Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge

[Retro_Link]

Video talks about the Wii U version

 

 

http://www.n-europe.com/news.php?nid=15721

 

E3 2011: Hayashi Talks NG3, Wii U Controls

 

One of the biggest cheers during Nintendo's E3 press briefing was reserved for the unveiling of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge - the tailor-made Wii U version of Team Ninja's next gory slice 'em up.

 

In a separate chat with Kotaku, Hayashi specifically touched upon the Wii U iteration Razor's Edge. As an optional control scheme, players will be able to utilise the Wii U controller's touch screen in order to control main character Ryu.

 

This method is designed to mirror the feel of the 2008 DS game Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (a game we loved), which had as swiping and tapping to navigate Ryu around the world, slash enemies to pieces and leap all over the place. Naturally, a more conventional button and analog stick method will also be available.

 

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is due to launch on Wii U some time in 2012.

Will no doubt be another launch title.

 

There's surely going to be an absolutely record breaking number of games available at launch! Hope developers realise that early sales are likely to be spread out across many different options!

Edited February 8, 2013 by Retro_Link

[Tamazoid]

So anyone planning on picking this up? I'm almost sold on it, just slightly wary that the mess that was Ninja Gaiden 3 is unfix able.

[dazzybee]

Yeah. If its actually good I'm there, love ninja gaiden. Not played 3 because it's meant to be cack, but if it's classic ninja gaiden then I'm there!

[Retro_Link]

[Retro_Link]

Changes for the Wii U version.

 

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/09/19/tgs-ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-repairs-past-mistakes

 

TGS: Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge Repairs Past Mistakes

 

Studio head Yosuke Hayashi knows Team Ninja made mistakes with Ninja Gaiden 3, and with the Wii U redux Razor’s Edge, he says, “we’re ready to start again.” Rather than reinforcing the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions’ goal of appealing to a new Ninja Gaiden audience, the development team is reeling it in to focus on their longtime fans. Razor’s Edge aims to achieve this in multiple ways – and it already succeeds in some.

 

The quickest and easiest way into a Ninja Gaiden nerd’s heart is obscene violence, which, compared to past entries, Ninja Gaiden 3 toned down considerably. With Razor’s Edge, Team Ninja cranks the gore factor as high as the series has seen. Arms fly off in a flurry of blood and blade, heads roll past piled-up corpses, and torsos separate from appendages in a comically explosive manner. It’s a cosmetic difference on Wii U, but in tandem with the refined lethality of your characters’ attacks, combat feels fantastic rather than tedious.

 

I spent my 10 minute Ninja Gaiden 3 demo playing as Ayane, the violet-haired Dead or Alive vet turned Ninja Gaiden starlet. She’s exclusive to Razor’s Edge, and she’s a damn fine addition. Her double short-swords are quick and vicious, and she’s just as capable as Ryu Hayabusa when it comes to slaughtering terrorists. Her explosive throwing-knives let her fire and forget about entire groups while cherry-picking (and decapitating) individuals from the herd. She’s functionally similar to Hayabusa in terms of combos and skills, complete with a screen-clearing special move, so it will be interesting to see how she differs in her side of the story long term.

 

Ayane helps bring the variety Ninja Gaiden 3 needed in the first place, though. Alongside Ryu’s expanded armory (the scythe is on the disc rather than paid add-on content) a new progression system (finally, unlockable abilities and upgradable ninpo magic/weapons), and unspecified free downloadable content (“series fans are going to love it,” Hayashi promised), Razor’s Edge looks to more than make up for past shortcomings.

 

Arguably the most important aspect of all is that I died multiple times in Razor’s Edge because I wasn’t playing as smart as I should have been. Ninja Gaiden 3 would exhaust your health points with protracted battles against wave after wave of too-tough enemies; Razor’s Edge already appears to be a more pure test of your dexterity, cognition, and caution in combat. The jury’s still out if the A.I. is as improved as Team Ninja boasts. That’s going to take more time than a 10-minute demo allows.

 

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge makes massive strides toward becoming the game Team Ninja clearly wishes it was on 360 and PS3 earlier this year. Hayashi and his team clearly took the negative criticism and hardcore fan backlash to heart – and they deserve a second chance when Razor’s Edge hits North America on November 18.

[Tamazoid]

It's sounding promising, seems like Hayashi realizes that Ninja Gaiden 3 was a travesty and isn't trying to make 'an American hamburger' this time.

[Magnus]

It must be nice to always get a chance to remake every Ninja Gaiden game at least once.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Retro_Link
Discussion moved to Metroid: Other M Thread.

[Cube]

Well, the PS3 version of Ninja Gaiden 2 (Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2) was pretty poor compared to the original.

 

Luckily, this looks to be much improved over the original. I instantly dismissed this on PS3/360, but the more I hear about this, the more interested it becomes.

 

Which kind of makes it the launch title I want the most.

[Serebii]

Launch for America

Launch for Japan

January 11th for us

[Zechs Merquise]

Launch trailer...

 

[Retro_Link]

Would be good if along with other titles like Darksiders/Batman/Bayonetta, the prequels could have been up and waiting to be downloaded from the eShop. And perhaps include a discount voucher with the Wii U sequels as an incentive to but them [again].

Edited November 8, 2012 by Retro_Link

[Dcubed]

Why the hell are there no impressions of this yet!?

 

I'm really curious about this one. If there's only one developer out there that can turn a turd into gold, it's Nintendo (and that Launch trailer looks really, genuinely great!)

[Mr-Paul]

Why the hell are there no impressions of this yet!?

 

I'm really curious about this one. If there's only one developer out there that can turn a turd into gold, it's Nintendo (and that Launch trailer looks really, genuinely great!)

 

When I played it back in June, it seemed fun, if a bit repetitive. Very violent. I wish I could go into it in more detail, but I've never played a Ninja Gaiden before, took a bit of getting used to the mechanics and I did only play it for 15/20 mins with an annoying PR rep standing there though. It felt like a high quality game, but really, its quite hard to tell and make any judgement. Unlike some games it seems like it hasn't been demoed extensively, the trailers do look good though, so I am also curious what people think of it when reviews start coming in next week.

[Retro_Link]

IGN Review 7.6

 

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/11/13/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-review

 

Many of NG3’s issues have been addressed, giving Wii U owners a viable fast-action game to try on their new console.

 

Edited November 13, 2012 by Retro_Link

[Wii]

Not a bad review but certainly not great. From the review:

 

- Muddy visuals

- Average looking offering on the Wii U

- Doesn't look as good as its cousins on the other consoles

- Textures don't have alot of detail

- Occasional framerate stutters

- Either the Wii U can't do anti-aliasing or Ninja Gaiden 3 isn't using it because you'll see severe jaggies while playing.

 

What the hell were they doing all this time? Nintendo are publishing this game and helped redevelop the game. Not good news regarding visuals.

[Retro_Link]

What the hell were they doing all this time?

Vastly improving the gameplay to make it a true Ninja Gaiden game in every sense.

[Wii]

Vastly improving the gameplay to make it a true Ninja Gaiden game in every sense.

 

I know and that's to be commended but when I ask what the hell were they doing all this time I'm referring to the visuals. The graphics are worse now.

[Magnus]

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll improve the graphics for the next version of the game.

[Wii]

REVIEW

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge

 

Disposable razors

 

Ninja Gaiden 3 was remarkable in its lack of remarkability. Team Ninja's ability to drop the ball with its franchise so spectacularly was damn near impressive, even if the result was a monotonous and exhausting slog through one of the most soul-crushingly dull adventures released this year.

 

With the Wii U on the horizon, Tecmo Koei has another chance to disappoint audiences with Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, an overhauled version that seeks to address complaints found in the original release, and provide a deeper, more nuanced experience.

 

In essence, it aims to do what the proverbs say is impossible, and polish a turd.

 

To its credit, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge demonstrates how aware Team Ninja is of the original game's faults, since the studio really has done its best to fix those areas that let it down so badly in March of 2012. Variety has been ramped up, along with greater intensity from enemies, and a decent offering of fresh content. At face value, Razor's Edge goes out of its way to be the game Ninja Gaiden 3 should have been.

 

For a start, combat is granted a higher degree of challenge with more aggressive opposition. While they're still not quite the smartest cats in the cradle, NG3's perpetually angry soldiers at least spend a little less time queuing up to receive their blood-drenched retribution from Ryu's hungry blade. Guarding and dodging now have a greater emphasis, evoking memories of older Ninja Gaiden titles, and making the game slightly more challenging.

 

Downloadable weapons from the original release, plus two new ones in the form of the Dual Katanas and Lunar Staff, are available during the course of the campaign without having to wait for them to appear on a digital marketplace, meaning Ryu will not be stuck with his sword for the majority of the experience. The added weapon variety is also accompanied by an all-new upgrade system, where Ryu can spend karma to gain new combo moves, special abilities, and enhance Ninpo magic attacks. By spending Karma, players can gain more health, the ability to self-heal, and cool (if useless) moves such as combat throws and head stomps.

 

Ryu's magic red arm, which allowed him to instantly kill opponents in the original release, has been given a few alterations as well. Although he can still use it to absorb souls and slaughter folk, he can't execute quite so many at a time, and the "cinematic" camera angles accompanying each kill have been toned down somewhat. In addition, those slow moments where Ryu would be overcome by his curse and trudge through a room one-hit killing everything have been removed entirely, replaced by dream-sequence arenas where Ryu basically just fights even more opponents in a gray, blurry, nightmare realm.

 

In addition to the original game, Ayane boasts two playable chapters of her own. As one might expect, she's nimble and unconventional in her attacks, wielding a pair of blades and tossing explosive kunai at her enemies. That said, her opponents are all made up of those found in Ryu's story, so while her moveset can provide a bit of a break, it's ultimately just more of the same.

 

More of the same, unfortunately, is what holds the whole package back. For all its genuine (and appreciated) attempts at evolution, Razor's Edge is still, at heart, the same messy soup of repetitious carnage. It might be a bit more difficult, but combat is still impossible to follow onscreen, as enemies surround Ryu and the button-mashing frenzy renders everything a blur. Level structure remains the same -- our hero walks down a corridor, hacks his way through an arena of predictable foes, and then walks down another corridor, from the beginning of the game to its dreary end.

 

Rather than provide dramatic changes in any way, the Wii U iteration instead attempts to take several small steps forward. A lot has been improved, by a tiny amount. You can see evolution in almost every aspect of the game, but the evolution is only slight enough to be vaguely detected, rather than openly and instantly appreciated. This is not what the game required, as it was in dire need of significant fixing on a grand scale, not a microcosmic plethora of amendments.

 

Ninja Gaiden 3 is fundamentally mediocre, and Razor's Edge can only do so much to solve that. The new weapons and playable character help, but when combat remains a sloppy serving of soulless anarchy and level structure is as trite and unimaginative as its always been, the changes mean very little. In fact, given how boring the combat gets, one could make a fair argument that giving us more of it is something of a bad idea. The ultimate result of the changes is that the game simply drags on longer than it used to, which largely equates to the same amount of tired contempt per game.

 

Ninja Gaiden 3's online mode makes its return, though I must add that, at the time of writing, the Wii U is unable to go online. Looking through its solo challenges and offerings, however, it's all pretty much the same as last time, and last time was absolutely awful. You can read our original review to see what I thought of the pointless disaster that was NG3's attempts at versus play.

 

When using the GamePad, Razor's Edge keeps it subtle, using the screen to display attack combos at a glance, and providing virtual buttons at the edges for players to touch and access such things as the inventory, upgrade menu, Ninpo attacks, and Ninja Sense. Pleasantly, all these items can also be accessed using the Pad's buttons, allowing players to use whatever feels more comfortable to them. If you're stuck in a level, you can press the Ninja Sense icon on the touchscreen or hold in the right stick. It's up to you, and I wish more developers would use these new input ideas to encourage versatility rather than force something on the user.

 

The GamePad is surprisingly comfortable and convenient to wield in one's button mashing endeavors. The wider play surface is appreciated for a game that encourages thumb cramps so enthusiastically, moreso than the optional Pro Controller input. While many may feel that Nintendo's optional peripheral is the preferred way to play Ninja Gaiden, the cramped design of that particular controller is nowhere near as usable as the spacious layout on the Pad. I'd recommend sticking with the Wii U's prime controller if you insist on playing this at all.

 

Like its first incarnation, Razor's Edge is visually unimpressive, and actually looks worse due to its capitulation on a fan-requested addition -- extra gore. While the power to dismember enemies has returned, it's clear from the outset that this feature was implemented with no elegance whatsoever. Limbs awkwardly fly off in a manner that suggests they were copied and pasted over the screen rather than ever belonging to the soldier they're falling from. As enemies are reduced to kibble and torsos, they land awkwardly on the floor, frozen in peculiar angles and often wedged through solid surfaces. In all honestly, I'd rather the dismemberment remain out of the equation if the alternative is this laughable cut-and-shut job where gore reminds me of fake props found in 80's slasher movies.

 

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge tried. It definitely did try, and nobody can take that away from it. However, nothing this Wii U release does can improve upon the core gameplay, which remains as dry, disaffected, and banausic as ever before. Razor's Edge gives us more, but when the original serving exceeded that which the player could stomach, "more" isn't a very tasty prospect. There are extra weapons, another playable character, and ultimately a greater level of content, but it all serves, in the end, to drag out what was already far too much of the same, vapid waste of time.

 

As it stands, Razor's Edge is a slight improvement of something that needed to be thrown away and started again from scratch. A turd, Team Ninja demonstrates, can indeed be polished -- but it still stinks.

THE VERDICT

 

5.5/10

 

Mediocre: An exercise in apathy, neither Solid nor Liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.

Read more at http://www.destructoid.com/review-ninja-gaiden-3-razor-s-edge-238412.phtml#BRMjELDcdTV7qdmc.99

Edited November 13, 2012 by Wii

[Dcubed]

Vastly improving the gameplay to make it a true Ninja Gaiden game in every sense.

 

To be fair, we have no idea as to what capacity they were actually involved in.

 

Could be something as simple as providing support with implementing the libraries for the Gamepad (something like that is far more likely than actual game design collaboration)

 

From the looks of things, it seems that it's at least not the complete disaster that the vanilla version was; so from that angle, they've succeeded (even if the final version is still a mediocre game, at least it can be said that they managed to unleash the game's full potential!)

 

I get that distinct feeling that it's probably still mediocre at best, but a lot of reviewers aren't giving it a fair chance (the IGN guy going out of his way to discredit the Gamepad in favour of the Pro Controller is pretty telling of that)

 

At the very least, it looks like the core combat is actually fun now, and that it's the rest of the game (I.E level design, boss design, non combat mechanics etc) that continue to let it down; but those are things that would really necessitate a whole new game from scratch.

Edited November 13, 2012 by Dcubed

[Zechs Merquise]

I think when there's a game that's so underwhelming it's not something that can be entirely fixed from another studio or publisher taking the game and polishing it.

 

Game development starts from the planning stage - this sets a foundation for what will come. If the plans aren't great and the vision for the game isn't strong then the developed product isn't going to be either.

 

So when someone comes to fix it they can polish aspects and fix things that are broken but sadly they can't go back to the drawing board and recreate the whole experience.

 

The problem here is that Tecmo seemed to forget what made Ninja Gaiden a success before and their vision was rather watered down and vanilla. No matter how many flying limbs, hidden extras and added weapons Nintendo put into the game it's not going to change the overall design.

 

As for the graphical issues regarding textures - that's down to the engine not the console. The engine will have been built to handle so much going on, as Nintendo have added quite a but and seemingly ensured a totally smooth running experience something had to give - in this case the textures.

 

But this goes back to the original point, the engine is something done very early on and sets the scope for what can be done. Unfortunately Nintendo weren't ever going to go back and change the engine - it would have been costly and beyond their remit of polishing the game.

 

My thoughts about this are pretty much - it's the best version, but the whole thing looks a little average. I don't see anything but the same hyper fast, hyper violent confrontations in every scene. It looks like fun - but I don't think I'd buy this at full price!

[Hero-of-Time]

My thoughts about this are pretty much - it's the best version, but the whole thing looks a little average. I don't see anything but the same hyper fast, hyper violent confrontations in every scene. It looks like fun - but I don't think I'd buy this at full price!

 

Yeah, I wouldn't mind giving it a go but I will be waiting for the price to drop to the £15-20 range.

 

I've never actually played a Ninja Gaiden game, well that's a bit of a lie as I played the original on the NES, played the hell out of it in fact. But yeah, never played one of the newer ones.

[Zechs Merquise]

Comparison video between XBOX and WiiU:

 

 

Lighting is better on the WiiU.

[-Dem0-]

IGN Review:

"Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge might be the polar opposite of the usual Nintendo fare. The ‘M’ rating on the box is not a joke, what with the hyper-fast ninja action title’s unending display of severed limbs and decapitated heads. It’s fantastic to see this kind of hardcore gamer’s game on a Nintendo console – and at the Wii U’s launch, no less – and you can forget much of what you may have heard about the original release of this game earlier this year on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It’s far from perfect and best viewed with “launch goggles” on, but Razor’s Edge’s unflinching action and unabashed violence is a great sign for the Wii U as a core gamer’s platform."

 

"Many of NG3’s issues have been addressed, giving Wii U owners a viable fast-action game to try on their new console."

 

7.6

 

Link to full Review:

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/11/13/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-review

[Wii]

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge review

 

Team Ninja sharpens their latest ninja adventure

 

When Ninja Gaiden 3 originally released (on Xbox 360 and PS3), it wasn’t without its flaws. As in, it had tons of flaws. But for the Wii U version, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, Team Ninja took all the criticisms it received from the previous version and trimmed down, polished, and improved the title for the upcoming release.

 

In Razor’s Edge, several story elements and character inconsistencies have been cut out like a chunk of flesh from an enemy torso. First, the instances in which you might have questioned Ryu’s morals in the previous release have either been removed or changed. Ryu no longer does such wantonly violent things like walk up to a helpless soldier that’s begging for his life and slashes him in half. Also, cutscenes that were particularly heavy on quick time events are thankfully absent on the Wii U. These refinements make Razor’s Edge cinematics digestible, since you aren’t constantly questioning the motives of the hero or waiting to press a button at a moment’s notice; sadly the story still doesn’t make much sense and isn't particularly interesting.

 

Further improvements have been made to the gameplay balance and character progression. Ryu is much less powerful from the start in Razor’s Edge--now there's a full upgrade system, in which the master ninja must earn experience points and purchase additional abilities from a menu. New moves can be upgraded using the touchscreen interface on the Wii U’s GamePad, allowing you to touch the icons of the abilities you want to buy. It’s slightly easier than scrolling over with the analog stick, but as far as the useful GamePad functionality goes, that's about as much as you’ll get. Everything else (like activating Ninpo and switching weapons) is better accessed via the standard face buttons--especially when you're in the throes of fierce combat.

 

Razor’s Edge includes a few additional levels, thanks to the Ayane missions and challenges from hidden crystal skull challenges. The female ninja’s missions boil down to standard enemy encounters, giving players a change in scenery and an additional character to upgrade. Ryu enters a crystal skull challenges when you find a glowing crystal skull. The challenge transports you to locations from the first Ninja Gaiden and has you fight some of the first game’s brutal bosses. These extra levels present a nice diversion from Ryu’s main path, but they don’t particularly add much to the story or overall gameplay other than more bad guy meat to filet. That said, killing enemies is much more enjoyable this time around.

 

Significant improvements have been made to the combat. Most importantly, the tendency for Ryu to enter the steel-to-bone quick time event animations in combat has been drastically reduced. Fewer QTEs during combat allow the action to be fast-paced, challenging, and under the player’s control, making dispatching enemies with a skillful combo incredibly rewarding (just as in the Xbox classic). Ryu also has access to his regular arsenal of weapons, like his claws, staff, and dual katanas, which add a great deal to the gameplay variety. Unfortunately, for all the improvements in the combat, the frame-rate takes an irritating dip whenever there is significant activity on-screen.

 

Bosses have also gone under the microscope and have been adjusted accordingly. Some of the easier bosses have had their difficulty tweaked significantly, like the Spider Tank and the genetically altered T-Rex Gigantosaurous. The concepts are still as ridiculous as ever, and there are still repeat fights--but now the bosses have increased attack frequency and attack patterns that are on par with the grotesquely challenging baddies from Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2. So, at least they present a challenge. The boss revamp is a welcomed change for Razor’s Edge. You won’t feel like you’re handed victories from unworthy foes--earning a victory over the powerful brutes is satisfying.

 

Ninja Gaiden: Razor’s Edge still remains the weakest title in the Ninja Gaiden trilogy, but additions like the Ayane missions and balancing tweaks make the game a decent, gloriously gory action title. Many of the flaws from the original Ninja Gaiden 3 have been addressed, and, at times, you’ll feel the same thrill you would from the first two titles in the series. But the weak story, repeat enemies, and frame-rate issues still hold the bloody title back from the greatness of its prestigious pedigree.

 

SCORE

 

5/10

MEDIORCE

 

YOU'LL LOVE

+ Rework combat mechanics and balancing

+ The added challenges and Ayane missions

+ The upgrade system and character progression

 

YOU'LL HATE

- Terrible frame-rate

- Repeated bosses

- Forgettable and confusing story

 

http://www.gamesradar.com/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-review/

Edited November 14, 2012 by Wii