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Though chockablock with over the top quick timer event cut scenes, Ninja Blade fails to deliver a complete experience.
The bulk of the game is a ninja-sword-swinging brawler. To say it is like Ninja Gaiden Black would be similar to comparing an amateur sketch to The Mona Lisa. One is a timeless masterpiece; the other a short-lived fad, marginally humorous at best. The challenge in the game comes not from dangerous foes, but from the clever arrangement of those foes within the linear play spaces. Placing ranged opponents on the other side of a gap, forcing the player to time the jump and strike quickly upon landing, for instance. Once engaged, the enemies present no challenge by themselves. In fact, they only land successful hits by cheap shots in the back while you focus attacks on another target. They are, without exception, stupid shambling cannon fodder with no redeemable value.
The bosses (and mini-bosses), on the other hand, are where the fun is to be found in Ninja Blade. Discovering where and when to land successful attacks is usually entertaining. However, a couple of the bosses are so vulnerable to particular weapon attacks as to render them practically broken. However, most of the fights are fun and exciting enough to leave you breathless and pleased when they finally fall.
The other major feature mechanic is quick timer event-driven cut scenes. One thing From Software did right was set checkpoints within the cut scenes, so failure is basically impossible. If a button press is missed, the scene simply rewinds a few presses and can be resumed as many times as it takes. Though the interruptions tend to dull the overall effect, the over-the-top action is still an entertaining experience, at least once.
Aesthetically, the game is on par with titles in the current generation. Some of the bosses are huge and interesting. The in-game quick timer cut scenes look equally great. However, they literally reuse the exact same levels at different times to extend the game, which comes off as a cheap hack. This is not a case like Devil May Cry 4, where you went backwards through the levels. In this case the locations are supposedly completely different, yet are the exact same geometry. The hero can find and wear different outfits, some outrageous or silly, which adds variety to the experience, saving you from looking at the same boring black ninja garb the entire time. I changed outfits at every level, which added to my overall enjoyment.
The story is boring. In fact, it was only near the very end that I cared even a little to see how things would play out. This is important, as the story in games is a strong motivator for me to enjoy any single player campaign. None of the characters had any life and were trite action movie stereotypes.
If the technology for Ninja Blade was in any way related to the engine used to create Demon's Souls, another From Software title released in 2009, it is a sad statement about Ninja Blade. Demon's Souls is a brilliant and innovative title that won numerous awards. Ninja Blade is not.
The bottom line is that Ninja Blade is a short, entertaining distraction, but a rental at best. The quick-timer gimmick with completely ridiculous cut scenes provides an amusing aside, but the product ultimately fails to deliver an experience worth buying.
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