Rating
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden 3 that includes all downloadable content from the original title, as well as additional enhancements made to improve the game. The game can be considered an equivalent to the Ninja Gaiden Sigma games, as it enhances the original title.
Details
- Released
- November 16, 2012
- Developer
- Team NINJA, Tecmo
- Genres
- Hack and slash/Beat 'em up · Adventure
- Publisher
- Nintendo, Koei Tecmo Games
Similar Games
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
Despite the extreme difficulty, though, I never got to the point of wanting to quit. The game is tough, but fair, and the frequent checkpoints prevent frustration. While it doesn’t make much use of Wii U-specific features, Razor’s Edge should satisfy if you’re in the mood for a challenge.
I just can’t help but shake the feeling that this game was a concession to the fans, rather than the pure artistic vision that Team Ninja had gone with. In fact, I would suggest that these two games deserve to be a case study in the “games as art” debate. Razor’s Edge is more entertaining, but it’s a lesser vision. As I’ve established with previous game reviews, I am willing to overlook less entertaining quirks working their way into a game if the vision is there, and as such I did feel less fulfilled or engaged on an intellectual level when playing this “version.”
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge might be the polar opposite of the usual Nintendo fare. The ‘M’ rating on the box is not a joke, what with the hyper-fast ninja action title’s unending display of severed limbs and decapitated heads. It’s fantastic to see this kind of hardcore gamer’s game on a Nintendo console – and at the Wii U’s launch, no less – and you can forget much of what you may have heard about the original release of this game earlier this year on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It’s far from perfect and best viewed with “launch goggles” on, but Razor’s Edge’s unflinching action and una...
Razor’s Edge won’t be impressing anyone with its graphics unless you’re playing the game in front of an old person who thinks they’re watching a movie. The levels are fairly bland, the textures are muddy, and there’s some noticeable aliasing but with a game that moves this fast can you really complain about it when you’ll mostly see a blur of carnage?
Unless you’re a fan of the series, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is just as hard to recommend as the core game itself. Though Team Ninja has certainly spruced up a number of elements, they seem to have avoided the game’s most fundamental issues. The series’ trademark gameplay has always been challenging but never quite so obstructive and un-rewarding. With the action adventure genre reaching new heights in the past few years, it’s gutting to see one of its modern pioneers floundering even after Team Ninja’s second attempt to do the franchise justice in the space of a year.