In 2012, it was revealed that Keiji Inafune (co-designer of Mega Man) would join forces with Team Ninja to produce the next instalment in the Ninja Gaiden series of games. Since then, as the various clips and screenshots have been trickling out towards the game’s release, alarm bells began to ring with some of the more fervent fans of the series. With a new cyborg ninja being the game’s main character, cartoon graphic choices and zombies (why does everything need zombies now?) – Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z could either be an unexpected smash hit or a spin-off title that will probably fade into obscurity during the years to follow.
Starting the story will put players in the shoes of one Yaiba Kamikaze – a ninja who after being slain by the franchise mainstay Ryu Hayabusa and then brought back into existence using cybernetic technology, has embarked upon a mission of revenge. Taking pursuit through a zombie-infested Ukrainian city (for some reason?), Yaiba must hack his way through an undead army in the hopes of accomplishing vengeance.
Gameplay-wise, Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z is a hack-and-slash and seems to lift (like most modern-day titles of the same genre) the majority of its feel from the God of War series. Combat is formed of a rapid button-mashing style that you’d expect from such a game. Basic attacks are formed using a sword; strong attacks consist of punches and quick attacks bring out Yaiba’s chain whip. Armed with this familiar set-up, causing every single enemy’s defeat is relatively easy, meaning the vast majority of gameplay will consist of you blitzing your way through countless hordes of stiffs with minimal effort. It’s when you start to progress through levels and new threats – such as zombies infused with electrical, fire, poisonous and explosive abilities, begin to ramp up the difficulty level.
Beyond the regular zombie attacks are more themed-type enemies – including a butcher knife-wielding Zombie Clown; these baddies are not only harder but also give you a chance to grab some temporary weapons to help aid you in your quest. The majority of these weapons tend to show powerful effects when combined with each other; hit a toxic type of enemy with an electrical weapon, and you’ll see the foe suddenly encased in orange crystals for a period of time. It’s pretty fun working out which powers cause what reactions and working out how to incorporate them into your regular attack plans. After some progression, you’ll find this super zombie to be the norm, and using some well-timed blocks and attack spamming, they’ll be little to no hassle at all. Unfortunately, the game’s level bosses provide tiny challenge either and tend to be an easy takedown when you figure out which elemental attack will do them in.
One of the key differences between Yaiba and the previous Ninja Gaiden titles is its very distinctive visual style and humour. While the cartoon style certainly looks excellent when you see streams of colourful gore being splattered around the screen, it can also bring about a lack of clarity when trying to navigate and becomes infuriating when crossed with the oh-so-familiar camera angles that often plague a game of this style. Probably the biggest hurdle I found whilst playing, however, was the writing. Comedy seems to have been split into two categories – outdated movie references like the Austin Powers steamroller gag, and then there are the puerile jokes and scenes that seem to be targeted at 13-year-old boys (though the game’s rating is set at 18). For instance, one of Yaiba’s puzzles sees you trying to get into a building with two giant female legs sticking out of the roof by ramming a large truck right into the centre of them before being showered in a panty explosion. I’m not sure what demographic that is aimed at precisely, but it just plays out like a misguided tribute to Suda51.
Something that excited me when installing the game listed on the back of the box as Ninja Gaiden Z Mode. Described as “A homage to old-school Ninja Gaiden side-scrollers,” this is meant to be a fun retro-style side game and actually delivers in most areas. This consists of all the game’s cut scenes replaced by 8-bit stylised images, complete with poorly translated Japanese to English subtitles. Rather than a hunt for Ryu, though, this time, you must guide Yaiba through a quest to replace his spilt Sake. Sadly, the pixelated look only lasts as long as the storyboards, with the gameplay keeping its current look and the side-scrolling/top-down sections being nothing more than a camera angle. However, I found this version of the game more entertaining and challenging than the primary campaign.
As you’d probably expect from an arcade-style hack and slash, Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z will hardly be the longest or the most challenging game you’ll play. The campaign plays at a straight-through 6-8-hour story (depending on whether you get caught on any boss battles), which should be played at a high difficulty level to make the most of the experience.
