Ninja Gaiden 3 Xbox 360

Released on 23-Mar-2012

• Beg for mercy in Ninja Gaiden 3

  It's no surprise that the sequel to the famously tough Ninja Gaiden 2 will feature pleas for mercy, but this time they won't be coming from the player. In a move designed to "unmask" the emotional side of Ryu - the hero of the series - those left wounded by your attacks may ask you to spare their lives. The choice you then make will have consequences later in the game.

  The game will also feature an Easy mode, which automates the blocking and evading of enemy attacks. This from a series which, in Ninja Gaiden Black, openly mocked players who opted for the easier Ninja Dog setting.

  But fear not, hardcore ninja death lovers, for the move is simply intended to lure newcomers to the game. The tough-as-nails difficulty will remain.

  "What made the old games was the difficulty levels," producer Yosuke Hayashi told Eurogamer. "What we wanted to do is keep that element, but show gamers that there's something more to Ninja Gaiden. We wanted to broaden its appeal, while obviously maintaining the notorious difficulty levels for our core players."

  Ninja Gaiden 3 is set for an early 2012 release on PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U. Black pyjamas optional.

• Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

  Once touted as a Wii U exclusive, Tecmo Koei's Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge will slice its way onto both the Xbox and PlayStation as well, the publisher has confirmed.

  Razor's Edge is a special edition of the original Ninja Gaiden 3 which graced Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 last March. As well as utilising the Wii U gamepad touch screen for new controls, Razor's Edge added a bunch of new stuff to the game. Among the additions were the Lunar Staff and Dual Katana weapons, new enemies and locations, improved AI, and the return of the Karma Counter from previous games. This allows players to upgrade their weapons, spells and character stats. An all new co-op multiplayer mode was also included.

  All of these features will be retained as the game wall-jumps back onto the Xbox and PlayStation again, with the obvious exception of the touchscreen controls. There'll also be even more new material added to the game, in the shape of a new challenge mode called Ninja Trials, which features another 25 missions. The free character downloads from the Wii U are also included on the disc.

  So while it's a little confusing to keep track of how this game has ping-ponged from one format to another and back again, it looks like this latest version will be one spectacularly stacked set. It's out for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on 5th March.

  Published: 07/02/2013

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