They also make fantastic use of the Tate system, with strategy and thought required rather than mindless button mashing. These are creative affairs, including possessed attack helicopters, mythical creatures and skilled warriors that are more intimate fights. The highlight of each level usually comes at the end, as Hotsuma enters an encounter with a boss. Levels often lack any sense of evolution, leading to some samey looking environments. The level design can also feel a bit vapid. This is further complicated by flying enemies often encountered in tandem with precise platforming, leading to some of the harder segments in the game which, sadly, aren’t as fair. Hotsuma can jump and attach to certain walls, and while this move has a certain flair to it, it can be hard to see where you’re going before you leap. A tight camera does not present much of an issue during combat, but it can hamper platforming. It’s surprisingly deep and stylish all the same. In other words, you can prioritise smaller and easier enemies to reduce the ordeal of fighting the larger ones. Enemies come in many shapes and sizes and while larger foes are usually harder to slay, the Tate system allows you to charge your sword and deal more damage. It’s a cool moment, but also a strategically useful one. Once you’ve killed all the enemies, Hotsuma decapitates them. This allows you to kill more enemies, with your sword charging in rapid succession. When there are multiple enemies in the vicinity, killing one of them will freeze them temporarily before they die. You soon discover the combo system known as Tate. Though it’s hard to master, it’s a system that can be conquered, with perseverance. With enemies dealing enough damage as it is, it can be very hard to grasp Shinobi’s frantic combat system. This lends a breathless urgency to the combat, as you frantically attempt to keep the sword from reducing your health. If its thirst for demonic blood is not quenched, the sword will eventually begin to drain your life. Your sword, the Akujiki, continually drains as you play. It makes up for its simplicity with a significant degree of challenge. Hotsuma comes equipped only with a single weapon, and aside from throwing shurikens to stun, there’s not much else to it. But when the ghosts of his past begin to resurface, along with the awakening of the corrupted Akujiki sword that drains Hotsuma of his life force, his mission is far from easy.Īt its core a hack ‘n’ slasher, Shinobi seems relatively basic at first glance. As an ancient sorcerer begins to summon demonic hellspawn to wreak havoc, it’s up to Hotsuma, the last of his Oboro clan, to save the city while exacting his revenge. Those who are not scared off by its high level of challenge will be rewarded.Īfter Tokyo is decimated by an earthquake, a mysterious Golden Palace appears in the middle of the ruined city. From the talented team behind Skies of Arcadia, this 3D reimagining is a great example of how to revive a classic series, with searing difficulty, stylish action and replayability to spare. The Xbox would see Jet Set Radio Future, the GameCube would get Super Monkey Ball and the PS2 would be gifted with hack ‘n’ slash reboot Shinobi. Once the Dreamcast was discontinued in 2001, many games in development would end up migrating to other platforms as SEGA transitioned into a third-party publisher and developer.
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