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Shinobido Way of the Ninja
Whilst resembling Tenchu
in more ways than way, Shinobido is a really cool game that I think in
some ways surpasses what has currently been experienced in other Ninja
games recently.
The hero in this story is Crow and after the typical
“I’ve woken up and am not sure what happened scenario”, you discover
that Crow’s soul has been taken and stored in stones around the land
that he will have to go adventure and do battle for.
One of the shining lights of this title is the
physics engine that creates the game world and the way that your
character and enemies interact with it. Fallen combatants will slump
realistically over items or spots on the ground rather than just lying
prone or stiff.
Three warlords dominate the game world of Utakata and
you will need to do missions for them in order to get your soul back.
There is a RPG element to the title in that if you complete missions for
one warlord in particular then your popularity will diminish with the
others and vice versa. It’s a juggling act that does affect the greater
powerplay taking place during the game. It feels like one that you are
not directly affected by but will have bearing on the greater game
overall.
The game looks good for the most part and is on a par
with most of the new release titles that are currently on the PS2. My
fear for the console is that as it is phased out, gamers are going to be
making do with dumbed down ports from more advanced consoles. It’s
interesting to see what certain developers are able to do with the PS2
graphically in terms of what they can make a game look like. Still for
my money, one of the nicest looking games on the machine would be Metal
Gear Solid 2. However I digress.
Some gamers will have a learning curve with the
controls as they feel a tad loose at times which can cause you to make
Crow overreact which is certainly not what is wanted when you are
controlling a ninja on a stealth mission. This over time will frustrate
players as it’s not a thing that you can get used to or allow for, it’s
a niggle in the controls that persists for the game.
This is a neat game that is pretty to look at and for
the most part is a fair whack of fun to play. The storyline is neat and
compelling enough to make you want to play through the title to work out
what is going on. Crow is interesting enough to make you want to find
out more and get his soul back (luckily for him) and the rivalry between
the warlords and the effects your loyalty to one or the other have are
very interesting.
This is an enjoyable game that I think most players
will like once they get over the loose controls. If you are unsure then
give it a try first through the rental shop then make a purchase as for
some of you it might be a bit hit and miss. |
