![]() So while swinging to different parts of a level may look fun, it doesn't really feel like you're actually doing anything. However as mentioned these are only QTE segments and contain nothing more involving than hitting the right button at the right time. Interspersed throughout levels are brief QTE segments, meant to emulate a swinging action and bring more to the gameplay. You can't blame Spark Unlimited for not trying to negate this though. There didn't seem to be a rhythm to the way Yaiba was was throwing obstacles at me, and as a result made an already monotonous fighting system even more dull.Ĭontrasting and inky, colour schemes like this make it very hard to focus The level design implemented seems to rely on creating vastly linear environments, and then just packing in groups of zombies for no rhyme or reason. You do occasionally get different combinations but they make almost no difference. ![]() You just walk from area, to area, beating up clumps of enemies with nearly no verity. ![]() Enemies are irritating, and it seems that the only way the game uses them is to slow progression. Even the generic hack and slash gameplay that you've come to love just doesn't feel right. In fact nothing really works that well in the game. In summery, Yaiba wants to be a comical ultraviolent adventure like Madworld or No More Heroes, but just doesn't use the right style to make it work. It's hard to make out the violence when you're being assaulted with aggressive reds and inky outlines, making the over the top kills less effective as you can't actually see the graphic insanity apparently happening. However the color palette is a mess, which almost renders the style incomprehensible. Yaiba tries amazingly hard to capture this over the top madness, with a comic book look of its own. Like a brutal Tom and Jerry cartoon, Madworld threw around violence stylishly and effectively. That game too had ridiculous graphic violence- a trait that made it too hard to take seriously, and became legitimately comical as a result. The Ninja Gaiden games have always been known for horrific buckets of violence, and this is something I can always get behind in this type of action title. This coupled with the gratuitous gore really cement Yaiba as an immature experience, which almost works for it until you realize that this is again painfully forced. This adolescence continues into the full game where you'll find unfunny quips becoming the bane of your experience. If you're not laughing hysterically at this screenshot then it's fair to say the full game will keep you stone faced It's clear Spark Unlimited wants you to like this games tone, but the only way in which is tries to make you do that, is to throw adolescent 'kooky' jokes at you which become tiring as soon as you play. The game just has them, and expects you to laugh at it because of that. There's no inherent joke with these elements either. Everything that could come off as cute or funny is instantly drowned out by these 'gags' as they just feel way too forced. If you name any overused internet cliche- it's in here. The mess of a story that it contains is mostly an avenue for jokes, and boy do they not work. This is because Yaiba does such a poor job at anything resembling comedy. This spin-off has effectively abandoned the brooding story of the previous games, and replaced it with a wacky comedic edge that is bound to infuriate any new players. Changing things up and going in radical new directions is a great idea for any franchise, making it very nice to see that Yaiba at least does try to do that. Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is a desperate game. In fact it may even turn the series back in the other direction, and tarnish the good will it had up to now. Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z however does not do this. With a completely new style, this could even be the game to put the crown back on the series and mark it once again the king of action titles. Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z aims to provide this advancement. With 2012's Ninja Gaiden 3 gaining a somewhat lukewarm reception, the dark action series could certainly use some advancement to move forward and compete with all the shiny new action games gracing us now. It's unfortunate but true, the Ninja Gaiden series has managed to decrease in quality over recent years.
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