Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge Review

Within moments of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge beginning, it becomes apparent that this is a game that requires the player to leave their brain at the door. In most cases, this would come as a negative but with this title, it's hard to say anything other than that this is a solidly enjoyable action title, and whilst it may lack the grand vistas and stunning production qualities of God of War: Ascension, it doesn't mean in any way that this is less fun - it's just fun in a different fashion.

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge centres around Ryu Hayabusa being unwillingly dragged into the events of a terrorist organisation, named The Lords of Alchemy, after they specifically ask for his appearance in London. Once there, Ryu is poisoned by the Grip of Murder, a terrible infestation that takes over his arm and cause him great pain, forcing Ryu on a trip around the world to stop this terrifying group from annihilating the entire world if the planet does not surrender within seven days.

Even from the start, the plot of Razor's Edge is simply bonkers, yet never compelling: the voice acting is suitably over-dramatic, sounding not too far from a youth performance of a Shakespeare play, with every syllable belted out to the top of the actors lungs for high dramatic effect. In most games, the plot serves as a safety net for the entire title, keeping everything together nicely. In Razor's Edge, since the gameplay is so much fun, it's never really necessary for the story to become important and I soon found myself getting lost, not through confusion, but because I simply wasn't compelled to find out what was going to happen next.

Gameplay in Razor's Edge boils down to this: press buttons, kill soldiers and let blood fly. Compared to most action titles, this formula is unbearably simple but there's a peculiar sense of confusion surrounding the game where awesome things happen through mashing the controller without the player ever understanding why. This sometimes, and understandably, leads to some frustrating moments when the player loses contact with the action as the gameplay becomes too frantic, too mad and it seems, at some points, to be playing itself. It's almost as if control has been taken away from the player as Ryu performs more actions than the player wished for.

A false impression of control surrounds the player because of this, as they pull off moves and combos previously only manageable for advanced players, it can sometimes make the game a bit less interactive as players need not press as many buttons as actions Ryu, the protagonist, is performing. In some instances, I'd press perhaps two keys and find myself waiting a good thirty seconds of action before I was put in control once again.

In most games this would be seen as a negative but, like previously mentioned, Razor's Edge is simply too enjoyable for it to be one. Extravagant attacks, gory finishes, effective weapons and the fluidity of the action all combine to game that is a genuine joy to play. Not a moment passes when Ryu is not flipping off walls, stabbing enemies through the necks and chests before blocking missile attacks and skipping explosions to deal the fatal blow. It's hard not to see the action in Razor's Edgeas less like a dangerous pastime but as an elaborate dance, with the ninja Ryu at the very centre of the choreography.

Visually, Ninja Gaiden 3 is great but not exceptional. The environments look fine but lack depth and detail, giving the impression that they're quite empty - the lack of diversity in enemy designs does not help here either. Some of the effects are great and colourful but the real star of the visuals comes with the gore used in the game. Slashing at enemies causes limbs to fall off yet they still come running at you, giving a sense of extremism and, in some cases, comedy as Ryu fights soldiers and monsters with missing arms and legs.

A big problem in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is that of its structure. There are many moments in the game that are genuinely jaw-dropping, with Ryu either fighting a large robot on the opening stage or flying down from the top of a giant helicopter before hitting the ground below. When these scenes hit, they are great fun to both look at and play through but they are too few and far between, with the rest of the title being made up of simple fights on empty corridors or deserts with a handful of enemies. When the player knows that the developers are capable of such great moments, it makes the remainder of the game a chore to get through as you are constantly awaiting the next great scene.

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is a great game and is one that fans of the series will appreciate and enjoy, but it's very unlikely anyone outside of that will be converted. All of the individual aspects of the title work fine but as an overall package, it does fall short of great due to its average visuals, lack of 'wow' moments and the scenes when the player is taken out of the action due to Ryu's tendency to do more than what is being asked of him. But don't let these problems make you pass up on this title, as to those who already love Ninja Gaiden it's another great addition to the franchise.