Game Review: Ninja Gaiden Sigma

Brian E. Todd - Detroit Free Press

Aug 09, 2007

Wielding the Dragon Sword, I cut through foes with ease that leaves blood gushing and splattering in my wake. I litter villages and dojos with carnage, all in the quest for good.

Quentin Tarantino, eat your heart out. The mind behind bloody films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" likely would find Tecmo's "Ninja Gaiden Sigma" for the PlayStation 3 very appealing. Any gamemaker can push the envelope with over-the-top gore, but "Sigma" does so with visual class and crisp sound that would make M-rated games' detractors gawk in awe.

As Ryu Hayabusa, a descendant of the Dragon Lineage and the youngest ninja of the Hayabusa Clan, you are thrust into action after your village is attacked. During the melee, your childhood friend is killed and the dreaded Dark Dragon Blade, a sword that was locked away by your ancestors, is stolen.

With the Dragon Sword, your clan's historic weapon handed down through generations, you set out to seek revenge. In the wrong hands, unlocking the Dark Dragon Blade's power could end mankind.

I especially enjoyed the button-charging maneuver. It is akin to characters' supercharging in the cartoon series "Dragon Ball Z."

But I was disappointed with the camera's point of view. You could quickly center it with R1 and grasp your surroundings, but the right analog stick did not perform well.

Gamemakers really were out to lunch during interface production. It looked as if they decided to resurrect the arcade version.

If you can get past the minor gameplay and control snafus, "Sigma" still is a real gem.

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Video Game Review: "Ninja Gaiden Sigma."

Category: Fighting.

Developer: Tecmo.

Platform: PlayStation 3.

Web site: www.ninjagaidengame.com.

Price: $59.99. Rated: M (Mature).

Three stars (out of four).

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