Ninja Gaiden is a reboot of a popular series of arcade games of the same title released in the early nineties. Previous editions of the game were released on Nintendo consoles (SNES, NES, GameBoy) or portable Atari Lynx. This title is treated as an Xbox exclusive since the game was released only on the Microsoft's console.
Plot
We play as the titular ninja named Ryu. Currently, he is looking for revenge on the Vigor Empire, which led to the murder of his clan. The main hero has to defeat the Holy Emperor, who commanded the enemy armies, as well as conquer Ryuken's sword with magical properties.
Mechanics
The main character is shown from a third-person perspective, and in many places, the camera automatically changes its position so as to show the action from a more interesting angle. The key point of the game is, of course, the fights done with the use of one of the several available melee weapons. As Ryu wins new battles, he learns new martial arts that help him deal with enemy forces faster and more effectively. It is also important to get upgrades for the currently possessed weapons. Interestingly, the character can develop in many different ways, the choice of paths depends on the individual decisions of the player. In addition to traditional opponents, we also face exceptionally strong bosses which appear every few missions. Some can be defeated by traditional methods, but there are also some that can only be killed in a certain way. However, the game doesn't focus only on battles - the main character must also swim or perform numerous jumps. Due to the fact that these elements are usually quite difficult to perform, the game is aimed at more experienced players.
Technical aspects
The game's visual setting is well-developed, especially for the main character, whose movements have been rendered in every detail. It is also worth mentioning the diverse and, in addition, rich in details surroundings. The soundtrack consists mainly of the sounds of battles - the available melee weapons have unique sound effects. There is also a dynamic soundtrack, the music appears not only in the main menu but also during the gameplay. Ninja Gaiden uses Xbox Live - thanks to it, a player can the worldwide ranking of the best players. In addition, there are numerous bonuses, including the ability to unlock additional outfits or character galleries.
