Domstercool Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 Ninja Blade Developer From Software Publisher Microsoft Game Studios Random Shots So did any of you guys pick up this little gem of a game? I wasn't sure what to expect from it when I got it. I had heard it was a game that was jam packed with QTEs, that tingled my Dom senses. I loved Shenmue and Shenmue II's QTEs and wish more games would be based on them. Resident Evil 5 had a few, which I was glad about. With Ninja Blade though, this game pretty much is like 60% fighting and 40% QTEs, but man those QTEs are like a QTE fans perfect girly. Even if you fail them, you don't have to do them all again, it just rewinds back a step or two and you just try it. Also not all of the QTEs are speed based, some of them are more to do with hitting the button at the right time to get that Perfect grade when in a QTE moment. I've just finished the 4th mission, with the missions so far taking around 35-40mins to finish. There's been some awesome fights with bosses and while the combat might not quite match Ninja Gaiden II, it is fairly deep and there is plenty of moves to use. The main guy comes equipped with three different types of swords and a special shuriken that can change its elemental status. In conjuction with these is the Ninja Vision, which allows you to slow down the enemies movements, while dealing double damage, you also take double damage too in this state. It also allows you to see normal enemy health bars too and to give hints on places you can grab or run across. There's plenty of running on walls and jumping all over the place. The game kind of reminds me of a mix between Prince of Persia, Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden and God of War. It mixes all these elements well and creates a really fun game that's good to play. I really do advise people to give it a go if they are interested in it, or simply love a good QTE. I plan to try the HARD mode with HARD QTEs on my second playthrough when I finish it. From Software have done a good job on this game, even after all the stab people gave it for the Ninja Gaiden rip off. When you play it though, you don't get that sense that it is ripping of Ninja Gaiden. This game has its own personality. (Uber quick type up, so might contain mistakes :P )
Solo Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 QTEs are the bane of videogame existence! I didn't really take to the demo but it seems like a nice alternative to the impossibly hard Ninja Gaiden. Worth a good rent me thinks.
dwarf Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 I hate QTEs Uncharted used them weirdly, there were like 3 in the whole game... Why put them in?! Don't mind so much if it's used in the context where you have done a combo or something and you then have to finish it off with a QTE press.
Domstercool Posted April 4, 2009 Author Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) Posted another quick take on a little team blog I have going with a friend. http://modeseven.blogspot.com/ (still work in progress) Edited April 4, 2009 by Domstercool
Shorty Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 I had a go on the demo, it was okay, I didn't see myself enjoying it, seemed like less fun version of Devil May Cry with far too many QTEs. Dom you're saying QTEs as though they're a good thing, they're becoming the lamest, most overused rubbish in games ever, an excuse to avoid a more interesting, innovative or interactive way of progressing through part of a game. There's only so much skill you can acquire in the art of pressing a button that flashes up on screen. If you love QTEs maybe you should just play guitar hero using the control pad, it's basically the same thing.
Domstercool Posted April 5, 2009 Author Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) I think they are a good thing. especially in parts of the game that you can't actually do through physical gameplay limitations. It makes watching scenes a lot more enjoyable. MGS4 could have done with some of these, having interactivity inbedded in the movie clips. There's no way you would be able to pull off stuff that are featured in QTEs in a video game at the moment, there's just no possible way. I never really understood the hate for QTEs at all or way they are lame. You simply cannot do the stuff they show off yet on the current hardware. It's just too complex. I love them and what they do, spice up some movie scenes with awesome stylish set pieces and overall I am really enjoying this game, it's a secret gem out there right now and thats why I like it, it's QTEs used right, not for simple things, but for crazy over the top shit that just isn't doable. Playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero is different, that's playing song with notes, and yes even that is still a good sensation when you beat a hard song, but there's something more when you press buttons and see Ninjas grabbing bikes midair, riding them up walls then jumping off, grabbing a crane on a skyscraper, spinning around and landing on a monster slashing its head open......AWESOME! And it since it rewinds if you fail, so you never have to redo them all again, there really shouldn't be any complaint against it. Some person modded my own thread ¬_¬ I feel hurt! What's wrong with great topic titles? Edited April 5, 2009 by Domstercool
Daft Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 MGS4 could have done with some of these, having interactivity inbedded in the movie clips. MGS4 has arguably the best implementation of QTEs; completely optional ones. I'd like to see optional QTE used much more, just like the flashback prompts and the, normally hidden, change of angleview point ones used in MGS4.
Domstercool Posted April 5, 2009 Author Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Indeed flashbacks are good, but action scenes would of been nice too. RE4 Knife fight was brilliant, that's just one good example there. Be interesting to see what the HARD QTEs are in Ninja Blade, hmm. Edited April 5, 2009 by Domstercool
Daft Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 It just wouldn't have suited the tone of MGS4. It would have killed the atmosphere, as it does with most games. I liked them in Tomb Raider Legends...mainly because if you screwed them up you got to see Lara get killed in some amusing way and the game was pretty camp anyway.
Domstercool Posted April 5, 2009 Author Posted April 5, 2009 In Ninja Blade, if you screw them, it just rewinds and lets you have another go. There's never a frustrating part where you think "ARGH, I'M NEVER GONNA GET PAST THIS PART" because it pretty much checkpoints after every 3 QTE command in the scene. I guess people some people might hate them because they were done wrong, bit Ninja Blade certainly has them spot on.
Daft Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 If they are consistent and you know they are going to happen then I tend to like them. Like I said, I love TRL's ones because when you died you got too see some classic slap stick of Lara being face planted but a train of something. If they are sporadic, then it just becomes annoying a pointless or if it is not clear enough what button you have to press so that you end up not even looking at what's happening, like Force Unleashed.
Domstercool Posted April 5, 2009 Author Posted April 5, 2009 Yeah ones that pop out of nowhere are a bitch, I agree there. You know you are going to get one in Ninja Blade as the camera always zooms into the character's eye, it's like saying "look EYE, get ready for the QTE"
Daft Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 You know what happens when you fail? Does you character get crushed or does it lamely fade to black or something?
Domstercool Posted April 5, 2009 Author Posted April 5, 2009 No, if you fail, it rewinds like Prince of Persia style, to the checkpointed part, then you get to retry it. There's no death, it isn't interupted, so it flows nicely, which is why it feels nice and not annoying.
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