Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge (Wii U) Review

As well as including all of the download content from the original release, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge also has several tweaks to improve the overall quality of the gameplay in general, making this a fantastic version of Tecmo Koei's title, with the added advantage over the eventual PS3 and Xbox 360 ports that arrived not too long after release. Players take control of Ryu Hayabusa in a storyline that is not too strongly linked to the prequels, meaning jumping straight in without having played any others is not a major issue like, for instance, with Mass Effect 3: Special Edition. Basically, players can jump straight into the shoes of Hayabusa as he accepts a mission from Japan's Self-Defence Force and travels to London to get involved with a terrorist incident.

As well as Ryu's adventures, though, in Razor's Edge there is a separate storyline for his ally, Ayane, who has some unique missions that involve the return of the Black Spider Clan (co-operative play is also possible, using both characters). The game also explores Hayabusa's more human side as he suffers from a curse known as the "Grip of Murder," which influences his murders in the game, with rage building up at times. A mysterious alchemist cult rises, seeking to destroy the world and create a new world order with Ryu as the catalyst.

If ever there was a game to really put the GamePad to the test it was most definitely going to be Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, and it lives up to expectations. However, it becomes quite apparent that using a Wii U Pro Controller is probably a favourable option. The controls can be tweaked slightly to ease the potential hand-cramping but those accustomed to having to quickly input button combinations to fend off hordes of incessant foes will no doubt adapt and easily get used to the setup. Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is a revamped, complete edition of the Ninja escapade that hit other console brethren and thumbs will hurt a lot after long periods of gameplay - if players are able to survive long enough, that is!

This is indeed the Ninja Gaiden that everyone knows and loves. No simplified effort here; it is fast-paced, fluid and brutal in all the right ways. Staying still in this game ends in death…fast, whilst dodging and attacking is the only way to clear out relentless foes, with this being done using a grand variety of different weapons, such as the Katana, Lunar Staff, Dual Katana and Bow. In terms of controls, Razor's Edge is not really the sort of game that shows off what the GamePad can do, so using the Wii U Pro Controller (which is very comfortable, thanks in part to its impressively-sized d-pad) might be preferred by most players. The game focuses on quick button presses to bring about Ryu's Hyabusa combination of hits and to slide around the map like a mad-man, dodging all manner of projectiles and enemies. Those without quick reactions need not apply…

After hitting a certain milestone in combat, players can unleash a fury move that pretty much levels the playing field of enemies, and is more often than not a saving grace for getting out of the tight situations that happen frequently. Outside of combat, Ryu is as acrobatic as would be expected, scaling walls á la Prince of Persia. He excels in generally being a badass, throwing around his shuriken with great aplomb, finding the many collectables and health elements along the way.

The game pulls all of this off without a hitch; the controls are as tight as would be expected, on either controller. Like with most Third Party titles on Wii U, the visuals have taken a huge hit, though, with teams not quite managing to unlock the true power of the Nintendo system at the moment. All of the motions are there and everything flowed beautifully, to the point that players could hit a person so hard that their arms fly off in a bloody mess, but the textures and edges are in need of a considerable amount of refining. Edges are blurry and lack a healthy dose of anti-aliasing, and some of the visuals look a bit bland, though that could have been down to the desert setting, admittedly.

The GamePad can be used, for those intrigued to do so, mainly for choosing weapons, viewing game information, performing the Ninpo spells, and more. Most will end up sticking with the traditional format, though, as it feels much more natural. Especially with the improved AI making the experience tougher than ever - no mistakes can be made! Add in the intricately created locales and battle areas, the ability to upgrade certain aspects of Ryu over time as 'Karma points' are built up, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is a very solid experience indeed, and certainly one of the strongest releases on Wii U so far.