Ninja Gaiden Sigma is the third incarnation of the 2004 hit Ninja Gaiden, a game originally created for the Xbox. This isn't a new game by any means, but there's a good chance that many PlayStation 3 owners have never touched the original game or even the enhanced Ninja Gaiden Black. This game is for them. Hardcore fans of the series will probably want to play the classic actioner again to experience the game in high definition. They'll notice minor differences in the puzzles, cut scenes, and certain boss battles. It's still the same game and, despite the overhaul to the game's look, this intense title is a little worse for wear. The years haven't been kind to Ninja Gaiden Black. With games like God of War II raising the bar for seamless cinematic action, this martial arts adventure feels a tad old-fashioned.

Night of a Million-Zillion Ninjas

It doesn't help that Ninja Gaiden Sigma's story is a whole lot of nonsense. A bunch of jerks called the Vigoor steal a magic sword and cause a bunch of ruckus in Ryu's village, so the man in black heads off on a blimp to retrieve the weapon and kill anybody who gets in his way. And man, do folks get in Ryu's way. The guy slices through soldiers, zombies, dinosaurs, demons, bugs, bats, cat ladies, and the ghosts of piranhas. Eventually monsters called “Fiends” enter the picture. This is where the top-heavy ingénue Rachel comes into play. She's hunting her equally well-endowed sister Alma who was transformed into one of these unholy beasties. The villain Doku, a shameless rip-off of Darth Vader, fits into the story somehow. It doesn't really matter, though, because the game's narrative is the kind a thirteen year-old dungeon master would cook up. If there's any doubt, know that during the course of his journey Ryu goes to Hell and kills the devil. We should be grateful he didn't go toe-to-toe with robot Hitler while he was down there.

Battle Royale

Ninja Gaiden Sigma's action nearly makes up for the goofy, Sci-Fi Original plot. Ryu's arsenal of weapons and Ninpo powers are deadly, deep, and a blast to use. Fighting is tough and frequently unforgiving, but the complex system is a rewarding one to master. The game fires with all cylinders when the action gets hairy. Ryu bounds across enemy heads, decapitates unwitting soldiers, and hurls a wide array of shuriken and other deadly devices. The shame is that these excellent moments of martial arts action are sandwiched between dull puzzles, poorly spaced save points, and nerve-wracking platforming. For as agile as Ryu is when he's got his sword unsheathed, he's equally clumsy when it comes to climbing walls and jumping gaps.

Hurts So Good

Ninja Gaiden Sigma's creator Tomonobu Itagaki has stated publicly that he wanted his game to be difficult. That's fine, but there's a difference between challenge and cheapness. Frequently Ninja Gaiden Sigma feels like it's giving you a wedgie for no other reason but to hear you scream. Failing a boss battle frequently means the player has to replay parts of the game that lead up to the fight. Sometimes this means traversing a particularly annoying set of platforming obstacles over and over again. After the seamless adventure that was God of War II, it's hard to go back to Ninja Gaiden Sigma's stubborn, old school way of doing things. They're different games of course. Ninja Gaiden Sigma is heaven for hardcore gamers – those who appreciate a challenge and don't mind taking a slap on the wrist for failure.

Article by: Gus Mastrapa