’t framing the important things in the battle, like those aforementioned dudes with rockets. This only gets worse when Ryu goes inside, as the camera gets hung up on every…single…corner. Oh sure, you can reorient the camera behind Ryu’s back and manually control it with the right stick, but that will keep it in check for a only a second or two. The in-game camera is easily the toughest enemy in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge.
In true Team Ninja style, this game looks great. It may not be as eye-popping as their previous titles, but it still stands with other big action games. Characters still have that weird, semi-plastic look that the DOA and Ninja Gaiden games have always had, but by this point I’m going to chalk that up to the studio’s art style. The soundtrack gets the job done, but I noticed an alarming amount of audio dropping. Enemy soldiers also have a mad on for hurling expletives at Ryu, and it becomes exceedingly annoying to hear “S---!” and “F--- you!” on a continuous loop.
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge attempts some semblance of “maturity” that comes off as something that could only be interesting to the seventeen year olds that have just become old enough to buy it without mommy’s permission. The overwrought story, excessive gore, and constant “grown up” language are tired and yawn inducing. I really didn’t like this game, and while I will totally cop to the fact that I might not “get it”, I would challenge fans of the series to play this one and tell me that this is a good example of the series. For my part, I have no need to go back to it, nor do I have any interest in playing the other games in the franchise.
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