Electronic Theatre Preview: Ninja Blade

Saturday, 06 December 2008 12:02 administrator Xbox360 - Xbox360 Previews

Electronic Theatre Image From Software have an assault planned on two different fronts, but with very similar precedents. Ninja Blade is a game based around a Ninja in a fantasy vision of Tokyo overflowing with monsters and screen-filling beasts. Designed exclusively for the Xbox360 and set to be published by Microsoft, the title is From Software’s great proposition for the western audience. Countering this is Demon’s Souls, a title based around a Knight in a fantasy world filled with beasts and screen-filling monsters. Designed exclusively for the PLAYSTATION3 and set to be published by SONY, the title’s eastern attraction is quite evident.

With two titles striking particularly similar chords, it’s not surprising that both feature similar achievements, and similar flaws. Ninja Blade consists of two main sequences at current. Extended Cut-Scenes acting as Quick-Time Events, similarly to God of War, Resident Evil 4, Lara Croft; Tomb Raider: LEGEND and the countless amount of titles that followed, provide perhaps too much of a break in the action. Each sequence is also very rigid, meaning that repeated failure – which will begin the sequence from the very beginning – will result in the player simply memorising the required input through trial-and-error; hardly an engaging activity.

The combat, luckily, fares better. The D-Pad provides an automatic switch between multiple weapons, each of which features their own stance and series of combination attacks. A Bullet-Time feature is included to strengthen the player’s adrenaline rush mid-combo and allow for a strategy to be formulated as to how to tackle remaining enemies.

The game looks decent enough in its current state, but clearly lacks polish. Due for release in the first quarter of 2009, there’s time to improve the aesthetic quality, but Electronic Theatre doubts any major overhauls in gameplay will be evident.

Ninja Blade is the embodiment of the impression From Software have of the westernised gamer. Its’ moody neon cityscape and vast array of greys clearly mark an appreciation for some of the biggest sellers in the US and European markets, and it’s cinematic thrill-ride styled gameplay borrows heavily from the likes of Dark Sector and Alone in the Dark in that Ninja Blade is a game designed to be completed, not struggled-through. Whether or not both Ninja Blade and Demon’s Souls will see release across all territories remains to be seen, but Electronic Theatre predicts that From Software’s shrewd market decision will lead to worldwide releases for both titles, as each game sold will contribute towards the cost of producing the other.