Ninja Gaiden 3 is fast approaching its release date on March 23rd, and with so much information already released there are still a few things that need to be looked at. There are many ideas seemingly missing from the series in the latest installment, and some ideas that are being implemented perhaps as a negative rather than a positive. Let's take a look shall we?
1) Dismemberment and Decapitations
What's a Ninja Gaiden game truly without decapitations or dismemberment? Certainly not the same game in my opinion. With such a huge focus being placed on the "weight" of the katana, and how truly devastating a weapon it is, it feels the developers have forgotten who's wielding the katana. It's RYU HAYABUSA! I mean wake up people this guy is one of the reasons why my thirst for ninja brutality is quenched. I question how the developer's can truly eliminate this aspect of the game, yet still call it Ninja Gaiden. It's kind of like making a John Woo film, but not having any blood when someone's shot...it's just not real. It can't be.
2) Enemies Other Than Humans...And Robots
From what we've seen of the game the only enemies are humans and robots. While that may not necessarily be the worst thing (it could be unicorns) without the dismemberment, I feel many loyal fans of the series are being swindled. On top of that with the seemingly lack of enemy variety it only makes matters worse. Not only are players forced to fight in this pattern, human, human, human, human, oh nice a robot, human. Now they won't even get to watch the arms fly as they tear mercilessly through their opposition. What happened to werewolves?
3) Ensure The Difficulty Levels Remain True to the Spirit of Ninja Gaiden
Face it. You've probably either broken a controller or rage quit multiple times playing a Ninja Gaiden game, and that's the beauty of it. It's a game of challenge, in a world where many games have a substantially lowered difficulty level. Yet, I do feel that there needs to be a balance. I shouldn't want to murder my first born because I can't beat a boss, under no circumstances should that happen. The developer's have said that there will be a new difficulty mode for newcomers, but I hope that they can find a way to ensure that the feel of playing as Hayabusa can stay in tact.
4) Flesh Out Hayabusa's Humanity, But Don't Try To Make Us Cry
Much talk has been floating from the developers that we will see more of Hayabusa's compassion in this installment, and how he will finally have to come to terms with all of the lives he's taken. Yet, I can't help but feel like this is could be a mistake. I can understand how the developer's want the player's to gain a greater insight into the mystery that is Hayabusa, but there in lies his greatness as a character. He is Ryu Hayabusa master ninja, and that's all he's really ever needed to be. When I play as him I know that I am the ninja that bears the mark of an entire clan, and I understand who he is behind his mask. Compassion isn't necessarily a trait the the developer's need to explore and I hope they aren't aiming to try and evoke emotions in us that may not fit with the series unless executed right.
5) Keep The Weapon Variety
Ensuring that players can have a unique play experience is crucial. Offering a wide variety of weaponry also opens up the potential for different strategies in boss encounters, and different situations. So much emphasis is placed on the "weight of the sword" from the developers that I question whether or not they've forgotten about other weapons that Hayabusa is very proficient in killing with. In Ninja Gaiden 2 you gained access to talons, a flail, a staff, a scythe, and many others. This created a wide array of ways to slice into foes, and offered up variety from the katana. While the katana is amazing, it would become old to use by the time you're in the 4th chapter. Hopefully the developers won't forget about Hayabusa's wide range of skills, and will keep things fresh with new weaponry for our ultimate ninja. There you have it. What do you think? Does any of this ring true within you, or are you already bashing your keyboard with how much you disagree? Let me know down below.