Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3) Review

Back with a vengeance!

 

 One of the biggest comeback stories of the 2000s was Ninja Gaiden, the 3D reboot of the tough as nails Ninja Gaiden trilogy for the NES. Released back in 2004 for the Original Xbox, it was developed by Tomonoubo Itgaki and his studio Team Ninja. The game was a hit due to its fast gameplay, hard difficulty, and impressive visuals for its time. A year later, the game got a revision with Ninja Gaiden Black, which reworked aspects of the gameplay while adding two DLC packs-- it's also often cited as the definitive version of the game by fans and Itagaki himself. That said, Ninja Gaiden got yet another update in 2007, this time for the then next-gen console the PS3 as Ninja Gaiden Sigma. An HD remaster that offers new gameplay additions, it was my introduction to the series and one of my favorite games of all-time. Does it still hold up after all these years? For sure!

 The story follows Ryu Hayabusa, a stoic young ninja whose on a quest for vengeance after his village was burned down by a dark fiend named Doku. The fiend also stole the Hayabusa clans' safekeeping, the Dark Dragon Sword, said to unleash chaos into the world by those who wield it. Armed with nothing but his ninja skills, Dragon Sword, and cold revenge, Ryu heads for the Vigoor Empire, where Doku's located and must kill him for good. His journey will also lead him to Rachel, a fiend hunter on a quest to slay her sister after being turned into a fiend by Doku. There's much backstory to the game's lore inside levels and even in the "Install" screen of the main menu, but the story is clear-cut when it comes to characters and their motivations. It's not like it matters since the main star here is the gameplay.

Ryu's adventure is a bloody one.

 Ninja Gaiden Sigma is a hack-and-slash game where you control Ryu as you tear up enemies using a plethora of weapons like the Dragon Sword, nun-chuks, lunar staffs, and great swords. He also uses his ninja abilities such as the Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop, which are musts when cornered by groups of enemies. Ryu can dish out heavy and regular attacks and most important of all, guard against an enemy's attacks. The latter is essential since enemies are relentlessly on the offensive, offering small openings to strike them down. That's not to say that Ryu doesn't have any more tricks as he can use projectile weapons like shurikens to interrupt their attacks and keep distance while also using Ki, a special elemental attack that damages enemies should things get too hectic. It offers a light window of invulnerability to enemy attacks, though its uses are limited. 

 Upon death, enemies drop either blue essence that restore health and yellow essence, which are the game's currency, that lets you buy elixirs and weapon upgrades from the blacksmith. However, if you consume essence by charging your weapon, you'll unleash a devastating attack that instantly kill most enemies, so you'll have to make frequent tough calls in combat. The platforming segments were decent, with you pulling off classic ninja moves like running off walls, swinging between ledges, and hopping around platforms. They weren't anything special, but offered some nice breaks outside combat.

Chop till you drop!

 Throughout the game, you'll be fighting lots of boss fights, with some of them being tougher than others. The likes of Alma, Doku, Pa Zuu, and the final boss fights were definitely hard yet not impossible to beat once you've learned their patterns. On higher difficulties you'll be fighting bosses alongside other fiends, which makes focusing on the boss more trickier. Needless to say that I always looked forward for the next boss fight, though it goes without saying that you should upgrade your weapons and stock up on potions prior. 

There were abundant new gameplay additions in Sigma such as new enemy types and balances, tweaks to the level design-- with sadly some puzzles being removed, more save points, and two new boss fights. However, the most prominent ones are Rachel's story chapters, the ability to use health items without using the menu, and a sweet pair of dual katana: Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang. Rachel's chapters has you experiencing the story from her point-of-view and while she's not as agile as Ryu, she packs a punch when her War Hammer goes swinging. While short, I enjoyed her sections as they nicely complemented the story without feeling tacked-on.

The gameplay is fast and challenging,
 yet doesn't feel unfair.

 The game has some downsides, namely a lack of a lock-on feature as when you're fighting groups of enemies and bosses. You'd often target a specific enemy to chop first, only to for Ryu to attack another one, which got annoying after a while. Also, you can't freely switch between weapons on the go like in Devil May Cry, as you control one at a time and have to go into the menu and equip a different one, thus taking you out of the action.    

 Ninja Gaiden Sigma took me around 15 hours to beat on Normal difficulty and in terms of replay-value, it's fairly high. Clearing the game on Normal will unlock harder difficulties like Hard and Master Ninja that feature more aggressive enemy behaviors as well as extra bosses. Clearing them will also unlock special costumes for Ryu and hairstyles for Rachel as well. There's also a Mission Mode where you fight enemies in specific levels with limited weapons and health, with each mission packing a challenge. Also, the Sigma is a great game to speed-run given the fast nature of the game and amount of skill it takes to kill each enemy as efficiently as possible.

Rachel's chapters offer some gameplay variety
and story insights.

 Visually, Sigma holds up better than its predecessors thanks to the HD remaster, though it still looks like a game from three generations ago. The backgrounds, character models, enemy designs, were all great and interesting, even if they start to show their age. The game runs at a solid 60FPS, though dips a bit when the action gets overwhelming. Sadly, the game is filled with lots of screen-tearing, stutters during cut-scenes, and frequent load times, which were distracting to say the least. The voice-work is alright, with good performance though nothing really noteworthy except Doku. As for the soundtrack, it's a mix of rock and techno, which amps up the action and fits many of the game's heated moments. My favorite tracks were the main menu's, Muramasa's shop, Alma's theme, and the credits theme.

Technical issues aside, Sigma has aged
really well.

 Overall, Ninja Gaiden Sigma was an awesome experience from start to end, and one of the best games in the genre. Basic story aside, I enjoyed the combat, weapon and enemy variety, and boss fights. It's a tough game so you'll have to commit to learning the basics of the gameplay to fully enjoy what the game has to offer. With solid visuals and neat soundtrack, the game remains appealing to look at. Sigma isn't the version purists would choose, but is my favorite for bringing me into the series. Fans of hack-and-slash games should definitely check it out as part of the upcoming Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection.