Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    Ninja Gaiden 3

    Game » consists of 4 releases. Released Mar 20, 2012

    Ninja Gaiden 3 is the first main entry in the modern Ninja Gaiden series not to be directed by former Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki. NG3 features new game mechanics, a focus on consequence and 8-player online modes.

    silver_dewsky's Ninja Gaiden 3 (Xbox 360) review

    Avatar image for silver_dewsky

    Change isn't always great

    Ninja Gaiden 3 features a more personal story involving Ryu, as well as some gameplay changes that Team Ninja has made with the franchise. After getting cursed when battling a mysterious enemy, Ryu Hayabusa is forced to face the consequences of his actions. This curse causes the souls of his victims to infect his arm and cleanse his Dragon sword, and gives him a countdown before it would affect his entire body and kill him.

    No Caption Provided

    While this idea seems pretty interesting for a story, it often got confusing, but story was something that I didn’t really play Ninja Gaiden for – it was mostly for the action, but that has changed as well. Frequent quick-time-events and the lack of weapons hinder what made the first two games so fun, and it seems to be made for a casual type of audience.

    Completing the game took me about 5 hours, and I only died a few times during my playthrough. You don’t have to worry about finding supplies to replenish your health and magic, as finishing battles and saving give you back health and magic is gained during combat. Ninja Cinema is back for this game, and you have the option to record your gameplay if you want, as long as you have some space on your hard drive to record the footage.

    No Caption Provided

    The game still runs at 60fps, so everything is still great looking and smooth, but the combat is something that still bothers me. While it seems to be a move that will gain more attention from casual fans, the new changes may deter hardcore players who have been playing Ninja Gaiden for years.

    No Caption Provided

    Moves that I was pulling off in the game seemed to utilize combos, but after letting go of the buttons, I found that there were quite a few combos that automatically initiate after you press an attack button, killing anyone nearby. Ninja Gaiden has always been a difficult game, but that was part of it’s appeal – learning moves and enemies really made success in combat satisfying because you had all the tools there and only had to practice to get better.

    Now, anyone can slash through the game.

    Multiplayer is a new addition to the game, and it features a team-deathmatch like mode, as well as Ninja trials that consist of co-op or solo missions. An online pass is required, despite being a new addition to the game.

    Overall, Ninja Gaiden 3 isn’t horrible, but it changes everything that made the other titles great. Changing what makes a game great instead of adding improvements will not turn out well. I hope other developers will not do this to their series.

    Other reviews for Ninja Gaiden 3 (Xbox 360)

      Review: Ninja Gaiden 3 0

      (Note: This review can also be found at Front Towards Gamer)Since its 2004 revitalization, Ninja Gaiden has become synonymous with one thing: fast, brutal combat which, when mastered, is immensely satisfying. It’s become something of a rarity in a console generation defined by terms like “accessibility.” Now spoiled by yearly franchises that pander to publishers’ bottom lines, games like Ninja Gaiden have become almost as much relics of the past as the series’ original NES platformers. With Ninj...

      2 out of 2 found this review helpful.

      Was it THAT Bad? 0

      Now, when shaking hands, Ryu must only use his left hand for the occasion.*Hello. RayCarter here. This is the final piece of my arranged "Ninja Month", where I look at four games revolving around famous video game practitioners of ninjutsu. I reviewed two Tenchu games and most recently gave an opinion/piece on Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the NDS. Now, with an exhaustive review, I will give my two cents on Team Ninja's latest, and probably most maligned, product, Ninja Gaiden 3. Was it as tras...

      1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.